The Bare Bones Book of Screenwriting

WGA schedule of units/credits

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SCHEDULE OF UNITS OF CREDIT for WGA SCREENWRITERS

Two Screenwriting Units
For each complete week of employment within the Guild's jurisdiction on a week-to-week basis.

Three Screenwriting Units
Story for a radio or television program less than 30 minutes shall be prorated in increments of 10 minutes or less.

Four Screenwriting Units
Story for a short subject theatrical motion picture of any length or for a radio or television program or breakdown for a non-primetime serial 30 minutes through 60 minutes.

Six Screenwriting Units
Teleplay or radio play less than 30 minutes shall be prorated in 5-minute increments; Television format for a new serial or series; “Created By” credit given pursuant to the separation of rights provisions of the WGA Theatrical and Television Basic Agreement in addition to other units accrued for the literary material on which the “Created By” credit is based.

Eight Screenwriting Units
Story for a radio or television program or breakdown for a non-primetime serial more than 60 minutes and less than 90 minutes; Screenplay for a short subject theatrical motion picture or for a radio play or teleplay 30 minutes through 60 minutes.

12 Screenwriting Units
Story for a radio or television program 90 minutes or longer or story for a feature-length theatrical motion picture; or breakdown for a non-primetime serial 90 minutes or longer. Radio play or teleplay more than 60 minutes and less than 90 minutes.

24 Screenwriting Units
Screenplay for a feature-length theatrical motion picture; radio play or teleplay 90 minutes or longer; Long-term story projection, which is defined for this purpose as a bible, for a specified term, on an existing, five times per week non-prime time serial; Bible for any television serial or primetime miniseries of at least four hours.

A Script Rewrite
One-half the number of units allotted to the applicable category of work.

A Script Polish
One-quarter the number of units allotted to the applicable category of work.

A Script Option
One-half the number of units allotted to the applicable category of work subject to a maximum entitlement of eight such units per project in any one year. An extension or renewal of the same option shall not be accorded additional units. If an option on previously unexploited literary material is exercised, the sale of this material is accorded the number of units applicable to the work minus the number of units accorded to the option of the same material.
( http://www.wga.org/subpage_whoweare.aspx?id=84, June 21st 2006)

Script Coverage

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A screenplay coverage report is a three to five page report on your script, which is filed by film and production companies and literary agencies when your script is submitted. Interns and assistants, or other wannabe screenwriters acting as independent contractors, are the ones doing the reading and script coverage, not agents and producers.

The script coverage report contains a 1 – 3 page story synopsis and a page or two of personal notes. Screenplays are rated with a system evaluating story, style, character, script format, dialogue, concept and marketability. Each script will gain a “pass” (rejection), “consider” or “recommend.” Because no one wants to look like an idiot, it is rare that a script is recommended.

It’s a system to condense material. The problem is that it could be anyone who is evaluating your material. If that reader doesn’t relate to, understand, or simply despises your subject matter, you are bound to get a negative review. But who said the world was fair?

But you can still use script coverage samples to market yourself and your screenplay. There are screenwriting consultants who provide this service ranging from $150 to $300. You can use the coverage in your query letters, for investment packages and to tack onto the top of your script when you submit it to ensure that agencies and production companies have an existing report to look at.

For script consultants you can visit my site www.writtenbyclark.com if interested in getting a quote for coverage, notes or related services including screenplay books

Register your Screenplay with the WGA

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REGISTER WITH THE WRITER’S GUILD OF AMERICA (www.wga.org)

Aside from copyrighting your screenplay with the Library of Congress, it’s a good idea to register your script with the WGA, a guild designed solely for the purpose of helping screenwriters. You can utilize the script registration process even if you are not a guild member.

If you are a screenwriter and live east of the Mississippi register your material with the WGA East. If you are a screenwriter and live west of the Mississippi register your material with the WGA West. If you live on the Mississippi river… I don’t know what to tell you. But I’m sure you’ve got a great story to tell.

