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tehClint
04-03-2006, 07:59 PM
Hello there,

This is my first post here, I signed up about a a week ago, after finding this site through a Google search when I was researching the screenwriting.com scam, which I knew had to be a scam when it seemed so easy.

I was amazed to find such a wealth of informaton from people who actually do the writing themselves, and figured I'd stick around to see if this place could help me, and if in turn, I could eventually help others in my current position. =)

But anyways,

I love to write, I have TONS of projects unfinished, because most of my writing comes on a whim. However, I recently finished my second project (The first was a short for a small indy studio in Sarasota, Horizon, that closed before final preps could be made. =( ) and actually got it formatted via CeltX, which was really helpful to me, considering I was really ignorant on industry formatting.

I would DEFINITELY call it a rough draft, as I'm sure I've made all sorts of formatting mistakes and little industry no-no things to get it slapped back in my face.

My question is...

Where do I go past the rough draft?

I live in a place almost as hick as Hazzard county, and don't really have much access to resources that are easy to reach, I'm really new to (and overwhelmed by) this whole thing, but I REALLY want to give it a shot, and feel I'm motivated enough to do so right now.

A little about my script, if it'd help;

It's something I would see being made for the direct to video audience, not neccesarily someting such as Don Wilson's "Ring of Fire" movies and MAYBE about in the area of Troy Duffy's, "Boondock Saints".

It's a story about a family torn apart by morals; A father who is a crime boss, his son who is the co-leader of an underground vigilante outfit (Along with his lover, an influential, ***-kicker of a woman =) )), his Uncle, who is a pretty ruthless police officer, and a sister, who is merely the innocent bystander in it all.

The story focuses primarily on the aspects of everyone's conflict over the course of a few days, how hatred, regret, and pain keeps boiling up until it explodes, and finally a certain move by one leads to the final straw and a war within the family.

I wrote it heavy on dialouge, with a good dose of action, spread out evenly to hopefully keep from having too much or too little at once. Despite turning out to be a direct-release intended action film, I wanted to make a connection with the characters, (even the villains) that you don't normally see in this genre of films unless it's just really well done. (Ala Ronin.)

Anyways, thanks for reading my long post, which could have been summed up in a sentence or two, and I look forward and feel thankful for any help I can receive!

-Clint

dpaterso
04-04-2006, 02:44 AM
Welcome to the forum.

"Where do I go past the rough draft?" -- I'm not quite sure I understand your question. If it's a rough draft, you rewrite it, no? And keep working on it until it's as close to final draft as you can manage?

Maybe you'd like feedback on some of your pages? Check out the Screenwriting Critique Board sub-forum. That which does not kill you, makes you stronger.*

Maybe you're not sure where to submit queries to? Check out the Screenwriting tips, software, online scripts, recommends (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24087) thread, the "prodcos, agents, managers" message might interest you, ditto the What makes a great logline? (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8622) thread.

If that's not what you're looking for, feel free to rephrase your question. :)

* Conan the Barbarian, to his biographer.

-Derek
My Web Page - naked women, bestial sex, and whopping big lies. (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/DPaterson57)
Take the critiques you get with a grain of salt. Invariably, some of the critics will be kooks, bitter curmudgeons, or complete fools. ~odocoileus

tehClint
04-04-2006, 04:47 AM
Sorry about that, I shouldn't have used "Rough Draft".

I meant it in the context that I'm personally happy with it where it's at, and have done a readover and added in - removed some things to make it what I felt was complete. i just figure calling it rough because I'm sure I'll be told to rewrite a lot when it's submitted finally. =)

I'll check your links out, as I'm sure they'll more than likely tell me what I'm looking to find.

Thank you! =)

Chesher Cat
04-04-2006, 10:20 AM
Hi Clint,

If you're worried about formatting or whether your script will stand up in today's marketplace, I would suggest you read scripts that are in a similar genre to yours and have been produced.

You can get them for free at these two sites:
http://www.script-o-rama.com/
http://www.imsdb.com/

Pick recent scripts because the 'right' way to format is always changing. Also, don't choose ones that are shooting scripts as they tend to have camera directions and they don't belong in your script at this stage.