Don Bledsoe doesn't charge a dime for anything on his site, nor does he have a fee for his script contest.  I find it amazing to see the man trashed like this with nothing more than a search of his name on IMDB.  I'm pretty certain that someone read his scripts to him over those many years, and he just parroted back what they said, so he couldn't possibly have learned anything about what makes a good script in that time.  I've looked around the site for awhile.  Don's a good fellow and openly claims NOT to be the final authority on script writing, yet he's willing to help when he can, and provides a place for folks to meet, share and learn.  You folks amaze me.  Wow.  Just wow.

Quoted from steven8 Don Bledsoe doesn't charge a dime for anything on his site,…

Steven,

I thought he charged because of this:

Quoted from the Script Nurse website Don Bledsoe On Script Nurse EveStudios ES: What was your initial inspiration for Script Nurse (http://www.scriptnurse.com/)? Don Bledsoe DB: I discovered people needed help getting their scripts properly formatted, so I decided to offer a low-cost formatting service to aspiring writers

I took this to mean he charged something. If this isn’t true and he doesn’t charge, then I apologize. What does he mean when he says he offers a low-cost formatting service? Why didn’t he just say free formatting service instead of low-cost?

Quoted from steven8 I find it amazing to see the man trashed like this with nothing more than a search of his name on IMDB.

I don’t think I trashed him.  I made general comments on services that charge money to evaluate people’s scripts. At the time I made those comments, I thought he charged because of the above statement. But again, if you say he doesn’t charge, then I apologize to both Don and to you.

I’d never heard of Script Nurse before you mentioned it. I do think he gives some bad advice in the article you cited but that’s just my opinion. No one has to agree.

This is why I seldom even say anything around here anymore. It seems like I can’t say anything without offending someone. So I’ll just say I’m sorry and move on. Please accept my apology. I’m sorry I offended you.


Breanne

Quoted from steven8 Don Bledsoe doesn't charge a dime for anything on his site, nor does he have a fee for his script contest.  I find it amazing to see the man trashed like this with nothing more than a search of his name on IMDB.  I'm pretty certain that someone read his scripts to him over those many years, and he just parroted back what they said, so he couldn't possibly have learned anything about what makes a good script in that time.  I've looked around the site for awhile.  Don's a good fellow and openly claims NOT to be the final authority on script writing, yet he's willing to help when he can, and provides a place for folks to meet, share and learn.  You folks amaze me.  Wow.  Just wow.

Don't take it to heart my good man. I apologize if I've caused any offence, I can see how my post could seem arrogant. It's just that these type of things always come up.

Someone sees that a script has been sold and has been highly rated and is confused that it is written in a way that differs from the way each and every one of these guru's tells us to write.

Clearly, the fact of the matter is that it doesn't matter to anyone who really counts whether or not you use camera angles or we sees. For reasons I explained earlier. The actual evidence shows this clearly.

Then someone shows us a blog or a webpage from a known guru telling us in "black and white" that there is absolutely only one way to write. It's not true however you break it down. As I say, the evidence shows this to be the case.

The problem is that a lot of novice writers write in a way that is very literary, they don't write scripts at all. So you have to tell them certain rules just to get them to write scripts and not short story/novella hybrids. But these rules, once you know what you are doing, are not incontrovertible.

Anyway, I apologize again if I caused any offence. I'm sure the guy is doing his best to help.

OK guys.  Thanks.  I didn't mean to present it as from a guru, either.  Don is just a fellow who has many years of experience 'in the business', and is trying to help out those of us who don't know diddly about what we're doing.  Much like this site.    I just felt the harshness thrown at him was undo 'snobbery', but I can see now that it wasn't.  Sorry I snapped like that.  I find it happening more and more as I get older.  

To step in here and say one last thing... Independent film producers and Agents will no doubt take a look at a badly formatted screenplay or a "Wrongly" formatted screenplay. Hell, some might even buy them.  But if you dropped a screenplay on the desk of a major studio who wanted to pay 100,000 "Standard" to 1 million for your script... They'd probably chuckle a bit then tell you that your script was in Iowa.

At the end of the day it's all about story, though. If you have a good story and someone "willing" to read it there is no reason why your movie couldn't get made. Independent film guys all the way up to Hollwood suits are looking for the next big thing. Anyone can write it... You just have to push it, make yourself known and go out there and try to get it on the radar.

Me, I have tons of scripts that are truly, really, really new. Really good and close to my chest. I've talked to people about making them and get e-mails regularly about a great deal of them to this day.  Right now I'm happy with my band and doing what I'm doing.  I know one day soon, though... When time presents itself I'll have enough varied work to really impress someone with enough intelligence to read through them.

