0:00 Intro 5:22 Basics 6:00 Scene Headings 15:25 special scene headings 23:20 Action 30:58 Dialogue 34:16 dialogue punctuation 36:50 text msgs 38:48 Creative Writing Tips 43:24 Q&A I have created chapters for this video, you can add this so that viewers can reach to what part of formatting they want to know about easily.
I just want to say that I really love this video and the people who put their time and energy to provide this type of info for free for all of us to use. Thank you! Gracias!
Of all of the videos I have watched to learn about screenplay writing, this is by far the best. it addresses the writing not the story creating like all others I have experienced. Expressing my gratitude in concise narration...Thank you.
"I truly appreciate how you simplify complex concepts. Dealing with learning disabilities for quite some time, I am currently undertaking the task of writing a movie screenplay, and I find your information to be priceless. Thank you so much. At 55 years old, I've never ventured into writing anything like what I'm currently working on, and I find the experience incredibly therapeutic. Thank you for sharing!" I would love to connect if possible
Thees best EVER presentation of this difficult subject for beginning script writers. after hella money spent on books for years and years and ALL the RUclips videos on ScreenFormats. YOU have DONE it. why look any firther !! ya hit the Jackpot in deep debt to YOU. what a GREAT job QQ Magnificent thank. YOU. SO much !!
Thank you! I'm at Full Sail and our number one textbook in the Creative Writing for Entertainment curriculum is Dr. Format's (Mr. Trottier's) "The Screenwriter's Bible". I don't see how any beginning screenwriter can live without it. Thank you.
This video is what prompted me to buy your book off of Amazon. It will be here tomorrow. Can't wait! I have a first draft 100 page true story of who Obama really is and will be sending it to you, with money, for an evaluation as soon as it is as perfect as I, a novice screenwriter, can get it. He is actually from Harlem, Clewiston, Florida and is the son of Thomas B Owens, Sr (the original Zodiac Killer subject). I hope you don't mind given the subject material.
This landed in my e-mail inbox at the perfect moment. Thank you for the excellent guidance and clarity, Dave. Reviewing your tips was an instant confidence booster!
Thank you very much. Yes, it was very useful and well presented. (UK) PS - somewhat confusing to hear questions at the end needing information already given.
I can't tell you how helpful your video was. As a once novelist now writing screenplays, shortening my descriptors kills me. I'm getting the book! 🤝 Thanks
@@pavanvarma1919 Sure, it's easy. and in simple steps. Of course, the first step is to know WHAT you want to write about, and of course, you have to KNOW what you are writing about. After this is established I follow these steps: 1. Walk out each chapter so they follow successive steps from the first chapter to the last. I try to keep a book under 12 chapters as I can get to be long0winded. 2. Microsoft Word, (MS Word) is the easiest program to use now for writing a book. I started back in 1994, now I have some six different programs depending on what I want to write, Novel, screenplay, or small work. 3. Once you have your chapters down, create a MS Word document for each chapter. 4. This way you can freely write each chapter without having to go back and forth in a huge document. It is far easier to go through each chapter than one huge one to look for a segment and or edit it. 5. Once you have finished editing the chapters and run them through a Grammer check program like Grammarly, You are ready to put all the separate chapters together and publish it on a platform like Lulu.com or Amazon. The process will get easier as you continue to use it.
@@JohnnyStroud being an Indian, certain words doesnt have contextual words in english and i have to use words present in our languages Then grammarly might replace those words, since they are not of english How to deal with that?
While I agree with most of what Dr. Format says, I am an exception to the rule that the scene heading is Camera Location - Time of day. As a producer, it is difficult to have ten trolley scenes and not know which scene you are referring to . Personally, I prefer actual scene headings. If the scene heading says "Frank dies", then everyone is on the same page without having to look up the scene number. I know I am alone in the world on this issue, but sitting around a production meeting, it helps.
I don’t understand what you mean. How can “Frank dies” be a scene heading?? As Dave pointed out a scene heading is a location. “Frank dies” gives no clue to the whereabouts the camera set up will be. For example Frank might have staggered from his bed and collapsed in the corridor, in the bathroom, on the balcony, in the garden, on the driveway.... the fact that he drops dead would surely be the action line under the scene heading.
Great summary, thanks for this, really helpful (though I don't think "is opening the door" is a passive verb (at 29min). That would be "the door is opened". Maybe you meant it's a gerund or present continuous vs present simple).
