skillet: ^^^ lol. you are an intelligent guy. i guess you already know what i am trying to say. before you begin to criticise the conventional way of doing things, you need to first learn why things are done that way. personally, i was not a fan of emem isong, but her success rate indicates she is doing something right. abi, dont you think so?

Bro, I disagree!

^^^lmao. una too like wahala. whether you gree o, or you no gree o, she is doing well. and fyi, she is actually well trained for the job. she is a graduate of theatre arts and also took courses with the nyfa. you really cant compare her success rate wit any of tinsel writers. yinka ogun, creator of tinsel, worked on the nollywood scene too at the time, and the difference was clear.

^^^^ Smh

E be like say na skillet be the oga kpatakpata 4 here? Anyway, just joining and following cos i write too.

skillet, u knw smthn about old doctors, dey all tink safe n overlook trendin procedures(never let an old doc treat u o)
Emem is still stickn 2 d old stuffs(she's veteran at) n u knw hw dis can b, her movies are o.k. as in o.k.
But it's all gud bro

sholay, wetin be your own? leave emem alone o. lol. but jokes apart, whats important is how good you become in future. lets forget about her weak points and focus on her selling points.

i think what you should understand is that the people who like her love stories are willing to pay good money to see them. her new movie, I WILL TAKE MY CHANCES is very different from her other works.

by the way, any genuine questions on nollywood script writing? please ask. anything.

skillet: by the way, any genuine questions on nollywood script writing? please ask. anything.

What differenciates(formats) hollywood n nollywood scripts?

Following.

tony ayo:
What differenciates(formats) hollywood n nollywood scripts?

nice one bro. right now am in traffic on my way somewhere. i will answer you in detail later. for now let me say that there is really no difference in formats between us and them. its just the specifications that differ. i will explain later.

nyc tread it is. I do write 4 cardex film production based in kaduna: respectively, my work will b shown on TV soonest. I'm in luv with dis thread.. lets share tots

@skillet. I got your post above, thanks a million. Another thing i'd like to know is: How much does nollywood movie scripts cost?

skillet:

there is NO DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER

most hollywood writers want to push the envelope to its limits. that is why simple parameters like this for a nollywood movie-

SCENE 1
DAY, EXTERIOR, MAZI OKONKWO'S COMPOUND

will look like this for a hollywood movie-

SCENE 1
CLOUDY DAY, 5PM, EXTERIOR, MAZI OKONKWO'S COMPOUND

now, those extra parameters of cloudy day and 5pm put in a lot of extra planning for the lightening of the set to simulate 5pm on a cloudy day. even theme music and transition effects are sometimes added to hollywood scripts to increase the specs.

Hello people.

The first thing you said is the answer - THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE!

On the scene headings I disagree - Both the Nollywood & Hollywood headings would be written as -

EXT. MAZI OKONKWO'S COMPOUND - DAY

Unless it is ABSOLUTELY crucial to the scene no one will write in the exact time - no one. In fact I can't even think of an instance where it would even be crucial. There are only TWO acceptable times in a scene heading - DAY & NIGHT. No matter what time a scene takes place all that is evident on screen is whether it is day or night.

However, the times of DAY can be written as -

EXT. - MORNING TEXAS LANDSCAPE - SUNRISE
(As in the screenplay for Django)

That is a 'modifier' and is used to make the 'time' a bit more specific. Additional ones can be DUSK, DAWN, LATER, AFTERNOON, EVENING, EARLY EVENING - even the year for example; if you are writing a film that has time travel - just to make it more specific

There possibly might be such in 'BACK TO THE FUTURE' (sorry I dont have that script at the moment) but I can imagine different scenes of the same location to be something like -

EXT. RAILWAY STATION, 1856 - DAY

or

EXT. RAILWAY STATION, 1985 - DUSK

Why would they possibly do that? In order to aid the production - each of those scenes would have a very, very different set dressing ( a pre-prod topic for a different day).

Also a new scene can start exactly where the previous scene ended and it doesn't even have to be written as a 'proper' scene heading. For example (taken from the script LOOPER) -

Old Joe is on top of him, with a heavy blow knocking the gun aside, and with an even heavier one swinging down on Joe’s head, a fist and then
THE CORN FIELD, HOURS LATER
Joe wakes. Blood caked on his face. Headphones beside him, still squawking French lessons. Sits up.

