As I prepare myself to answer these questions, I find an overwhelming desire to answer in the form of a counter question.

‘Why?’

‘Why do you want to improve it?’ ‘Why do you want to finish it?’ ‘Why do you want to sell it?’ ‘Why do you want to write?’ ‘Why the hell did you write this, anyway?’

Motivation is an issue that most authors desperately explore for their characters but rarely for themselves. Fledgling writers spend months, years sometimes, labouring over a project which will land on my desk and I’ll know by the first page will go no further. Why do they do that?

Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, once wrote a piece about writing and described how much he hated the process and the point at which he picked up a pencil to write was the point where he knew that if he didn’t, his head would be clogged with this pesky idea. I think there are only two reasons to write – because you can’t not or because you have something to say. If you’re writing for pleasure, then that is pure and wonderful and the act of writing alone should be enough for you. It doesn’t matter if it makes it further than your notebook and outside consultation should be irrelevant. If you have something to say, you are fulfilling the role of a writer within society. You’re passing on wisdom and intelligence, contributing to and expanding culture. That is noble and fantastic.

But what if you’re doing neither of these things? Well, then you fall into the loathsome category of ‘wannabe’ – like the rest of us. Our motivation to write? Saying goodbye to the day-job. Endless kudos. Respect of one’s peers. This is fine, it’s human. But it’s not reason enough to pick up a pencil.

It’s reason enough to spend a while meditating on what you have to say and how your life experience and acquired wisdom could help expand culture and entertain people. Don’t think about film agents. Don’t think strategically. Write because you love it and because you have something to say. Be JK Rowling, not Dan Brown.

Harry Bingham invited Jon Spira noted film writer to contribute the above piece. Jon is a script editor at the Writers’ Workshop which runs online scriptwriting courses (http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/screenwriting_course.asp)
and help with film agents (http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/film.asp).

With novels, it may be hard to write something that’s good enough, but at least you know what you have to do. Write a wonderful book, get an agent, get a publisher. Simple. Screenwriters, however, face a classic Catch-22 challenge. Production companies tell you to get a film agent before they’ll look at your work. Film agents tell you to get production interest first. So what do you do?

The clear advice from the production side is that you really do need a film agent. The agents who say they don’t take unsolicited submissions are basically lying. They don’t take bad submissions and don’t want to encourage waves of approaches from screenwriters who don’t have what it takes.

Based on what I’ve heard from both film agents and producers, I’d advise:

Wherever possible, write for TV not film. The film industry in the UK is small, variable, and quirky. The major broadcasters (including Sky) are huge and voracious consumers of drama. British film agents make a good majority of their income from TV sources, not feature ones.

Develop your writing skills on whatever project you fancy, but recognise that you will probably need to get inside the industry proper at some stage. The classic course is to work as a staff writer on a soap – an Eastenders, a Holby City, or whatever. Alternatively you could work as a gopher for a production company, or almost any role at a major broadcaster.

The theatre is also a huge producer of quality screenwriting. If you can boast a decent track record in writing for the stage (which means the professional stage, even if at a fairly micro-level), film agents will take that very seriously as evidence of your ability to make it as a screenwriter. One production exec told me that, excluding the Eastender-type writers, perhaps 80% of the really good new screenwriting she came across emerged in one way or another from the theatre.

Be committed. It’s no use writing one spec project and hoping it’s so good that agents will be blown away. Film is a tricksy business. It needs a huge number of parts to come together if it’s to work: you need a production company, probably some outside finance, certainly a UK broadcaster, probably some strong international interest … and that’s before you even get to drawing up a slate of actors, director, etc. Because so many parts need to be pieced together, things do collapse for reasons that may have little to do with the script or the concept. So you would ideally need to have 2 or 3 well-developed scripts, plus a pocket full of further ideas that you’d be keen to develop. Those are the screenwriters most likely to succeed.

Network. These things do matter. The more you can collect names, make friends, build contacts, the better. A good writing course can also start that process. Remember that production companies will often option the rights to novels and the like, then need a screenwriter to produce a script. If they don’t know you exist, they won’t ask you.

And as always, of course, you need to be perfectionist. Writing that’s OK isn’t good enough. Only the obsessives succeed. If you haven’t trained properly – whether via film school or an online writing course or something similar – you need to do so right now. That should be your first step.

Harry Bingham’s books are being optioned for the screen. His company, the Writers’ Workshop, offers help with screenwriting and film agents (http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/film.asp) and offers a variety of online writing courses (http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/coursemenu.asp).

