Using Google Docs to Co-Write Your Screenplay

My brother and I are writing a script together and we really wanted to be able to work in the same screenplay document together.

We created the outline using www.join.me. We shared our screen on this Web site and my brother took the lead on the typing. We originally tried Skype but found the Skype connection would crash a lot. Join.me would connect us for hours.

We could have used Google Docs but decided to try join.me instead and we loved it. We could write anywhere: our homes, coffee shops etc. We just needed an internet connection.

Once we were ready to write the script though, we knew we wanted to be in the same document. We spent hours trying to get Final Draft's Collabowriter to work. I won't go into details but basically, we could never get our computers to talk (and we used multiple computers - both PC and Mac) and troubleshooted for hours.

With today's technology, we were heartily disappointed in Collabowriter. Final Draft, you need to work on this! If you're going to be the go-to software for screenwriting, you need to be on the cutting-edge of technology, and allow for easy collaboration.

So what to do? We turned to Google. We tried some screenplay templates others have created for Google Docs but none seemed very intuitive. Next, we tried writing text in a Google document, using tabs for indents, and then copying and pasting the text into Final Draft. This proved problematic as the formatting would go away once the text was pasted into Final Draft.

After more research and testing, we found that if we saved the Google document as a Plain Text file and then dropped that file over our Final Draft icon, we could import the text as a script (select Script when importing) and Final Draft would recognize our formatting! Voila!

We jumped in and typed up our script in our Google document like we normally would in Final Draft. Of course the FD software automatically formats your text, so we had to try to emulate that formatting in our shared Google Doc in the simplest way possible.

We made the headers ALL CAPS: INT. HIGH SCHOOL - CLASS ROOM - AFTERNOON.

We would then insert a hard return and write the action as we would write any kind of paragraph: JANE DOE (30s) stands at the front of the class.

We would then insert a hard return and tab over (any sized-tab works) and use ALL CAPS to type up a character name: JANE.

Add another hard return, tab over and write dialogue: Houston, we have a problem.

FD even recognizes parentheticals. Just tab over and put in the parenthetical: (reading from her notes).

If you want to use a transition, just align the text to the right side of the page and insert your transition (i.e. CUT TO:) just as you would in FD.

Here's the sample:

FADE IN:

INT. HIGH SCHOOL - CLASS ROOM - AFTERNOON

JANE DOE (30s) stands at the front of the class.

JANE

(reading from her notes)

Houston, we have a problem.

Jane looks up. No one is listening.

CUT TO:

And that's it! Just Download the document as Plain Text (.txt). Find the file in your Downloads Folder and move it over your Final Draft icon. Select importing as a Script and you have your script in Final Draft with the proper formatting. There may be some clean up to do as Final Draft is translating what you have written but overall, it's pretty darn clean. I'll take the slight clean up so we can collaborate in the same document.

I can't tell you how excited we are to figure this out. I thought, I have to share this revelation with my readers. I hope this helps all the screenwriters out there. Happy writing and formatting!

Let me know if anyone has any other sweet filmmaking tips!

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Screenplay Corner: BlueCat Competition Deadline Coming Up Nov 15th

Hello Readers!

Earning accolades for your script from a screenplay competition are great for your career as a screenwriter. It's a sure fire way to get your writing noticed by Hollywood.

So I'd like to remind you:

BlueCat Screenplay Competition is approaching it's final deadline on November 15th.

Every submission entered into their competition receives 2 written analyses by professional readers. Over $20,000 in cash prizes are awarded:

• Grand prize winner: $10,000
• $2000 per four finalists
• $1,000 per two international winners


Check out their flyer and submit your script if it's ready!

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Scott Macaulay's Advice on What to Do after You Finish Your Script

Scott Macaulay of Filmmaker Magazine wrote a wonderful blog post titled 15 Steps to Take after You Finish Your Script. I wholeheartedly agree with his comments and thought I would post a link to the article as I couldn't say it better myself. To read the article, click here.

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A Script Reader Speaks

Check out this post A Script Reader Speaks from screenwriter Scott Myers. It offers an insight into what script readers look for in screenplays. Readers are employed by the agencies, studios and production companies to help them handle the huge mounds of daily screenplay submissions. It's great to know these insider viewpoints as you prepare to send out your scripts to production companies or studios. 

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What Is a Screenwriter's Best Friend and Worst Enemy?

Notes! When you write a script, you are often way too close to see the weak areas. And notes from others who are strong in development can help push you in the right direction. 

