Bloom

A young rapper enters a rap battle in hopes to win the ultimate prize.

“The reveal.”  That’s the point in the movie where the audience drops its jaw and realizes that for the past ninety minutes they’ve been watching a different film altogether.  If done correctly, it can turn a great movie into a classic film.

Bloom, written by Jean-Pierre Chapoteau, takes us to the inner city projects – a setting we’ve already seen in such films as Boyz In The Hood and 8 Mile.  As the intro scene unwinds, two teenagers – Jeff and Darnel – head toward a house-party with thumping rap music blasting out the windows.

Darnel intends to challenge an infamous rapper named Clips, but Jeff warns Darnel that one false move or even one bad rhyme could get them both killed.

Jeff pleads with Darnel to take things slow, “plant the seed,” and live to rap another day.  However, Darnel has his eye on the prize, and taking on Clips in a rap battle is the only way to win.

Clips accepts Darnel’s challenge and his two hundred dollars.  After Clips’ rhymes bring the crowd to frenzy, he turns the mic over to Darnel – who finds himself trapped in a lion’s den with only his words to save him.

Darnel takes the mic, exhales slowly, and instructs the DJ to kill the beat. And something unexpected and quite wonderful happens then.

The reveal.

At that crucial point, author JP Chapoteau pulls the rug out from under the audience and turns the script on its head.  After we’re able to close our mouths, a smile slowly forms. Permanently.

Bloom is the perfect screenplay for a director who knows and appreciates the world of rap music.  And it’s also a chance to tell the story of a young urban man who risks his life so that he may live it. For real.

Pages: 5

Budget:  Small to medium.  A house-party and DJ.  Two very talented young actor/rappers.

About the Guest Reviewer: David M Troop resumed writing in 2011 after a twenty-five year hiatus.  Since then, he has written about 50 short scripts, two of which have been produced.   Dave would like to make it three.  He is a regular, award-winning contributor to MoviePoet.com.  Born on the mean streets of Reading, PA, Dave now resides in Schuylkill Haven with his wife Jodi and their two lazy dogs Max and Mattie. He can be reached at dtroop506 “AT” gmail!

About the Author: Jean-Pierre Chapoteau started writing feature-length scripts in 2005, then focused on shorts in 2009. Since then he’s had three scripts produced and two more optioned. He has won several awards for his shorts and has become a moderator at the site MoviePoet, who specialize in the craft of the short scripts. Jean-Pierre was a finalist in the RAW TALENT Competition for his faith-based feature-length script: ‘Far From Perfect.’ And was also a semi-finalist in the SLAMDANCE teleplay competition and a finalist in the OBSWRITER teleplay contest for his adapted teleplay, Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Guardian. You can contact Jean-Pierre Chapoteau at: jeanpierre425 (a) gmail.com

READ THIS SCRIPT HERE – AND DON’T FORGET TO COMMENT

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All screenplays are copyrighted to their respective authors. All rights reserved. The screenplays may not be used without the expressed written permission of the author.

More from Horror Lair.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space – April 7, 1987 unspecified draft script by Charles Chiodo and Sstephen Chiodo – hosted by: Horror Lair – in pdf format

When a small town is invaded by aliens from outer space who are capturing and killing the townspeople, no one takes them seriously. Why? The aliens all look like circus clowns, use weapons that look clown like, and all have painted on smiles. Only a few of the young people in the town realize the danger and of course no one believes them. Armed with an ice cream truck they try and rescue their friends.

Information courtesy of imdb.com
Find more scripts on the Movie Scripts page.

You’ve Finished the Damned Script – Now What?

(Anthony Cawood Primers for a Networked World)

Part 8: Scriptwriting Software

If you ask a bunch of screenwriters what software they use, you’ll get a cacophony of different views. Each one strident and strong. No matter the software, they’ll claim it’s the best. It’s industry standard, they say. You’d be mad not to use it. It’s the tool that makes writing… easy!

Needless to say, an article that examines the main contenders would be great. So here is my offering and personal experience – with opinions thrown in for good measure.

** Note – as I always do – it’s best to travel to the official websites of each: look at key features, current prices, file formats, supported Operating Systems and other details. Research is a very good thing. Especially where software is concerned.

First up, we have:

Final Draft

Price – $250

Demo – 30 Day Free trial available

Mac/PC – Both

Mobile/Device – Available for iPad and iPhone

Pro Advocates – Darren Aronofsky, J.J. Abrams, Robert Zemeckis

Final Draft considers itself the industry standard. In fact, it’s used by scores of professional screenwriters – but not all of them.

It’s feature rich to say the least. Anything FD doesn’t include probably isn’t needed.

It has over 100 script templates, integrates index cards well and even has a feature that reads the script out aloud – with different character voices!

FD’s also very customizable, with reports coming out of its ears. Plus, it imports and exports in a plethora of file types and formats.

