Screenwriting and the Factory

How many screenwriters currently working on a script are planning their next two or three screenplays?

Have you started promoting yourself and your work?

In some cases, agents want to see how a writer promotes themselves without his or her help. Have you entered any festivals, have you won any awards? The industry is big! Every year tens of thousands of screenwriters are working for the same opportunity you are. Unless you have agent representation, it will be more of a challenge to get your work in front of a producer. Breaking into Hollywood; agents won’t necessarily be looking for you until they need you. Realistically, those times will never come…

Unless you’re already a “buzz” screenwriter, chances are an agent will never know who you are.

The entertainment industry is an extremely tough market. You’ll want to get your name out front and into the mouths of agents to market your talent. Though difficult it’s not impossible. Literary agents want to know that a writer not only can produce hot material, they want to know that a writer can keep producing. This means, that you, as the screenwriter, must have staying power. In order to exercise your staying power, you must demonstrate this by providing a potential agent with several recently completed works. You will also want to convey and outline your future project plans including timelines and goals. Agents want to be assured that a good writer will keep writing.

How many screenplays have you completed and passed through a script consultant?

A second and third set of eyes are crucial, rewrites are inevitable, a script consultant is critical to your success. Your work is not complete until it has passed through a script consultant, maybe several times.

Are you currently experiencing writers block? Better get over it fast…

Think two or three feature-length screenplays a year. That’s the target you’ll want to achieve consistently. You’ll want to identify and overcome any struggles you may have in your writing process early on. This will help to keep you focused on writing and not get stuck in that death cliché of “writers block”. You already know structure, you’re a great storyteller and you have fantastic ideas, but if you cannot transfer your ideas into the written word efficiently and effectively, you’ll fall behind real quick.

Before you start sending off “query Letters” to literary agents, be certain you have performed some solid research. You will want to know which agents except unsolicited material from new writers and which agents do not. But then again, this does not always hold true.

In today’s market screenwriters want to think “saturation”. Though a particular literary agent may indicate they do not accept unsolicited material, it’s probably worth your time to submit a query letter or synopsis anyway. What are they really going to do? Will the big bad agent write a hateful letter back that’s going to scare you? Oh, my… As a new writer, all you have is time. Utilize all of your resources to the fullest extent.

While most literary agents will probably give you a good indication of their company’s stance on submission guidelines, it can only help your career to get your name out there. Sometimes it is recommended that screenwriters follow literary agent submission guidelines, but there are instances where agents that do accept unsolicited material will deny you anyway. You may hear stories from writers that sent material to agents that did accept unsolicited material only to receive a letter back indicating they don’t. You may have heard about writers that submitted to agents that said they don’t accept unsolicited material and have gotten them to read the material. So, what’s the point of following the guidelines? Some people follow, some people succeed.

Being submissive will not lead to an option. This is the year of the tiger! Bare your teeth and exercise your talent. Aside from being the writing machine you are, you’ll also want to ensure that you have all of your processes in place to keep the machine running smoothly. It’s okay to simultaneously submit to literary agents. In fact, you’ll want to simultaneously submit queries, or you’ll likely never get a break. Just make sure that you’re at the top of your game. Before you send your query out, be certain that your story sounds compelling, keep your synopsis short and concise, leave your reader wanting more.

When it comes time to visit with rejections and feedback, wanted or unwanted, you’ll likely find yourself revising your work and revising your query. This should be expected. Also, remember that feedback is a good thing. If any agent takes the time to write you back, take their word and make the necessary changes.

No matter where you are as a screenwriter, if you have representation or not, keep promoting yourself. Make sure that you’re leveraging all of your resources, keeping your name out there in the industry. It’s not going to get any better than right now. Strike while the iron is hot!

Above all else, keep creating, keep writing, and keep sharing. The key for any screenwriter in today’s market, factory on wheels! Churn and burn baby! Get your work out there and get it everywhere!

- David L. Spies

Screenwriting in the New Year

Most of us have made New Year’s resolutions in the past and many of us can barely glimpse them in the rearview mirror by March. It happens. We get comfortable in our routines, our schedules are full, and everyday life just seems to get in the way… I’ve been working on my resolutions this past year and as the end of the year approached, the more I felt like I was cramming for a final. I finally realized it wasn’t going to happen. I wasn’t going to finish my screenplay before the end of the year. Though, that was a readjusted goal originally set five months prior.

