Reformatting from left-justified

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  • #61
    Re: Reformatting from left-justified

    You are right, semantics. However, I have read that you cannot sue for statutory damages if you do not register your copyright. So, if there is theft, I'm not sure what recourse you have ... cease and desist? Legal fees? I read about this a couple months ago.

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    • #62
      Re: Reformatting from left-justified

      Originally posted by Merrick View Post
      finalact - that is all totally understandable. I just spent the past week+ cutting it from what would've come into a script program at 220 pages and with careful editing of descriptions and re-editing once imported down to 165.

      The story and scenes are 99% the same. I hacked out a few lines of dialogue and trimmed a couple scenes, that's it.

      It is obviously easier to over-write descriptions in a word processor because I had no idea how they would look on a script page. Plus, a lot of action, I just blurted out to get the idea down and was much more precise about dialogue.

      Bono - no, I run a company in another media field, so this is for all intents and purpose just a really intense hobby. I do not need to ever sell this script. I could light it on fire now and not let anyone read it, it really wouldn't matter.

      I wrote it to do something I always wanted to do. Directing a feature is also something I always wanted to do, so hopefully I can fulfill that aspect too.

      Maybe I will get some feedback from here when it's done and copyrighted. I feel confident in it, but it is very possible and okay if lots of people hate it.

      As mentioned, I did a beta feedback round. One person hated it (I expected them to). Everyone else anywhere from enjoyed to loved it. The most positive reactions came from an actor, an editor, and a journalist.

      I feel like I did a good job.

      There are some hellishly long stretches of dialogue. And I simplified all the descriptions down to 3rd grade reading level.

      I think it flows very quickly, save a few short scenes.

      It's a very easy read imo.
      I'm intrigued. Now with that background I have more hope than you being an accountant turned screenwriter. Ha.

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      • #63
        Re: Reformatting from left-justified

        Yes, I also studied writing in university as my focus. And I have written loads - like 50+ short films. I also studied more about traditional feature structure as I was writing, so I know what is "supposed to" go where.

        Again, at the end. I still may've written an overinflated film. OR I just wrote the kind of thing a writer would want to write without focusing on a sale. As GucciGhost and finalact eventually said, they both have scripts they think deserve to be longer.

        A lot can be done in 90-120, but I think there is a lot you can't do as well.

        I like some very fast-paced films. But I for instance just rewatched 500 Days of Summer and think it would be a much better film if it wasn't so ADD.

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        • #64
          Re: Reformatting from left-justified

          I do not think that anyone was being rude. Believe me. I have been here for about 20 years, and I have seen real rudeness (especially in previous years).


          The comment about the DVD was more a compliment than anything, I thought, with an implication that your script would become a success and then you would have a story of how it all happened.


          Anyway, about copyright ... I am not a lawyer, but I do read.


          It is true that copyright is automatic upon completion of a work. But you really ought to copyright spec work. I have read this time and time again. It has to do with what you can sue for. Also, you have irrefutable proof that the work went under copyright on such-and-such a date.


          Anyway, I am through with this thread unless someone asks me a specific question about format or software by email ([email protected]).


          Good luck!

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

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          • #65
            Re: Reformatting from left-justified

            Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
            As for margins. Dude, I fukk with them every time. This is a dumb note (not trying to pick on Will, specifically, I mean industry wide it's a dumb note).

            Here's why: You ever been in post?

            You'll learn in post that page count is fukking irrelevant. As an ex-composer. DUDE... the scenes went from, like, 7 minutes, to 3 minutes. I'm talking scenes they swore to me were locked. "Here's the locked scene, score it." Cool. "Never mind made some edits, change EVERYTHING."

            Seriously, I wonder if studio execs even understand what timecode IS? Seems like, no.

            Idk why this margin sh!t matters to people. When I hear that gripe my immediate thought is... "Bruh, you ever fukked around in post production? You sure you get what this is [MAKING a movie]? You get how many edits are made at the very end that change timecode (I think you mean runtime here), constantly (i.e. page count) it's fukking drastic in the editing bay." That's FOR REAL where the movie is MADE. The script? Meh... it's just a THING to kinda consider.

            (Not a slam on Will, nor his good advice, general comment on the industry)

            “You get how many edits are made at the very end that change timecode...” (I think you mean “runtime” here)
            “Nothing is what rocks dream about” ― Aristotle

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            • #66
              Re: Reformatting from left-justified

              Now this will be rude: You're right I guess Tiger, but way to focus on the least important part of the whole thread.

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              • #67
                Re: Reformatting from left-justified

                Originally posted by TigerFang View Post
                "You get how many edits are made at the very end that change timecode...- (I think you mean "runtime- here)
                Ha!

                Nope, I meant timecode as that's what F'd with 'my' edits all throughout, always. They didn't just chop the ending off (runtime), if you catch my drift. Composers think in terms of timecode, because now everything shifts and truncates.

