Shawn Davis has been kind enough to continue documenting his journey into becoming a producer/director. This time round, he shares the trials and tribulations associated with making the jump from producing a five page script to something twenty pages long. He wants to share with us the key part of his process that made things a lot easier on the logistics. On top of that, Shawn also wants to share a couple of fantastic links that just might competely revolutionise your post-production software options for zero cost - CJ

It's time for another one of Shawn Davis' insightful interviews. This time Shawn poses various screenwriting questions to Brett Martin (aka Electric Dreamer) a longtime and valuable contributor on Simply Scripts. Brett is a great example of a writer raised on movies who didn't believe in themselves at first but has since built a productive and optimistic writing routine. Brett also has a lovely quote to share about being an artist and seeking validation. There's a lot to be learnt from writers like him - CJ

I’ve finally optioned a feature script. It’s taken six years to get to this point and it’s been tough, really tough. How does it feel? It feels amazing. It’s a whole new level of validation. It feels like the start of something rather than living in purgatory. But I don’t want to make this about myself. I know many of you are finding it tough too, so I wanted to put something together explaining how I think I got here and what really matters when it comes to screenwriting - CJ

That’s a rather arrogant title, isn’t it? Well, I’m not going to beat around the bush here. There’s countless screenwriter booklists out there and a lot of them aren’t even compiled by screenwriters themselves. They are pretty dire and I’ve been cutting my own path with reading for a while now. I want to share the books that I’ve personally learned a lot from and know have worked for me. This is what I believe is the most powerful collection of screenwriting books you can read over the next 12 months - CJ

As we move into the new year, you may be feeling a mixture of emotions. Part of you may feel positive and excited for what 2018 may bring and part of you may feel a little bitter that you've not been discovered yet, or perhaps even been noticed at all. You're not alone and John Hunter is here with a timely reminder that we may as well enjoy ourselves on this journey, as futile as it may sometimes feel. He also has a tip for how to start getting some traction - CJ

The double edged sword of our new digital world. That's the topic for John Hunter's latest blog and something I imagine we've all had to consider. The barrier has been lowered so we can submit instantly via email, but then it's lowered for everybody and does that make us any better off? I have to admit, sometimes I long to be twenty years younger and ten years wiser, living back in the late nineties when you had to put a lot more legwork into being rejected - CJ

Something strange happened to me this year. My screenwriting life took a shift in a new direction. A producer reached out to me about optioning one of my features and is now working hard to secure the financing needed to green-light the project. This is a strange new world to me and, being the the kind of person who lives in perpetual state of anxiety, one which is filled with inner conflict and paranoia. I should be happy, ecstatic even, and I was for a few weeks before resuming my normal state of melancholy - CJ

For those of you who have been at this writing thing for a while, the name Pia Cook should mean something to you. Pia is one of the best examples of how to keep a razor-sharp focus when the chips are down. What do I mean by that? Stay in this business long enough and you will see the “real” side of screenplay writing. The hard side. The side that makes lesser writers walk away. 

Here’s a story about the famous artist Picasso – one you may have heard before: A stranger interrupted Picasso at his evening meal. Producing a napkin from his pocket, the man asked: “Could you sketch something for me? I’ll pay you for it.  Name your price.”  Picasso grabbed a charcoal pencil, and rapidly sketched a goat. It took only a few strokes, yet was unmistakably a Picasso. The man reached for the napkin, but Picasso pulled it back. “You owe me $100,000”. The man was outraged. “$100,000? Why? That took no more than 30 seconds to draw!” Picasso threw the drawing away. “You are wrong,”...

“I’m an artist. I don’t concern myself with such mundane things as financial reality or production costs…" Well, good luck with that. Meanwhile back in the real world, other struggling writers are trying to cut costs to help get empty pocket projects on screens. The Holy Grail for nascent filmmakers is, of course, a single location, one person script and no FX which can be shot with a single iPhone in ambient light. Big Studio have decided to go another way. It is an important thing to know and understand the difference.

Once you’ve been in the scriptwriting biz for a while, a number of questions just… emerge.

In my particular experience, queries such as these: How do you manage to write so damned fast? What’s your method for bringing ideas to life? Followed by: What the fuck’s wrong with you? Can you connect me with your dealer? What the hell are you going to do with your life?

Before we get into this, I want you to sit down and be prepared for a bittersweet ending. You see, this isn’t one of those blog posts where I encourage every writer to keep fighting, this is a heartfelt and open case for why I may have to quit. I feel it’s about time we had a little conversation about how utterly life destroying the screenwriting dream can be.

On the occasion of finishing the first pages of yet another unsolicited and highly speculative script, I ask myself, “Does the world really need one more sample of my writing? My voice must be known by now to everyone within a tri-county area...” 

