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Dreams on Spec (2007)

June 17, 2024 / J. Paul Cooper / Leave a comment

I just finished watching the documentary, Dreams on Spec (2007.) Several years ago I donated my DVD to a local library, but it never appeared in their catalogue. Fortunately, I recently found it listed on the video streaming service Tubi. Dreams on Spec follows the lives of three aspiring screenwriters as they attempt to get their scripts produced, interspersed with commentary on the profession by screenwriters working in Hollywood.

You don’t have to write screenplays to relate to the experiences of the three screenwriters profiled in Dreams on Spec. All writers have been on the same emotional rollercoaster, from dreaming of success, to the reality of rejection.

Throughout the documentary two questions dominate: How far are you willing to go to succeed as a writer? and Is it worth it? Two writers put everything on the line, risking their family relationships and financial stability, but their scripts aren’t produced. The third writer keeps his day job, but his screenplay is produced.

As Dreams on Spec demonstrates, devoting your life to writing full-time doesn’t guarantee success as a writer, but writing part-time doesn’t necessarily prevent you from enjoying success as a writer either.

Considering how much time and effort these three writers invested in trying to find success in Hollywood, was it worth the sacrifices they made? I think the best answer is: If you love writing, keep at it, because you never know where it might lead, and regardless of the ultimate destination, you’ll appreciate what you learn on the journey.

Masterful Storytelling

April 17, 2021April 17, 2021 / J. Paul Cooper / Leave a comment

I enjoy watching disaster movies like The Day After Tomorrow (2004), 2012 (2009), San Andreas (2015), Geostorm (2017)and Greenland (2020). In an instant you’re immersed in a life and death struggle as the protagonists put their lives on the line to protect their families. Because of the amazing CGI special effects, you feel like you’re right there as skyscrapers collapse, meteors crash through the atmosphere, tsunamis flood coastlines and massive volcanoes erupt.

There’s no doubt these movies are entertaining. As a Writer, however, I wonder if I’m drawn into these stories because of great writing, or am I just overwhelmed by cinematic shock and awe. Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017), written and directed by Dan Gilroy is an example of a movie based on great writing, which does not rely on expensive special effects to overpower the senses. Denzel Washington, who portrays Roman, once again demonstrates his amazing versatility as he creates a character you can both pity and admire in the same instant.

Roman J. Israel Esq. incorporates many of the ingredients required to develop great characters. Roman, is flawed, vulnerable, and doesn’t have the self-confidence or physique of a military special forces operative. That’s why he’s someone the audience can relate to; when Roman hurts, you hurt.

Suddenly forced to transition from a backroom research position to the courtroom, due to the death of a legal partner, Roman struggles to find his place in the new environment. Many people can relate to his situation, as every day they are forced to go to jobs where they feel like they’re trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. And that’s where the magic happens, when someone watching the movie thinks to themselves, I know just how you feel Roman.

And then Roman makes a life-altering decision. He has lived a lonely life on the edge of poverty and when he finally sees an opportunity to break free, he gives into temptation and rolls the dice. I found my emotions were tied in knots, because I was happy that Roman was finally enjoying the life he had dreamed of, but dreaded what might happen if someone found out what he had done. The complicated, contradictory feelings that this story produces, demonstrates that this is truly masterful storytelling. If you’re reading a book or watching a movie, and you find yourself wondering what you would do in a similar situation, that means the writer has made the story personal. Special effects can keep your attention for a couple of hours, but only a great story can reach your heart.

I highly recommend that you first read the screenplay, before watching Roman J. Israel Esq., so you can truly appreciate how great the story is, before you see Denzel Washington bring Roman to life on the screen. I found the screenplay at Script Slug www.scriptslug.com.

Even If You Love Writing Screenplays….

August 30, 2020 / J. Paul Cooper / Leave a comment

If you enjoy writing, and you also enjoy watching movies, writing screenplays feels like a perfect fit. It allows you to be involved in the entertainment industry, even when circumstances make it difficult for you to work directly for a film company. There are, however, some good reasons you should keep working on other other projects as well.

One downside to writing screenplays is that it limits how many people will discover that you’re a writer. Let’s say that you write a great screenplay, and after an online search, you find ten production companies willing to consider screenplays submitted directly from writers. If those companies don’t buy or option your screenplays, it may be that only ten people know that you write. Unfortunately, if it’s rejected by script readers, the ten people who now know you’re a writer, may not be directors or producers.