One of the other good features – IMO – is the ability to save to Dropbox. That’s great if you use multiple devices, as it ensures you’re always working on the most up to date version of your masterpiece.

Yes, Final Draft does pretty much everything. It even has iPhone/iPad versions, currently on sale for $14.99.  (Note: mobile versions sync scripts with Dropbox. Scripts can also be stored locally, emailed, printed etc.)

The only real downsides to Final Draft? Well, the price – though it’s often discounted – and the relatively slow development timetable for enhancements.

You could always just buy the iPad version and play with that if the price tag puts you off!

Website: http://www.finaldraft.com/

Movie Magic

Price – $170 (current sale price)

Demo – 5 Day full demo available

Mac/PC – Both

Mobile/Device – Not currently

Pro Advocates – Paul Haggis, Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, Evan Katz

Another high cost option that purports to be the industry standard. MM has a bunch of pro-screenwriter endorsements and it’s apparently the preferred format of WGA West.

From a features perspective, Movie Magic has much of the same as FD: including Text to Speech, a ton of templates and online collaboration features. And – this software has extensive (and free) support and a couple of features not found in FD.

It does, however, feel a little old these days – an overhaul seems overdue. And the inclusion of other popular hardware devices would be nice.

Downsides: price and lack of a mobile app (though their website says that’s in consideration).

Website: http://www.screenplay.com/p-29-movie-magic-screenwriter-6.aspx

Celtx

Price – Basic – Free

             Standard – $9.99 per month

            Plus – $19.99 per month

Mac/PC – Online application – yes to both.

Demo – Standard & Plus have 15 day free trials

Mobile/Device – Yes

Pro Advocates – Kirk Suttles – Head of Production at Lifechurch.tv

Celtx used to have a desktop version, but they’ve gone completely online of late (if you have the desktop version, it isn’t supported anymore). But if you just want a basic online screenwriting product, then the free edition is perfectly fine. Many people happily use Celtx for spec scripts.

The Standard version comes with more production type features, such as Shot Blocking, Scheduling, Budgeting, etc. The Plus version has even more features, including Live Chat support. They have a big focus on collaboration and team working as well – that’s not just a FD/MM thing!

Website: http://www.celtx.com/

Fade In

Price – $50

Demo – Yes

Mobile/Device – Yes (including Android)

Pro Advocates – Craig Mazin

Though a newer entrant to the market, Fade In is feature rich for the price and has some unique advantages (like Android support, a Linux version, EPUB exports etc) that make it a definite contender. It also has Dropbox support, so you can switch between desktop versions and mobile devices easily.

Fade In also also seems to have a really responsive developer, Kent Tessman – who happens to be a screenwriter too*. Additional features are added quickly and frequently, something that Final Draft and Movie Magic have been criticized for (frequently) in the past.

*Check out Kent’s great script, Chrome Noir on the Black List Table Reads podcast. It’s well worth a listen!

Downsides: I think it has fewer features in total than FD or MM, but I’m not sure they’d be missed!

If you are new to screenwriting and want a solid desktop based program, then I think Fade In is worth the look.

Website:  http://www.fadeinpro.com

Storyist

Price – $59

Mac/PC – Mac only

Demo – Yes

Mobile/Device – Yes

Pro Advocates – Michael Brandman, New York Times Bestselling Author

This one is Mac only (including iPad/iPhone). I haven’t had chance to look at it, but to be thorough, I thought it fair to list it anyway.

Geared for novelists as well as screenwriters, this one is a word processor with built in screenwriting functionality. It has outlining functionality, as well. You can add images and things like that to a story, just to give it more color in your mind. You can also create ePub and Kindle books via this software.

In certain ways, Storyist seems to be more of a writer’s tool. But if you are a Mac fiction writer who dabbles in screenwriting as well, it might be what you’re looking for!

Website: http://storyist.com

WriterDuet

Price – Free version (restricted features)

            $7.99 per month (or $99 Lifetime fee)

Mac/PC – Online application (so yes to both).

Demo – Has free version

Mobile/Device – Yes

Pro Advocates – Ed Solomon, Andy Nyman

I believe this is the newest in the collection. Like Celtx, the developers have chosen an online route. But they recently added a desktop version, providing good cross platform support. WriterDuet also incorporates cloud saving to ensure you are always using the most up to date version of your script.

One of the key features of the software is real time collaboration. You can work on scripts with a writing partner in real time – no back and forwards, or issues with version control.

One of the other good things is that the developer – Guy Goldstein – is very accessible and currently has an AMA going on Reddit (screenwriting). So he’s pretty active in general.

No, WriterDuet doesn’t have the production level features of some of its more established competitors. But to perfectly honest: if you’re an aspiring writer engaged primarily with spec scripts… do you need colored revision pages and page locking to get by?

