Musn't forget Tron (1982) Return of the Jedi (1983)
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Watching a movie a day helps keep the doctor away. It doesn't really, and neither does eating an apple a day. But writers should be watching movies as often as possible. Some will say you shouldn't. But you should.
How can you call yourself a screenwriter if you don't watch movies? HARRY CALLAHAN
You've got to ask yourself one question. 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk? Story by
John Lasseter Andrew Stanton Lee Unkrich Screenplay by Michael Arndt First 25 Opening action line. Blue sky, fluffy clouds. Great opening with the first five pages. Sets up the characters, should you not have seen the previous two films. Especially with Buzz saving the train. On Page 7 Mom comments about Andy's height. MOM (O.C.) Look how tall you’re getting! Andy's growing up. Sign of things to come, possibly. On page 10, the first turning point. Andy's now a teenager. He's grown up. Woody even admits that it's time to pack it in on page 12. WOODY I’m callin’ it, guys. We’re closin’ up shop. Even Sarge and his remaining soldiers make a dash out the window on page 12 just to reinforce that times have changed. Mom mentions the day care center on page 18. A little foreshadowing of what's to come. MOM The children at the day care. They’re always asking for donations. The first sign of trouble when Andy puts the toys in the garbage bag. Will they be put out in the trash? Scary moment on page 24. The toys have been crushed. But that can't happen. This is a kid's movie. And they're not. Woody spots them hiding under the recycling bin running toward the garage. The toys are in trouble when the trunk slams shut and the toys are trapped on page 27. The start of Act 2 when the Toys arrive at the day care center, Sunnyside on page 29. They arrive in a new world. A great bit of foreshadowing when the aliens look at the claw on the crane toy. Also a reference to the first movie. On page 33, the introduction of Lotso, the pink strawberry smelling bear. All cuddly on the outside, but hides a hidden agenda on the inside. Even Lotso hints at what's to come for the new arrivals and things to come on page 35. LOTSO You got a lot to look forward to, folks -- the Little Ones love new toys! The fate of the toys are sealed when Big Baby closes the door and the lock clicks on page 40. Something isn't quite right. It's too good to be true. A great moment on page 44 when Woody uses the kite to fly off the rooftop. He lands, everything looks great and a gust of wind takes him skyward. Page 49, this is a great moment in the movie. When Bonnie is playing with Woody and the toys. Especially when she brings out the toy Totoro. This is a great moment, considering this character has his own movie. Sidetracking here, Japanese company by the name of Studio Ghibli. Worth checking out all their animated movies. Very good. Very important moment on the bottom of page 51. Bonnie's on the bed hugging her toys. She hugs Woody, he's a little overwhelmed, it's not as bad as he thought. In fact it's pretty good. Bonnie reminds him of Andy. This is a complete contrast to the following scene with the toys in the caterpillar room. It wasn't quite what they were expecting either. Having Ken and Barbie was a great addition to the cast as seen on page 55. Things look grim for Buzz when Lotso and his gang reset Buzz on page 62. Woody learns the truth about Sunnyside on page 71. A classic line. MR. PRICKLEPANTS Sunnyside is a place of ruin and despair, ruled by an evil bear who smells of strawberries! An evil bear who smells of strawberries, haha. Poor old Ken gets manipulated by Barbie. Pg 88 BARBIE Ken... Would you model a few outfits for me? Just a few? Classic moment here. Mr Potato Head becomes Mr Tortilla. Haha Pg 91 They manage to reset Buzz only to have him speak Spanish. Haha. Pg 97 Out of the chaos on page 110, Buzz emerges after the television lands on him. A little foreshadowing here, the aliens spot the claw on page 112. ALIEN The Cla-a-a-aw! A great scene on page 116 with Lotso and the emergency button. You almost believe that Lotso''s going to do the right thing and help save the toys by pushing the button. And then he chooses not to, he still doesn't believe. LOTSO Where’s your kid now, Sheriff?! He runs off leaving them to their fate. Pg 117, a great scene with them reaching out one after another and holding hands. Friends forever to the end. A great theme. But we all know this is a kid's movie, they're not going to die. A great payoff that was setup with the aliens seeing the claw when they arrived at Sunnyside. Good to see secondary characters steal the limelight for a few moments. Also a good reference to the second movie, in that movie, the claw represented something bad. Here the claw is used for something good. It saves the day, saves the toys. Lotso gets his cumeuppance when he gets attached to the front bumper grill of the truck on page 120. Classic line from the Frog. FROG Hey, buddy...! (Lotso turns) ...Y’might wanna keep yer mouth shut! Great choice by Woody to have the toys go to Bonnie. A nice little touch when Bonnie discovers Woody in the box. And she goes to take him and Andy pulls him away from her. He's still a little protective of his childhood toy. The toy he grew up with. Pg 129 Another nice touch when the toys all sit up and watch Andy drive away. Also the very last line of action ties in with the very first line of action. Blue sky, fluffy clouds. As much as I would like them to leave it wrapped up with this one and keep it as a trilogy. They've left it open for sequels. The toys are with a new owner, Bonnie. So anything can happen from here. They could create a whole new storyline with Bonnie and maybe bring in characters from previous movies. Another great screenplay to learn from. Michael Arndt also wrote Little Miss Sunshine (2006). KAFFEE
I want the truth! Col. JESSEP You can't handle the truth! [pauses] Col. JESSEP Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to. Reached 98 pages. Slightly more than anticipated.
