Expert: Peter Messaline - 3/22/2008

Question
hi
i've red this great book and ever since i've been to make it into a great movie.i'm pretty confident that i'll make a great movie.do you think you can help me getting started?
thanks

Answer
Look at films and read criticisms of them, and learn to analyse what made the film good and where it fell down. Learning to find others' mistakes will help you avoid them yourself.

I'd suggest that you go to a basic screenwriters' course, at your local college perhaps, and get the mechanics under control. Then read all you can about screen writing -- ask your local librarian and search their catalogue. Then become an active member of a local group of film-makers and build a reputation with them for being good with doctoring people's scripts.
Then show them your script and work with them toward getting it produced.

No-one will buy your script from you now, even after you finish it, no matter how good it is. No-one will even read it, because they all fear you claiming in five years time that you sent them the original idea for the blockbuster film they've just released.

It's certainly legitimate to learn script writing by doing it -- many scriptwriters never took a course in their lives, but it's a long and lonely road. It's rare to work in collaboration at the beginning of your career, and not really useful, because you're still learning your voice.

It's a long haul, and you'll only make it if you enjoy the process. If you enjoy the process of writing, that will keep you going until your ideas can find a home.