Although, I’m almost finished with my current project, I have many more ideas and outlines ready to forge into new stories. This might be part of my setback as I know that I have so many great ideas and so little time with which to develop them. I’ve come to realize that I don’t necessarily procrastinate, but I won’t write unless the quality of what I want to write flows uninhibited from my pen. Coupled with my own self-imposed deadlines, I find myself fixated on the Finished Draft.

Going into the New Year, I have made new resolutions that will help me achieve my goals. For one; I have to stop counting pages! This can be a real setback for most screenwriters. Knowing that your first act transition is somewhere around page 35 and your second act turning point is around page 85, I find that I tend to develop scenes based on how many pages I have left in a particular act. This can, and will be, one of your biggest burdens. Don’t count pages!

I find that self-imposed deadlines are a good tactic to stay on track, however; you don’t want to let your deadlines get in the way of your creative process. Don’t jeopardize quality for quantity. This goes back to the page counting… forget it.

Try a different approach.

Surprise yourself with the unexpected. Write a first draft that is chaotic and spontaneous. Set it aside for a couple of weeks and then come back to it. When you start writing, it tends to be interpreted a little differently. When you express your ideas in text, it just changes. You’re trying to find the best words or combination of words, or the right sentence and you often feel that the meaning is slipping away, something’s missing, and the text that you produce is not what “you have in your head”.

Write the entire script. The first act is almost always the easiest to write. Don’t let yourself get stuck in the second act. Many writers get stuck in the second act; give up entirely or work on their second act rewrite until hell freezes over. If you’re stuck on your second act, move on to your third act. Then go back and look for pieces that will bridge your acts together. Think out of the box; think out of the structure norm. It just may work for you.

Ask yourself questions about the story that you’re currently working on. Get inside your own head. Even if you’re not happy with your answers on the way a particular scene is written, put your draft aside. Write a different version, “change the characters names; write dramatically, write a horror and slip some comedy in there. Write what you normally wouldn’t write. Experiment with different characters and scenes. Instead of writing dialogue you’re comfortable with, break out with some slang or curse words to bring your characters alive. Create more depth in your characters. Give your scenes a rough edge that will make them stand apart from the norm. Don’t write what people expect to see in the movies. Write the unexpected.

Rewrites are part of the process. You may need to perform several rewrites before your script is even close to a final draft. Keep in mind, every rewrite will allow you the opportunity to get deeper into the characterizations, develop the scenes, and bridge your acts together more seamlessly. Revisions are hardest, though the most educational part of writing.

Broaden your creative muse. Inspiration is the key to jumpstart your creative process. Learn from all those that inspire and seek to inspire others. Look for inspiration in life’s simple and complex situations. Writing is a long process; it takes patience, practice, and a devotion that is eventually rewarded with a finished product/script. Don’t avoid your current practice; look for opportunities to expand on your current process. Give yourself the challenge of creating and not quantifying.

Whenever you write, whatever you write, never make the mistake of assuming the audience is any less intelligent than you are.
- Rod Serling

Best wishes to all screenwriters in the New Year!

-       David L. Spies

Screenwriting and the Inspiration to Write

Most writers start with a concept… An idea for a great story we want to develop and share with the world. In order to share a great story, we first need to grasp it.

This is where inspiration comes in…

I don’t necessarily look for inspiration, it usually finds me when I least expect it; reading a book, reading an article online or a story that was shared by way of a tweet. For me; inspiration is best defined by the hero overcoming the worst kind of obstacles and through the perseverance of life, love, and happiness, reaches their goal. The kinds of stories that inspire me are the kind of stories that I want to write.

Here’s an example of an uplifting story that was published on sfgate.com and provided as a tweet from @MMonFilm

This brief story is of Geoffrey Fletcher’s struggle and determination to become a produced screenwriter.

Original tweet with link: “Rather than despair, Fletcher plugged away, writing by his count thousands of pages of unproduced screenplays” http://bit.ly/7ZheBj

Now; if you clicked on the link and read the story of Geoffrey Fletcher, you’ll have a sense of what I’m getting at. Inspiration is all around us. Anyone we may encounter in our day-to-day lives may be dedicating their lives to their dream. Geoffrey Fletcher had a dream and never stopped working for what he believed in; himself. He was rewarded with success.

Here’s an example of a produced screenwriter that continues to work very hard.

