Marcus Said:

When writing a screenplay, is there a standard style guide that's used?

We Answered:

Yes, pretty much. I recommend that you check out some of the published book-formed scripts such as Napoleon Dynamite: Final Shooting Script or A Prairie Home Companion: Official Screenplay. I use these for my scripts. They are primarily the same form except they do have minor differences in form that really don't amount to anything. But this is what I suggest as a fellow screenwriter.

Sylvia Said:

Which Australian and American Universities have the best screenplay writing courses?

We Answered:

UTS

Diana Said:

Best universities for doing Screenplay writing and performing arts?

We Answered:

i've heard bath spa is good

James Said:

Is screenplay writing a hard trade to learn? Can it easily be taught or are you mostly born with the talent?

We Answered:

Screenplay writing is like chess, easy to learn but takes a lifetime to master. Unless you are born with the talent.

Writing screenplays is harder than writing novels because in a novel you can just write, "he was lying" - In a screenplay you have to show he is lying - visually, ie; describe it as you will see it on the screen.

If you wrote in a novel that the secret agent walked slowly to his stolen car, it is understood.

If you wrote the exact same line into a screenplay (the secret agent walked slowly to his stolen car) a movie exec will throw it in the trash.
Here is why, that scene can not be filmed. On screen we would see a man walk slowly to a car. Unless he has a post-it note stuck to his head saying "Secret agent" we don't know who he is, and as for the stolen car unless it is written in big letters on the side of it we have no clue it's stolen. So your screenplay ends up in the trash, along with all the other wannabee writers.

For every 1000 screenplays written I might find one that is mediocre and with some revisions could become average.

For every 10,000, we might find a winner!

The reason for this is because people think, Hey! - I have an Idea, I have a word processor and I can spell!!!!!!!

This is why the industry hires readers - who get paid to look for a good script. They get paid between $15 and $30 per screenplay, depending on their level. So if there is a mistake the are allowed to "pass" on it.

I once got a vampire script, actually I have had many (it's actually the most popular genre) - popular for novice screenwriters that is.
Anyhow, it started by saying, " Enter Jeremy, he is gay and has the body of a weekend scuba diver"

This would translate (onscreen) to "a man enters"

Carrie Said:

does anyone know of a screenplay writing contest that someone under 18 can enter?

We Answered:

Here are some places that teens can submit writing.

Constance Said:

How does the screenplay writing business work?

We Answered:

Like any professional writer, the screen writer needs an agent who may or may not live in New York, Los Angeles, or some other film center. Even if they do, they don't necessarily or exclusively try to promote the work locally. A good agent's market is the world. I should think that it is particularly desireable for a new writer to live in the vicinity of the agent.
Apart from bells and whistles, the screenplay IS the movie.

Derrick Said:

Do you need a novel writer's permission before writing a screenplay based on their book?

We Answered:

Of course, there's nothing stopping you from writing the screenplay, as long as you don't make money off of it without the permission of those who own the rights. To sell the screenplay, you either need to get the author's permission or be in contact with the studio that has bought the rights to the book. Studios buy up lots of book rights every year, but not all of them are made into movies. The studios usually hire the screenwriters themselves - in fact, I'm not sure what the protocol is on freelancing adapted screenplays. I suppose you could try to find out which, if any, studio has the rights to whatever you're thinking about adapting, and maybe you can approach them about that, or you could contact the author, but I wouldn't bet on those.

Hope this helped.