CONSULTING
Coaching and Script Analysis.
Many beginning screenwriters think that using software programs will magically transform their "story" into a screenplay. I am sorry to say there are no shortcuts. Software programs may make everything look good, but if your script is a mess of logic with weak characters and no structure, you are left with just that, a mess. Plus, you will have wasted a lot of time. To move the work forward most screenplays need a critique and helpful direction from an experienced screenwriter. Writing a screenplay is a complex endeavor and most beginning writers have not considered the difference between straight forward narrative writing and visual writing. Visual writing is a whole other way of story telling. After all film, is a visual medium.
“Vimi Bauer gets it. She reads your script with detailed attention, feels the characters and the direction you are speaking from. In the hour she gives you solid advice about the dialogue, the form, the logic of a rewrite, and almost page by page, to the point, succinct observations. ”
Another common mistake is that beginning screenwriters overuse dialogue and do not employ the emotional logic inherent to the visual form. We are not writing for radio. Most often it is two kinds of people that are drawn to writing for film, one is someone who has a good eye, the other is someone who has a good ear. Knitting the two together is the secret to writing for film. To give you an idea of the kind of work I do, For the last several months I had an ongoing Script Coaching with a writer on his feature length film. The script was about two brothers who are business partners but one of them has a hidden talent that takes him down a different path.
COACHING/MENTORING - My fee is $100 for the first session and $75 for the subsequent sessions. I only work with someone willing to commit to three sessions, paid in advance, at which point we both assess the viability of our work together and decide to continue, or not, with a commitment to the next seven sessions, paid in advance. A total of 10 sessions for $775. Each session usually lasts an hour. Please note I do not co-write.
ANALYSIS - One aspect of writing I enjoy most is rewriting, working like a detective to find the weak links that block the flow. So in terms of Script Analysis, I would do the same with your work as I do with my own. I will offer suggestions to consider, to chisel and to shape your work much like a sculptor would a piece of clay. I’ll give you a detailed breakdown of your script with specific insights and suggestions and I send you my notes. This is followed by a phone conversation to expand on, and/or clarify anything that is not clear to you in my notes. My flat fee is $150.
Be sure to read my blog for more insights into the world of screenwriting.
Let’s Get Started.
Tell me a bit about yourself, your interest in writing and how I can help you.
As with anything worth doing, knowing how to do it combined with hard work, is the path to success.