Will be cracking on with a rewrite of Space Vacation. VINCENT
That's a pretty fucking good milkshake. I don't know if it's worth five dollars but it's pretty fucking good. Lt. Col. BILL KILGORE
I Love the Smell of Napalm in the Morning. GORDON GEKKO
Greed, for Lack of a Better Word, is Good. TED STRIKER
Surely you can't be serious?! DR. RUMACK I am serious... and don't call me Shirley. as·pire Verb /əˈspī(ə)r/
1. Direct one's hopes or ambitions toward achieving something: "we never thought that we might aspire to those heights". 2. Rise high; tower. Dictionary.com If you’ve never written a screenplay and you’re in the process of going to classes, buying books on the craft, reading scripts, and plan on writing one. Then you’re aspiring to do it. You haven’t done it yet. If you already write screenplays and write constantly and consistently, you are no longer aspiring to be a screenwriter. You are one. You’re probably aspiring to be a paid professional with produced works and credits to your name. This is no doubt the goal for most screenwriters and of course the joy of the actual writing process itself. VERBAL KINT
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. If you’re bored with the usual animated movies and are seeking worlds of fantasy and intrigue.
You should check out Studio Ghibli. Laputa: Castle In The Sky 1986 Kiki's Delivery Service 1989 Princess Mononoke 1997 Spirited Away 2001 The Cat Returns 2002 My Neighbor Totoro 1988 Castle in the Sky 1986 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 1984 The above are some of the best animated films you'll find. As with anything, writing spec screenplays is a numbers game.
The larger the portfolio of work you have, the better the chance you have of hitting a constantly moving target. To give themselves the best possible chance, writers should build up a formidable arsenal of work to compete in an already tough industry. Look at it from an agent’s and manager’s point of view. They’re unlikely to take on a client who doesn’t have much in the way of writing samples or specs to their name. They want clients who put in blood, sweat and tears and who successfully churn out work at a constant rate. And who will ultimately make them money. But don’t forget, as a writer you need to do a lot of ground work first. Give yourself the best possible chance. Build that portfolio. Because they'll more than likely put this question to you. What else do you have? Call yourself a movie buff and a writer.
As a writer you should appreciate movies from every era.
But these will go a long way in educating you in the art of movie making at its best. RICK
Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. Written by
Doug Chamberlin & Chris Webb Random Thoughts: Pg 5 Woody sees Mrs. Davis hammering a 'Garage Sale' sign into the ground. He 's not impressed. WOODY (sighs) Great... this is the last thing the toys need. Pg 8 This is the turning point for Woody. He enters a new world. Woody climbs onto the roof, slips on a shingle and tumbles into a cardboard box on a table. Pg 10 THE MAN distracts Mrs. Davis and steals Woody. Now Woody is in serious trouble. The First Ten Pages. This is definitely different to the eventual movie. I seem to remember Buzz is flying through space extremely quickly at the start and lands on the surface of a planet and subsequently surrounded by hundreds of robots. He then faces off to Zurg and loses. This is actually a videogame Rex and Buzz are playing and Rex loses. In the actual movie, Woody meets Wheezy the penguin. And Wheezy is the one Woody tries to rescue from the actual garage sale. And in doing so gets stolen by The Man. Pg 22-23 Again this is different to the movie. I'm pretty certain they hide in orange road cones to cross the highway and cause all sorts of mayhem. Seem to remember they cause a large traffic jam as vehicles skid to a stop and Mr. Potato Head almost gets squished. Okay, I've read through it. There are still some scenes and dialogue that made it to the final movie. The main change was the addition of Jessie the cowgirl and not having Bullseye speak. Also the ending was completely different. I don't think having a talking cactus would have worked. Having Jessie in the final movie added a new dimension for Woody. It was the perfect choice and I'm glad they made it. I'm going to watch the movie again and compare it to this draft. First 25 Pages There are elements that are similar to the actual movie. The fight between Buzz and Zurg at the start. Woody being kidnapped by The Man. Woody meeting The Prospector, Bullseye. Buzz and the gang going off to rescue Woody from Al's Toy Barn. It's just how it's written in this first draft. In this Woody goes on the roof, loses his footing and falls into a cardboard box. In the actual movie, Woody goes to save Wheezy the penguin when Mrs. Davis puts him in the garage sale. And ends up being kidnapped by Al. There is one major difference, well two actually. In this version, Bullseye can talk. In the movie Bullseye doesn't talk. We also have