ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

6 years, 11 months ago - Helen Jack

Hey Howard,

Have you checked out Script Pitch on Shooting People? I think you'll find it really useful for your needs https://shootingpeople.org/scriptpitch/.

Good luck!
Helen

6 years, 11 months ago - graeme holmes

Hey Howard - if you take up Helen's recommendation of SP Script Pitch perhaps you can ask her why so many writers who use it can't be bothered to simply proofread their own [often quite short] submissions. And could you ask her why those writers don't realise how it makes them look sloppy and uncaring, even though, perversely, it is their own treasured projects they are writing about! Crazy I know! But I often look at those badly written postings and think "Would I want to work with a writer who can't even spend 3 minutes re-reading and polishing their precious words!!!???"

6 years, 11 months ago - Vasco de Sousa

Graeme, years ago, Script pitch had a save button. We could look over a pitch, save and proofread, and send when we were confident we found all the errors. We could mull over it, almost like mulling over a script. I had a few pitches in draft form, that I didn't end up pitching when that save option was taken away. (all my stuff deleted without warning, boo hoo. Oh well, water under the bridge. Always make a backup.)

Now, it's either send today or your pitch is deleted when you turn off the computer; or when the power goes out or whatever. (It's even more difficult with handheld devices that might send the pitch on accident.)

You know, in the old days, newspapers had copyeditors to correct the spelling of top journalists (and also check their facts, watch Bright Lights Big City starring Michael J Fox for more on that job.) Publishers had proofreaders. No one expected writers to find every error themselves. (Did you get 100 percent in every assignment in English class?) Storytelling and perfect spelling are two different skills, and not every writer is equally skilled at both.

The old infrastructure created the illusion of super-smart writers who never made mistakes. In the old days, many writers couldn't even type. These days, writing looks shallow because the writer takes on what used to be multiple roles.

I try to spell check first, but it can take me a few goes to find all the errors. It's also more difficult to find your own errors than someone else's, because your subconscious shows you the word you meant to write, rather than the one that other people see. (At least, it's easier for me to spot someone else's typo.)

I hope my pitches are not among those that look sloppy and uncaring. That said, if you spot any errors in my writing, please feel free to send a polite PM.

6 years, 11 months ago - graeme holmes

Hi Vasco - you're right in a lot of ways, but I would still argue this is a writer's shop window - a pitch - which you will be judged on. So it's important to not press "send" until you are absolutely sure you are doing yourself justice. Oh, and I did pretty well in English assignments - coz I red them buck befure submutting.

6 years, 11 months ago - Brendan O'Neill

Try a script call on Bang2writers and Script Advice Writers Room. Both on Facebook

6 years, 11 months ago - Yair Packer

Hi Howard
Can send you logines of 27 short scripts. Give me your e mail
Yair Packer - israel

6 years, 11 months ago - Lynwood Shiva Sawyer

Hi, Howard,

Could you send some URLS to your work samples? Thanks.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1403419/?ref_=nv_sr_1

6 years, 11 months ago - Mark Renshaw

Script Revolution has some good scripts. Some great ones here also www.mark-renshaw.com ;-)

6 years, 11 months ago - Helen Jack

Hello everyone,

Just posting in to let you know that we heard what you were saying about being about to create a draft of your pitch, and return to it for edits before submitting. So we've now added this functionality https://shootingpeople.org/scriptpitch/. We hope this helps!

Helen