You can mail in a hardcopy of your screenplay or do the process online at the www.wga.org website. The cost is $20 for non-guild members and $10 for guild members in good standing. Script registration is valid for a term of five years.

Re-writing Process for Screenwriting

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So you’ve spent months, maybe years on your screenplay and now it’s time to get it out into the big bad world. Earnest Hemmingway once said, "All first drafts are shit"

Follow these steps before you hack into your re-write:

• Take a few weeks off from the script. Don’t touch it,
don’t even look at it or think about it. Regain a fresh perspective. Let your fingers heal. Go back into the sunlight.

• Let 3 to 5 people (other than mom) read the script and then listen to their feedback. Do not get defensive. Take things with a grain of salt. But if 3 out of 3 readers say the same thing about your screenplay, you’d be a fool not to take note.

• When you start rewriting your script focus on specific elements during each pass through the script: on one pass focus only on your characters, on another pass focus only on story structure, on another pass focus only on dialogue, on another pass focus only on screenplay format and grammar, etc. This will hone your energies for specific problems.

• Cut, cut, and cut the fat. Typically, a first draft screenplay will run 120 to 150 pages and should be slimmed down to 90 to 120 pages by the second draft. William Goldman has said, “You must cut your darlings.” Get your knife and saw the fat before you serve the steak. A well trimmed screenplay coming in at 90 pages takes 30 minutes less to read than a 120 page screenplay - which means you've got a better shot at someone getting through the damn thing.

Screenplay Conventions: looks matter

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LOOKS DO MATTER

Screenplays look a certain way. The sheer volume of Hollywood script submissions makes it so that if your screenplay looks strange or unprofessional it's headed for the dumpster.

A scriptwriter has to adhere to conventions and form. If you are wealthy and are financing the film yourself, your script can look any way you want. But remember, the cast and crew need a professional screenplay to work off, and for good reason: scheduling, creating and organization make a film production run smoothly and constructively.

Here are the basic screenplay conventions:

Paper dimensions; margins: Use 8 1/2" x 11" white 3-hole punched paper. Page numbers appear in the upper right hand corner. Do not number the cover page. The top and bottom margins are between 0.5" and 1". The left margin is between 1.2" and 1.6". The right margin is between 0.5" and 1". Don’t use special paper, just standard old printing paper. Margins are already set up on writing software like Final Draft.

Font and size: Courier, 12 pt. This is used for timing purposes. One script page should equal one minute of screen time. Don’t use fancy fonts. Don’t use large or small text.

Binding: Only use brass brads to bind a screenplay. The standard practice is to only use just two brads: one at the top and one at the bottom of the screenplay—even though there are three holes. The reason/myth is because an executive will usually remove the brads when reading a script to flip pages easily. It’s silly, but it’s a common thing. You can usually find brads for screenplays at office supply stores. If not you can order them online from an online screenwriting store or get them at a local copy shop.

Cover page/title page: DO NOT get fancy here. No artwork. No special covers. No glossy paper. Nothing. It will stand out, yes, but it will also signal that you don’t know what you’re doing. So unless you’re Terry Gillian or Pablo Picasso, don’t be artsy.

The title itself: The title to your screenplay should be center page in Bold, 12 to 14 font. Beneath the title should be the words “written by” followed by the author’s name. If the story is by another screenwriter, that information should be included by writing “story by” and then the author’s name. The bottom left hand corner contains your name and contact information. The bottom right hand corner contains your WGA registration number. That’s it. Keep it simple. Scriptwriting software will have title templates built in.

Script length: A typical professional screenplay runs 90 to 130 pages. Horror and comedy scripts can run short, while drama screenplays tend to run longer. Once you get over 130 pages, you’re in the danger zone. Anywhere around 100 pages is a good length for a first time screenwriter. We’ll talk about why in the next chapter.

In the meantime read screenwriting books to learn more about script format, screenplay rules, tips, tricks rules.