SLUG LINES are one of the most useful tools in a writer’s arsenal. Get to know them and love them! They serve many functions. Of course, we all know they can tell us where we are… INT. JOANIE’S CLOSET – DAY But they can also be used to call attention to a certain character or…
According to the WGA, no one is supposed to write anything in Hollywood without getting paid for it. Yeah, about that… by Jim Cirile Here’s a topic that may shock those of you who hope to one day sell a spec or maybe even make a living as a screenwriter. And that is:…
FREE Half-Hour Consultation w/ Every Horror Submission thru October Are you working on a scary good horror/thriller script that you plan on unleashing on the world to wreak havoc, terrorize, and lay waste to us all? Cool! For the entire month of October, we’re giving away FREE half-hour consultations with every horror pilot…
We were overwhelmed with entries this year and a surprising amount of near misses that may only be a draft or two away. But in the end, eight scripts were undeniable. What did they get right? Each showed a strong and distinctive writing voice as well as a command of the genre they were…
What possible avenues would I have with my script in terms of pitching (contests, etc)? What do I do with it once it is awesome? One of our clients just asked these very questions and, of course, we figured many of you might be wondering the exact same thing. That’s a big question. We could…
We’re still working our way through GET REPPED NOW! submissions and have noticed a tendency for Shot Calls and Music Calls. Yes, we understand you can visualize your writing so well that you know exactly what it should look and feel and sound like. However, sometimes this tendency can hurt your material and your career….
Put Your Best Foot Forward, Please! Yeah, so your eyes probably glazed over when you read that headline. Formatting… ugh… so boring! Right? Unfortunately, it’s also important. Because it’s the first thing a reader will notice when they open your file. If the formatting is off, you’ll immediately be judged as an amateur, and it…
What the heck is “voice”? Do I need it? Can I buy a bag at Costco? Read on… By Jim Cirile You’d probably guess that we read a fair amount of scripts here at CI. But you may not suspect how few of them display one crucial factor to help your writing grab…
So many contests. So little money. by Jim Cirile, Coverage Ink There ya are, struggling along in year 7 or 27 of your noble pursuit of screenwriting, and dammit, the 12-foot-thick armored door to Hollywood still hasn’t opened for you yet. Time to stir things up, throw some linguine against the wall and see what sticks….
When you submit a feature or pilot to an agency, manager, or producer, that script will likely be covered — or read and rated by someone at that company. They’re scored on this scale: Pass, Low Consider or Consider with Reservations, Consider, Strong Consider, or Recommend – for both Script and for Writer. The vast…