A security blanket that I'm not banking on, I suppose. "ha" Anyways, take care guys. Write what and how you want. Get it down on paper 1st and then think about the aftermath. Nothing's gonna get sold without it being written and believe me... If you are writing as a director someone will tell you exactly where you went wrong and you can fix it.

Quoted from Baltis. At the end of the day it's all about story, though. If you have a good story and someone "willing" to read it there is no reason why your movie couldn't get made.

Why did it need 125 replies to get to that point? It was very simple from the start: it's all about story That's all. I can bear it.

Michel

Quoted from Baltis. To step in here and say one last thing... Independent film producers and Agents will no doubt take a look at a badly formatted screenplay or a "Wrongly" formatted screenplay. Hell, some might even buy them.  But if you dropped a screenplay on the desk of a major studio who wanted to pay 100,000 "Standard" to 1 million for your script... They'd probably chuckle a bit then tell you that your script was in Iowa. At the end of the day it's all about story, though. If you have a good story and someone "willing" to read it there is no reason why your movie couldn't get made. Independent film guys all the way up to Hollwood suits are looking for the next big thing. Anyone can write it... You just have to push it, make yourself known and go out there and try to get it on the radar. Me, I have tons of scripts that are truly, really, really new. Really good and close to my chest. I've talked to people about making them and get e-mails regularly about a great deal of them to this day.  Right now I'm happy with my band and doing what I'm doing.  I know one day soon, though... When time presents itself I'll have enough varied work to really impress someone with enough intelligence to read through them. A security blanket that I'm not banking on, I suppose. "ha" Anyways, take care guys. Write what and how you want. Get it down on paper 1st and then think about the aftermath. Nothing's gonna get sold without it being written and believe me... If you are writing as a director someone will tell you exactly where you went wrong and you can fix it.

Be careful with that. They're only new up to the point someone releases something similar. Strike whilst the iron is hot and all that.

Quoted from Breanne Mattson My script “Tormentor” broke these rules. It had “we sees” and even underscored passages. I’ve written two features for a Hollywood development company and both had occasional “we sees,” transition notations, and underscoring. In one case, I was specifically told to notate some transitions to “make it look like a pro script.” I’ve had my work seen by numerous Hollywood professionals and no one has once said anything about my breaking any format rules. “Gatekeepers” with hang-ups regarding their personal format pet peeves are a case of readers wanting a good read instead of a screenplay. People who don’t understand why occasional camera directions are okay in a script are people who misunderstand the very definition of a screenplay. Parentheticals are not there for the actors alone. They’re a device that helps picture the story. They can sometimes help keep the story moving along, beats intact, without upsetting the meter of the story. If an actor has a better way of doing it than what I’ve written, then good. That will just make a better picture. Because that’s what this whole thing is about; making a good picture. And the screenwriter is only one person in that process. Saying screenplays are just action and dialogue is a very simplistic way of looking at it. There’s meter and structure and characterization through the action and dialogue. Just a bunch of bland ”he does this” or “he does that” actions with intermittent on the nose dialogue will get you nowhere. Screenplays need to be cinematic, not just visual. There’s a difference. When you go to the theater, you’re well aware that what you’re seeing and hearing (yes you do see and hear at a movie) is a camera having shot actors. You know you’re sitting in a chair at a theater. Yet you still suspend disbelief. Why? Because it’s an indulgence. And if it’s a good movie, it’s a delightful indulgence. A script should read like a movie. The reader should be able to picture the film in his or her mind. And not just that, they should see it (yes see it) as a movie unfolding on the big screen. Honestly I find it perplexing that a writer would open a script with “FADE IN:” and then tell himself, “From here on, I can’t use anymore cinematic language until the very end when I write ‘FADE OUT.’” Write a good script. No. Write a great script. If you write a great script, you have a chance and all the readers in Hollywood who have hang-ups over “rules” can’t stop you. If you don’t write a great script, all the readers in Hollywood can’t help you.

Awesome post, Bre. This is pretty much what I've been hearing from other writers ahead of the curve.

Thank you Why One.

I try my best to give good advice but it’s admittedly very difficult. Things change so rapidly in this business. Art and business have always had a rocky marriage and there’s a lot of money at stake. That’s a recipe for a lot of broken dreams.

It’s true there are directors who will flip out when they see a “we see” and say something like, “Who does this bitch think she is, telling me how to direct a film?!!” I know I’m not telling him how to direct a picture. I’m just trying to write a script in the clearest, most cinematic way possible.

There are those in Hollywood who legitimately want to make great films. Then there are those who, if you let them, will strain every bit of joy from writing and leave you with nothing.

