film | Screenwriting.io

What is scale?

Tagged: arbitration, business, credits, film, guild, screenplay, screenwriting, script, scriptwriting, terms, union, WGA

“Scale” is the minimum a WGA signatory can pay a screenwriter — whether it’s purchasing a spec script or hiring a writer to work on a script. Each type of job (e.g original screenplay, outline, rewrite) has a set price. These rates are the subject of WGA negotiations, and change every year. In features, rates […]

How much does a screenwriter make?

Tagged: arbitration, business, credits, film, guild, managers, screenplay, screenwriting, script, scriptwriting, terms, union, WGA

Screenwriters’ incomes can vary wildly. Every year, the WGA sets a minimum their signatories can pay a screenwriter for a project. This is known as “scale.” The current schedule of minimums can be found at the WGA’s site. A screenwriter working for a WGA signatory can be paid anywhere between scale and — well — […]

What is Save the Cat?

Tagged: film, formatting, guru, screenplay, screenwriting, script, scriptwriting, structure, terms

Save the Cat! is a popular screenwriting book (and book series) by Blake Snyder, which breaks down screenplays into 15 beats (and further into 40) that all screenplays should contain. The title comes from the idea that a film’s hero should do something nice the first time we meet him — ie save a cat […]

Who is Syd Field?

Tagged: film, guru, length, screenplay, screenwriting, script, scriptwriting, structure

Syd Field was a screenwriting guru, most famous for his articulation of the typical three-act structure. He is the author of Screenplay (1979), among other books on screenwriting. In Field’s structure, the first act, which takes approximately one quarter of the film’s runtime, sets up the conflict. A plot point thrusts the main character into […]

Are there any free screenwriting applications?

Tagged: Celtx, film, Final Draft, formatting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, scriptwriting, software

Yes. Celtx contains a screenwriting component, as does Five Sprockets. In addition, some pay programs offer free demo versions with limitations, like a limited trial period or watermarked printing, for example. More from johnaugust.com Celtx screenwriting application shows promise Screenwriting software survey results are in The Hollywood Standard Script formatting What format should I send […]

What is the difference between .fdx and .fdr?

Tagged: FDR, FDX, film, Final Draft, formatting, iPad, iPhone, screenplay, screenwriting, script, scriptwriting, software, terms

Both .fdr and .fdx files are types of Final Draft documents. Files with the .fdx extension come from Final Draft 8, while .fdr documents are from earlier versions of Final Draft. Final Draft 8 can open and save .fdr files, but older versions of Final Draft cannot open .fdx files. The .fdx format is based […]