Hi Peoples

I am new here. I have been checking the boards for the past couple of days, and have picked up a few good hints here and there.

I have written a couple of screenplays (one is in the possession of a producer so everyday I am checking my email, torturing myself that this will the day).

I am currently doing research for my third screenplay...I just want to start writing the damn thing already!

The reason for my post is to get some titles of bad screenplays. Obviously, I have been told to read anything and everything, but I want to read some bad ones for a while, just to find out what not to do.

Sure I have read bad ones, but I don't know that until I get to page 60 and want to stop reading. If the collective cyber-wisdom here could help me out that would be great.

Cheers,
Luke

Become a script reader for a production company, a script contest or an agency. You'll get to read more bad scripts than you'd ever imagined.

What about anything on scriptorama? I live in Australia so those avenues are not exactly feasible...

Well, the problem with that is published scripts online tend to be for movies that have been made. To get made, a script generally has to be pretty good (despite how good or bad the movie turns out to be). And, on top of that, script sites usually only publish scripts of popular movies and cult classics which tend to have better than average screenplays.

That said, looking through script-o-rama, I saw they have the screenplay to "Boondock Saints" which I consider to be a bad script. But then, Miramax bought it for $300,000 so...

You could go to Zoetrope.com where people publish their unproduced scripts. I'm not sure, but you may have to publish one of your own for review in order to review others, but you should check it out at any rate.

Here's the link: http://www.zoetrope.com/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: edsas,

Cheers edsas. I realise scriptorama is all produced, but some scripts really shine off the page (screen) while others just go along so so.

I guess if you look long enough you can find one. Here's Blair Witch 2:

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/blair-witch-2.html

Whoa!

Wait a minute. This one is a doozy. It's called The Day the Clown Cried and it is a legendarily bad script. I totally forgot about this one. It's from an old movie that stars Jerry Lewis about a clown who entertains kids in a Nazi concentration camp. Must read. You won't believe it:

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/the_day_the_clown_cried.html

Hey there Nuggetin0,

I've been keeping my eyes of this forum for some time now. I am from Australia as well and am wondering if I can ask you..... Where or who do you register your scripts with, if you do? and... would you post a script anywhere on a forum without it being registered somewhere first??

Penelope.

Hi, Penelope.

Scripts can be registered on the Writer's Guild of America West website:

http://www.wgawregistry.org/webrss/

You don't need to be WGAW member to register.


As for posting valuable intellectual property on a public forum, I'd err on the side of reasonable caution. I think discussing details is fine (there are some very helpful people on this forum) but I would stop short of posting entire scripts... especially if they're unregistered.

Steve Martin says it best in 'Creating Memorable Characters' (from his book 'Pure Drivel'): http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/m/martin-drivel.html

Hi Tuffe,

Thanks for that. Good to know. I'll look a little further into it. Thanks heaps.

But I'm still interested who Niggetin0 uses here in Australia. If you don't mind... There are several establishments that can be used for this and I'm wondering if they are worth the energy. Or should I just stick to AWG???

Penelope.

Hi Penelope,

I can't say I've registered my screenplay anywhere yet. I do have a lot of email correspondence with a fellow screenwriter who has been giving me feedback, so I have plenty of evidence that the screenplay belongs to me if I ever needed.

Terry Rossio says that the best way to protect and idea is just to write the damn thing and then it's yours but that isn't foolproof.

I'll sus out what options there are for registering your script in Aust. and get back to you.

How long have you been writing for Penelope?

Penelope

There is an Australian writers guild you can register scripts with. The person who has been giving me feedback registers everything in Australia and with the writers guild in America.

G'Day Nuggetin0,

I have asked around and been advised to go with the AWG - so I'm there...

I've been writing for years - but seriously writing for about 3 years. I decided to take it further and completed a correspondence course. I did very well - so now I write away like mad.

I have completed two scripts and a drama serial. All of which I am now spending the time on re-writes. One script is pretty much ready to register and do something with, but we'll see. But... like all writers, I have about 15 stories half done ready for me to take up again and get serious with.

I was also told that registering with the AWG doesn't require registering with the WGA - but maybe it's worth it to have it in two places. Dunno???

I have also been told the same. I've emailed mine to people and friends which should cover it - but I don't feel safe to enter it or post it anywhere until it is registered. Better to be safe than sorry, I suppose.

What is your screenplay about? Give us a logline...

Penelope.

I am from the Netherlands as people may know and there are two ways of registering a script by myself. The first is to bring it to the tax service and add a note to it about the script and the date you want to have it registered. If you staple them to together they will be considered to be one page and that is cheap. otherwise you pay the same amount for every single page.
The other ways is not conventional but it works. You put it in a evelop and post it to yourself. If you pay money to kind of insurance it the envelop will get a sticker on it with the date (in Holland that is). So don't open the envelop as you receive it because the date on the sticker shows that the script was in the envelope on a certain date. I never had been prosecuted for stealing a script by the way.
I personally find the script of Beethoven very very bad but I know a lot of people will not agree.

Hey G'Day Mr Wendal,

Yes - here we call it registered post. I have heard of this type of thing. Posting it to yourself or somebody else as registered post. They or you have to sign for the delivery of it. And if not opened, you've got signed and dated proof. But it just doesn't sound good enough to me. Dunno why...

How would you mark your title page with this. I suppose you could include: Postal Registered and the number and date that's in the book at the post office. Dunno.

But thanks for your reply and advice. It's always appreciated.

Penelope.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Penelope,

Penelope,

My script is a supernatural thriller. The plot and story are so complicated, that to simplify them for the purposes of a logline would leave it reading quite dull...but I'll try.

A ghost travels back in time and starts killing people, making their deaths look like suicides.
A ghost whisperer, who crosses ghosts over, particularly suicides, discovers that these suicides are in fact murders. After working out who is behind these murders, he becomes a ghost (kills himself), and goes back in time to stop the killer ghost.

While that might not sound very complicated, there are three time lines going on in the script etc, making it terrible difficult to make a synopsis or logline do any justice!

Hey Nuggetin0,

Wow. Good stuff. Sounds interesting. I'm intrigued - how does a ghost travel back in time? And, can they come back to current time?

See, I'm asking questions already. That's good for you. I'd pick this one up to watch just to find that out.

I have trouble with loglines. But yours reads okay. It's a little long - but it's okay.

One thing is, do you have to mention the ghost and the time travel here??

Let me have a quick snap at it... Now remember, I'm not good at this.

A ghost whisperer who specialises in suicidal deaths discovers that some suicidal deaths are actual murders. So to find out who’s behind it all, he commits the unthinkable.

Sorry - I just have to give them a go. It's all practice for me.

Penelope.

Well done, Penelope. As I was reading Nuggetin0's logline I was thinking on how to streamline it, but mine wasn't as good as yours.

Nuggetin0,

You might want to check out The Frighteners with Michael J. Fox - it has a somewhat similar scenario. He's a paranormal expert who specializes in removing unwanted spirits from people's homes (for a fee) and later must simulate "death-like conditions" in order to catch a serial killer ghost who is murdering people. It has a comic-scary feel to it.

I agree that a one sentence logline would be ideal, I would find it hard to bring myself to do that because I feel I would be sacrificing too much.

Penelope, I am confused on why you would suggest not included the time-traveling ghost in the logline, especially when you say it is what intrigues you.

Who knows, maybe it will get picked up by the producer who is looking at it at the moment, and my loglines in the future will be for more simple stories.