A conversation about screenwriting with a Slamdance script reader
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 มิ.ย. 2024
- I sat down with one of my most talented friends, Joslyn Jensen. She's an accomplished actor, screenwriter, and script reader for festival competitions like Slamdance. By her account she reads over 200 scripts a year.
We get into what she's come across in all the scripts she's read: common red flags, what makes a script stand out, if screenplay competitions are worth it, what's she's learned for her own work, and how to write a good log line. As well as tons of other great advice for screenwriters of all levels of experience.
It was so much fun to pick her brain, it's a conversation that any screenwriter or filmmaker won't want to miss.
Check out Joslyn's site Script Eater: www.script-eater.com/
0:00 My friend Joslyn
0:54 Things she sees over and over
5:32 Screenplay competitions
7:08 Two things every screenwriter should do
13:04 Red flags in scripts
17:50 Are competitions worth it?
19:20 Giving yourself little treats
22:49 When a movie comes out that's similar to yours
23:52 Lessons she's learned for her own work
28:28 Switching to better audio
28:38 Tips for new screenwriters
30:19 Should screenwriters read other scripts?
33:11 Does formatting matter?
38:54 Play scripts vs. screenplays
41:35 How to tell if something should be a film or a series
44:27 How to write a great logline
49:23 Outro
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“Write it like it could be produced over and over.” Brilliant advice!
Yeah so interesting!
like.. be vague? not too detailed?
I’m interested in screenwriting having never attempted it seriously, I learned more from this video than I have in 7 years.
I got a lot from this conversation, thank you. Fantastic insights. I sift through so much unhelpful content and its gems like this that makes all that time worth it. Appreciate you both
I hammered you in the comments for your Sundance episode. So it gives me great pleasure to compliment you on an awesome episode with an awesome guest. She was interesting, the questions were on point, and her perspective is of value to budding screenwriters and the information useful and worth noting.
I am probably a bit biased as she gave off strong "don't bore us, get to the chorus" vibes in her suggestions, which I appreciate.
Glad you found it informative
Anything worth watching has a thesis, a question that must be answered, whether it's a feature or series. Most series pose the question, some can answer (e.g. True Detective) others don't bother (e.g Lost) -- mainly because they can't . The difference between a feature and a series is that a series needs an "engine".
I'm really glad I sat through this. It was a fine interview, but personally I'm familiar with what Joslyn was saying. Except her idea about what makes a series! That is a fantastic insight. Thank you.
Great video Dean. I've been enjoying your content but this video kicks things up a notch. Well done for getting Joslyn onboard as she has some great notes and as someone who is writing a feature right now, it helps to see this kind of content. Keep it up man!
Glad you enjoyed it!
That was a fantastic and inspiring deep dive into her understanding of screenwriting. I'll have to listen to this periodically to keep her fine points in the forefront of my mind as I work on my own screenwriting. I like the part where she said that the logline is a portal. That will always stick with me now whenever I write a logline.
I really apprciate you guys for taking out the time to create this. Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Brilliant. So much great info to implement. Thank you for sharing.
The transitions insight was something I’ve always seen and liked when it’s done well, so to hear it being used as a tool with intention is amazing! Film truly is its own medium with unique features to it. And it’s cool to see what I can use for my writing and see how others implement in their work.
34:09 is gold in understanding the true purpose of formatting. Thanks for this…
In the last short I wrote for my blog, after a description I put ‘you know the look’ and I didn’t even know writers were speaking to the reader. I wrote that in instinctively for a hypothetical director to interpret it to direct the actor. Great info especially for someone like me trying to learn and get better
Great convo! She’s super knowledgeable and passionate about the craft
Thanks for watching!
High value video. The guest was awesome. Ty.
This was great to watch. Interesting, entertaining and educational.
It was funny when Joslyn complained about people being too on the nose in scripts, while putting her finger on her own nose.
Keep up what you are doing, it's great and helpful in a practical way
Thanks for watching!
Great talk. Congrats you two 😍
I didn't realize my setups were cliched before this video! Thanks so much, I learned a lot from this video
Neat! We need more of these. Cheers !!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Super cool discussion! But also where can I find Joslyn’s glasses?!
Loved this! She made me want to submit to Slamdance! If all the other readers care half as much as she does, it must be an excellent resource for quality feedback.
