Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

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  • Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

    https://www.scribd.com/document/3864...cript-Analysis

    I received these notes from a client that just ordered a script edit off me. He decided to attach this formatting analysis from someone else, even though it was for another script. To be honest I'm not really sure why he did that, but I read through it and most of it seems wrong to me.

    This apparent screenwriter that's sold 7 scripts to studios has a typo in the very first paragraph, then goes on to say in regards to the use of "we see" that "NO MAJOR SCRIPT contains it." I know this is total BS as I read studio scripts regularly and see it all the time. And the one note that REALLY felt wrong to me was saying how you never open a script with voice over before introducing who's talking. This can't be right as I've read/seen many films that do just that, LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring comes to mind as an example.

    Most of the notes just don't seem right to me, but I'm also not a big time Hollywood screenwriter that's sold anything so maybe I'm wrong. So I would be very interested to hear what some professionals think of this persons notes.
    Professional Screenwriting Services

  • #2
    Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

    Hi, thanks for this topic as I'm very new to this ''business' and this was actually the first time I read a detailed ''examination'' of any script.

    That being said, this will probably mean nothing to you, but after talking to a few people who have been writing scripts for years and after asking questions here on the site, I got the impression that people who read scripts and decide whether it's worth investing time in them or not all have different schemes for evaluation, different wishes, preferences etc. They all follow one skeleton of written code for these things, but they add/subtract elements as they wish/think it's best. That's the picture I formed after these few months. I may very well be wrong though.
    ''Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.''

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    • #3
      Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

      Originally posted by TimAucoin View Post
      Most of the notes just don't seem right to me, but I'm also not a big time Hollywood screenwriter that's sold anything so maybe I'm wrong. So I would be very interested to hear what some professionals think of this persons notes.
      I'm not a professional, but these "rules" look like pure crap to me.
      STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I'm a wannabe, take whatever I write with a huge grain of salt.

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      • #4
        Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

        Originally posted by Centos View Post
        I'm not a professional, but these "rules" look like pure crap to me.
        I am a professional and these rules are pure crap.

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        • #5
          Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

          Concur on crap.

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          • #6
            Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

            Tim, the person who wrote those notes is full of crap. Because everything sounds fancier in French, what you've brought us, Tim, is a two-hat, or “deux-chapeaux” situation. First, you'll need two hats.

            Then, you put his crap in the first hat, or “Ensuite, vous mettez sa merde dans le premier chapeau”
            Next, you cover the first hat with the second hat, or “Ensuite, vous couvrez le premier chapeau avec le deuxième chapeau.”
            Finally, there it is! It's finished! or “Enfin, le voilà! C'est fini!”

            Leave the ‘crap-eaux’ in those ‘chapeaux’ and throw them out toute suite.
            Last edited by Clint Hill; 08-18-2018, 01:33 PM.
            “Nothing is what rocks dream about” ― Aristotle

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            • #7
              Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

              That's what I thought. It's too bad he's pulled the wool over many an eye on the freelancing site he's on. He has a five star review and thousands of orders. It's a shame.
              Professional Screenwriting Services

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              • #8
                Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

                Originally posted by TimAucoin View Post
                That's what I thought. It's too bad he's pulled the wool over many an eye on the freelancing site he's on. He has a five star review and thousands of orders. It's a shame.
                Who is he?

                Please post a link to his profile on that freelancing site.
                Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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                • #9
                  Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

                  Originally posted by TimAucoin View Post
                  That's what I thought. It's too bad he's pulled the wool over many an eye on the freelancing site he's on. He has a five star review and thousands of orders. It's a shame.
                  Tim, any chance you can post a link to that guy's profile on the freelancing site, so that we don't also fall for his egregious baloney?
                  Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                  "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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                  • #10
                    Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

                    Originally posted by TimAucoin View Post
                    That's what I thought. It's too bad he's pulled the wool over many an eye on the freelancing site he's on. He has a five star review and thousands of orders. It's a shame.
                    Tim, I know you're there; I can hear you reading. C'mon, be a good sport and share a link to that charlatan.
                    Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                    "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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                    • #11
                      Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

                      I don't see what's so bad about this feedback. Most, if not all, are on point. It doesn't mean you have to adhere to it.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

                        https://www.scribd.com/document/3864...cript-Analysis

                        Final Draft and other screenplay softwares control the the physical presentation of the words on the page.
                        English is not this person's first language, and they have never, ever worked in the Hollywood film industry.

                        They call a spec script "a SPECULATION script". They talk about "FATAL ERRORS" in formatting and so on.
                        If you really like it you can have the rights
                        It could make a million for you overnight

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                        • #13
                          Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

                          Originally posted by Bananos View Post
                          I don't see what's so bad about this feedback. Most, if not all, are on point. It doesn't mean you have to adhere to it.
                          None of it's on point.

                          The whole document is an exercise in confusing the plates and utensils with the food itself.

                          "Is the steak a good cut of meat, cooked and seasoned expertly?" versus "Is the steak served on fine china or plastic dishware?" It's the steak and how well it's cooked that matters, not the plates or forks.
                          If you really like it you can have the rights
                          It could make a million for you overnight

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                          • #14
                            Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

                            'We see' is a staple! It's Fenway F***kin' Park!!

                            I want to get this guy in a headlock and give him a noogie!! Where is he? I'm on the tram right now, I can get there in 10 minutes. Is he at the Starbucks on 5th??

                            NO ONE SH*TS ON 'WE SEE'!

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                            • #15
                              Re: Claimed Hollywood writer's script formatting notes (are they wrong??)

                              Originally posted by odocoileus View Post
                              None of it's on point.

                              The whole document is an exercise in confusing the plates and utensils with the food itself.
                              really?
                              "We see" and "Cut to" are not good practice. It doesn't mean you can't use them (but most of us aren't william goldman).

                              And it's just advice. You are just shutting down criticism, which isn't constructive at all. Saying this isn't important, only the structure and story is. You are wrong. Simple as that. "Synthesis" is the keyword here. If you can't even appreciate feedback on technicalities(which is fine to disagree with, but not to shut yourself off to), then you won't agree with feedback on structure and story and make excuses up for that too.

                              story is not this magical thing that is completely different to format/style.

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