From the above sample; time has passed so it really is new scene BUT it is also a continuation.

To all newbie writers - the thing is something Skillet said before is absolutely correct -

skillet: ...before you begin to criticise the conventional way of doing things, you need to first learn why things are done that way.

He basically means to be able to 'break' the rules you have to actually 'know' the rules.

Additionally, in the defence of Skillet - things change all the time. Scriptwriting does evolve and there may be a time when writing in the 'clock time' ie 5.32pm was acceptable... but definitely not today.

However, if you want to write it in your headings - you are free to, no one will kill you for it. Normally if the audience has to know the time as it is super crucial to the story then it is put in the description - you INSERT a clock or watch that shows the time or in the DIALOGUE - an actor says it.

Far too much writing in a 'scene heading' makes it harder to READ. Script readers scim and skip a lot. In fact you guys should read the script for LOOPER - In so many scenes they didn't even bother with DAY or NIGHT just -

INT. JOE'S APARTMENT
INT. WAITING ROOM
INT. BORDELLO ENTRANCE
EXT. CORN FIELD

I'm thinking they did that to make the reading faster - no idea. My theory is if they wrote DAY four pages back then assume everything remains DAY until you hit the next 'time change' in another scene heading. Totally weird but I guess that's what they did.

VillageBoi:

Normally if the audience has to know the time as it is super crucial to the story then it is put in the description - you INSERT a clock or watch that shows the time or in the DIALOGUE - an actor says it.

Thats the professional way to write it.. if you write the time in the scene heading and send the script to someone other than Nollywood producers, they probably wont bother to read the script coz that looks pretty amateur ish

village boy and alkaline, thank for the tips. you are both right, and wrong. and thats why we call them specifications.

personally, i have realised that understanding the heading parameters of a scene, in details, aids the production in no small measure. thats why hollywood gives more details. not all DAY is DAY. 12noon gives off a different ambience from 5pm and they are both DAY. so, contrary to what...

to what alkaline thinks, its hollywood producers that would readily read works with more detailed headings. stuff like the position of the sun light, as well as the background noise, are hidden in the words DAY or NIGHT.

then, we should also not forget fantasy films like harry porter. how do we relate the words DAY and NIGHT in a setting that is magical to say the least? how do we dramatically morph between times of peace and danger? if not by detailing the start of a sequence?

skillet: village boy and alkaline, thank for the tips. you are both right, and wrong. and thats why we call them specifications.

personally, i have realised that understanding the heading parameters of a scene, in details, aids the production in no small measure. thats why hollywood gives more details. not all DAY is DAY. 12noon gives off a different ambience from 5pm and they are both DAY. so, contrary to what...

I cant say you are wrong coz am still learning myself but have read lots of Hollywood scripts and have never come across one where the scene heading is written like this...

SCENE 1
CLOUDY DAY, 5PM, EXTERIOR, MAZI OKONKWO'S COMPOUND

If they need to specify the time, they simply do that by writing the time in scene description or in dialogue.. but then again different people have different style of writing script

^^we are all learning but just imagine you are a producer shooting a DAY scene. and you set up location which happens to be in front of a mosque. and the muslims praying in the background are all facing the east. and the real time is 5pm. but your characters lines say its 9am in the morning. a quick look at the shadows of houses and people in frame would expose the obvious fail.

Nice thread guys. I am an actor and a practicing scriptwriter myself who have written a number of movies and TV scripts some of which has been produced (am also a budding producer). I believe that one has to read a lot of screenplays to learn formatting and structure while writing your scripts. Check out www.imsdb.com and www.thescriptlab.com and www.script-o-rama.com to download scripts you can learn from.

As for getting poor pay for scripts its all about positioning yourself. I have refused to work with the Alaba/Idumota producers and instead pitched with new nollywood(cinema movies). Yes, it's not been easy at times and I don't have tons of scripts like many others but the few I have produced have made me get other jobs. I have a minimum I charge which is far better than what Alaba offers and I have had to walk away from some jobs because of the low pay.

