Before telling you the initial steps to becoming a screenwriter, I’ve to tell you the story of a great screenwriter, a living legend.
Taxi Driver is considered one of the great films in movie history. Cinephiles go gaga about Martin Scorsese when they talk about the film. But do you know who wrote the screenplay for Taxi Driver? His name is Paul Schrader. Paul Schrader was in his late 20s when he wrote the script. But you’ll be amazed that Paul didn’t see a film until he was 17.
Paul grew up in a family which followed strict Calvinist principles. Calvinist principles follow total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints. It is quite evident that he faced a strict parentage. He was not allowed to see movies. But one day, he let loose and entered a theater to watch a film. He was 17 at that time. Thus began his love for storytelling.
After falling in love with cinema, Paul Schrader went to UCLA (A premier film school in America) to complete his MA. After his education, he worked as a movie critic. Then finally, start writing scripts.
I apologize to all my readers for such a long introduction. I had to tell the story because I think it’ll help you to understand the process of becoming a screenwriter. The processes of becoming a screenwriter are straightforward whether you’re going to a film school or studying on your own.
- You have to read screenplays
- Watch movies
- Write screenplays
Read Screenplays
You’ve to read a lot of screenplays because if you don’t read screenplays, you won’t be able to understand the format of a screenplay. Formatting is everything in a screenplay. The readers of your screenplay won’t understand a bit if it is not formatted correctly. The readers of your screenplay are generally the director, actors, cinematographers, etc. So, make sure they understand what you’ve written. Also, you have to follow the industry standard.
So you need to pick your favorite movies, then go to Google and find the PDFs of those movies. Download them and start reading them on your phone or laptop. You can choose your scripts according to your preferred genre. Initially, start with reading the scripts of those films that you have watched previously. It’ll help you to familiarize yourself with the format of the script and envision the story in your head. Then start reading the scripts of those films you haven’t seen yet. See if you can visualize the story in your head. After reading the script, try to watch it. It’ll help you understand that part of the script you hadn’t understood.
Try to read at least one script in a week. A full-length script is generally around 120-130 pages. So, if you can take a day to read 20 pages, you can finish reading an entire script in a week.
Watch Movies
Watching movies is another important aspect of becoming a screenwriter. Try to watch at least two films in a week. One at a theater for sheer entertainment value. It will help you understand the thinking of your target audience when you start working as a screenwriter professionally. If you want to set your foot in the industry, you have to understand the stories of mainstream movies. You won’t be able to write if you don’t know what makes an audience cry or laugh.
Next, watch a movie on any streaming platform. Study the film minutely. Its plots, scene-by-scene breakdown, dialogues, etc. I would suggest you watch one new movie and one old movie.
The movie at the theater would take around 4 hours (including the travel time) and the film on the OTT platform takes around max-to-max 2:30 hours. I believe you can carve out 6:30-7 hours of your time every week.
Write Screenplays
If you don’t write screenplays, you won’t be able to become a screenwriter. Yes, it’s that simple. Write 1 page a day. It means seven pages in a week. If you follow this process, you can finish a script in 1-1.5 months, which is great.
Paul Schrader did all of these at the start of his career. He watched films, read screenplays, and wrote scripts. He is still doing it. I’m sure.
If you have to follow this for a year, you’ll land a screenwriting gig for sure.
Thanks for reading.