Writing an Oscar Winning Screenplay/Screenwriting/Scriptwriting
Like anyone knows. But thinking about this for years and having gone to USC film school, worked as a screenwriter in Los Angeles and New York, and written over 10 feature screenplays-some optioned or hired-and published "The Bare Bones Book of Screenwriting" for beginners to intermediate scriptwriters, and continue to study all aspects of film for feature film development and producing, the subjectivity to winning the Oscars is sometimes a mystery, or are there certain calculations?
This year's Oscar nominated and winning movies, actors, scripts, directors were outstanding.
My favorites:
12 Years a slave (best picture)
Dallas Buyer's Club (best actor)
Gravity (best director)
Nebraska (nominated)
Of course I loved "Wolf of Wall Street" as Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio is a genius, engaging actor--the best of the best. But I'm sure he and Mr. Scorsese (best of the best) had to realize at one point, a film about a con-man could not trump a true story of a slave, and cowboy aids movie based on a true story.
All the movies this year were the best of what is out there in the world. Enjoy it. Because some will be considered masterpieces, and continue for thousands of years, immortalizing the stories and actors.
All the stories and screenplays contained complicated characters with a problem. It didn't matter if they won or lost, the audience rooted for them.
Unfortunately, some films got snubbed like Captain Phillips and the new Coen Brother's film "Inside llewen Davis" was a great under-rated film not even nominated.
Award winning screenplays and Award winning caliber screenwriting for feature films is not easy, These craftsmen have written countless screenplays, and stories and mastered dialogue, structure, format, formatting, plots, interweaving plots, timing, tone, style, themes, pacing and knowing less is more.
Buy The Bare Bones Book of Screenwriting to learn about scriptwriting techniques and tricks, help, samples, examples and guide books for all aspects from idea to treatment to story to first draft, to final draft, to agents and managers and producers.
The only thing the book can't teach you is what to do if you actually won an Oscar. Please... no "Alright, alright" That's taken by brilliant, shining Mr. Matthew McConaughey - who deserves to shine in the Texas sun for his accomplishment of playing in Dallas Buyers Club. Impressive acting and screenwriting--and I hate HIV movies!
