Big News...Newbies! More Video Content Coming!

Hi Newbies,

Several of you have asked me for more video content similar to what I was doing at the beginning of my blog. Screenwriting with the Newbie did start out as a video blog, and those first 6 episodes are my special treasures to show me how far I have come as a screenwriter. I am so glad I documented my learning process in that way and was able to share it with all of you.

I've been continuing to share new things as I have come across them here, however, the format of bi-weekly video blog was a little too time-consuming for me alone. Shooting and editing video content was actually cutting into my writing time, and I had to follow my own rules. So I shaved that time back into my life by ditching the video element of my blog...or at least having it much more infrequently.

But recently, I was approached by a colleague who decided to create a show about independent female filmmakers and she asked me to be apart of the project. So the video diary will resume, with her lovely production team to edit all the footage, which means more video content will be coming to the site!

I can't wait to share episodes of show with you. More details coming soon!

My aTV FEST 2016 adventure

Scott Foley. Mindy Kaling. Robin Lord Taylor.

Yes, the Savannah College of Art in Design drew in quite the list panelist at this low-key event. Atlanta's only television conference is hosted by SCAD every winter with only those in the know knowing what an epic treat aTV Fest can be for television fans and aspiring television professionals alike.

This year marks my second year of participating in the wildly informative conference that is the perfect combination of education and entertainment. This year Shondaland had the run of show at the four-day event, which suited me perfectly!

I love Shondaland content from Grey's Anatomy to Scandal.

Meeting Scott Foley was heavenly. He is one of the sweetest human beings on the planet.

Meeting Tom Verica was magical and he even gave me some advice on ways to make it in California.

Meeting and interviewing three cast members and an executive producer of the Walking Dead caused me to nearly crap my pants.  But I made through, pants unscathed with few sound bites and images picked up by Getty no less. I dusted off my microphone and was a guest interviewer at the event for the likes of Josh McDermitt, Christian Serratos, Alanna Masterson  and fellow GSU alum Tom Luse. I enjoyed picking their brains be it only for 5 minutes due to super slim time constraints during the press junket, but nonetheless had an amazing experience.

Robin Lord Taylor and I bonded over our mutual love for Wendy Williams and went on a random tangent love fest. How you doin?

These festival moments are definitely ones that I will treasure, but the pinnacle for me was Saturday's Shondaland Writer's Panel. As a budding screenwriter there was no experience that gave me more pleasure than hearing their stories of breaking in, writer's room etiquette and how they ended up working for the the Goddess of the Golden Age, Shonda Rhimes herself.

Mark Wilding, head writer of Scandal had a particularly interesting journey that started right here in Atlanta!

Mark worked at the local Rich's downtown by day and wrote plays by night. One of his plays got seen by someone at Disney all the way in Vancouver.  Disney flew him out to California to see if he'd want a job writing. He's been out there since the mid-80's and has been in Shondaland for the last 11 years.

Believe it or not one of the other panelist had ties to Atlanta. Zoanna Clark, writer on Grey's Anatomy and medical doctor went to medical school at Emory before becoming a medical consultant on ER.  She made sure all of those potentially life saving surgeries on the small screen were accurate before becoming a writer on Grey's Anatomy where she has been for the last 12 years.

Both of their stories had round about journeys to writer's room and that resonated with me since I've worked in some alternate careers myself while discovering my love for screenwriting.

Their stories as well as the other panelist really helped to give me extra motivation to keep striving towards my goals.

Hopefully, it motivates you too! I encourage you to check out aTV Fest next year but above all else, just keep writing.

#KeepWriting

-DW

Lazarus Has Not Risen

Lazarus Has Not Risen...but He Ain't Dead Either!

Oh my gosh, I am so upset. I thought I was nearly done with my screenplay for Lazarus and when I printed it to do a read through I got all excited because last week when I checked it and it was around 85 pages. I did some revisions on my computer and it dropped down to 75 pages. I wanted to print it off to make editing it easier after my initial read through. I quickly scanned through the settings and realized that my pages had shrunk down to meek 49 pages. I am missing 25 pages worth of work.

I can't believe it! I am literally crushed right now. I just knew I was nearly done. I'm dumbfounded. I am reading the script again right now to see if in fact some pages mysteriously dropped out during the saving process or was the program giving me false hope in the print preview. It is possible I bumped one of the settings last week to make the script longer by accident, such as the skip a page between scenes function or choosing how many lines to skip between each scene, but I just can't say anything for sure right now.

 I did have an issue with saving last week. My internet connection kept timing out so the script kept saying it could not save, so I never shut down the program to keep my writing active. It is possible that is where the pages mysteriously disappeared to.

Lessons Learned:

1) When using Celtx check the word count to gauge your progress. Don't get excited until you have 2000+ words if you are writing a feature screenplay.

2) When you get ready print, make sure to check the settings to make sure everything looks right. I have used this program several times before when completing my shorts for school and have never encountered any problems before.

3) Save from cloud based screenwriting sites, by copying and pasting your work in Microsoft Word, when you suspect a system issue or a slow internet connection. Though once saved, they are saved for the life of your account, sometime the problem may be locking the information initially into your cloud.

The Silver Lining: 

 I have a full story within the 49 pages. Some parts are bare bones but the story is there. I can see what needs to be developed and what is spot on. I think my A story could use a little more development, the B story is very strongly developed. My A story is more sci-fi thriller, while the B story is a love story.