a talking Cactus in this instead of Jessie the cowgirl. And I can honestly say I'm glad they chose to get rid of the talking Cactus. It just doesn't work. Having a cowgirl named Jessie changes the dynamics of the story. There are a few other moments like when the toys cross the highway. In this draft they just amble across the highway avoiding the motorvehicles. In the movie, they hide in orange road cones and end up causing mayhem and chaos when they cross. And poor old Potato Head almost gets squished. This is enjoyable and you can learn a lot from it, but at 77 pages, I feel it falls short considering the movie is around an hour and a half. It has a few elements that make the movies what they are. I'm glad they changed the start and the ending. I really didn't feel The Prospector got what he deserved in this draft. In the movie the Prospector ends up in the kids bag and meets the defaced Barbie dol. This is far more satisfying. Having Jessie instead of the talking Cactus in the movie also changed the dynamics. I really don't think a talking Cactus would have won any audiences. There were also lots of other moments in this draft that were similar but eventually turned out differently in the actual movie. The way the toys cross the highway in this was far too easy. When Buzz meets Ultra Buzz, again this scene is far too easy. In this version they get on and have a male bonding moment and Buzz walks away. Much better in the movie. Ultra Buzz traps Buzz in the toy box and goes and joins Andy's toys on their quest to save Woody. More conflict. The ending of the movie was far better as well. Especially when you see them fighting on the luggage conveyor belts and Woody and Jessie escaping from the airplane with the help of Buzz and Bullseye. Worth a read just to see how much the first drafts of a screenplay can change through the course of being developed. In this business, nothing is written in stone. Especially when it comes to a screenplay. Scenes are written and rewritten. And I'm glad they made the changes. What does it mean?
When I first started, I had no idea what this really meant. As a writer develops their craft they will develop their voice.
After writing for a few years I've come to my own conclusions as to what this means. I think what it refers to is this. As a writer develops, they become aware of what they enjoy writing and how to write it. Whether it's horror, drama, comedy or one of the many other genres out there. Most writers will lean towards a certain genre and take great pleasure in writing those types of movies. It's what they really enjoy writing, those witty jokes in comedies, the scary moments in horror, or maybe those catchy one liners you find in those cliched action movies. In doing this, I believe writers find their voice to some extent. But I don't believe that makes up their entire voice. I think it also encompasses the type of language a writer uses, the words on the page to convey mood and tone of the piece. Those visual cues that are given to the reader and audience. This is what I believe makes up the entire voice of a writer. Everyone has a particular way of writing a story and the language they use to convey that story to the reader and audience. It may take many screenplays to find your voice and perfect your skills as a writer or it may take but a few. But if you don't write, and keep writing, you'll never give yourself a chance to find it. To find your own unique voice. Are they worth the entry fee or are they all just one big fat money making scheme?
When I first started writing I knew nothing about screenplay contests. The notion that a writer should pay someone an entry fee in the hopes of progressing in a contest seemed a little farfetched. I believe the terminology that some would use, it’s a crapshoot. Not to mention.
I think it’s a little naive if a writer believes that if they win a contest or get placed highly a producer is suddenly going to scream from a very tall building that they have found that script they’ve been looking for. But as far as a calling card goes and getting noticed by agents and producers, I don’t think a writer has anything to lose. As long as they choose wisely which contests to enter. There are probably only a handful of contests that are truly worth entering. Even being placed in a contest can gain attention from producers and agents. Especially if you are consistently being placed. This doesn’t mean they’ll be knocking down doors to get to you, but it certainly won’t do any harm. Do your research and choose wisely. N.B. Use them to see how your writing compares to other writers. If you are getting placed in competitions consistently, use this in your query letters. Use contests as a stepping stone to progress as a writer. TERRY
You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley. |
Welcome to Russell’s website. A storyteller who enjoys writing screenplays for movies. Even though the process is hard. It keeps his imagination working overtime.
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