Really helpful conversation! Thanks so much.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I thought this was a Sara Dietschy video when I first saw the thumbnail… Did a double take when Dean popped up. 😂
Great convo though; excited to hear that this will be a series!
Haha
i giggled when u said the better audio starts now
Get ready!
yea. CELEBRATIONS are huuuuuuuge. the dopamine system definitely needs to be trained to reward accomplishments. great point.
ooooo... and "court transcript"! that's gold!
Her reward idea is so good.
Pavlov likes this comment.
Great point about trailer spoilers. Personally I believe nothing from the second half of the flick should be in the trailer, UNLESS it’s a misrepresentation. Love letting the audience go “I know wat happens here” and then “wait what?”
This is a great insight. I wrote my second screenplay "A Little Trouble in Hollywood" and was shopping it around Hollywood 3years back only to see the release of "Fall Guy" an almost carbon copy of my script. I was gutted. You have to let go of your good ideas for great ones. Amazing interview.
That is crazy!!! Was there any direct dialogue stolen or transition imagery?
Thank you..
I really liked that! I hope you do a regular conversation series with her.
I think the thing she kept harping on - how there should be subtext in films, how she liked that script where a couple were having sex and then you discover later that they are married to different people - that Possum logline ------ all those things required the audience to connect two dots the writer set up, but which they did not join for the reader. But when the audience makes that connection themselves, they get a little jolt of dopamine.
I bet she likes puzzles too.
She should have her own podcast.
I agree!
This is really great. Fantastic interview and super insightful wisdom from her.
Great interview!
What a fantastic conversation. I love how personal it is, and how it doesn't try to be 'ideal'.
Great video!
for future use, I'd use Adobe's Free Audio Cleanup tool to remove the echo and make everything sound fantastic!
That was great. Very informative and as a screen writer quite refreshing to hear! Look forward to your next video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This was great, man. Thanks
Thanks for watching
Please have Joslyn back to live up to her word that she could talk about pitching for another hour. We would listen!
We'll do another one!
@@deanpeter2on I'll make it an appointment watch!
I wish this was twice as long as it is lol (you should do one with Frank too)
This is chock-full of great information, thanks! For anyone interested, the film "Remains Of The Day" is a masterclass on subtext.
As far as series go, Sopranos did have an answer at the end. It was so satisfying that Tony Soprano did have an end.
Yay yeah. ❤
Thanks for this! That was an excellent conversation and she gave lots of food for thought.
Good to hear this, though while I agree that a script should be well-paced and the scenes have good transitions, to me a match cut or some such transitional device, like an insert or an establishing shot is the purview of the director, just like shot other choices. Anyway, it’s of secondary importance to pacing and story as a whole.
I do have a question. When she mentioned transitions like match cuts, I was always under the impression that transitions like that are directorial/editorial domain and are often looked down upon if done in scripts for that reason. Did she mean to like plant a match cut idea/imply a match cut, or to actually have “match cut” in the script?
I caught that too. I think you're on the right track with thinking it was more implied than laid out. I believe you're correct about that being an editorial decision.
This is great content; she seems very genuine rather than trying to sell you on something.
Thanks for this! Wonderful content.
Thanks for watching!
Joslyn Jensen brings an insane amount of knowledge, experience, and passion to bear in this conversation. I found myself taking notes! Thanks for uploading this!
she is soooo beautiful and interesting.
Good info but it's little annoying that she loves reading Billy Wilder but hates when writers use camera work, given that Billy Wilder always used camera direction in his screenplays. Sure, he directed his scripts but so could some of us.
I think it's different when a writer is also going to direct the script.
_“Screnwriting with Joslyn Jensen“_ ??
Attention to detail is key in any writing, including screenwriting.
The bad thing about this conversation is that it ends. Even though the caracters are not exactly likable. lol. Thank you!
Definitely cool to hear from the perspective of someone who has read 1000s of scripts, but it would be nice to also consider the heavy production side of things a bit more. From the perspective of a cinematographer, formatting matters a great deal. Page ratios, unnecessary camera language, etc. are hugely impactful when we shoot movies. Ultimately, it’s dependent on the director, but I can’t tell you how many times a poorly formatted script has damaged production…
Totally, more people need to keep that in mind.