In a brief and uncommon moment of clarity, the answer is a resounding, “NO.” As I glance at the Save The Pixels Federation pamphlet, images of baby seals being clubbed to death fill my head.

Okay Wunderkins, think quick: what’s the most annoying movie archetype?

The sort that - after hearing a character utter their first lines - you become painfully aware you’re trapped in a theater with a walking, talking cliché; one you’ve encountered countless times before.  A 2d cardboard cutout with zero surprises up their sleeve.  One glimpse, and you’ve got their every move sussed out.  So why are they (and the film’s producers) now wasting your precious time?

As some of you know, I’ve been writing now for about 10 years. I have discovered several key things in those years and something new I just learned recently.

As a writer, I have the ability to create my own world. I’ve done just that in several of my works. I’ve had interest in those works and I’ve even had some options executed. Also as a writer, I can determine at what level I want to run at.

You nasty, filthy pervert. No, not in the Hentai way.

But remember the good old days when 2D Animation was a viable, awe-inspiring art form –just starting to trickle to the bleeding edge? 

I mean, way back in the 1970-80s: prehistoric times to Millennials, of course:

This week has been a turbulent one in screenwriting. You could easily have missed it. Entwined within the drama was a historical turning point in the screenwriting world and what looks like the beginning of a new fight between creatives and capitalists. We have entered a new age of artificial intelligence that’s going to affect us in ways we never imagined how - CJ

"Finished", a term that finds a clear definition in a dictionary but feels pretty damn ambiguous in the world of screenwriting. Where is the finish line? Does such a thing exist or does the old adage "the final draft is the one that's shot" always hold true? On top of all this, just when should we leave well alone, trust our gut, and stop adding salt and sugar to different reader's tastes? In this blog, Fiona Faith Ross tackles these questions and tries desperately to help us maintain some sanity - CJ

This week, John Hunter returns with another featherweight article the packs a powerful punch. This industry is obsessed with writers following some sort of formula and that mentality goes all the way up from the amateur writer picking up their copy of Save The Cat to producers who believe hitting the right switches will make a surefire hit. You know what, maybe they're right to follow this logic, but all this can surely result in is sausage meat and nobody is every going to feel fulfilled working in a sausage factory - CJ

As you may have noticed, I've switched on the cabin lights. Myself and the flight crew hope you're all enjoying your flight today on Script Revolution. If you'd like to all take a look out to our starboard, you'll see we're passing by an excellent view of a fantastic blog by Stephen Barber. A man of many talents, Stephen has taken some time to share his reflections on how learning to fly is a lot like learning screenwriting. Why not recline your seat, switch on the air, and read through this article as we all head comfortably towards our destination - CJ

There's a term I heard a movie exec come out with a while back called "knowledge porn" and she used it in reference to The Martian, which is effectively a typical survalist tale set in space. I'm a firm believer that good science fiction really teaches us something; either on the subject of science itself or humanity. Star Trek is a great example of SciFi doing the latter. In this blog, J.E. Clarke makes a very strong case for science fiction that isn't short on some science facts - CJ

It's March and, while spring may have just sprung for many of us, you may already be feeling a little exhausted approaching mere twenty five percent into the year. Perhaps there's a little voice in your head encouraging you to give up now. That's not unusual and you may feel the need to give that thought serious consideration. If you do though, you must read through this blog by Fiona Faith Ross first and take in what she has to say because it might just give you the direction and motivation you need to continue on your journey - CJ

As some of you know, I'm having a bad week this week and could do with a little cheering up. What could be better to nurish the soul than a factor-5 truth tornado from J.E. Clarke. What will it be like? To reference a twister of a movie starring the late great Bill Paxton, "...the finger of god!". Before we get into this I feel I should give you all a fair warning, the word "rules" does occur in the following blog, reader discretion is advised. So buckle up buckaroos, the truth train's a-commin' - CJ

It's time for a little inspiration. Shawn Davis is one amazing dude. He's one of those writers that makes you realise we're capable of anything if we put our mind to it. Shawn has also been down the track of optioning a script and has some great advice to share. For many of us, script options and representation feel like the finish line, but they really just the next stage in a decathlon. In this blog, Shawn talks about how he handled having his manager become a producer on the project he was working on, how he fought his corner, and remained good friends - CJ

In this blog, I want to talk a little about our mindset and how a bad train of thinking can have a detrimental effect on well-being. I see a lot of writers desperately seeking permission while not putting enough weight on acknowledging validation. This is dangerous because it can curb our creativity while gradually de-motivating us. As artists, we should be prepared to be rebels and I'm confident we can be happy little rebels while we're at it - CJ