How To Make Your Own Movie - Writing The Right Script

WRITING IT YOURSELF Though there certainly are exceptions to this rule, it is considered good operating practice to refrain from writing the script yourself. There is such a thing as being "too close" to a project, and this is an easy way to do it. Many people consider the film-making process to be the essence of reinterpretation between words and images. If both parts of the process are yours, this can become confused, and that confusion will appear on screen. Be careful not to fall in love with your own words. It's far easier to pick dialog (and discard the rest) when it's written by someone else and there's no personal investment. A beautiful line is of no use to you if it doesn't move the story forward. Screen writing is, to some extent, minimalist, so you can expect to make some significant cuts from what you've written in the process of getting it down to a shootable script. If you do choose to do the writing yourself, you will at least have the advantage of being able to pen it according to your strengths. For instance, if you live somewhere with lots of space to shoot near ship-yards, you can set your tale near a wharf - that wouldn't work nearly as well in a land-locked area. You can also make allowances and plot twists that you'll be able to work around without spending extra money. In short, you can start with the ideal script. One way that many directors choose to start is to make a series of note cards that generally block out scenes and ideas. There's no need to actually put down dialog in such cards unless you have a good idea as to a key catchphrase you want to use. Otherwise, these will serve as your road-map to be knit together later, either by going directly to a script or to storyboards from which the actual script will be crafted from.