John August is an American screenwriter and film director that obviously has great determination and ambition. John attended the University of Iowa and the University of Southern California and has a degree in Journalism. By his account, he has ten feature film credits, though he’s written approximately fifty screenplays. This is an indicator to me that it’s definitely “not easy” to write a first screenplay or even ten screenplays and not secure an option for a single one. John knows the kind of hard work that is required to be successful and continues to write script after script knowing that a payday is not necessarily guaranteed.

Did you know…? John August was born in August.

Be sure to visit: http://johnaugust.com/about

If you’re already a John August Fan, be sure to visit MakingOf and catch the interview with John August as he discusses his personal writing habits and process. http://bit.ly/6VIrYZ

Frank Beddor
Another longtime inspiration of mine is Frank Beddor. In his early days defining his ambitions; Frank Beddor was a Freestyle skiing champion, stuntman, and actor. He’s established himself in the film industry as a screenwriter and producer. Frank Beddor is also the author of the New York Times bestseller “THE LOOKING GLASS WARS”. Adding “Author” to his list of titles and accomplishments; Frank Beddor’s latest book Mad with Wonder, is the second installment in his graphic novel companion series to The Looking Glass Wars trilogy. Frank Beddor is an example of an individual with an endless amount of imagination and determination to create and share with the world.

Frank Beddor and his team are currently meeting with directors and are in the early stages of casting for the “Looking Glass Wars”. Movie casting info can be found by visiting: http://www.lookingglasswars.com

Geoffrey Fletcher, John August and Frank Beddor are just a few but rare examples of people that provide me with inspiration to keep writing. I know that I’m on the right path; however, it’s comforting to know that other people have ventured down a similar path and eventually found light at the end of the tunnel.

The more you believe in yourself and your abilities the more fortitude you will have to accomplish your dreams.

- David L. Spies

Screenwriting and Selling Your Work

After months upon months, you’ve finished your first screenplay. What next? You’re wondering, “What do I do now? How do I find a literary talent agent? How do I approach a talent agent and will they read my screenplay? Is there a specific process I should follow?”

First of all, if you’re new to the industry, it’s very difficult to find a literary talent agent. Established professional screenwriters in Hollywood are constantly working to sell their work or secure an option. There are thousands of screenwriters hoping to break into the industry and there are hundreds of professional screenwriters that are working to sell their work every day. Competition is fierce and the Hollywood pool of writers is huge.

Current economic times will make finding a literary talent agent even more challenging. Most talent agents usually acquire their clients through referrals. However, talent agents can sometimes find you. In this case, the agent may have read your screenplay that was showcased through a screenwriting contest or even won an award. Unless you are friends with an established screenwriter that could put in a word to their agent on your behalf, it may be a tough road for some time.

The margin of opportunity for a first time screenwriter to secure representation is very narrow. If you were to ask professional screenwriters what their advice would be right now, some may tell you to wait a couple of years until our economy recovers. They may say; “Wait until the studios start buying screenplays again.” If you’re willing to accept this advice without further research in the marketplace, you could be selling yourself short.

It’s always a good Idea to gather as much information as you can from multiple sources. Think of Hollywood like the stock market. When the economy is good, stocks are up. When the economy is good, people spend money, movie ticket sales increase; everyone in Hollywood is buying screenplays. That’s why you don’t want to wait…

Now is the best time to be working harder than you’ve ever worked before. Why, you ask? Those screenwriters that told you to come back in a couple of years when the economy turns around; they are schlepping along hoping to complete another screenplay and sell it before you come along with an original fresh idea that sells first. That’s right, keep working on that screenplay and make it the best piece of work you possibly can. You just may be the next big screenwriter in Hollywood.

If your fire is stoked, read on…

Have you ever heard of the saying, “The greater the risk, the bigger the reward?” The risk is spending countless days, weeks, months or even years writing with nothing to show for it. But you already know this, I hope. Let’s get down to the process part of finding a literary talent agent. In order to market yourself and your work you’ll need to have a few completed screenplays. Because the industry is so demanding, you will likely get one chance with each literary agent. You will want to ensure that your material is solid and your very best work.

Next you will want to draft a query letter and be sure to include brief but pertinent information on yourself, your work and intentions. A query letter should be no more than one page.
Example Query Letter: http://davidspies.wordpress.com/query-letter/

Now you will need to find a list of literary talent agents that accept solicitations.
Literary Talent Agents: http://davidspies.wordpress.com/talent-agents/

In the event your query letters generate a response and a literary agent would like to read your script, be sure to follow the industry format standard when preparing your script.

