Last week I received two emails almost identical, which address this issue: the transition from writing fiction to screenwriting, both considered a career as a writer as the only alternative to eternal hunger. As in recent years I have felt a deep interest in the world of screenwriting (more playful and economic interest), and since not very much agree with the conclusion reached by the mail, I take this opportunity to talk about it. Preface: I am not a writer nor an insider, express opinions based on my experience and information I have gathered around. Thanks dear.
In my opinion, the first hurdle is whether we are capable of writing screenplays, in the sense that it always turns out to be a good writer a good writer, and of course the opposite also applies. Much depends on our approach to the text, the script is a business much more technical than a novel. In a book, beyond a set of rules that is a good rule to follow, the general map tends to bend easily to the will of the writer, while the script is more rigid, due to the phase where it is scanned (subject, treatment, screenplay). Define the characters in the subject, action, plot. It is one of the most creative (in practice you have a blank sheet of paper and you write what happens), a book with the only difference is that you must not make the steps of history "letter." We are talking about a text than 4-5 typed pages long, so it is easy to understand how important it is to say a lot with less words as possible. This is an advantage for some writers because you get straight to the point, for others it is frustrating because they see their own style disintegrate. For me, I think it is just taking a different perspective: the brand style not bind more to the words, but directly to the events of history. Our personality penetrates through what happens in the story (in fact it should happen in a novel, those in best case). This sounds easy and nice, but the change is radical: we can not enter in the characters and explain them, we make visible their feelings, so we must think only in terms of action. What I do not see it happens. To ensure that the public See and hear all the most important stages of the film, we have to design exactly the order and hierarchy of events. It is impossible to rely on improvisation. Thus, the variables involved in determining our propensity to this kind of writing are: (A) the ability to structure a plot, (B) methodical approach to the text (not to Kerouac, so to speak). If you lack these qualities, forget it.
Once knocked off the treatment, we move to the dialogue of the screenplay, which are the most fun. Here we return to the roots, because the scenes dialogues are something that we already have a strong experience, both as readers and as writers. When it was over though, there's something wrong. What we've got? Perhaps our work is good, or maybe not, the fact is that it is still a work in half. It will take one more step to transform it into a movie director. A bad director can ruin a great script, a good director can also be resized by a cast of bad actors, or a bad setting, or simply by a reduced Baget. The variables are many and difficult to control. The problem of a writer when working in the field of cinema, is to accept the idea of \u200b\u200bits partiality (problem does not arise in the literature, because the writer is a God that controls virtually everything). Perhaps this is the hardest part. On the other hand, you share the responsibility of failure with a number of people, which is not bad. It is a matter of point of view, it is important to understand that these are two forms of writing related, but very different.
economic side. There is no doubt that it is easier to get rich writing for the cinema, especially given the work / Compensation, in the literature that hangs dramatically from the wrong side. But how much work there? In Italy we produce so so many movies? I think not. It is plausible to argue that there are hundreds of writers who would like to thank God if you have the opportunity to work once a year. A market is certainly the most prosperous of fiction, but here the fees are lower, and then it is a narrative scheme in some respects different from the movies, in the case of serial products. Then another study, another job application.
To sum up, if you plan to switch from one bank to another just to get easy money, forget it. As in literature, there is a lot of people that wants to emerge, and at best is more motivated and prepared for you. Do this only if fed a passion sincere to the cinema and the work of writing, as well as having a strong will to learn.
For those interested, I suggest two basic manuals to read in this order:
1) the hero's journey, Vogler, Dino Audino Editore
2) HOW TO WRITE A GREAT SCRIPT, Seger, Dino Audino publisher (not be fooled by the title, is a wonderful manual)
1) the hero's journey, Vogler, Dino Audino Editore
2) HOW TO WRITE A GREAT SCRIPT, Seger, Dino Audino publisher (not be fooled by the title, is a wonderful manual)
For more information (schools, competitions, etc ...) http://www.sceneggiatori.com/
