The HOLLYWOOD STANDARD

So, I just read THE HOLLYWOOD STANDARD, basically THE book for hollywood structure and style and BOY, was I doing a couple of things wrong. Not wrong enough to cheat me out of a deal, but definitely some things that are formatively wrong. Now, as a writer they are wrong, but for an AD/UPM they would be very helpful in determining schedule and not having to re-slug scenes.

THINGS like putting FLASHBACK at the beginning instead of the end of a slug make no sense to be in the scheduling of a script, but apparently matter for the story flow. Personally, in order to shoot it I need to know WHERE it is before i need to know WHEN it is. However, I see the point.

Another one is that you should be capitalizing everything BUT props in a script. When I budget/schedule, I need to know WHAT is needed in a scene, not if there are FOOTSTEPS coming. Once again, an illogical move for scheduling, but possibly effective when dealing with a reader.

Also, I have never added a single camera move in any of my scripts, because that is the director's job, not the writer's, but there were some ingenious ways to get around making your direction snappier and more precise.

All in all, since I'm getting writing work, I don't think it's a huge deal, but for the current and future scripts I am writing I will definitely make some adjustments.

BTW, my advise is that when you write, be semi mindful of the people who will be putting on your movie...unless you sell it to a studio, then F it and let them deal with it.