Plotbot: Online collaborative screenplay writing

July 30, 2007 8:11 PM

Plotbot is a web-based collaborative screenwriting application where you can write a screenplay with as many or as few people as you like. Adopting the wiki approach to screenwriting, each element is editable by any member of a project. You can also comment on, delete or restore any element. For all of the "filmic storytellers" on MeFi.
posted by ColdChef (18 comments total)

Adopting the wiki approach to screenwriting, each element is editable by any member of a project. You can also comment on, delete or restore any element.

Given an infinite number of monkeys at an infinite number of typewriters, the likelihood of generating a passage of A Midsummer's Night Dream will increase as the observation period becomes longer.

Except here.
posted by Mikey-San at 8:15 PM on July 30, 2007

yeah, here, it's gonna be monkeys typing out 'charles in charge' episodes.
posted by Hat Maui at 8:22 PM on July 30, 2007

This would be interesting if the collaborative nature was focused more on the plotting, and not on the actual writing of the screenplay itself.
posted by Sticherbeast at 8:42 PM on July 30, 2007

I actually think that's pretty hot. How many people have I said, "Hey, let's write something together!" and they say "Yeah, awesome!" and then two months later they've contributed like 2 lines.

Now I can stalk them and haunt them in their dreams. Thanks, plotbot!
posted by fungible at 8:44 PM on July 30, 2007

Neat idea...but I second sticherbeast. Making the actual screen writing the collaborative part seems like more of an invitation for a mess. You don't need fancy web programs to brainstorm with someone.
posted by Roman Graves at 8:49 PM on July 30, 2007

I've actually written a spec screenplay with someone else who lived in another country and it was FUCKING TORTURE from beginning to end. When I showed it to my agent she slapped me upside the head with her shoe from one end of the building to the other yelling "Never do that again! Never! Never!".

New definition for the smallest known number in the mathematical universe: % probability that Plotbot will ever result in a produced screenplay.

As a parlour game, great. For actual writing? *Shudder*

While I was typing this post a fly shat on my leg.
posted by unSane at 8:51 PM on July 30, 2007

I can't believe that:
a) you used the phrase "filmic storyteller" and,
b) I knew exactly what you meant.
posted by eyeballkid at 9:25 PM on July 30, 2007 [2 favorites]

Oh, you guys are actually worried about selling the screenplay?

Well, that's your first mistake right there.
posted by fungible at 9:36 PM on July 30, 2007

b) I knew exactly what you meant.

Five years, my friend. We've been on this site way too long.
posted by ColdChef at 9:45 PM on July 30, 2007

This is probably how most of those awful Hollywood family comedies get written. Those often have ten or more credited and uncredited screenwriters.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:41 PM on July 30, 2007

I'm with Burhanistan. The next time I see 4+ writing credits in a movie's opening roll, I'm just gonna get up and leave.
posted by rokusan at 10:45 PM on July 30, 2007

Pretty neat, I think. Co-writing doesn't equal 10+ writers on a Eddie Murphy fat suit comedy. Plenty of screenplays are written by two plus people, some of which you probably love, and this seems useful for long distance collaborations. I'll have to poke around in this for a while.

Also, see celtx, a mostly offline screenwriting/pre-production program that syncs up online with collaborators. I haven't used the collaboration aspect, but it seems pretty nifty.
posted by brundlefly at 2:16 AM on July 31, 2007

Also, I'm totally changing the profession in my profile to "filmic storyteller."

*adds "filmic" to Firefox dictionary*
posted by brundlefly at 2:18 AM on July 31, 2007

Now we can do METAFILTER: THE MOVIE.

About co-writing: most of the scripts for italian movies in the sixties and in the seventies were a heavily collaborative efforts. I'm talking about the fellini masterpieces and some of the most beautiful italian comedies (like the one written by Age and Scarpelli, an awesome duo of italian screenwriters) of the period.
Obviously, you need someone that pulls the strings of the story and some specialization by the writers (in that era there were writers who writed only dialogs for example and actors often contributed with jokes for their characters).
One thing I'm sure is that there is a first phase of writing you must do by yourself: the first subject and maybe a short treatment are things you can't do an edit war about.
posted by darkripper at 6:07 AM on July 31, 2007

Maybe they can use the site to make a sequel to Roshomon.
posted by Kibbutz at 8:53 AM on July 31, 2007

EMPEROR TILON: FIRE THE DEATH RAY!

WAITRESS: GET OUT OR I'M CALLING THE COPS!

MAN IN HAT: I'M A COP!

HELP: HOW DO I PRINT MY SCREENPLAY???? I JUST WANT TO PRINT THE SECOND PAGE NOT ALL OF IT!!! HOW DO I EMAIL THIS???? HELP!! THIS SUCKS!

H==o==H: LOL! luzer!

STEVEN SPIELBERG: CAN I HAZ CHEESEBUGER!
posted by StarForce5 at 9:02 AM on July 31, 2007

The trick lies in finding another writer who shares your vision and is not a fucking moron.
posted by Mister_A at 9:19 AM on July 31, 2007 [1 favorite]

INT. SECRET SCREENWRITING LAB

Writer One: Wait a second, what's this crocodile doing in the love scene?

Writer Two: It adds to the suspense plus everyone loves animals.

Writer One: You're that fucking moron they warned us about aren't you?
posted by storybored at 11:07 AM on July 31, 2007