Thanks for the comment. Let me explain what I'm getting at. Here is a sentence that is rather vague and lifeless: "He is walking to the boat." The verb "is" often signals that you may have a weak or vague sentence. Replace "is walking" with a specific verb and you get something like this: He staggers to the yacht." It's more visual and it helps characterize the character and the moment. Keep writing!
on the SLUG LINE: DO YOU WRITE THE MAIN LOCATION FIRST AND THEN THE SECONDARY LOCATION AFTER? I.E. IF THE SCENE IS TAKEN PLACE IN A DINING ROOM INSIDE A CHARACTER'S HOUSE, DO YOU WRITE: INT. DINING ROOM - RANSOM MANSION - NIGHT OR INT. RANSOM MANSION - DINING ROOM - NIGHT OR I'VE SEEN IN SOME SCRIPTS THEY HAVE IT AS: INT. DINING ROOM, RANSOM MANSION - NIGHT
Anything I want to achieve isn't attached to any person . It's attached to the art and business of what I want to achieve . If you're a good business person , then we will have the pleasure of working together .
My stories are often about weird topics. For example, one of the characters can not speak English, but is a telepath. How is that written into a script?
0:00 Intro
5:22 Basics
6:00 Scene Headings
15:25 special scene headings
23:20 Action
30:58 Dialogue
34:16 dialogue punctuation
36:50 text msgs
38:48 Creative Writing Tips
43:24 Q&A
I have created chapters for this video, you can add this so that viewers can reach to what part of formatting they want to know about easily.
Thank you ‘
Thank you!!!
Thank you!
🌹🌹🌹
Thank you very best
I just want to say that I really love this video and the people who put their time and energy to provide this type of info for free for all of us to use. Thank you! Gracias!
Of all of the videos I have watched to learn about screenplay writing, this is by far the best. it addresses the writing not the story creating like all others I have experienced. Expressing my gratitude in concise narration...Thank you.
"I truly appreciate how you simplify complex concepts. Dealing with learning disabilities for quite some time, I am currently undertaking the task of writing a movie screenplay, and I find your information to be priceless. Thank you so much. At 55 years old, I've never ventured into writing anything like what I'm currently working on, and I find the experience incredibly therapeutic. Thank you for sharing!"
I would love to connect if possible
Dave is the Guru we screenwriters need. Thank you very much for this!
Thees best EVER presentation of this difficult subject for beginning script writers. after hella money spent on books for years and years and ALL the RUclips videos on ScreenFormats. YOU have DONE it. why look any firther !! ya hit the Jackpot in deep debt to YOU. what a GREAT job QQ Magnificent thank. YOU. SO much !!
This video explains things well. It is linked to in my school assignments.
This was amazing! Thank you for this in-depth and free instruction!
I have the book and I am having fun with it. Need to buy final draft this month and get my story ready
Brilliant advice and lots of good examples to indicate exceptional writing.
What a great teacher! Thank you for all that.
I am reading Dave's book. It is a treasure chest of excellent advice. Highly recommend!! Also purchased the Kindle version for mobility/reference.
This was a wonderful update/refresher! Thank you!
Can you allow me to say I LOVEEE DAVE TROTTIER TEACHINGS.
Thank you! I'm at Full Sail and our number one textbook in the Creative Writing for Entertainment curriculum is Dr. Format's (Mr. Trottier's) "The Screenwriter's Bible". I don't see how any beginning screenwriter can live without it. Thank you.
I am starting the Creative Writing MFA at Full Sail in October - is it worth the $35K?
@@irieify9334 Do you feel like it was worth it? I'm enrolled in Full Sail currently.
This is extremely useful. Thank you!
This video is what prompted me to buy your book off of Amazon. It will be here tomorrow. Can't wait! I have a first draft 100 page true story of who Obama really is and will be sending it to you, with money, for an evaluation as soon as it is as perfect as I, a novice screenwriter, can get it. He is actually from Harlem, Clewiston, Florida and is the son of Thomas B Owens, Sr (the original Zodiac Killer subject). I hope you don't mind given the subject material.
This landed in my e-mail inbox at the perfect moment. Thank you for the excellent guidance and clarity, Dave. Reviewing your tips was an instant confidence booster!
I really love this video, Thank you so much.
Very good advice that I definitely have already incorporated in my script writing efforts.
The only video I’ve ever seen that explains it all so well. Thank you.
Buy the book and keep it close when you write. It's worth the price.
I brought it ten yrs ago, and I agree!
Thank you so much, Dave!
Thank you n.n, this was really helpful
Good stuff. Well done.
99% of my questions were answered in this video, thank you very much Dave! Amazing guide.
Excellent breakdown by Dave. He is the best!
This is gold. 👍👍👍
Thank you so much for this video!
Thank you so much for doing these videos! Amazing.
Fantastic Dave Trottier very informative ‘
Thank you very much. Yes, it was very useful and well presented. (UK) PS - somewhat confusing to hear questions at the end needing information already given.
Thank you for this informative video. Much appreciated it!
