Screenwriting Contest 2018 | CLOSED

YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO READ THIS

So naturally if you were drawn to this book, I think it's safe to say you like the idea of turning your ideas into films. 🎥🎞

I haven't been on Wattpad in a while, and that's because I've been doing exactly that: turning my scripts into films.

I've made four short films, filmed on the Universal Studio Backlots in Hollywood, produced, acted, and learned what a stinger is. (A stinger is an extension cord. But when you're onset making movies, everyone calls it a stinger.😉)

I was extremely daunted by making films at first. I'm a writer first and foremost! But being a writer has a ton of advantages. How???

1. You have a vision.
By that, I mean you know what you want creatively! If you're worldbuilding and writing the characters that actors later portray, they you know in YOUR HEAD what you want the movie to look like.

If you ever direct a film, you'll hear the word "vision" being thrown around all over the place. A director is supposed to have a vision of what the movie is supposed to look like. And there's a ton that goes into a movie: from the costume the leading actor/actress down to the choice of font for the title. As a director, you should have an opinion on ALL OF THESE!!!

2. You can be creative!
You write stuff. You create things. Original ideas flow from you like the grease that leaks from McDonald's fries! 🍟 That means if you're onset and you run into a problem, you can likely come up with a creative solution.

What??? A problem onset??? 😱Aren't movies made with magic, fairy dust, and the god-like eyes of Morgan Freeman overseeing everything that happens?

Short answer: no.

Long answer: no. It's hectic. People disagree. A light breaks. The power goes out. An actor quits an hour before they're supposed to be onset. Budget money disappears. And as a director, you get to think creatively in this jungle of chaos! Yayyyyyy...

I'm not trying to scare you. Making a movie is super thrilling! It can fulfill all your dreams. You just have to be reasonable and think creatively while staying on your feet! And writers do that all the time!

In other words... you could totally make a movie right now. But what's stopping you?🤔

I'll list some excuses (E) and give some counter arguments (CA) :

E: I don't have a fancy camera (and don't know how to use a fancy camera!)🎥😕
CA: If you have a smart phone, you have a camera (you likely have a really good camera!). And I KNOW you can use your smartphone.

E: I don't know what to make a movie about.😳
CA: Take a moment and think... what types of movies do you like? Horror, drama, romance, etc. Try writing one of these genres but do yourself a favor and write something short. Don't give yourself a space opera to accomplish for your first ever movie!

E: There's no point in making a SHORT film. People only like feature films!😞😒
CA: First of all, that's a load of crap. People make all sorts of films, and they can make money off a film that's 5 minutes just as much as they can make money off a film that's an hour & a half! And there IS a point to make short films. They can get you discovered by big movie production companies. They allow you to try out Filmmaking in a controlled setting. They give you the chance to explore your ability to direct. And they give you EXPERIENCE that you can take with you to real, Hollywood sets.

E: It's gonna be a bad film and destroy my self esteem 😭
CA: Here's the truth. You probably won't be a superstar director your first time. And that's OKAY! There's this weird thing with our current society that says we need to be PERFECT at everything we do the first time we do it. But that's not how life works. (Unless you're a prodigy.)  If it's a bad film then learn from it! You can only get better from here!

E: I'm an introvert. Writing is easier.😅
CA: Well, yes. It is easier. And I can't make you get off the couch to make a film. However, you're never going to know if you're capable of directing. So if you actually want to try it, you're going to have to talk to someone. Unless you're making a silent film! (jk that was a pun you still need to talk for those too)

E: I don't know any actors. So I can't make a movie.☹️🤧
CA: Ask friends. Ask siblings. Ask parents. Be the actor/actress yourself. The film that got me accepted into USC film school was one that I acted AND directed in! So don't let the lack of actors stop you. Also if you want real actors you can try Backstage.com !! There's plenty of great people on there who would jump at the opportunity to be in ANY TYPE OF FILM.

E: Well I don't understand how to shoot a movie. Like how do I get all those angles and shots?😥
How about this... if you want to make a movie, drop your comment here. If three people or more leave comments, then I will add a chapter on how to shoot your films.

E: What do I do with all the footage afterwards? 🎥
You get to edit it!!! And I'll make a chapter on editing too if you all want me to. Because good editing can actually make a bad film good, and a good film AMAZING. And you don't need fancy editing software, if you need a free option you can use iMovie or a number of other free editing apps available on your phone.

So you've made it through my long list of refuting excuses! Hope you liked this chapter and hopefully learned something. If you would like me to refute your personal excuses for fun, let me know in the comments!

Please don't hesitate to ask me questions, too! Leave a comment!

🎥🎞🍿🌟 Good luck to those of you who get inspired to make a film! 🌟🍿🎞🎥