On the other hand, too many cooks in the kitchen could take a strong story and propel it into a glob of gook. 

All screenwriters know that rewriting is part of the job of crafting a great script. Rewriting, rewriting, rewriting is a mantra for screenwriters. 

So where do all the different ideas for rewrites come from? Well, I like to call on my respected colleagues for notes. I may have a rough draft of a script and know it has some strong areas and I'm wondering what others will spark to. So I give it to them to read. They come back to me with their thoughts that really help me to hone in on what is working and what isn't. 

Sure, everyone has heard of the horror stories of notes ruining a beautiful script. Maybe the studio loves a core idea but they want the execution to be more generic, more mass audience friendly. This is when notes can tear out the spine to a story and leave it a muddled mess. 

So in the end, notes are your friend and your enemy. You can't live with them and you can't live without them. For yourself, you need to have a confidence and passion and clear focus of the story you want to tell and know how to cull the best notes from the bunch. 

And on the other hand, if a studio has bought your script and they want certain notes addressed, you need to do it -- even if you don't agree. They have purchased the rights to your story and they can and will make it whether you like the final product or not. So unless you want to walk away and let them find another writer to work on their notes -- which is perfectly acceptable and often a choice they make in order to get a fresh perspective -- you will need to be able put your "dreams" for your story aside and try to to make it work for the buyers of your script. 

In the end, it's always wise to get other people's opinions on your work. It's very easy to get anxious and want to get your script out there right away. You dream of the quick sale. But the odds will be much greater for success if you take your time, get notes, vet them, work them in, and give your story the attention it deserves. 

You wouldn't release a film without showing it to others and getting their feedback, right? So treat your writing the same way -- get the notes and learn to love them. If handled right, they will only make you look better and an audience more satisfied!

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The Science and Entertainment Exchange: A Resource for All Filmmakers

As a storyteller, aren't you constantly amazed by the real-life science out there? And don't you wish you had the ear of top scientists to help you distill fact into fiction? Well, that's the entire mission of the Science and Entertainment Exchange -- a recent program unveiled by the National Academy of Sciences. 

Check out their Web site at www.scienceandentertainmentexchange.org. 

Here is some information from the Exchange: 

The portrayal of science "its practitioners, its methods, its effects" has often posed a challenge to the entertainment community. Though it has inspired some of the most intelligent and compelling storylines, science's many complexities have confounded even the most talented writer, director, or producer, time and again pitting creative license against scientific authenticity and clarity.

Likewise, the scientific community has struggled to find an effective conduit through which it can communicate its story accurately and effectively. Though many of the world's biggest problems require scientific solutions, finding a way to translate and depict scientific findings so that they can reach a wide audience has required a sounding board that has often been missing.

The Science & Entertainment Exchange bridges this gap and addresses the mutual need of the two communities by providing the credibility and the verisimilitude upon which quality entertainment depends -- and which audiences have come to expect. Drawing on the deep knowledge of the scientific community, we can collaborate on narrative and visual solutions to a variety of problems while contributing directly to the creativity of the content in fresh and unexpected ways.

What Does The Science & Entertainment Exchange Do?
Spanning the range of science topics, The Exchange can find experts that will work with you to identify and effectively portray the science details that complement a storyline. We can help flesh out ideas that depend upon accurate details relating to insects, extraterrestrial life, unusual Earth-based life forms, or the mysteries of oceans. We can refine concepts relating to emerging science concepts in areas such as space travel, multiple dimensions, nanotechnology, computer technology, and engineering. We can find experts in environmental and ecological issues, health, medicine, and disease, and U.S. educational practices. We are also well positioned to work with you on public policy issues that relate to science such as stem cell research, global climate change, and teaching about evolution and the nature of science.

The Exchange also has a blog called The X-Change Files: http://blog.scienceandentertainmentexchange.org/

They supplied consults for WATCHMEN and TERMINATOR: SALVATION during their pilot phase and since consulted on TRON-2, IRON MAN 2, Marvel's forthcoming THOR, a new Discovery Channel series called "Science of the Movies," numerous development projects (both TV and film), and FRINGE. They also supplied scientists for DVD extra bonus features for Season 5 of LOST and Season 1 of FRINGE, too.

So check them out and don't forget to use them for your science-based project. It's an invaluable resource!

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Susan Boyle: What a Character!