You script should be printed on plain, white, three hole paper bound with brass script brads. Don’t bind it and never put any other information on it other than the title, author and your contact information. Then send away!

On the flipside, don’t wait for an agent to read your script and contact you. Networking is a great skill to practice if you want to break into the film industry. Be sure to get out and meet a lot of people and share your ideas and ambition of becoming a produced screenwriter. Let your friends and family know you plan on breaking into the film industry and you’re scouting for a literary talent agent. The best case scenario; someone that knows someone that knows an agent will get your script into their hands.

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
- Walt Disney

Success is the result of our actions based on our dreams.
– David L. Spies

 

Screenwriting and the Funds to Film

You have a completed script and you’ve secured a cast and crew. The locations have been scouted and multiple lists of required props and materials have been made. Everyone is lined up and ready to go…

Where are the funds…?

If you’re considering financing an independent film production, you’re facing down a big challenge. Even if you have friends and relatives that are willing to help, raising financing for your film will be a daunting task. If you consider selling off big ticket items to secure financing, taking out a 2^nd mortgage on your home, you had better be prepared with a backup plan in the event your movie doesn’t get picked up for a distribution deal. It doesn’t matter if you make a great movie and it shows at a festival or two, if you don’t get a distribution deal, or get picked up by a studio, you’re dead in the water.

Imagine walking up to a blackjack table in Vegas and dropping five hundred dollars down on one bet and you lose. You probably had a backup plan before you did that and you’ll recover. Now, imagine walking up to a blackjack table in Vegas and dropping one hundred thousand dollars down on one bet and you lose. Do you have a backup plan? Investors know all of this. Therefore, they work to minimize their risk as much as possible.

After you have exhausted all avenues of revenue within your means and find that you don’t have the funds to finance your own production, then you will want to consider investors.

There are several types of financing in the film industry. Investors are out there to find the most promising investment that they can. Believe it or not, “Angel investors” do exist. It’s just a matter of knowing them or knowing someone that knows of them. Don’t count on running into a movie mogul or drunken billionaire waving a checkbook at a posh party in Aspen, that’s just not going to happen. Start thinking about a plan built in reality and determine how you will work to secure financing for your film.

Financing starts with an investor or investment group. You will need to have a well crafted pitch ready to dazzle any investor you are fortunate enough to secure a meeting with. You will also want to put together a trailer or have some reels to screen for investors. Regardless of the specific type of investor, all investors will need to know how and when they will receive a return on their money. For this reason, every investor will ask for a business plan. Investors will want to see the hard numbers before you dazzle them with your list of players. They want to know they will be making a solid investment. They are not interested in fluff; they are concerned with the numbers.

There are multiple websites that offer investment opportunities for the filmmaker by acting as a middleman. If you decide to venture down the path of seeking an investor or investment group, it would be wise to first secure an entertainment attorney. If you’re a producer holding a completed script and you’re advertising on the internet for investors, you may want to read this: http://bit.ly/19T2nQ

Before you jump into the process of shopping for investors, be sure you do your homework. You’ll want to ensure that you have a great pitch, a trailer or film reels of your work, and most importantly, a solid business plan.

The Beginner’s Crash Course in Attracting Investors to Your Film: http://bit.ly/32zLm1

IndieVest Attracts Indie-Film Investors with Reduced-Risk Model: http://bit.ly/17KBPs

Work hard, work tough, work smart.

David L. Spies

Screenwriting and the Genre

Genre: Multiple categories of films based on subject matter, theme or tone.

Film genres include comedy, action, drama, horror, mystery, thriller, science fiction or western. There are also sub-genres, such as romantic drama, romance thriller, sci-fi thriller, teen comedy, and one of the latest sub-genres to sweep the box office, “bromance”. Later on down the road we may see sci-fi bromance or even bromance thriller…

I’m gunning for a western bromance thriller myself.

Logline: While running from the law, a cowboy seeks to clear his name in the death of his brother and finds that his best friend and confidant holds the key that will turn their town upside down. -

Should a screenwriter pick one genre and write only in that area? If you currently write comedies, should you only write comedies? What if you’re inspired to write in many different genres? Would it be okay to experiment, try something new once in a while?

