Writing Screen Plays...

It has been a long time since I really sat down and wanted to convey a story with just words. I spent years trying to tell stories with images and audio clips and now I find myself wanting to develop and direct content that has the depth of real life. I started to research the fundamentals of screen writing online but I could not find a curriculum that suited me. While browsing through a book store on Haight St. here in San Francisco I found a book called

The Portable Film School

. This book is unique because it teaches through exercises, kinda like learning another language and taking a language course at home. I have found the assignments, if you will, very interesting. They have helped me gain respect for the art while at the same time expanding my capability of writing and visualizing.
I come from a background in journalism where I learned to write the facts in order of importance. In screen writing it is quite different of course. I would encourage you took pick this book up and do the exercises to expand your production horizons.
In many on the online tutorials and in this book it talks about using software to help you write the scripts and plays. I was introduced to a program called Celtx a while back and now that I am in full swing with production this tool has astounded me. There are many features but just a few of mention, it memorizes your characters, it auto fills for you, It is easy to navigate and it allows you to plan out shots. I don't plan on doing that in this program but it may work well for some.
The program that I have started to use for story boarding has been talked about a lot because it is an Iphone app. The app is made by Cinemek and is called Hitchcock. This program is a great tool that I have used to create comprehensive storyboards to show clients. Get it and use it, or don't get it at all because it costs more than most apps $20.
With these tools and a little ambition you maybe able to write and direct the next Hollywood (or bollywood) hit.