Thank you for fixing the audio lol
the best prelap was jon snow from baby to king
I think that the screenplay format is imperfect. And it never will be perfect because there is no one standard reader or standard purpose for the screenplay across the industry. I rarely played around doing exceptions or breaking the rules. I generally stuck with the basics. But it is not a perfect format in part because people wanted more editorial from me and they didn't get it... Now, I'm writing for a director that I know really well - and he wants more information in there -- and it won't go through any industry readings. So, now I'm writing it with some narration.
These two said the word "like" so often I felt as if I was at some high schooler's chill session. I just couldn't get through it.
Sorry you're not chill enough.
I have a terrible time with “like” also
Well thanks a fucking lot for pointing that out. Like like like like like FUCKING LIKE!!!!! I wouldn’t have noticed it until you fucking had to say some shit!!!!!
Seriously that’s the thing you’re complaining about a video with those amazing insights?
Honestly, her comments are pretty useless unless she's studied a ton of Oscar winning scripts. That she has a background in story, editing, etc. That's what matters. Too young, (being honest,) to know much about what makes a great story. She doesn't talk about examples of great films. And, as always, with readers, it's all subjective. She herself points out that it's all subjective. The thing is, you are the writer. Write what you're passionate about anyway since you never know what a reader wants. If they want a script that makes them happy, they can pay for it. 😅
Shane Black, imo started the whole talking to the reader. All his scripts did it.
Predator?
@southlondon86 Not sure what you're asking. He acted in Predator and wrote one. But The Last Boy Scout, Lethal Weapon, etc in description he talks to the reader
Could you please reign in the use of 'like'. Thank you.
No shit. I wanted to finish the video but, like, the "likes", like totally, like, drove me, like, crazy.
Ya’ll ever go to like a video twice
Cool
For sure
@@deanpeter2on I plan on creating horror movie to get ahead of this year’s halloween
@@ryanhowell4492 that's a good idea!
@@deanpeter2on that's not going to be easy
It does help Dean that she is an actor who already has representation by the way, with an agent thus allowing them to easily get into screenwriting. Now actors have a massive advantage over screenwriters who do not have representation.
I don't know if she does have representation!
I would say her hard work, networking, disciplined writing, actually completing projects, talent, intellectual curiosity and "putting herself out there" (e.g. reader for contests, for hire coverage, etc.) has a lot more to do with her success than whether or not she has représentation for selling her scripts or getting work helping with other people's scripts. If she has représentation it's probably because of all those other things I mentioned.
That said, an actor's agent isn't likely to be of much use when it comes to selling scripts. Even amongst actors, agents often specialize (TV, theatrical, stage, commercial).
@@patrickmurray9359 Representation helps whether
you agree or disagree its fact, especially in the UK!
You should take a look at her credits. She hasn't acted in anything remotely well known or critically lauded.
@@Filmmaker809 you don't get representation just because you ask for it is my point.
Why do you think young screenwriters are drawn to writing about parents dying and/or overcoming a parents death?
I don't know but I made a whole feature about it!
Because my Dad died.
6:26 nothing is equal to sneaky ninja cat!
🥷
Sounds like these scripts have to please a wide variety of people to win.
What about the x files?
Hi, Dean! I can fix your audio!
what is that tattoo?
Not sure!
There is a way to clean up the audio..worth using some ai tools for!
I did as much as I could, audio is not my forte clearly!
@@deanpeter2on ah fair enough! :)
Great interview marred by bad sound for half of it. Always monitor your recording.
Yep
Great Stuff dude thanks for this]!
Are those lavs even on?
Not at the beginning smdh 😔
It's fine. I'm 15 mins in & engrossed in the conversation. The sound is not distracting at all. Mistakes happen.
@@HollyHargreaves agreed
Thanks. It's good to know what readers are looking for. I mean, aside from the race and gender of the author. Obviously those are the most important things.
screnwriting
100%
You have to wonder with this generation of ‘script readers’ would they understand the complexity of say a script like Network , One flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, Midnight Exoress ? Or have their brains been so white washed by life inexperiences with so much ‘JUNK’ that they can’t decipher the difference between a potential masterpiece & just another Barbie or Marvel hashtag. ✒️🎬🎥✒️
Some might argue that Barbie IS in fact a masterpiece.