I can't tell you how helpful your video was. As a once novelist now writing screenplays, shortening my descriptors kills me.
I'm getting the book! 🤝 Thanks
Can you guide me to write a novel
@@pavanvarma1919 Sure, it's easy. and in simple steps. Of course, the first step is to know WHAT you want to write about, and of course, you have to KNOW what you are writing about. After this is established I follow these steps:
1. Walk out each chapter so they follow successive steps from the first chapter to the last. I try to keep a book under 12 chapters as I can get to be long0winded.
2. Microsoft Word, (MS Word) is the easiest program to use now for writing a book. I started back in 1994, now I have some six different programs depending on what I want to write, Novel, screenplay, or small work.
3. Once you have your chapters down, create a MS Word document for each chapter.
4. This way you can freely write each chapter without having to go back and forth in a huge document. It is far easier to go through each chapter than one huge one to look for a segment and or edit it.
5. Once you have finished editing the chapters and run them through a Grammer check program like Grammarly, You are ready to put all the separate chapters together and publish it on a platform like Lulu.com or Amazon. The process will get easier as you continue to use it.
@@JohnnyStroud being an Indian, certain words doesnt have contextual words in english and i have to use words present in our languages
Then grammarly might replace those words, since they are not of english
How to deal with that?
very informative and useful
thanks so much!!! great info!!!
Thank you for this enlightening lecture and discussion! It was an hour well-spent, as I begin to learn the craft of screenwriting. Thanks again!
Loved. Thanks ❤
Thank you for this, very informative, concise, practical advice.
Thank you so much, this is so much useful.
Pure gold. Thank you.
This is so good. Thank you so much.
im done with the script and now i am working on my oscar speech
@Vladimir Peter dude, you want me to give you a shout out in my oscar speech?
great tips..loved it! thank you ! I have a question, please: when the character is thinking or narrating which extension we use? thank you
Get your story, plot and characters right in the first 2-3 drafts.
Then, get your mix of poetry and prose. And then formatting of course.
While I agree with most of what Dr. Format says, I am an exception to the rule that the scene heading is Camera Location - Time of day. As a producer, it is difficult to have ten trolley scenes and not know which scene you are referring to . Personally, I prefer actual scene headings. If the scene heading says "Frank dies", then everyone is on the same page without having to look up the scene number. I know I am alone in the world on this issue, but sitting around a production meeting, it helps.
I don’t understand what you mean. How can “Frank dies” be a scene heading?? As Dave pointed out a scene heading is a location.
“Frank dies” gives no clue to the whereabouts the camera set up will be. For example Frank might have staggered from his bed and collapsed in the corridor, in the bathroom, on the balcony, in the garden, on the driveway.... the fact that he drops dead would surely be the action line under the scene heading.
Great!! Thank You
Great summary, thanks for this, really helpful (though I don't think "is opening the door" is a passive verb (at 29min). That would be "the door is opened". Maybe you meant it's a gerund or present continuous vs present simple).
Thanks for the comment. Let me explain what I'm getting at. Here is a sentence that is rather vague and lifeless: "He is walking to the boat." The verb "is" often signals that you may have a weak or vague sentence. Replace "is walking" with a specific verb and you get something like this: He staggers to the yacht." It's more visual and it helps characterize the character and the moment. Keep writing!
The is a great resource. My only suggestion would be to add time stamps. Great job!
Great information
on the SLUG LINE: DO YOU WRITE THE MAIN LOCATION FIRST AND THEN THE SECONDARY LOCATION AFTER? I.E. IF THE SCENE IS TAKEN PLACE IN A DINING ROOM INSIDE A CHARACTER'S HOUSE, DO YOU WRITE: INT. DINING ROOM - RANSOM MANSION - NIGHT OR INT. RANSOM MANSION - DINING ROOM - NIGHT OR I'VE SEEN IN SOME SCRIPTS THEY HAVE IT AS: INT. DINING ROOM, RANSOM MANSION - NIGHT
With 18K subscribers would you mind turning on auto-captions for the hard of hearing like me?
Hi Robert! The closed captions are now accessible. Thanks!
Great video
Thank you, sir!
I would like to know how to present a TV NEWS in a scene, where characters are watching on a screen. footage that has been produced for the movie.
thank you sir
why is there a trolley in all those scenes, what’s a trolley?
Anything I want to achieve isn't attached to any person . It's attached to the art and business of what I want to achieve . If you're a good business person , then we will have the pleasure of working together .
My stories are often about weird topics. For example, one of the characters can not speak English, but is a telepath. How is that written into a script?
Put the name of the character: Bill [ V.O.].
Shakespeare did not use the Camera Location - Time of day in his plays.
There were no cameras in Shakespeare's day.
♥♥
!
..with long first E
.
It's pronounced PRE-sentation.