One thing I know about this job is that there are new producers coming who are gonna change the game and demand more so newbie scriptwriters had better up their game and write better stuff. (I can only point to one script that wowed me when I was acting and that was written by Tai Obasi for Teco Benson) You might be getting Alaba jobs now (not knocking your hustle) but once these guys identify you with them they won't touch you with a long pole (happened in the music industry). So guys improve on your craft and make use of the free resources online. Go to www.scriptmag.com and www.writersscore.com and www.screenwritingu.com are among many that offer good advice. Ask your good friend google for more. Hope this helps.

skillet: ^^we are all learning but just imagine you are a producer shooting a DAY scene. and you set up location which happens to be in front of a mosque. and the muslims praying in the background are all facing the east. and the real time is 5pm. but your characters lines say its 9am in the morning. a quick look at the shadows of houses and people in frame would expose the obvious fail.

The bold part is the work of a production manager, what most screenwriters do is just to specify if the scene is Day or Night.

lynx200: Nice thread guys. I am an actor and a practicing scriptwriter myself who have written a number of movies and TV scripts some of which has been produced (am also a budding producer). I believe that one has to read a lot of screenplays to learn formatting and structure while writing your scripts. Check out www.imsdb.com and www.thescriptlab.com and www.script-o-rama.com to download scripts you can learn from.

As for getting poor pay for scripts its all about positioning yourself. I have refused to work with the Alaba/Idumota producers and instead pitched with new nollywood(cinema movies). Yes, it's not been easy at times and I don't have tons of scripts like many others but the few I have produced have made me get other jobs. I have a minimum I charge which is far better than what Alaba offers and I have had to walk away from some jobs because of the low pay.

One thing I know about this job is that there are new producers coming who are gonna change the game and demand more so newbie scriptwriters had better up their game and write better stuff. (I can only point to one script that wowed me when I was acting and that was written by Tai Obasi for Teco Benson) You might be getting Alaba jobs now (not knocking your hustle) but once these guys identify you with them they won't touch you with a long pole (happened in the music industry). So guys improve on your craft and make use of the free resources online. Go to www.scriptmag.com and www.writersscore.com and www.screenwritingu.com are among many that offer good advice. Ask your good friend google for more. Hope this helps.

thanks bro......
i was looking up to guys like you and skillet when i opened up this thread

skillet: to what alkaline thinks, its hollywood producers that would readily read works with more detailed headings. stuff like the position of the sun light, as well as the background noise, are hidden in the words DAY or NIGHT.

Hollywood producers are notorious for skimming; you will do well to get one to read just the first 10 pages of your script. For most writers, especially newbies, a script goes thru quite a chain of people long before it gets to a producer. Many 'readers' don't make it to page 5 before it goes in the bin. An hour time in a SCENE HEADING is a no, no.

skillet: then, we should also not forget fantasy films like harry porter. how do we relate the words DAY and NIGHT in a setting that is magical to say the least? how do we dramatically morph between times of peace and danger? if not by detailing the start of a sequence?

A fantasy film such as Harry Potter still follows the physical rule of DAY & NIGHT so it's not different to write. When writing any form of script be it zombies, space, fantasy or anything that is just not possible in 'our' world the writer simply takes us into the world' of the story - day & night still follows the basic rules physics.

Morphing between times of 'peace' & 'danger' have nothing to do with definitive 'time on a clock', however, such differences in 'times' is expressed VISUALLY.

Also 'Primary' & 'Secondary' scene headings can easily come into play when changing time and even places. The norm is to write so it flows so much simpler for the reader.

I think you also mentioned something about prayers and if it's shot at noon when an actor says it's 9AM - that would be a mistake on the production as the did read the dialogue that said 9AM - they would light accordingly; that simple. And if it's a low budget indie film without the trucks of light a big Hollywood film can afford they will either shoot at that time of the day or simply change the line of dialogue so the actor says "noon".

Writing in a specific hour time is far too limiting and really is not a done practice. You have to note if it CAN'T be SEEN on the screen then don't write it. It's scriptwriting which has completely different rules from writing a novel. An exact hour/minute time in a screenplay is SHOWN or SPOKEN.