It's hard to write a masterpiece like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, it isn't hard to know you're reading a masterpiece like One Flew... Your examples, except Midnight Express, are brilliant films but they aren't complex plots. They are full of subtext and explore themes that may or may not resonate with a reader, but I wouldn't be so dismissive of the younger generation that you can't find readers who can pick up on those themes and whatever question(s) those films are trying to answer.
@darkknightwithanidea1845 You say life inexperiences, yet most songs you grew up listening to and loving were written by guys in their early 20's. Stephen King wrote Carrie, Salem's Lot, The Shining, Children of the Corn and several others all before 30. I needn't mention Shakespeare. I'm almost 40 now, but can attest that the emotional impact individual pieces of art had on me was much more powerful when I was younger. There's no correlation between age and talent; or taste. Bonus fact, Ken Kesey was 25 when he started writing Cuckoo's Nest (27 when it got published).
@@deanpeter2on Yep. I myself enjoyed it on at least three different levels.
If like, it's sort of like, you know, like, like, like, right, you know, right sort of like it is, and if those two nice people are sort of like the intellectuals of the trade who, rightfully, criticize the sort of like awful quality of like screenplay submissions, then, sort of, you know, like, definitely, like, like, I like sort of like kind of am not sort of like surprised or something that like I mean Hollywood churns out, like, kind of, I think like all these, like 1000s of hours of kind of shallow, like bird brain like bullshit all the time. What maybe NOT so much an annoying sort of like complete like waste of like time listening to you guys it like might be if you COULD speak. Like, right, kind of?
I despise the push for diversity in scripts. If it’s an all black cast, great (that’s not diversity) if it’s an all white cast or female cast or Asian or whatever, the gender, ethnicity, and whatever else should fit the story. What a horrible thing to do to creativity and other genders and races, shoehorn them in, cuz it’s trendy to do. Then they make you feel bad if you don’t. Reverse racism is still racism. No wonder most movies suck nowadays. No matter who it is, they shouldn’t be included as almost an afterthought, add them because they fit the story. The writers strike got them no jobs and scorn from the public. Well deserved. Pandering is disgraceful. Make this character black, cuz we don’t have enough diversity, this character no one cares about, I don’t think writers and those pushing this are doing the good thing they think they’re doing.
That's not how it works but okay!
It feels so good to be able to blame something!
@@hiplessboy lol I used to be further led than I am now, I started listening to both sides of the news and was horrified to see how much the left no media is lying. It all started there. If you don’t look outside the bubble, you’ll never be able to think anything different from them.
I see you try a similar setup as Matt D'Avella for the interview. ;)
What setup does he use?
@@deanpeter2on th-cam.com/video/qdSMbUi6Ct8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xHVpFfKtRLMxdkyb
People be like: oh she read 1000 scripts, Ill watch the video and learn what shes learnt....no, you mor(o)n, the actual learning comes from the reading itself, so stop the video and start reading yourself....
Damn she's insightful, you can tell she has passion for her craft I love it. Great questions too Dean, don't think I didn't pick up on those, alley-oops!
Maybe screenplays are obsolete.
What do you propose instead?
One of the best screenwriting interviews! I’ve written 30+ scripts, won awards and had two features made that were internationally distributed.
Still so much to learn and reenforce. Love what she said about subtext, as that’s one of the biggest falls in badly made movies and TV.
We speak in subtext constantly - every time we speak nicely to a boss we hate, every time our wife says I’M FINE!!! - and she’s not actually fine, every time we speak in one way, while hiding another emotion behind it.
And Joslyn’s gorgeous. Thanks for the eye candy.
I was vibing with this comment up until the last 2 sentences. What the fuck bro.
I always thought a "pre-lap" was the other way around: audio from the *next* scene enters before the end of the previous scene. She's describing some sort of carry-over thing, and i don't remember ever knowing what that would be called..... Post-lap? Oh, well-Reddit doesn't have the answer, so it must not exist.....
I always wonder how well readers do with their own material. Like, what's the qualification for becoming the arbiter/gatekeeper? I'm sure i'm just bitter after my one paid reader gave me 'notes' that were... bad. Answers to the few questions he had were clearly presented in the script; some comments represented that he didn't understand the simplest, most obvious elements or intentions; it was obvious that the reader brought strong personal biases and dismissed elements that are common in some of my favorite (and also widely-acclaimed) films.