The most important part of the previz process is brainstorming an initial vision that captures the essence of the project. Whether you are planning out a cartoon, a film, or even a presentation for school or work, you can utilize the power of brainstorming to begin the crucial storyboarding process.

Brainstorming is usually a group activity – gather your crew or a few friends and map out ideas and inspirations for your film or project. By working together and taking notes, you can come up with a rough, frame-by-frame analysis. Once you’re done, you’ll be ready to choose your storyboard method and move on to the next step of previz.

In the old days, props, dolls, and models were used to achieve filmed storyboards – this time-consuming process ate up a lot of pre-production hours and didn’t always produce the desired results. Paper storyboards were also used with some success – Bristol board (often covered in Post-It Notes!) and crude sketches were also commonplace. Sometimes, these storyboards were hard to alter and refine.

Hiring a live artist could also bring a lot of delays and drama. Luckily, modern advances in technology have led to web storyboard software – these clever, intuitive programs offer more speed, precision, and creative freedom to today’s aspiring and experienced directors.

Instead of the expense of outsourcing, storyboarding software offers a full cast of characters, as well as pre-loaded artwork, background, props, and special effects. Music and dialogue can be added with a click of the computer mouse! Using your own photographic images is also simple, due to the amazing file-sharing capacity of modern storyboard software. The programs you already know and love are designed to work with the hottest new digital storyboard programs.

Once you decide how to approach your storyboards, you’ll also need to choose the right type of storyboard process. For example, some directors prefer a very detailed Production Storyboard – one that is essentially ready for use as a guideline during filming. For a full-length production, this sort of template can work wonders. It offers a complete map of the project, from the first shot to the final fade, and it can be a great way to get organized and stay on budget.

Without a production storyboard, you may waste time and resources playing with different camera angles and effects. This type of storyboard will work well for a production that already has a polished script. For dramas adapted from plays or books…for films that require extensive location scouting…or comedies that require lots of careful blocking to get the right effect…a detailed storyboard such as this can be the answer.

Again, opting for digital storyboards can save time and money in the long run. You’ll be able to compare different versions with ease, and you can share your storyboards via iPhone or the Internet. You can even make a Flash movie of your storyboards!

If you are still coming up with script ideas, but have a rough outline for your film, cartoon, or presentation, consider a Conceptual Storyboard that allows for more detailed scripting as the process unfolds. Use a series of linear images and concepts to capture the unique spirit of your production. This rough style of storyboard should communicate the special “feel” of your production. Important scenes and moments can be mapped out – however, each frame doesn’t need to be included – this storyboard is more about mood and emotion.

This initial storyboard can be a valuable creative tool that helps you to collect your thoughts and ideas and flesh them out. communicate the aural style of the piece. This sort of storyboard can work well for an independent short film, a cartoon that is still in an early phase of development, or an arty film that is short on dialogue.

Some directors prefer to create a Detailed Storyboard that focuses on key action sequences, or “money shots”. These pivotal scenes will be the most complicated and labor-intensive parts of a production – therefore, they are carefully mapped out to minimize mistakes or oversights that might cost time and money during filming. Other simple scenes are put on the back burner, or merely given a rougher storyboard treatment.

In this type of storyboard, which works well for films with a lot of action, such as horror or caper films, the scenes with extreme intensity will generally be the focus during storyboarding. For action films, the special effects and pre-loaded artwork in digital storyboard software can help to capture a more dimensional effect, and a fuller sense of how the finished product will look (and how it will resonate with viewers).

The type of storyboard you choose is important – however, the way you choose to storyboard may have an even greater impact on your pre-production and previsualization process. Using film storyboard software is the best way to experiment and be creative while you create your template for the cartoon, film, or presentation.

You won’t be locked in to a specific type of storyboard when you use digital storyboarding – instead, you will be offered unparalleled flexibility during the previz process – switching for a conceptual storyboard to a production storyboard won’t mean “starting from scratch” – you can simply save a version as “conceptual”, then work with your rough storyboards and fill in frame after frame.

Get the best out of your production from the very start! Do what today’s award-winning and critically acclaimed directors and animators do – map out your production with high-tech storyboarding software that helps you realize and share your vision. You can garner interest from investors and the media by sharing your polished, cohesive storyboards with the world – and you won’t have to deal with the drama of a live artist. Look for online digital storyboarding demos to find out more…

You can find out more about storyboarding techniques and how digital storyboards save time and money by clicking here: http://www.storyboardquick.com/features