Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

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  • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

    Originally posted by emily blake View Post
    Obviously, Jeff, I completely agree with you, but I am curious about your response to a Doug Richardson article that addresses this. I posted about it here:

    http://messageboard.donedealpro.com/...641#post798641

    In the interests of keeping this thread on topic, which is now something of a lost cause anyway.
    Thanks, Emily. Here's the link directly:

    http://dougrichardson.com/2012/dead-on-arrival

    I think this should give the "no rules" faction some pause. The broader point he's making goes beyond fonts and title pages.

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    • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

      Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
      And photos are rare... but if it helps? Why the hell not. If memory serves, "Looper" had a picture of a gun on the cover.
      Line of Sight by F. Scott Frazier had a TON of photos too.

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      • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

        The article doesn't mention spaces after periods, though.

        Most of what they're talking about is commonplace. We all know readers judge the font of the title page and the script's binding and length.

        But you don't hear them talking about spaces after periods.

        Personally, I think the one-space aides in the compact style of screenwriting. You're judged on white space. Every space counts.

        I don't want my 2 line action description to run over to a third line just because I'm worried I have to include two spaces after each period.

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        • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

          Originally posted by Aspirant View Post
          I think this should give the "no rules" faction some pause.
          Maybe you're right. I'm going to start following the rules, see if I can't finally break in.

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          • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

            Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
            Maybe you're right. I'm going to start following the rules, see if I can't finally break in.
            I'm asking this seriously, and I'll accept as truth any response you give: Would you say that, when you WERE trying to break in, you paid no more attention to the "rules" (what I'd prefer to call "traditional screenwriting conventions") than you do now?

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            • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

              The script that got me attention and jobs on the feature side was an r-rated black comedy about the film industry. So, no.

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              • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

                Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
                The script that got me attention and jobs on the feature side was an r-rated black comedy about the film industry. So, no.
                We're talking about formatting-type stuff, not genre.

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                • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

                  My guess would be to look at professional scripts. In the article, "Mike" says that professional writers like Alvin Sergeant don't make amateur mistakes. So, in terms of formatting, present your script in a professional manner: like pro scripts do.

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                  • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

                    Originally posted by Why One View Post
                    My guess would be to look at professional scripts. In the article, "Mike" says that professional writers like Alvin Sergeant don't make amateur mistakes. So, in terms of formatting, present your script in a professional manner: like pro scripts do.
                    Pro scripts don't follow one particular convention. And many that you read online have probably been retyped by someone's assistant somewhere along the line.
                    Shaken, not stirred.

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                    • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

                      Originally posted by Aspirant View Post
                      We're talking about formatting-type stuff, not genre.
                      Still no. I read pro scripts, and stole the style I liked.

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                      • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

                        Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
                        Still no. I read pro scripts, and stole the style I liked.
                        This just made my day 'cause I really like your style and now I'm gonna steal it.

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                        • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

                          Please do. I still do. I stole bolded slugs from Scott Frank not too long ago.

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                          • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

                            Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
                            The script that got me attention and jobs on the feature side was an r-rated black comedy about the film industry. So, no.
                            Did it have pictures? Was it over 120 pages? Did you use a font other than some form of Courier? Did it have not INT. or EXT.? Did it have an unusual font on the title page? Did it mess with format in any way?

                            - Bill (disclaimer - I always use a different font than Courier for the title, but did not start doing it until *after* I had scripts produced so I do not know whether it would matter or not - I do not have the experience of doing that as a writer trying to break in.)
                            Free Script Tips:
                            http://www.scriptsecrets.net

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                            • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

                              Yes no no yes yes no no yes no yes.

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                              • Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

                                Underlined and bolded slugs *used to be* one of the standards (read a pile of scripts from the 1950s) - those were two things you could easily do on a standard typewriter. So those are not really messing with format - it's just returning to a past standard... as someday we will return to scripts only submitted on paper. Things go in cycles.

                                Scott Frank must have begun bolding recently, since I have paper photocopies of OUT OF SIGHT and LITTLE MAN TATE and a couple others that are not bolded. Please do not report me to the studios.

                                - Bill
                                Free Script Tips:
                                http://www.scriptsecrets.net

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