Susan Boyle is a character! She's the lovable underdog that everyone wants to root for. There isn't a hint of cockiness or self-pity to her. She has a great personality -- just the right amount of humor and self-deprecation that makes you want to get to know and love her. She's a woman with a dream and the talent to attain it. Like us, she's had obstacles to overcome but she finally has had her moment to shine.  I have to admit I cried like a baby watching her performance. Here it is if you haven't seen it yet.

Why did her performance hit home for me and so many other people? It's because Susan Boyle is like all of us. She's the Average Joe who wakes up every morning with a dream to be successful at what she loves to do. And when you see someone like yourself attain that dream, it is a powerful moment. You understand the struggles she has gone through to get to that point because you have been there yourself. Seeing her achieve her dream gives us all hope we can achieve ours. 

What I love about Susan is that she is so unassuming and has such a wonderful sense of self-worth. She could give a crap what others think about her. And that's what makes her a true heroine -- she's someone who knows what she wants and has the faith and determination to make it happen despite what is happening around her. She just keeps on going. 

And we must do the same filmmakers. We are in a very tough, very competitive business and we need to be inspired by Susan's story and keep on going. Three cheers to Susan! And three cheers to the rest of us! 

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Screenwriting Needs Development, Just Like Your Stories

I am a firm believer that writing in any form is a craft that needs a lot of commitment and hard work in order to excel at it. I don't believe it is something that is based on talent alone. Just like your characters, you as a screenwriter, need development.

It's wonderful if you find that you have a gift for storytelling and for writing dialogue, but if you don't work hard to develop your skills, you may not be achieving the success that your talent could provide.

Why go it alone and only rely on your talent to get you somewhere? Why not seek out the advice and training of others who have gone before you and been successful in getting their screenplays made into films. You have a lot to learn from these success stories. 

The kind of training that may be right for you may be university classes. The Independent offers a comprehensive list of schools with screenwriting programs. There are numerous seminars available as well. Robert McKee's Story Seminar is the most famous. Film Independent and the Sundance Institute offer very competitive screenwriting labs.

Another idea is to hire a screenwriting consultant. My brother, who is a screenwriter, decided he needed more guidance and put an ad on Craigslist offering $50/hour for a screenwriting consultant to help guide him through some revisions to one of his screenplays. He received a ton of response from screenwriting pros and found the experience worked great for him and the consultants (he ended up hiring two different consultants so he could get two perspectives on his work and loved the results).

If you have no money for training, perhaps a writing group would be a good solution for you. Being able to share your writing with others who can offer a critique of your work is invaluable. You may not agree with every note but, inevitably, you will find some thoughts that will truly enhance your story. 

Or perhaps you want to find a screenwriting buddy with whom you can both bounce ideas off and offer critiques of one another's work. However you decide to do it, keep developing yourself as a writer just as you would your stories. 

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A Producer Writing Specs

Writing specs may feel like playing the Lotto. Over time, you may spend a lot of time and even money (buying software and books, hiring consultants, attending seminars, etc.) and feel like you are getting nothing in return. You may not get a sale, but you will get exposure. And you will be getting much-needed screenwriting experience.

Just like any other skill, writing is improved by repeatedly doing it over and over. And though, I feel I am a better producer than writer, I try to write as much as I can so I can be a better overall storyteller. So as I am developing the projects I am producing, I am also writing my own scripts. If any get made, great! If not, that's fine too. I am investing in myself as a storyteller.

Not every producer writes. I enjoy writing so I make sure to include it in my own filmmaking journey. I also feel it allows me to enhance my development skills. How can I help a screenplay improve if I'm not increasing my own knowledge of what makes a great film? So if you have no desire to write, try to include the study of screenwriting in your own development as a producer or director.

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Drama Is Everywhere

This morning I was awakened by a search for a knee pad and disdain over chocolate chip muffins versus friendship bread. The drama went on for at least an hour, all before 9am. As I lay in bed trying to ignore my niece's cries and wondering how people can talk so much that early in the morning, I was reminded that drama is all around us and if you are ever in search for fodder for your stories, just look and listen to those around you. 

No matter where we are from, there is a universal language amongst us all: the human emotion. We may react differently to situations but the reaction itself can be related to by all. Chocolate chip muffins caused sorrow in my niece but the rest of us were overjoyed by the tasty, homemade treats. These disparate reactions are what create drama amongst us. 

Our everyday drama may not be overly cinematic but that's where storytelling is exciting. Taking our everyday experiences and expounding on them, massaging them, twisting and turning them into something extremely funny or sad or insightful. 

So whenever you are developing or writing a story and you think you have hit a wall, just look around you. The drama might be sitting right in front of you. 

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