For example -

EXT. A WINDY NIGHT WITH A PALE MOON SHINING THROUGH TREES IN THE WOODS

That should actually be written as follows:

EXT. WOODS – NIGHT

A pale moon shines through trees buffeted by a stiff wind.

* Note the 'general' time & type of NIGHT is written in the DESCRIPTION.

But as we all know - everyone here is learning but I am pretty sure an exact hour time does not go in a scene heading.

Another reason is a director can easily switch scenes from night to day and day to night if he/she feels it serves the story better or will look better. So very specific 'times' unless, as I have metioned before, are ABSOLUTELY crucial to the story are left out of the writing. The audience will never know the difference between a shot at 2pm and a shot at 3pm - unless it's a race against the 'clock' kind of script - we'll be SEEING and HEARING the countdown before the bomb goes BOOM! lol

So yeah, it just isn't a practice that is done and would scream amateur. So stick to 'modifiers' like - SUNSET, SUNRISE, LATE EVENING, AFTERNOON and so on.

However, if you do have any Hollywood scripts where this is the norm pls do point us in that direction as we'd like to read them - just to see why it was written in a scene heading.

^^^^
All very well said @VillageBoi...
----
@Lynx200 All very well said.
----
@skillet well said too.
...@sholay and @alkaline.ak I see you ooo...
----
kai! All the ogas are here and the thread is cooking up..

skillet: sholay, wetin be your own? leave emem alone o.
---
her new movie, I WILL TAKE MY CHANCES is very different from her other works.

I hope it won't have a part 1-4....hahaha...

i really cant see the argument here. i stated earlier that the TYPE of movie determines the specs. so what the point of saying things like- "its not done unless the movie is one that is a race against time"? the fact that its a flick like 24 HOURS, shows its a different type of movie and should be treated as such. and its totally wrong to think that fantasy films obey the same rules of DAY and NIGHT. that is totally a rookie move. lmao.

^ ^ ^
No problem, let's just differ on this. And don't misquote & misrepresent me - What I've said is it is NOT done in a 'scene heading' PERIOD! For a writer I'd say I'm surprised at your 'supposed' lack of being able to read the written word. You were wrong... it's no biggie.

PS - Also feel free to download any of the Harry Potter scripts and figure out for yourself about DAY & NIGHT in scene headings, since even you don't know what your argument is.

Still following...

lynx200: Nice thread guys.

Welcome Lynx, how now?

double post.

its okay. we dont need to quarrel over this issue. my aim is to teach newbies how to be commercially advantaged. if all the right information was downloadable, why then wont every tom, dic k and harry be successful script writers? so, i know some things you dont. period. in light of your vast knowledge, why dont you answer tony ayos question? how much do nollywood scripts cost?

skillet: its okay. we dont need to quarrel over this issue. my aim is to teach newbies how to be commercially advantaged. if all the right information was downloadable, why then wont every tom, dic k and harry be successful script writers?

We all do want to teach and learn right practices. To answer the question - The world over; not everyone can or will be a successful scriptwriter.

skillet: so, i know some things you dont. period. in light of your vast knowledge, why dont you answer tony ayos question? how much do nollywood scripts cost?

Yes of course you know some things I don't just as I know some things you don't... and others here know things that we both don't! As for this 2nd set of questions? Really?! Ok, that's plain being silly now as you know fully well, just as anywhere else in the world, there is no set exact price for a script as they cost from zero to anything.

Let me just leave your @ the bolded remark as - I will ignore your how-dare-someone-question-my-all-knowing-self attitude. Go and have a beer or cold drink, calm yourself down and then come back knowing we can ALL contribute to this thread. Do not do the regular Naija ITK thing and sulk if anyone has a view that is contrary to yours because it is plain childish. I've been in classes where lecturers have been corrected by students and simply agreed and shrugged it off. Let's get rid of this bigmanism thing of I need to show I am the one that knows it all... so yes, back to the initial part of your post - you are here to teach 'newbies' and you are also here to learn. We all are.


PS - *Note to mods or robot* - Hopefully I don't get banned again for saying things just as I think them. Thanks.