There has been zero action in this forum for two weeks so may as well throw something out there. What is advanced screenwriting? What topics and techniques are considered advanced, in your opinion?
What does advanced screenwriting mean to you?
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I don't know if there's any sort of magic bullet or black and white answer. However, when sequences, scenes, and beats are accomplishing multiple things at the same time, I feel like I am in good hands as a reader. Not EVERY scene does that, but I think many (most?) should be accomplishing more than pushing forward plot.
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Originally posted by JeffLowell View PostI once applied to take an advanced screenwriting course at UCLA, through their extension program. The sample I sent in was a spec that I'd sold in a bidding war.
I was told that the script didn't measure up to their standards, and advised to take a beginning screenwriting course.
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Originally posted by JeffLowell View PostI once applied to take an advanced screenwriting course at UCLA, through their extension program. The sample I sent in was a spec that I'd sold in a bidding war.
I was told that the script didn't measure up to their standards, and advised to take a beginning screenwriting course.
I appreciate these types of anecdotes from you because it instructs groundlings like me that just because someone doesn't fancy my spec script, it doesn't necessarily translate to “no one will like it.”Last edited by Clint Hill; 09-20-2021, 03:47 PM.“Nothing is what rocks dream about†― Aristotle
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Originally posted by Otuken View PostJust as a casua dramal viewer;
2) Never relying on mystery. It is just bad because it will probably hinder rewatchability and make audience care less about other things. Especially like hiding identity of killer. We will probably need to spend so many times with not very interesting investigation scenes and audience will already think that the killer is going to be the least suspected person. Personally I like mystery only if they are not the main point and not hinder plot progress.
6) Leaving somethings are ambiguous and open to interpretations.
I also think "there's a dead body and we don't know who did it" is a story engine that ALWAYS works. How many crime novels, movies, and episodes of crime TV begin with that? It's a trope for a reason, because it's an extremely effective story engine that instantly creates a task (find the killer) and a compelling mystery (who is the killer?). When it's a serial killer situation, it also creates a ticking clock/sense of urgency (find the killer before they kill again). These stories are always going to be around because they're so effective.
I'd say effective use of mystery can be an advanced writing technique, rather than a crutch.
Advanced can also just mean the degree of excellence. Almost all scripts have plot, character, dialogue, and action. That doesn't mean everyone is doing those things at the same level. You can make a comparison to sports. Star players like Curry and Messi aren't doing anything materially different from other players, they just happen to do it much better and more reliably. A mediocre script may be missing the flourishes of genius and may not squeeze all the juice out of the core premise/scenes/characters.
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Things I subconsciously retain when I read a script that I think is being executed on a high level are things like:
- Exposition disguised as naturalistic dialogue. Giving context through alluding to things in a non-OTN way.
- Using action lines to convey character thought/motivation. Can be done through non-verbal acting direction or perhaps in italics. (Which amounts to the same thing) He suspects something. This feels like one of those things the “gurus” counsel against be use they think it somehow violates “show don’t tell” but in a large % of pro scripts they are leaving zero room for interpretation and this direction can be played by the actors.
Those two things are what jump out at me in analyzing why something works. But if I’m just reading it, I don’t even realize the writer is doing those things because I’m fully engaged in the story. There’s no one thing, but there are many little things that add up to great execution, IMO.
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Originally posted by JeffLowell View PostI once applied to take an advanced screenwriting course at UCLA, through their extension program. The sample I sent in was a spec that I'd sold in a bidding war.
I was told that the script didn't measure up to their standards, and advised to take a beginning screenwriting course.
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Originally posted by bioprofessor View Post
Ah, art and subjectivity, like oil and water. Would you agree that a writer would benefit from mastering some of the screenwriting elements that were listed in my post?
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Having dedicated myself to the pursuit for 15 years now, it feels like the first 75% of the learning curve (formatting, structure, other aspects of the "form") takes the first 25% of a writer's development, and the next 25% of the learning curve (applying it all to writing something good) comprises the remaining 75%
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