You can also enter screenwriting contests, but make sure you take the time to find out who will see your screenplay. In some cases, your screenplay will only be read by directors, producers and agents If your screenplay is one of the finalists, out of hundreds of entries. You’ll have to decide whether it’s worth it to pay the entry fee, for the possibility that it will be seen by someone who can help your career.

The dilemma is that you could be a gifted writer, but very few people know that you write. One way to overcome that obstacle is to write short stories. You can submit short stories to magazines, print anthologies, and literary journals (print and online.) Being published raises your profile as a writer, and you can include in your Bio, that you write screenplays. If talent agents or directors read your short story, they’ll know that you’re a talented writer AND you write screenplays.

Another way to raise your profile as a screenwriter, is to write articles and essays about writing and film, with the goal of establishing yourself as an industry expert. As always, include the fact you write screenplays in the Author’s Bio. Since a script reader or director may read hundreds of screenplays with similar themes, wouldn’t it be useful if they recognized your name?

I recently tried to raise to raise my profile as a writer, by starting a Youtube channel. I hope you find the video I’ve posted, “What If You’re A Really Good Writer?” amusing, despite the fact it’s a cringe-worthy early attempt.

Keep writing, the world needs to hear your voice, your passion!

Reading Screenplays

March 29, 2020March 29, 2020 / J. Paul Cooper / Leave a comment

If you’ve been trying to write a novel, but seem to be to be suffering from writer’s block, perhaps it’s because your story would work better as a screenplay. How do you learn to write screenplays? You read screenplays. Here’s a primer on how to get started.

Two Excellent Sources: The Internet Movie Script Database http://www.imsdb.com offers a huge selection of screenplays to read. You can search alphabetically or by genre; some of the screenplays are shooting scripts (the final script used by the Actors and Director), while other screenplays are earlier drafts. You can also find screenplays on the BBC Writersroom website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom. You’ll find them listed in the Script Library.

Which screenplays would professional writers suggest you read? Members of the Writers Guild of America are the professionals that many Hollywood companies hire to write their screenplays, and they’ve voted on the best. Visit http://www.wga.org, go to Writer’s Room, and under the 101 Best Lists, click Screenplays.

To find out if a script is an original screenplay, or an adaptation, visit the Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com. Writers (both screenwriters and the authors of the source material) are listed below the Director. Keep in mind that the title of the movie may be different than the source material. Blade Runner (1982) was based on Philip K. Dick’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

If it’s not an original screenplay, it’s better if you read the source material, before reading the screenplay, so you can see how the writer adapted the source material. Since most extras included with DVD’s tend to focus on special effects, this will help you learn about the writing process. You can gain even more insight by searching for interviews with the screenwriters on http://www.youtube.com.

Movies create thousands of jobs, make actors household names, and earn studios huge profits, but it all begins with the story. It all begins with writers like you.

P.S. My short story, “Harold’s Muse,” was published in Issue #12 of Polar Borealis Magazine. http://www.polarborealis.ca.

A Primer For New Screenwriters

July 21, 2018 / J. Paul Cooper / Leave a comment

This is the outline I used for a presentation I gave at a writer’s organization in early July. I’ve added some notes. I hope that you find it useful.

Note: You can do an online search and find out which organizations represent screenwriters in your country
FILM INDUSTRY UNIONS
http://www.wga.org – Writers Guild of America (If you’re enjoying a Hollywood blockbuster, watch the credits and see if “WGA” appears at the very end.
http://www.wgc.ca – Writers Guild of Canada

WWW.IMDB.COM – Click on Writers
Who wrote the screenplay?
If it’s an adapted screenplay, who wrote the material the screenplay is based on?
What is the original story format? Novel, play, short story, non-fiction book, magazine article, memoire…..
Does the original material have the same title as the movie?

Note:
Always check for items at the library first, it will save you a significant amount of money.
Some library systems have an inter-library borrowing system that will allow you to borrow from several different libraries across your province or state
Reading scripts online isn’t free, you (or your parents) still have to pay the service provider
The Writers Store is a dangerous place for a writer with a credit card to visit
SOURCES FOR SCREENPLAYS
Your Local Library
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom – Script Library
http://www.imsdb.com (Internet Movie Script Database)
http://www.scripts.com
http://www.simplyscripts.com
Book Sales, Used Book Stores
http://www.writersstore.com (The Writers Store)
Amazon, Chapters/Indigo, Kobo, etc.