                True, it effects the overall runtime, but that's not what a composer cares about when they're like "Made some more cuts, cue doesn't work now, can you fool with it?" Now all your 'hit markers' are off and you gotta redo 'em all, but that's the gig... so?

                POINT: "Locked" never means locked. It's gonna get shorter (runtime), which creates annoyances for the music Dept etc (timecode). Not convinced a little fudging of margins on a 'read draft' matters at that stage.
                Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                Comment


                • #68
                  Re: Reformatting from left-justified

                  Which leads me to: Merrick says he can get this made. Best odds it'll get made. DIY

                  But, what do you bet the timecode (if that were in the script, if that were somehow able to be calculated) once edited doesn't match the script length? I bet the editor would cut it way down, even though it's already shot. Hence, yes, runningtime would change.

                  Something to consider (budget/distro).

                  OR NOT!!!

                  ...just go make the thing (if you got the cash), put it up on YouTube (there's your free distro). Millions love it. Hollywood then begs you to make a waaaaaaay loooooonger one!
                  Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Re: Reformatting from left-justified

                    Thanks all. It looks like I finished at 164. I liked working in Fade In and used that for all the in-line editing, and I will just buy the program for the final export.

                    A lot of description was left on the cutting room floor and even some dialogue when I could see it laid out in script form.

                    As said, I probably cut this from about 220 pages to 164 in the past 1-2 weeks just by simplifying a lot of the descriptions. OOO allowed me to write whatever I wanted, but as I saw it in the script, most of it was unnecessary. It was still very helpful in visualizing the world and all directions. But tons of it was left out

                    To be honest, if I write another script, I may use the same workflow. It worked for me, but it was an intense couple weeks of finishing. And yes, predicting the final length is extremely hard when doing it this way.

                    I will do one final read through tomorrow to make sure I'm 100% on it and then register the copyright and probably you won't ever have to hear about this mammoth script again unless someone bids on it and then I can do the whole told ya so thing. In other cases, you can all do the told ya so thing til that time.

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                    • #70
                      Re: Reformatting from left-justified

                      Merrick, just out of curiosity ...


                      What was the final word count and the final page count? (I know you said 164 for the page count.)


                      For word count, use LibreOffice or OpenOffice. They give accurate word counts. I have found that LibreOffice gives exactly the same count as Microsoft Word.

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

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Re: Reformatting from left-justified

                        Whoa! Good question.

                        So, I think I started hacking down at around 35600. It's 28482 now.

                        I literally cut 20% of the writing in the translation to script format without cutting a single scene. And the meaning is precisely the same.

                        That puts me at ~174 words per page. I wonder what affects this? Probably higher word count on scripts with more action and less dialogue?

                        In AfterWriting, it comes out that it's a 2:43 film with 2:10 being dialogue.

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                        • #72
                          Re: Reformatting from left-justified

                          Never done that before, a 115 page comedy draft of my last good spec was 20,677 words for whatever that is worth.

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                          • #73
                            Re: Reformatting from left-justified

                            Quick update - wound up sending the script to a few people on the forum just to see. Overall very positive replies from 2/3 who wrote back.

                            Same big note from both - hack it down to a more traditional length.

                            Some other notes as well of course. But both told me the script is one worth finishing and could very well get read and passed around.

                            As I now realize I will probably never get read in the Hollywood system at 166 pgs (so this is a harsh but very reasonable note), I will make another version of the script that is as short as humanly possible. I don't know if I'll get under 140, but I'll really try.

                            After that, I gotta move on. I developed several other ideas while writing this one. And two of those are developing in my head at the same time. Think I wanna act on those and write some more. And I will start breaking this one down on the production end so if and when (hopefully) the money comes in, I'm ready to go with a lot of production notes.

                            Big thanks to everyone for your help!
                            Last edited by Merrick; 09-01-2019, 07:13 AM.

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                            • #74
                              Re: Reformatting from left-justified

                              Thanks for the update. Glad you're going to start script 2! That's the way to do it!

                              Hack down the length is the same note everyone on this forum gave you before we read it too. Ha ha.

                              As someone that has been kicked in the balls by Hollywood (thank you sir may i have another?) if you think people saying cutting pages is HARSH, then I would encourage you to write more scripts, get more feedback, because it gets much harder than that to take emotionally.

                              In fact, the worst is the NO RESPONSE at all. good luck.

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                              • #75
                                Re: Reformatting from left-justified

                                My current thing is 38 pages TV pilot. Lots of white space (act breaks, tag). I don't know if I need that crap in 2019 but right now it's there. And a big note I got from all readers is it's TOO LONG. OVER-WRITTEN.

                                Prefer it be 30 pages.

                                And you know what? They're all right! Now maybe I land on 32 pages, but 6 pages out of 38, do that math on a 160 pages script and you'll lose 40 pages easily.

                                I got great but hard and helpful feedback from many including two people on this board. I was going to name names like Gucci just now but then I'm afraid those people will get PM'd to death. But thank you.

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