Writing coming from a hive of people who are not the same page is how you destroy good scripts and turn them in 'The Rings of Power' or some other shite like that. Singular voices with a singular vision retains the creativity and doesn't dilute the story with DEI crap.
Shes so beautiful wow.
*throws cold water on you*
@@Devosimms I need it and its hopefully hers
*Modern mainstream* movies *sukk* because:
1) hammy dialogue
2) crude and tackyness (foul language / Gore and violence)
3) wooden characters (with actors that would fit in perfectly at IKEA/ a furniture store)
Where's the subtlety?
Where's the finesse?
*Thankfully* - cause of *Internet* and _smartphones_ - *anyone* can tell and *anyone can make a story* and share.
Stay happy everyone:)
What’s a modern movie you like?
Speaking of bad writing: the word is "because", not "cause".
@@HarryBuddhaPalm what's with the *semantics* ,?
Everyone gets the gist of what I have written. ... And it's The Truth. Thank you
"Content is the most important thing" This is the issue with most people these days. They care about content as opposed to form. Film is not a medium for storytelling.
"I don't care about stories. I never did. Every story is the same. We have no new stories. We're just repeating the same ones. I really don't think, when you do a movie that you have to think about the story. The film isn't the story. It's mostly picture, sound, a lot of emotions. The stories are just covering something." - Bella Tar
"Film is not a medium for storytelling" is a bold take!
You know it's amazing. Literally every word of that was wrong. I mean nothing you said was correct.
@@thereccher8746 Delightful, isn't it? -- I mean, this micro-second, I indulge in "Maybe he's got a point..." Then ok, nah... Earth's still round-ish. Ah, semant... I mean, syntax!
jesus that was dumb
You look like the long lost brother of seth rogan
Thank you.
"When it really comes down to it, we pick a script written by a non-white person" Very cool.
thanks. i can stop watching right now
A movie's potential merit should not be decided like this.
It's a VERY flawed process that is responsible for thousands of boring movies and kills cinema.
Like tasting oranges to decide the best apple.
What’s funny is how much utterly unproducible stuff makes it to the later stages of competitions. The competitions tend to weigh very heavily towards DEI stuff. The more lgbt / oppressed women etc the more likely you’ll get into the final rounds. It’s really a joke how they don’t care for original shit. It’s just what fits the current paradigm of what’s good to be writing about. Never submitting to another contest again since I don’t write for the current political bend in vogue
Ok
Every era has its political agenda. Trends come and go. The foundational story and characters need to be great, and if they are the cream will rise to the top. Great films stand the test of time because they're simply great, no matter how they're dressed. The fluff coated in popular trappings become forgotten.
Not really. You can submit your material to many contests and if you’re in an industry full of people who generally all believe the same stuff and are grading the same ways then your story will not get beyond them. Practically every person I’ve spoken to with scripts that made it into latter rounds of selection fit the woke DEI messaging. who knows how many great scripts go unproduced because studios are more interested in checking boxes off than making original ideas. it might pass one day but damage is being done. Time wasted. Talent wasted.
Sigh...... this is just a bunch of common sense BS. What a waste of a video.
good luck with your career!
Can you say the word “like” a few THOUSAND more times????!!!! C’mon!!!
I can listen no longer.
best just to leave
@@hiplessboyI did
Let me guess, only wrote scripts that are about feminist ideology and how masculinity is bad, etc?
Yep!
most commonly used word - Like.
Count how many times you use the word “like”, so distracting.
I am sorry
I apologise if I offended you, but the constant use of “like” makes you both sound adolescent.
@@tezzag818 Interesting feedback. And... that is important because...
Have you considered stopping counting? Maybe you would get the important bits. I am the Grammar Police myself in my group, but that was just rude, not fun or funny-which are the only ways to get away with that. That's basic etiquette; every adolescent knows. You're welcome.
@@deanpeter2on Don't be. That's ludicrous. I haven't even noticed. Now I probably will next time I see it.
Her cute face made me watch 'til the end.
Scripts are terrible these days so I wouldn't take contemporary advice.