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5 Reasons You Should Write Short Film Scripts

Why We Write Scripts Everyone who has written a script has dreamt of seeing their story on the big screen, having the accolades and the kudos of being a produced screenwriter … It’s why we write scripts. But how many screenplays actually get read by people who want to make films, let alone turned into produced films? It is a very small percentage. What can you do about it? Here are 5 ways to not only get your scripts read, but produced too. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Keep it short – REALLY short Try writing a two-page script. I… Read More »5 Reasons You Should Write Short Film Scripts

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5 Uncomfortable Facts You Must Face If You Want Your Scripts Made

OR: Why There’s NOT ‘Loads’ Of Great Spec Scripts Waiting To Be Made If you want to get your scripts made, you’re not alone. It seems everyone is working on a spec screenplay! I love to see it too … Nothing makes me happier than hearing about the stories Bang2writers are working on. Whenever people talk about screenwriting though, it doesn’t take long before someone drops this claim … ‘There’s LOADS of great spec scripts just waiting to be made.’  They usually say this when a new movie reboot is announced, or a favourite TV series has jumped the shark.… Read More »5 Uncomfortable Facts You Must Face If You Want Your Scripts Made

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make That Get Them Rejected By Default

Getting Rejected For No Good Reason So script reader Allan’s back again, this time talking about the reasons writers may get rejected by default (aka for NO good reason!). As B2W always stresses, writers need to follow the submissions guidelines. Super-simple? Yes. Obvious? Absolutely. But when writers don’t, this is when they will get rejected by default. Fact. I always find it absolutely fascinating that writers fear getting rejected, but don’t always do the work to ensure this doesn’t happen. Often this is because they don’t know where to start. So check out this list of obvious clangers that can… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make That Get Them Rejected By Default

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Plotting (According To A Script Reader)

Script Reader POV Following on from his first post, script reader Allan is offering his POV on common mistakes he’s discovered in the spec pile. For me, it’s SO interesting to see the same old issues rear their heads, even in 2021. It’s almost like the foundations of writing craft are timeless! Over to you, Allan … What I Learned From My First 300+ Scripts Out of a sample of 435 scripts, these were some of the most common structural and plotting errors in scripts sent to Film Festivals in 2021. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Ending Act 1 At… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Plotting (According To A Script Reader)

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How To Become A Writer Without An Expensive University Course

Expensive University Courses If you want to become a writer but worry about how expensive university courses are, save your money. Learn what they teach you on a Creative Writing degree, without the expensive debt. Here are the top 5 things they teach on a Creative Writing BA … Ready? Let’s go! 1) Think like a writer It might sound strange but the first thing they teach you on a Creative Writing BA is how to “think like a writer”. That should go without saying you might think, but here are some handy tips they taught us … Make sure… Read More »How To Become A Writer Without An Expensive University Course

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5 Things I Learned From Being A Script Reader At A Film Festival

Film Festival Script Reader Twelve months I began reading scripts for a film festival. What started as a volunteer script reader gig of maybe 4-5 scripts per week, eventually morphed into an average of 9 scripts per day. This became just under 450 scripts in the last eight months alone. So what did I learn in that time? Quite a bit. 1) There are No Mistakes So let’s start with the first lesson I learned as a film festival script reader. First up, there’s arguably no such thing as a mistake in storytelling. There have been times where I have… Read More »5 Things I Learned From Being A Script Reader At A Film Festival

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10 Quick Tips For Your Writer’s Resumé

All About The Resumé Most writing submissions require a writer’s resumé now. Bang2writers are always asking me what they should include in theirs, so I thought I would pull together my top tips for you. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Presentation is everything First impressions count. Make sure your resumé (aka your CV, if you’re a Brit like me) LOOKS professional. There’s no set way to do this, so don’t panic … It’s more a case of ‘you’ll know it when you see it’. Swapping with your writing peers is a great idea to see what works and what doesn’t… Read More »10 Quick Tips For Your Writer’s Resumé

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Top 20 Screenplay Contest Tips From Scriptapalooza

Screenplay Contest Tips From Scriptapalooza Many thanks to The Scriptapalooza Screenplay competition for today’s post. There’s some straightforward gold here that can provide a powerful reset and act as a really useful checklist. If you’re planning on entering contests this season, be sure to check out Scriptapalooza at the bottom of the post. Ready? Then let’s go … 1) Read the Submissions Guidelines Each competition has its own guidelines/rules. Make sure you read them and submit exactly what each competition suggests. 2) Always spell check your script Nothing is more frustrating than a producer reading your script and seeing mistake… Read More »Top 20 Screenplay Contest Tips From Scriptapalooza

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6 Important Writing Reminders From THE SHAPE OF WATER

Right now, diversity is the name of the game in storytelling, so it’s no accident a movie like THE SHAPE OF WATER won ‘Best Picture’ at The Oscars last week. (Whilst Jordan Peele’s GET OUT was technically more ‘deserving’ of the so-called diverse tag, it is still a genre movie … Whereas historically, The Oscars have always been more appreciative of drama movies, even ones with sci fi elements like TSOW). I won’t pretend THE SHAPE OF WATER was my favourite movie of the year because it wasn’t, but there’s still plenty for writers to learn here. Let’s go: 1)… Read More »6 Important Writing Reminders From THE SHAPE OF WATER

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5 Quick Tips For Effective Networking

Following on from my Top 5 Social Media Mistakes, today’s tips focus on REAL LIFE networking, both in creating relationships with others (and doing your research), as well as investing in yourself. Enjoy! I hate networking. If there was anything I could change about the film industry, it would be that. But, unfortunately, networking is vital in getting known and recognised. Because I know what it is to be an introvert in an industry of extroverts, here are a couple of tricks for easy networking. 1) Don’t be afraid to talk and ask questions I finally have accepted that I… Read More »5 Quick Tips For Effective Networking

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Gender Inequality In Film: 5 Key Findings

Gender inequality in the film industry has been a hot topic for a good while now, but especially in recent weeks. Over the past nine months, Stephen Follows researched gender inequality in the UK Film Industry. Stephen is an award-winning writer and producer, so we can feel assured he knows exactly what he’s talking about. Check out his full report HERE, plus the many projects he’s been involved in, HERE. You can follow him on Twitter as @StephenFollows (and you should!). So Bang2writers! I read Stephen’s whopping 140 page report, not to mention a stack of other articles and discussion. Stephen himself also… Read More »Gender Inequality In Film: 5 Key Findings

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8 Useful Tips To Win Screenwriting Competitions

“How to win screenwriting competitions” is one of the top Google searches bringing writers to this blog, so when Sasha got in touch with this great, informative blog post I couldn’t resist! As a competition script reader and organiser myself, I realise there’s no *guaranteed* way of getting ahead in screewriting contests … But I HAVE noted writers doing the same submission shockers over and over that definitely count against them! So check out this  great info here that will help you better your chances, plus there’s a comprehensive list of screenwriting competitions at the end of the post. Enjoy!… Read More »8 Useful Tips To Win Screenwriting Competitions

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