#celtx

Hi Guys,

In your writing, are you guys using a specific software for writing editing your works?

Okay, listen up, I love screen writing. Script format is my favorite form of writing. But, I’ve seen too many people go into it without knowing anything about it and thinking it’ll just magically work for them.

1. The formatting is a pain. Use a script writing software to do it. I recommend Celtx. It’s easy to use, shows examples, and it has a free trial that’s basically endless. You don’t get as many features as you do if you pay for it, but most of them are pretty unnecessary unless you’re already developing the writing into an actual production.

2. Easy on the action and description. Only be specific when it is absolutely necessary. Wiggle room is unbelievably important for the actors, director, and photography.

3. Always be open to criticism. You have to be a team player. A good project has many different opinions and the opinions are a good thing because it works out any flaws you may have in the production.

4. One page of script is equivalent to around a minute of actual film. And, you should probably go slightly over the required length. The director will cut what is unnecessary.

5. Monologues are fine... in moderation. People go off on tangents all of the time, but they don’t go off on them constantly. The quicker your dialogue, the better the script. It’s different than regular writing because it should be fast-paced. Since the audience is seeing it, they’ll be a lot more quick to pick up on repetitiveness. It’s a lot easier to bore an audience.

6. Don’t describe every single reaction that a character has. The actors need to be able to interpret it so that way they can actually act in a way that doesn’t feel forced.

7. Practice makes perfect. Do it frequently. Read scripts. I’m being serious. You’ll learn a lot.

8. You’re probably not magically going to magically write a hit movie or TV show at first. Experience, experience, experience. I’m starting my first genuine script experience as a script supervisor for an indie short film. My job is to make sure there’s continuity within the script and production. You’re probably not going to get paid as you first start out and you’re probably not going to have your own script used unless you lucked out with some really good connections or have an excess amount of money. It’s a ladder and you have to work your way up. The more experience you have, the more connections you will have in the industry, and you will be more likely to be successful. That being said, try to make it good experience. Avoid working on projects that you’re sure are going to be terrible just because you want the experience. You don’t want to be remembered for something awful. If it’s a little awful, that’s alright, but just watch out for disasters.

9. Beta readers are so, so important. Take as many opinions as you can get. And, make sure to listen to any advice you can get.

10. Parallels in writing come off so

much more noticeably and beautifully in screen writing when they’re done properly. I don’t recommend reusing the same parallel more than a couple times because of repetition, but a scene that’s similar to another is so much easier to see in script than most other forms of writing and will come across in a very prominent way.

11. Character backstories should exist, but don’t focus too much on every character unless it’s important. Script is snappy and quick. You have to focus on the story more than anything else. There isn’t as much time to mess around as there is in other types of stories.

Can’t afford a camera? Like to shoot only on iPhone, but don’t know what apps could help you?

Here are all of my FREE apps in the filming section of my phone!

(From left to right, row by row) The camera app - most important and obvious but if I didn’t mention it I’d be crazy. This is where it all starts, take the picture, and it’s on its way to editing - Werdsmith - this is a great writing app that I keep to help organize my regular notes from my filming notes. It splits the process into two steps, the idea phase and the full writing phase. Great to help keep you on track because you can set alarms for yourself! - TV - I honestly haven’t used this since I got my phone, but I like to keep an organized space so I put it in this section of my phone - IMovie - this is your best friend if you’re editing film on solely your phone!! If you have an I phone it comes free with the purchase of the phone and all other apple products for that matter. If you don’t know about this app, it’s an adoring software that in my opinion works best on a laptop but will suffice on the app aswell. It’s very easy to work with, and learn from and is a big plus to have on mobile - Tadaa - this is a photo editing app that offers features like being able to highlight specific layers and filter them individually. It’s definitely helped me add some spark to some of my photos! - Magic hour - an app that tells you the perfect time to take a picture! - Unblock - Unblock gives you promos and questions to help get you out of that writers block slump! It’s helped me through some bare patches - Splice - an app similar to IMovie, so if you don’t like the layout or maybe want to try something new or keep projects separate - Celtx Script - Ladies, Gentleman, and others this is a wonderful app. I write most of my scripts on here. It formats, and explains each separate action you can use. I find it so much easier to be able to type as I would text then to be sitting at a computer. But if you’re more computer oriented then it’s accessible there as well - Celtx Shot -

Good day to you as well @sanchezeliezer There is a lot of free screeenwriting software out there that work fairly well. The industry standard is Final Draft, which is pretty expensive, so many people (myself included) prefer cheaper and/or free alternatives. This post has a list of free alternatives. I personally have used Celtx and WriterDuet and prefer the latter.

Most free software I’ve come across requires you to be online, but you can upgrade many of these to get offline access for a relatively cheap. WriterDuet Pro is one example. Celtx also has an app that works offline on IPads for free.

Fade In is another software that offers a free version with offline access. However, I have never used it so I can’t personally attest to how well it works. I have been told that the demo version watermarks your scripts, though.

A final option is to use Microsoft Word. Some versions come with a script template that, while not exact, work fairly well. I’ve actually written some draft scripts on it before. If you want exact formatting, It is possible to manually adjust the format in word as well, but it is time consuming.

It’s the glitziest time of year for the world of film production. Awards season is in full swing, and it’s all leading up to the big one: the 89th Academy Awards. Every year,  Hollywood’s biggest movers and shakers congregate to celebrate their achievements, and while most of the focus is directed at the more glamorous aspects of this hallowed ceremony, we’re going to dig in to one  category that doesn’t usually get as much coverage as Best Picture (or best dressed, for that matter).

The Best Original Screenplay award shines the briefest of spotlights on an often underappreciated and misunderstood cinematic keystone. While most people will watch the films taking the awards circuit by storm, few will read the scripts behind them.