I recently started looking into this in order to answer these questions for myself. Sort of a self-applied ‘checks and balance’ to make sure I’m going down the right path. This leads me back to where my inspiration lies. My inspiration comes from what I was afraid of as a kid and what makes me laugh today. Fittingly, my genres of choice are horror and comedy. Though I write in both genres now, I found that it’s a good idea to choose one specific genre and focus my efforts there.

If you’re a film lover or screenwriter or both, as I am, you probably like several different genres. From what I’ve read, if you’re a screenwriter just starting out, it’s okay to experiment in different genres. This will give you the chance to hone your skills and figure out the genre you like best. After crafting several screenplays in a variety of genres, determine which ones generate the most interest.

Once you have optioned/sold a screenplay you will need to settle on one specific genre. Your breakthrough script will be your calling card to the industry. If your first option was a comedy, you’ll be known as the comedy writer. If your first sale was a horror, you’ll be known as the horror writer. You don’t want to confuse your agent, producers or anyone with leverage in the industry. For this reason you don’t want to switch genres until after you’re firmly established in the industry with multiple sales.

Luckily I’ve found the opportunity to experiment in different genres prior to making my first option. Though I have a knack for writing in multiple genres, I feel I showcase my best work in comedy. How do I know? I naturally have a sarcastic humor about things. I like to see the bright side or comedy in most hardships. This has helped to shape part of who I am and my writing style. Also, the majority of screenplay ideas I have are comedies. Therefore, it is my decision and chosen path that I write comedy and stick with that genre.

The first key in achieving success is knowing where your potential lies. You must first believe in yourself before others will believe in you.

Write what you know best and stick with it.

– David L. Spies

Screenwriting and the Dream

The odds of becoming a produced screenwriter are about the same as winning your State’s Lottery. Have you ever purchased a lottery ticket when the jackpot was really big? Your mind starts thinking about all the impossibilities as if they’re possible. There are many different avenues for a screenwriter to get involved with a studio or film project. The most traditional way is to write a full script on spec. This means you write the script first and then shop it around to agents or producers who might hire you or purchase your script for later development.

Every once in a while a success story involving an unknown screenwriter materializes. They are the stories that give you hope that the impossible CAN be achieved.

If you’re a screenwriter, you probably look for similar stories that give you that much needed inspiration. That intangible sense of vicarious accomplishment that keeps you writing rather than imploding on yourself, inspiration is what we all need to keep us on the right track.

For many years, I was an avid skier around the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I also honed my skills as a ski photographer, shooting hundreds of rolls of film. Some years I got in 40+ days of skiing. On several occasions, my buddies and I would come across a film crew on the slopes or around the lodge at various resorts. During this time in my life I started thinking about all the work that went into making movies. My buddies and I would kick around ideas of what each of us would want to do if we were to make a movie. It was then that I decided that I wanted to write. After all, I would be able to showcase my creativity and also be laying the foundation for the movies themselves. I didn’t take myself seriously until many years later, but I did always read about those success stories whenever they made the news. You’d be surprised to find out that everyday life plays a part in many chance encounters involving an unknown screenwriter.

Ever hear the one about Frank Beddor?

Frank Beddor climbed the ranks to become a professional skier (as a two-time freestyle world champion). Somewhere along the way, his career path changed. Lucky for the movie goers that like extreme comedy…

Frank Beddor tried his hand at acting for several years. He appeared as John Cusack’s skiing stunt double in “Better Off Dead” (1985). He later moved to Los Angeles and performed in several theater productions. He also studied with acting coach Stella Adler.

Somewhere down the road, Frank realized that part of being an actor is waiting for the right screenplay to turn up. Frank wasn’t the kind of person that liked waiting. He started working on his own screenplay and eventually finished an entire script that centered on skiing. He pitched his script and got the attention of Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall. They signed and took on the project but the film was never made. This was Frank’s first attempt at being a produced screenwriter, but not his last.

While Frank was attending UCLA he met Ed Decter and John J Strauss, the original writers of “There’s Something About Mary.” When Frank first started producing, he inquired about the script and eventually bought it out of turnaround.

Around this time, the Farrelly Brothers had finished a script called “The Loser”.  For whatever reason, Frank Beddor and the Farrelly Brothers thought it was a great idea of combining some elements of ‘The Loser with Mary’ and it was a success. As the story goes… Frank went to Sundance to pitch their script. Being a two-time freestyle world champion, he knew exactly how he was going to pitch their script. Many people liked to ski with him, including executives from various backgrounds. Frank knew which executives he wanted to ski with… Frank got on a chairlift with an executive from Fox, and when they got off, he heard the words, ‘Send me the script; I’m going to make this happen.’ That was Frank’s first and only pitch for the movie. Six months later Frank and crew were shooting in South Beach, and three months after ‘Something about Mary’ was in theaters!