Website: http://writerduet.com/

So here you go. Check out the websites yourself. Try the free versions and find out what you like!

Admittedly, this article isn’t an exclusive list, but it discusses the main tools in use. Apologies if I’ve missed your favourite, but feel free to post in the Comments box!

My personal view? That if you’re just starting out and have a limited budget, then WriterDuet is a good choice. If you are looking for something with a little more and you have the bucks to spend, then Fade In’s the option I recommend. Then: if you want whistles and bells, the kitchen sink and don’t mind paying a hefty price, then Final Draft’s in your sights.

In the interest of full disclosure… I currently use Final Draft on PC and my iPad. But I’ve also written scripts with Celtx, WriterDuet and Fade In. So I’m agnostic with my software! UPDATE: I’ve changed what I use to Fade In on PC and iPad, loving it.

About Anthony: I’m an award-winning screenwriter from the UK with over 15 scripts produced, optioned and/or purchased. Outside of my screenwriting career, I’m also a published short story writer and movie reviewer. Links to my films and details of my scripts can be found at www.anthonycawood.co.uk.

A couple more Scripts Up For Award Consideration

Legend – Undated, Unspecified draft script by Brian Helgeland – hosted by: Universal – in pdf format

Focusing on the relationship between Reggie Kray and Frances Shea, told from France’s’ point of view as someone who knew him best, as well as the mental health issues Ronnie Kray faced and their rise to power as the notorious gangsters of London.

Information courtesy of imdb.com

Slow West – November 7, 2013 unspecified draft script by John Maclean – hosted by: A24 – in pdf format

‘Slow West’ follows a 16-year-old boy on a journey across 19th Century frontier America in search of the woman he loves, while accompanied by mysterious traveler Silas.

Information courtesy of imdb.com

Check out more on the Scripts Up For Award Consideration page.

The award season has begun and A24 and Universal have begun to post “For Your Consideration” pages and scripts. Follow all the scripts posted by the studios on the Oscar Scripts page.

First up.

While We’re Young – September 30, 2013 pink revised draft script by Noah Baumbach – hosted by: A24 – in pdf format

Josh Srebnick is 44. He is married to Cornelia, 43, the daughter of Leslie Breitbart, a respected documentary filmmaker. The couple lives comfortably in New York Village and gives the image of happiness.But things are not so rosy as they look : on a personal level, their relationships have been cooling down while they suffer from not having children. On a professional plane, things have deteriorated as well. Josh, who is also a documentarian like his father-in-law, has lost inspiration: he has been grappling with his last movie for eight years now without being able to complete it. To be true, Josh goes nowhere and his marriage is on the rocks. Things start changing when Josh and Cornelia meet another married pair : Jamie and Darby, a generation younger, express their admiration for Josh. Plus, they much more cool, smart and uninhibited than the two forty-odds. Could they help Josh and Cornelia to revive their couple…?

Information courtesy of imdb.com

Trainwreck – Undated, Unspecified draft script by Amy Schumer – hosted by: Universal – in pdf format

Since she was a little girl, it’s been drilled into Amy’s head by her rascal of a dad that monogamy isn’t realistic. Now a magazine writer, Amy lives by that credo – enjoying what she feels is an uninhibited life free from stifling, boring romantic commitment – but in actuality, she’s kind of in a rut. When she finds herself starting to fall for the subject of the new article she’s writing, a charming and successful sports doctor named Aaron Conners, Amy starts to wonder if other grown-ups, including this guy who really seems to like her, might be on to something.

Information courtesy of imdb.com

Check out more on the Scripts Up For Award Consideration page.

– Don

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are thirty original scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

Last year Steven Clark’s The Combination spent some time on the discussion boards – A personal tragedy drives a man to repair a damaged bicycle.

Now it moves thanks to Matt Levine.

A husband drowning in grief and guilt and his despondent wife struggle to save their marriage and restore their lives in an unconventional manner, after the loss of their only son.

The Combination Short Film Hi-Def from Matt on Vimeo.

Talk about it on the discussion board.

Lights Out: Ghost Party – transcript- from: Generic Radio

A séance party gets out of hand when an actual undead creature is summoned.

Information courtesy of Generic Radio

BBC: The Dweller in the Darkness: A Play of the Unknown – transcript- from: The Wireless

A surprisingly solid thriller about six people in a haunted house. Broadcast in April 1925, this is a very early example of a play written especially for radio.

Information courtesy of The Wireless

The Fabulous Dr. Tweedy: The Farmer – transcript- from: Generic Radio

Information courtesy of Generic Radio

The Witch’s Tale: The Altar – transcript- from: Generic Radio

The son of aristocrats takes vengeance on the French Revolutionaries who cost him his parents — and builds an altar of hate.

