FREE - EXPERT ADVISORS FOR SCREENWRITERS

Writing Truth Into Your Fiction

Back in the day, even the Major Studios were producing Films that tended be a little hokey, a little too detached from the real world. Even a layman with a little knowledge of things could catch the elements of a Movie that didn’t wash with the real world. Today, Movie goers are far more particular, and considerably more educated. Filmmakers know that being inaccurate takes the viewer out of the Picture, making adherence to the facts of life in Screenwriting an essential consideration in the writing process.

Today’s Filmmakers apply themselves, their Production Crew and a portion of the Film’s Budget, towards assuring that the real life elements in their Film are as accurate as possible. It is now common practice for Producers to budget for and to hire as needed - Experts, Consultants, and Trainers to assure the highest possible degree of real life accuracy in any given Film's Production.


THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT

In the process of developing the story that is your Screenplay, the Screenwriter must be mindful that he or she does not write into the Script things that never could take place in the real world (unless of course it is your intention to do so, and it makes sense in context to the Movie).

EXCEPTION TO THE RULE: Writing Sci-Fi and Fantasy requires of us that we stretch, if not all together defy the bounds of our present understanding of the real world. In writing to these Genre’s the writer is thus commissioned with the high calling of inventing an alternate reality that is foreign to, yet at the same time makes every bit of sense to the viewing audience. Where Fantasy can stretch to the outer limits of our reality, Sci-Fi tends towards being a Prophetic view of our realities future, and must adhere more closely to what is understood to be real. For example: If you’re going to defy Gravity in your Film, you do well to write into your Script something that makes that seem plausible, not far fetched; or worse still, ridiculous.

COMEDY–Exception To The Exception - However; if you're writing Comedy, and the style of comedy can support the outlandish, pretty much anything goes if the gag gets a laugh. And for my money, great Comedy does just that.


For the Spec Script Writer on a god-awful tight budget, finding resource material to assure that we are writing in facts and not foibles can in certain instances prove labor intensive. I purposed myself from the beginning to avoid these matters by drawing from my own personal life’s experience, and for the better part, do stick to writing only about those things I know well for my experience.

Nevertheless, I found just the other night that the Screenplay I’m in development on demanded an element that I know little about, that I have no personal knowledge of, so I had to embark on some research to make sure that what I had in mind would stand the test. I wrote that the Characters came upon and entered and abandoned Missile Silo. I liked the vib of this; envisioned this perfect for a Horror Movie building. But, alas, when I conducted my research, I found I couldn’t use it. Missile Silo’s are primarily subterranean structures. With a little additional research I discovered that an old abandoned Military Bunker would suit the bill.


HOW YOU CAN GET THE FACTS

We may find ourselves writing something as mundane into our Screenplay as a Household Plumbing leak, a pipe bursting in a wall that floods the house. But can that actually occur in the real world the way we wrote it? If so, are the conditions right for it? It’s quite easy for us to write a Scene, but if it doesn’t happen in the real world, we’re taking people out of the Movie who know better, and making ourselves look lazy, if not stupid.

QUICK TIP: When it comes to something like a pipe bursting in the walls, I’d call a Plumber and inquire if what I intend to portray really can and does take place in the real world. With anything visual, anything that has to do with History, Structure, Location, Set Design or Set Dressing, I turn to Google Image Search, and have never failed to find what I need there.

<>Google Image Search
On the Google Home Page there’s a Link at the top of the page titled “Images.” This opens up a new page similar to the regular search page, but gives you the opportunity to search all of the relevant images in the Google search network. In the case just sited, I typed in “Missile Silo,” and saw instantly that Missile Silo’s are buried beneath the earth; I couldn’t use it. Then I looked up “Bunker,” and found in the same brief time that this would work. It amounted to no more than 5 minutes research time for me to get the facts I needed to write real world accuracy into the story.


ASK AN EXPERT – FOR FREE

Do you need important detailed facts for your present work in process? Need to know about the intricate workings of a certain type of Firearm? Something about Computers? Breast Cancer Surgery perhaps?

The following Link will take you directly to a Resource Page on the Writers Guild of America (West) website titled “FYI Listings: Ask The Expert”, which is a list of Experts in a wide range of fields who avail themselves to helping Filmmakers and Writers keep their facts straight. The list is rather extensive, covering all manner of interesting topics. Of course, I can’t tell you that all of the Email Addresses and Phone Numbers in the list are still current; let’s hope the WGA is keeping it up to date. Just the same; let’s give it up to the WGA for providing such an invaluable Resource at no cost.