Keep writing. One day your chance encounter could be your ticket to realizing your dream.

In the meantime, your winning numbers are…

- David L. Spies

Screenwriting and Character Development

Are the most successful screenplays character driven?

Every screenplay must start with four basic elements, which are; Plot, Structure, Characters and Theme. Without strong characters to move your story forward, your screenplay will fall flat.   

Every screenplay needs a protagonist. The protagonist (Hero) is the essential character in your story that creates/resolves conflict and moves the story forward. The protagonist must seek something of value or understanding and want it badly enough, that nothing will stand in their way.

During their struggle and pursuit in finding resolution, the protagonist must feed and thrive on their determination all the way to the end. The conflict that is introduced in your story must require the protagonist to make decisions and take action that moves your story forward. Without these building blocks, the protagonist would not have the elements required for a successful story.

Your story must also include an antagonist. The antagonist (Villain) is the character that creates challenge and turmoil for the protagonist. The characteristics/desires of your antagonist must meet or exceed those of your protagonist in order for your story to have strong conflict. Typically the antagonist in any story will serve as the villain and stop at nothing to hinder the protagonist from reaching their goal. The more the protagonist and antagonist are evenly matched (good and evil) the more compelling your characters will appear to your audience.

I’ve read articles that indicate and even suggest that the proper method to character development starts with the name of your characters. Once you establish the names, you then build on their biographies and background to round them out. I have to disagree with this method. If this is the textbook method to character development, many screenwriters will struggle at creating unique and compelling characters.

In order to create realistic and compelling characters, you must look outside the norm, outside of the classroom and the books.

The ultimate goal in screenwriting is creating an original story, containing memorable characters with unique traits. Your characters should have quirks that set them apart from other characters in your story. In order to truly develop interesting and unique characters, you must consider the opportunities around you. Involve everyday life. Every trip to the store, every vacation, every family gathering; analyze and study the people you come into contact with and remember their stories. The names can come later…

Take the time to talk with people you may not be too fond of. They may have traits or quirks that would work perfect with your story’s antagonist. Take note on what moves you, what annoys you. The next person you meet and talk with may have qualities and mannerisms you could borrow for building on your next protagonist. However you choose to approach your characters development, each character that you create will likely contain some expression from your life. Outside influence is good.

Some of the best ideas for characters come from real people.

Unique Qualities, Interesting Traits = Memorable Characters

David L. Spies

Screenwriting & Developing Marketable Ideas

Whether you have just started out or you have been a successful screenwriter for several years, the task of developing a marketable screenplay idea will be ever present.

Let’s start with two industry words that most represent the definition of a marketable screenplay:

High Concept

What is High Concept? 

Generally a studio or producer would consider a screenplay being a “High Concept” idea, if it contained all four of these components:

1. It is unique.
2. It appeals to a wide audience.
3. It can be explained in one sentence.
4. You can instantly visualize the whole movie.

You would have a much better chance of securing financing or optioning a high concept script as opposed to shopping around a Character Drama. Generally the studio’s decision to move forward with a script would be dependent on the marketability and the distribution aspects of the project. A producer would be looking at how and where the project would generate the most revenue for the studio. That is why it is much easier to market a project that is high concept. When you hear of the six-figure sales of a screenplay, it’s almost always a high concept script.

When you consider writing a high concept screenplay, day-to-day activities will prove to be a goldmine of ideas. Since every story needs conflict in order to resolve to a happy ending, you will want to consider all conflict around you as possible ideas. Every situation and issue you encounter in everyday life should be looked at carefully to pinpoint possible elements for a high concept story.

Have you ever passed an interesting character on the street in the town where you live? Maybe you have seen a street performer, musician, poet, or just someone that dedicates their day to opening doors? What if that character was performing that same routine, not just days, weeks, or months, but continued this pattern for years. Would you wonder? Is there a layered story there that is worthy to be unraveled and written into a screenplay?

In order for a story to be considered High Concept, you would want to start with the most unique or unlikely scenario. If you are truly creative, this task may be only a small challenge. Can you visualize and create story concepts based on what you see and hear in everyday life? A spoken word by an interesting character that you meet may be the only thing it takes for you to start your journey. Can you storyboard in your head? If so, you probably have an analytical way of thinking that will definitely help when it comes to structuring stories.