Information courtesy of Generic Radio

Dragnet – transcript- from: Old Time Radio Researchers Group

Two years’ worth of “Dragnet” scripts

Information courtesy of Old Time Radio Researchers Group

Red Light

One year after a woman is killed by a red light runner, three teens run the same red light in hopes of seeing her ghost, who they believe is responsible for the recent string of bizarre murders.

Okay, horror fans: think quickly. On your grubby, bloody feet! Here’s a question about our much beloved genre… one you can answer instantly:

What sub-genres of horror are so iconic and classic they warrant separate categories in Netflix? Hmmmm, let’s see…. Zombies? That’s an obvious “no-brainer”… once the ghouls have had their feast. Then there are Possession/Exorcism tales. Alien Abductions. Creature Features. Ghost stories of every scary shape and size.

Then there’s the biggest creep show of them all – a category of horror that deserves it’s own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Folks, I’m a Preaching’ to Y’All about Slashers. Ruminate a moment, and you’ll see.

When you think of memorable horror films, what Big Bads come to mind? Come on kiddies – it’s easy! Michael Meyers. Jason Voorhees. And Freddy Krueger (oh dearest Wes, R.I.P.)

Those are the names of true Boogey Men. Sinister celebrities that stand out from the crowd.

And that’s what makes any horror film a box office blast: the creation of monstrous archetypes with mind-blowing visuals. Ones that burn their details into your mind.

And let’s be honest here. That’s a pool of talent which occasionally must be refreshed. Sure, classic creepy crawlies will always sell *some* tickets. But once the sequels reach #8-10, then it’s time for new faces to emerge. The rush of YOUNG BLOOD… as it were.

Ladies and Gents, STS is proud to present to you just such a thing. It’s a horror Slasher that has “Franchise” written all over it. And won’t leave you yawning “cliché!”

We bring to your attention: Red Light. It’s a creepy blood drenched entry to the horror cannon. With a memorable villain that’ll sear itself into your mind.

Here’s the grim scenario: a lonely, miserable dark night. The location: rural “Old Haven Road” – smack dab in the middle of bum-f*ck nowhere. An old woman – Tabitha Hudson – approaches the intersection, clad in a bright yellow raincoat. The light’s safely red – so she crosses.

Just as a car shoots through the light, ignoring the ruby warning sign. Smack! A hit and run – instantly. Tabitha lies in the gutter. Suffers and dies. Yet the driver of the car keeps going: both a crime…and a tragedy. Even more complex than one can understand.

Fast forward. One year.

Another car blows through the light. Again.

Yet another lonely night. But this time, there’s no victim – just a group of careless teens. Some drunk. Others texting. The irresponsible jerks stop at a diner for a bathroom break, only to meet a horrific fate. An avenging shadowy figure kills all but one of them (Matt) in gruesome ways. Who is it? We don’t know. But the killer wears a battered yellow raincoat. And carries a gore-dripping steel pipe.

Within a day, rumors abound. Especially at nearby Augustus State University… attended by the lamented victims. Stories circulate about the yellow-coated specter of death – and the grisly end that awaits anyone who runs that fearsome light.

Among the concerned students are several bosom buddies: roommates Hannah and Nikki. Their fabulous – and muscular – pal Xander and Hannah’s estranged brother, Jimmy. Taunted by snobby sorority queen Rebecca (Jimmy’s catty ex), the crew run through the Old Haven light on a dare. Sure, they’re a bit nervous. But who cares? The curse can’t be really true. After all, Matt survived the massacre.

That night, Matt meets a nasty end…

Which leaves the teens fearing for their lives. Taking the initiative, Hannah and Nikki begin to investigate the true death of Tabitha Hudson. Who drove the car that killed her? And are supernatural forces in play? Or is the rumor just petty gossip – generated by Rebecca and her bitchy entourage?

The mystery quickly deepens. As does the bloody trail. The clock ticks loudly for Nikki and her friends. Each of them – marked for death.

Needless to say, spoilers need not apply. But rest assured – the characters in this Slasher are in Technicolor 3d. The killer and the deaths? Both memorable. As much as Freddy, we’d say…

But the twists and turns are under wraps. So contact writer Chris Shamburger at cshamburger “AT” live dot com for a copy of the script.

Red Light’s a horror classic in the making. Not to mention a future franchise!

Check out Coverage of Red Light by No Bull Script Consulting

About the writer: Chris Shamburger was a finalist (Top 10) in the 2013 Shriekfest Film Festival for his recently-produced script, Hiccups. He has been a semi-finalist twice and has also been published in Twisted Dreams Magazine and Horror in Words. Chris lives in Marietta, GA with his partner and their Chow-mix rescue, Walter. Aside from writing, Chris has been teaching pre-kindergarten for the past six years. You can find him on IMDb.

About the reviewer: Review by STS

Find more scripts available for production.

This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.