What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

    Hi all

    First post here, so please bear with me if this question has already been asked a million times before!!

    I'm currently either redrafting or rewriting the second draft of my screenplay, and as I'm a bit of a perfectionist and a freak for details, I wanna get this right:

    My first draft was 170 pages, then I whittled it down to 120 and called that my second draft. This was consequently revised a week later, so the draft I'm working on now (over 6 months down the line after deciding to take a break from the script) is basically Draft 2, Revision 1.

    Right now I'm working on it again - no major structural changes as yet, but a lot of minor details, dialogue, and some actions, as well as outright cutting bits and pieces from some scenes, but no WHOLE scenes - and I'm wondering if I should call this Draft 3 or Draft 2, Revision 2?

    I know in the bigger scheme it doesn't REALLY matter, and that I'm a stickler for the details (and I know the devil is in them! ) and for me it's the tiny little details that make the biggest differences when it comes to the endgame.

    Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this!

  • #2
    Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

    Others may know better, but I think until you start sending it to people it's Draft One. Nobody needs to know how many revisions you've done to get to this point.

    Once people start reading it, giving notes and even think about making it, then drafts become important because you need to know everyone is (literally) on the same page. But at the moment I think go with whatever helps you to file and keep track.

    JJ.
    My stuff

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

      No official answer but you're definitely not out of the first draft phase. In fact, you're in "rough draft" phase.

      Usually there's a ton of work before you get a 1st draft -- which is a draft that is presentable. Though there are some writers who get there more quickly but if you're chopping 50pgs out, you're in the camp with us who take a while to find that 1st draft.

      But again this is all opinion, nothing official. Get notes from someone you trust, do those. Then you'll be closer to a 1st draft.

      imo of course.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

        If you're working at a studio, drafts are what you turn in to the studio after you've gotten notes, addressed them, then done revisions for the producer/director.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

          Originally posted by EyeGod View Post
          Hi all

          First post here, so please bear with me if this question has already been asked a million times before!!

          I'm currently either redrafting or rewriting the second draft of my screenplay, and as I'm a bit of a perfectionist and a freak for details, I wanna get this right:

          My first draft was 170 pages, then I whittled it down to 120 and called that my second draft. This was consequently revised a week later, so the draft I'm working on now (over 6 months down the line after deciding to take a break from the script) is basically Draft 2, Revision 1.

          Right now I'm working on it again - no major structural changes as yet, but a lot of minor details, dialogue, and some actions, as well as outright cutting bits and pieces from some scenes, but no WHOLE scenes - and I'm wondering if I should call this Draft 3 or Draft 2, Revision 2?

          I know in the bigger scheme it doesn't REALLY matter, and that I'm a stickler for the details (and I know the devil is in them! ) and for me it's the tiny little details that make the biggest differences when it comes to the endgame.

          Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this!
          There isn't any hard and fast definition, but I'm a big fan of simplicity. If it's a major overhaul, I usually say I'm working on a new draft. When I'm rewriting or polishing a version of the script that remains largely intact, I usually say I'm revising a draft. Don't get caught up with terminology, though; you'll find people who call everything a draft and others who consider it "revising" even if it's a complete page one rewrite. The only thing that matters is you (and whoever you may be working with) are clear on the scope of the work being done.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

            I was always under the impression that the draft that was turned in to a producer etc was 'the first draft'. No matter how many drafts you do, the draft they get is the first draft.

            I number my drafts with a letter, Name_R for the rough draft, then Name_A, Name_B and so on.
            Always choose cognac over cocaine -- Jon Lord

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

              Ah, so clearly no hard, fast rule here... After finishing work on this last year I just had 'Draft 2, Revision 1 & Date, Revision 2 & Date'. I suspect the next time I work on this it might be a more major rewrite and will then call it Draft 3.

              Thanks for all the input folks!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

                It should always be the first draft when you're trying to sell it or land an agent.

                When I did my rewrites for Universal, the idea of revision/draft numbers never once came up. It was just the sale draft, with its given draft date, then each subsequent draft just had a new draft date.

                Chances are, in today's climate, that by the time a studio decides to get to draft #3 they'll change writers anyway so the writer credits on the cover will tell the story.

                That is, until they get too many writers assigned and the project starts to reek of too much meddling.


                Anyway, EyeGod, if I were you I'd just track drafts by date. I personally back up scripts I'm working on every day, so somewhere on my back-up drives there's just a folder with a pile of copies of Script43Jan13.fdr Script43Jan14.fdr Script43Jan15.fdr
                - - - - - - -
                Script consulting still going strong.

                Details and updates here, as always: http://messageboard.donedealpro.com/...ead.php?t=9901

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

                  Thanks for that! Dropped you a PM ExtHollywoodDay!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

                    All of this is mostly arbitrary.

                    It may be helpful to think of revision as a process, and of a draft as a product of many revisions which may be accomplished over a day or over many days.

                    Bart's helpful method of labeling each day's revisions then becomes a tag for the "work in progress." For example:

                    Love_2013-01-19.doc

                    Eventually you will make a true first draft from the ongoing work of revising the script. The manuscript that you send out is always a "first draft" for the people to whom you are sending it.

                    "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

                      In contractual terms, it's not "draft" and "revision." It's "rewrite" and "polish." And the difference is what you get paid. Rewrites pay more. Polishes less.

                      Whatever you want to call different stages of the script while you are writing a spec at home is really up to you and about what works in your head differentiating different stages of the rewriting process. Once the script sells, that is the first draft. And any drafts coming in after that from you or other writers will be numbered drafts moving on from there.
                      GirlinGray

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: What's the difference between a draft and a revision?

                        PS: Also, don't be fooled by terminology. Polishes are not less work than rewrites, just translate that to "you're doing another rewrite here we are just cheap bastards and don't want to pay full price for it so let's pretend you are just 'polishing.'"
                        GirlinGray

                        Comment

                        Working...
                        X