For those of you who have never watched my video blog, Lazarus is a sci-fi thriller centering around a widowed scientist who aims to finish her husband's research to expand the human life cycle, but the results of the Lazarus project turn deadly when a young mysterious boy enters her life.

I am going back to my index cards to see what happened. You may enter a set-back of your own so remember to just keep writing when the inevitable hiccup happens to you.

#KeepWriting



-DW

Girls Season 1 Episode 1 Beat Sheet

Hi Newbies!

I started a new project. It is currently untitled. I don't know if I am going to video blog about it yet but I will be posting about the development process starting with some research. The project I have in development will be similar to HBO Girls but with a twist.


Check out this beat sheet of the series premier below if you want to get a feel for the structure of the narrative, episodic program starring Lena Dunham. Check out her IMDB.

Let me know if you agree or disagree with my breakdown in this BS2 and then check out some others here:

Girls Season 1 Episode 1 Beat Sheet

Opening Image – Hannah eats diner with her parents in an upscale restaurant with 3 entrees in front of her.

Set-up –Bankrolled by her parents, Hannah depends on her parents to fund her lifestyle

Theme Stated: With only her friends in her corner, can Hannah transition into financial and emotional maturation in the big city?

Catalyst – Hanna’s parents cut her off.

Debate – She debates with her parents about the economy? Can she face this challenge of being jobless & moneyless? Does she have what it takes to make it on her own in New York?

B Story – the “love story” of Marnie and Hannah begins, best friends and confidants. Shoshanna’s cousin arrives from London and Shoshanna is totally smitten with the fabulousness of her cousin.

Break Into Two (Choosing Act Two) – Hannah forced into her journey decides to ask her internship provider to hire her.

The Promise of the Premise – Internship provider tells Hannah she can keep interning or get out. He is a total dick when Hannah mentions her book. Hannah takes takes the loss gracefully.

Midpoint – Hannah visits Adam. Everything seems great. Hannah remains upbeat.  Hannah gets the support she wants from Adam, who had been dodging her.

Bad Guys Close In – Inner doubt, fear, and disappoint overcome Hannah when she leaves Adam and he utters the hated phrase " I'll text you"

All is Lost –Hannah realizes she has about 7 days worth of funds to stay in New York. She is sad because she has to leave or find a job quick.

Dark Night of the Soul – Hannah hits bottom, and wallows in opium. Why hast thou forsaken me parents? internship? New York?

Break Into Three (Choosing Act Three) – Mourning the loss of her New York City dream, she gets contrasting advice from Marnie and Jessa. Hannah decides to try again with her parents.

Finale –Hannah goes back to her home while Jessa and Marnie fight over Hannah and who gives the best advice. Jessa reveals that she is pregnant.

Hannah makes her parents read her book. High-as-a-kite Hannah, passes out on the floor and her parents argue about is now the best time to cut her off. It appears her father may cave. She falls asleep with a smile. She wakes to find herself alone and that her parents left her a mere 20 dollars, the same as the maid--which she also takes.

Final Image – Hannah skips across a busy street in wide-open New York, signifying a new world.

#KeepWriting

-DW

Think Like a Team

Elevation in the Industry: Get Your Team Up!

This is a community based industry. Movies are shot with large crews of actors, producers, editors, and crew. Even though screenwriting is one area initially done it solitude, for the most part it takes a group to get a project made. Screenwriters need to make multiple contacts to get their projects sold either themselves or by way of an agent.

With that being said, how often do you think about the development phase being a team activity? If you haven't maybe now is the time to start. You have to have your idea together first, but then it's fair game to pitch your concept to get honest reactions and feedback.

When you involve your classmates, mentors, or auteurs into your creative process, your project will elevate. Great minds can build beautiful things when their energy is focused on similar goals.

Try it out with a few of your past or present classmates and watch how elevate together and apart.

Screenwriting With the Newbie Ep.4: Screenwriters Unite

#KeepWriting


- DW

Screenwriting With The Newbie Ep.3: Compelling Characters

The newest episode of #SWTN is available now! Check in with me and my journey as I create my first feature film.  Plus, pick up tips on how to start your brand new adventure in writing for film.



Share your thoughts, comments, and feedback with me as well. This is a discussion. I want to hear back from you. What is your favorite part of #SWTN Ep.3?



Some notes I took from this episode....



I think I am learning to be more comfortable as a public speaker and learning to be more comfortable in front of the camera. This is good because if I do end up having scripts sold, or movies made, then I will have to do my fair share of interviews so not only has vlogging become an extension in my writing process but it has also become an exercise in oration.

Welcome to my blog, Screenwriting with the Newbie~

My name is Danielle Wilcox and I am writing my first feature film. Though I have some screenwriting experience with shorts and a May-Mester course that I took with Sheldon Schiffer at GSU, I have never written a feature. I wanted to see if I was up for the challenge so that I could see if this would be my niche in my industry. I graduated this December so now seemed like the perfect time to work on it. This blog will document my journey through my first film as well as share the best tips and tricks I gain while going along with the process.

This site is accompanied by my video blog, "Screenwriting with the Newbie" which is currently posted on YouTube. A new episode comes out each week. Below is a link to episode one. Please feel free to share your comments, suggestions, etc. here or in the comments section on YouTube. I am also an avid Tweeter and as you will all find out, I am a bit of a goof ball.

Thanks for reading and keep writing everyone!


Sincerely,


C. Danielle Wilcox
Twitter:@danie11ewi1cox
Email: ms.c.daniellewilcox@gmail.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F11o6KKE6RI