Let’s take a look at a logline that is NOT High Concept:

NOT High Concept:

Every morning for years, a musician performs for a coffee shop crowd. He eventually meets, falls in love with a barista and they open their own coffee shop.

This sounds like a scenario that has played out on every other block in Seattle. A guy plays his guitar outside the coffee shop, while attempting to gain the attention of the cute barista that works there. The hook is not powerful enough to even consider reading the entire story.

Now take a look at a logline that might be considered High Concept:

High Concept:

A passer-by drops a winning lottery ticket into a musician’s guitar case; the musician celebrates his new found wealth while hiding out from Don Ciccone the head Mafia Boss that dropped the winning ticket.

This logline meets the criteria of the High Concept story idea:

-      The story is unique

-      May appeal to a wide audience

-      Was explained in one sentence

-      Could visualize the entire story

Have you ever heard of such a story playing out in real life? Imagine the excitement and fear the musician would be experiencing. Are you thinking about all of the characters that would be coming out of the woodwork to get that money back for Don Ciccone?

There are a plethora of stories out there just waiting to be found and an endless amount waiting to be created. Sometimes you will need to dig deep, ask questions, and elaborate on certain elements of a story to get what you’re looking for. From a marketing perspective, the concept for the story that you choose is generally the most important.

Be Creative, Be Original, Be Proactive.

- David L. Spies

Screenwriting from the Subconscious Mind

Subconscious -

Adjective
Happening or existing without one’s awareness

Noun
The part of the mind below the level of conscious perception. Often used with the. 

Sub·con scious·ness n

FADE IN:

INT. DARK OFFICE – AFTERNOON

It is believed that our subconscious thoughts are fed and driven by our conscious mind. Our day-to-day life experiences; what we see, hear, touch and feel are thought to influence our subconscious mind in ways that we do understand. If it actually happens, it’s only understandable that it’s kept as a memory, right? Well, there are also many things that influence our subconscious mind that we do not understand. These are the things that likely play a role in creating bizarre characters, surreal scenes and crazy dialog that we experience in our subconscious mind and in our dreams.
 
Take for example; when you go to sleep. You’re lying there, quiet and still. Your breathing slows, your muscles relax and all of a sudden you start experiencing dream-like thoughts. If this occurs while you are still semi-conscious, these dream-like thoughts could be from your subconscious. You have random thoughts of people and encounters throughout your present day as well as jumbled thoughts and situations that may have occurred years prior. Some thoughts you experience may have never occurred in your life, but may be a sign or a glimpse of what is yet to come.

It is also possible that your imagination works at full capacity when you’re completely relaxed. This is why it is imperative to keep a pad of paper and a pen nearby your bed. More often than not, if you do not write down what you have just experienced, you will not remember a shred of it in the morning. No matter how hard you try to summon up that forgotten thought or strange scenario with bizarre characters, it has laid itself back down, deep rooted in your subconscious. It may never come to the top of your thoughts again.

It is also possible to experience a subconscious thought at any given time during the day. Take for example; when you are standing in line at your local coffee shop. You start listening to the conversations around you. They all tend to blend together like one big cocktail party mix of conversations. Then it fades in… It’s that one conversation that stands out from the cocktail party mix. You’re not eavesdropping but just absorbing a conversation within earshot. The exchange of dialog between these particular people seems so interesting that you start building your own story around their words. Your imagination takes hold and before you know it, you have created scenes and locations over their dialog. What you have created in your mind at that moment may have nothing to do with what those individuals were discussing, but your subconscious mind built out the best case scenario based on what you just absorbed. Write it down… 

You must understand and utilize your subconscious thoughts. This is where the motherload of your imagination lies. Every good screenwriter has an immeasurable amount of imagination. In order to succeed to the level of a successful screenwriter, you will need to harness all of the imagination that you can grasp. Convert your subconscious thoughts to scenes, characters and dialog. Think of your imagination as your own personal assistant.

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.  – Albert Einstein

I know there are many creative people out there that have the passion, drive and desire to be successful screenwriters. We can see the opportunities that lie around us everywhere. We have the creative instinct to visualize material where others would not. We carry the natural raw talent that serves as our inspiration to create original ideas that we then share with the world.

Write from your heart, mind and soul.

 - David L. Spies