FILM INDUSTRY GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Work as a Background Performer/Extra or volunteer on a short film project
Volunteer as video camera operator for a local cable operator or a church. (I’m a volunteer camera operator at a church.)

Note: You may be able to borrow these books, or download them as eBooks or audiobooks from you local library
BOOKS
On The Set: The Hidden Rules of Movie Making Etiquette-Paul J. Salamoff-2012
What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting-Marc Norman-2007
Powerhouse: The Untold Story of Hollywood’s Creative Artists Agency-James A. Miller-2016
The Men Who Would Be King: An Almost Epic Tale of Moguls, Movies, and A Company Called DreamWorks-Nicole Laporte-2010
DVD’s
Tales From The Script-Directed by Peter Hanson-2009-105 minutes (The DVD is based on the book with the same title)
Dreams on Spec-Directed by Daniel Snyder-2007-88 minutes

Note: This last item isn’t about screenwriting, but about the writing process, as presented by Canada’s most successful science fiction writer: Robert J. Sawyer
YOUTUBE: Ontario Writers Conference / Approximately 25 mins.
P1 of 3, P2 of 3, P3 of 3 OWC 2010

Hollywood @ Your Library

June 25, 2017June 25, 2017 / J. Paul Cooper / Leave a comment

Hollywood is what dreams are made of, that hasn’t changed since the very first feature films were made. Why not use that dream to encourage more people to visit your library? Hollywood @ Your Library would be an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to children that reading and writing is how dreams becoming reality on the big screen.

WRITING FOR HOLLWOOD would be set up on the display table at the library entrance. To make it easy for children to understand how the writing process flows, place material left to right: the source material, the screenplay and the DVD/Blu-ray cases. An example would be the Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) screenplay and the movie case. The English Patient (1996) display would include the novel, the screenplay and the movie case. To demonstrate the variety of material used, you could also include All the President’s Men (1976) for adaptation of a non-fiction book and A Few Good Men (1992) as an adaptation of a play for live theatre. You might need a separate table for books on writing screenplays by authors like John Truby, Robert McKee and Linda Seger.

Note: Since not all libraries have a large selection of screenplays, this problem could be solved with some coordination between libraries and inter-library loans. If Town A had their Hollywood At The Library on July 15th and Town B had their event on August 5th, that would allow enough time for the materials to transfer between libraries. Although it’s not the only source, the Newmarket Press Shooting Script Series has a wide selection of screenplays.

THE HOLLYWOOD EXPERIENCE is an opportunity for local filmmakers to discuss what is involved in making a movie. The library would set up a schedule when individuals with various skill sets could talk about the roles they’ve played in making films. Keep it short, perhaps 20 minutes per speaker, so there is always a fresh face at the microphone. If there aren’t any filmmakers living in your community, another option would be to invite people who have been Movie Extras/Background Performers to speak about their experience on a movie set.

READ THE LINES Audience members would be invited to read several lines from a movie script. Once the readings are finished, show the movie. The Truman Show (1998) doesn’t include nudity or extreme violence, but it would be up to librarians to use discretion in choosing the screenplay to use. Librarians always seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place; protecting freedom of expression, while trying to respect community standards

THE HOLLYWOOD FUN QUIZ is an activity for members of all ages, so it’s important to include questions that are easy for children to answer and some more challenging questions for adults as well. One of the best sources for the quiz would be the Internet Movie Data Base: http://www.imdb.com.

Soundtrack Clips: Titanic (1997), Frozen (2013)

Adaptation or Original Screenplay: Avatar (2009)/Original, Arrival (2016)/Adaptation

Who is speaking?: Show the image of a well known character, such as Donkey from Shrek (2001), and have the audience guess who did the voiceover – Eddie Murphy

What Year?: Star Wars (1977), Cars (2006)

I hope that librarians will enjoy reading this blog and find it helpful. I’ve been writing screenplays for about fifteen years, and it all started when I picked a screenplay off a library bookshelf, just out of curiosity.

J. Paul Cooper