Ultimately it depends on where your script goes. One producer or studio will want it one way and another will want it another.

I’m always leery of handing out advice. I don’t want to mislead anyone. About all one can do is just write a great script. It’s the only thing you can know with certainty they want. If someone opens it up and it just flows and everything just seems right; if it’s a great story and they believe they can get somewhere with it, they’ll work with you. It’s all you can really do.


Breanne

Quoted from Breanne Mattson There are those in Hollywood who legitimately want to make great films. Then there are those who, if you let them, will strain every bit of joy from writing and leave you with nothing.

Not just Hollywood, but everytwhere around the world. I've been experienced with third zone directors on French TV. Everyone thinks he's f******* Orson Welles.

Quoted from Breanne Mattson About all one can do is just write a great script. It’s the only thing you can know with certainty they want. If someone opens it up and it just flows and everything just seems right; if it’s a great story and they believe they can get somewhere with it, they’ll work with you. It’s all you can really do.

It's a matter of chance too. Being at the right place at the right moment. Being there, in SimplyScript, is a good thing too. Even if English is not your first language. One more proff that it's only about a good story. I know what I'm talking about, believe me.

Michel

Quoted from Breanne Mattson I�m always leery of handing out advice. I don�t want to mislead anyone. About all one can do is just write a great script. It�s the only thing you can know with certainty they want. If someone opens it up and it just flows and everything just seems right; if it�s a great story and they believe they can get somewhere with it, they�ll work with you. It�s all you can really do.

Spoken like a true pro.  

Now you all know I'm a beginner, I have done major studying in the last few months to a year on how to write, however i think adding camera direction in a script is completely OK, as long as it's not all decked out in them. I write with camera direction (Partly because since my goal is to be a director, I naturally add the camera direction) So I think it's completely fine.I have read many many many movie scripts LITTERED with camera direction. So does it count you out in Hollywood? I don't think so, since those made it into Hollywood. The story does matter, but formatting matters too, IMO.  

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films This is the problem with so many of these guru's. They just regurgitate what they've read in other screenwriting books, they don't actually have a clue about what's really going on. He had a solid career as an actor, but he has hardly demonstrated that his word is gospel when it comes to screenwriting.

Been thinking about this, and the other comments that effectively dismiss the "Guru's" because they have not had very much of their own writing turned into movies. I get the point, on some level it makes sense, after all, Blake Snyder - writer of Blank Check and little else. It maybe worth pointing out that Blake Snyder has also had lots of things optioned, though some might say they cannot of been that great.

Some names for you...

Alex Ferguson
Arsene Wenger
Jose Mourinho

They will mean nothing to most people outside of Europe but these guys are the three most successful Managers (coaches) in the history of the English Football Premier League, in the case of Alex Ferguson he is arguably the greatest manager in the history of English football.

Guess what they have in common? Neither of them were very good players, Jose Mourinho was  not even a capable player and yet today he is the highest paid person in the world of football earning $26 Million a year.

I bet there are examples in American sports too, and not just sport, look at the worlds best business "Guru's", these are men and women who coach and train some of the richest businessmen in the world and yet they are themselves "failed" businesspeople.

Are teachers "failed" professionals? Surely they must be? If they were any good they would be history professors, business owners, authors etc.. Why should any student listen to someone who has "failed"?

The fact is that some people just make great teachers than they do professionals, it does not mean however that they know any less. I was catching up on some Pilar Alessandra podcasts this week and on one her guest was Zach Helm, now this is a guy who is carving out a pretty respectable career for himself since selling the first spec he wrote. He is someone who uses her services now, that's right, a real screenwriter with movies under his belt still learning from Pliar who? the woman who has not had anything filmed. He must get something out of it, you gotta think that students of Syd Field and Blake Snyder also get something out of it.

How do you judge a good teacher? Is it on their work or is it on their students work? Because lots of professionals seem to hold these "guru's" in very high regard.

Of course none of this means that you should listen to these people, nor does it mean that you will learn anything from these people. I am only writing this because I feel that the excuse that these guys are hardly a good source of information purely because they are not brilliant screenwriters themselves is incredibly disingenuous and more than a little unfair, they obviously are very good teachers. If people want to dismiss them then fair enough but at least come up with a better reason why.

Quoted from Murphy ...he is the highest paid person in the world of football earning $26 Million a year.

And when Murphy says football he means REAL football.

Funny football (of any sort) has been brought up, because I was just thinking the same thing.  It wasn't that long ago I was reading about how some of the top coaches in the history of American Professional Football have never even set foot on a pro field as a player.  Exactly what Murphy was saying.

Sniper, and others I'm sure, there is no such thing as real or fake football, just preferred football.