My recommendation to you is that you go there now and review the list to familiarize yourself with all that is available to you there.

WGA - FREE List of Experts


ATSA RAP

Now, let’s get out there and make a career for ourselves, Writing and Directing Short and Feature Length Films that really --- KICCASS

SHOULD I COPYRIGHT MY SCRIPT?

A Brief Tutorial

It’s Sunday morning here Film Freak’s; been raining for the past three fuck’n days; freezing ass cold at night. It’s supposed to be Spring; maybe all that cold came down from all those damn melting Glaciers and shit; I don’t know. Man, after the Millennium Bug thing passed without a glitch, ya gotta wonder if you can trust anyone out there to shoot straight with you on anything anymore; you know what I’m saying? I’ve thought for a long time now that our Presidential Candidates are picked for their ability to lie and feel all noble about it and shit. --- Anyhow; I’m seeing a bright, warm sunny day out my window and want to get out there and snatch me some. So; I’m speeding through this pretty damn important topic for purely selfish reasons.


IF YOU CREATED IT, YOU ARE PROTECTED

Many have themselves believing that in order for your work to be “Copyright Protected” you have to take some kind of action and lay out some kind of money to “obtain” a Copyright. POINT OF FACT: If you are the original creator of anything, that thing, be it Audio, Visual, or Written Material, is automatically protected under Copyright Law.

Repeating; you do not have to file your intellectual nor creative property with the US Governments Copyright Office, for your work to be protected under Copyright Law.


IF SO, WHY WOULD ANYONE BOTHER?

Excellent question. You may, especially as you become increasing more successful in your creative career, want to have every move you make Registered with the US Copyright Office. What Registering your work does accomplish is to provide the original creator with proof dating. Thought it may seem like a high improbable thing, it has happened throughout the history of creative man that more than one person created the same or similar thing during the same period of time.

Registering your creative and intellectual property provides you with evidence that you created it, and you didn’t steel it yourself.


SHOULD AN UPSTART COPYRIGHT?

If the expense won’t break you bank account, go for it. But truthfully, you could send your Script out to a thousand Agents and Producers, if you could, and there isn’t a one of them out there looking to steel a Screenwriters work. Agents and Producers are looking for Screenwriters that can count on to be productive for years on end.


SHOULD I REGISTER WITH THE WGA?

Why not; at a minimum it will make you feel like you’re in the business. And it really does provide you with a proof date of creation if you ever need it. Keep in mind that the WGA is not a Government Entity, it’s a Union. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, I’m just laying out the facts here. Also, the WGA doesn’t hold your Script on file for time immemorial; they hold it for all of five years. Weight this against the fact that many Inde Spec Scripts have taken over 5 years to get into Production. So, you re-register. Registering with the US Copyright Office has you covered for 70 years; long time before others can Publish your work for their own gain and give you not a piece of the action.

But, check this out.


WHAT ISN’T PROTECTED

I trust you are actually going to go the Copyright Office site and study this out for yourselves; but let me tell you here what is not protected under Copyright Law.

<> The Title
<> The Idea

Hell, if you pitch your idea and Title to someone who was so inclined they could go out and write a Script for a Movie of the same concept and title, and cut you out altogether. They don’t need your original Script, just the idea and Title, if they like it enough to run with it. No protection, nothing you could do. But, how often do you thing some upstart, wannbe Script Writer has had his idea and Tile ripped off?

I wouldn’t go Paranoid over the off chance that this would ever happen to you. Do everything in your power to make yourself and your talents known to Industry People. It’s a who you know business, and what they’re looking for more than a one shot Script or Finished Inde Film are Writers and Directors who can get the job done again and again consistently.


BEST PLACE FOR COPYRIGHT INFO

There is no better place for copyright information than from the people who do the copywriting. At the end of this article you will be provided the Link to the US Copyright Office.

It is, of course, the Federal Government that handles these matters. If you’ve ever tried to find information on a Government Website, you will be absolutely astonished at how easy it is to find what you’re looking for on this website.

US COPYRIGHT OFFICE


ATSA RAP

If you want hook up with more information on who the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are and what they do, including registering Scripts and how to do it, I have their Link posted on this Blogs Home Page on the right hand column. Just the same, here you go:


WGA EAST (Califonia)

WGA WEST (New York)


Now go:

KICCASS