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Thanks for the input. Here's the thing, though. The film already opens with a scene and then fades to black. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a SUPER (against a black screen) followed by the quote, then open with the opening scene, only to fade to black again. I'll think it over, though.
EXT. HOUSE-NIGHT
A LARGE, suburban house rests on a hill. Secluded. Gated.
Though it’s night, the scene is warm. Hazy. Like a dream.
Use your slugs and the following action wisely, also as actively as possible.
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - NIGHT
A gated mansion tops a winding hill.
Code
There’s a bright red-orange light emanating from the house,
filling the frame.
There's = passive.
Better = A bright red-orange light emanates from the house, filling the frame.
However, within the context of the previous sentence, it should be rewritten similarly.
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - NIGHT
A bright orange-red light emanates from a gated hilltop mansion.
Try to include as much information as you can whilst keeping your sentences fluid. Avoid passive writing like 'It is...' 'There is...' etc. Keep things as active as possible.
Hi there Mr Lincoln. I have seen you comment on others work so thought I'd give yours a look.
I'll be writing my comments as I read through. I have only skimmed the comments section so apologies if I repeat something already said.
First up, a quote. Is this just for the benefit of the reader or do you want it on screen? If on screen (assuming you want it on a black screen since it's before FADE IN then I would bring it down into your first page. use BLACK SCREEN, then OVER BLACK followed by quote That's how I have seen it done anyway
Your first action block duplicates the slug line in that there is a house. To be honest, the first 3 blocks of descriptions feels like it could be restructured to convey the same with less words.
Oh look, you have used OVER BLACK, why not use that for the quote? Maybe the way you have done it is fine, what do I know.
Is a man being reported missing breaking news? Not a criticism, just a question - Don't think I have seen breaking news of a CEO going missing, unless he's a celeb? I'll read on
Hmm, I've said this before somewhere else, and again it's probably personal choice - But I don't like this style of writing with things like "What's odd, though" and "Been around for years, decades maybe" - I don't know what the term for it is - as a reader I want short concise actions and descriptions, giving me just the info I need - Why tell me it's odd? just tell me what's there and I'll (as the reader) will decide it it's odd or not - Hope this makes sense.
More of the above type of writing "A look that screams “business executive”" - I'm gonna stop pointing these out as I go, as I get the feeling there will be a lot of them - and as I said, maybe it's just me that doesn't like it
Pops up? from where? I think this might be the wrong word as in my mind "pop" is full of energy
"It takes him a minute to fully come to" - Are we watching him for the whole minute while he gets his shit together?
Is wail the correct word here? I thought wailing was a high pitch scream, not banging on a door.
Found the dreaded "We See" - No need to put "We see, we hear etc". This is for the screen, if it's there, we see it, if it makes a noise, we hear it - no need to tell us that
Quoted Text
photos of four men, including Foster, taped to the board. Two of the four men are crossed out by a RED X.
Foster’s photo, and that of another MAN(40’s) are the only pictures that aren’t crossed out.
Double information here, you have told us twice that two photo's are not crossed out.
I'm a little confused. I think you misuse the CONTINUOUS - You say foster leaves, next slug line is a CONTINUOUS, so I'm thinking this is the room Foster just walked into - took me a while to realise it isn't - Then next slug line Foster is back in the Factory, I thought he left? Very confused
Definitely misusing the CONTINUOUS, they are everywhere.
A shoot out, and a typical movie thing is happening, bad guys can't hit their target to save their lives. I mean, you have described some kind of battle bot, target sensors locked - and he still can't hit a company CEO - Is this guy some kind of former special forces or something? - I don't buy it
Quoted Text
FOSTER That’s right, you better run
Don't like this line - a bit cliche, but also, he has just had a gun fight with a battle bot - this line makes it seem like he is keeping his cool too much - again, former soldier?
How is it this guy is adept with weapons? He takes it apart - maybe it's because i'm British and we generally are not exposed to guns - Who knows
Reading this is very laborious - By that I mean, lots of action blocks that don't flow well, kinda feel's stop and start, not getting a good rhythm.
Got to page 10, I am skimming a few pages now.
Why are there lots of dialogue in capitals?
You have put flashback as part of a slug line - FLASHBACK needs it's own line, then open with a slug showing us where we are
OK I have skipped to the end.
Story - A nice story of revenge, he's obviously been planning it for a while and wanted to enjoy watching the guy fighting for his life. To be honest I was expecting it to be more like a deadly escape room than a prolonged bot battle.
Writing can be cleaned it a lot I think - A lot of descriptions and action hurt my eyes reading it.
Try and condense what you have, remove anything unnecessary, anything duplicated and anything we can't see or hear.
Rearranging some of what you have might also make this read a bit easier.
First off, thanks for taking the time to read my script. I need all the feedback I can get. I want to address as many of your points as possible. I'll do this by subject.
THE QUOTE
You asked if I plan to put the Doyle quote on screen or is it for the reader's benefit. It's mostly for the reader's benefit-- to set the tone for the story. I didn't want to put it on screen with OVER BLACK: because I already have that for the news report.
THE OPENING SCENE
As far as the house, I was trying to describe the scene. I wasn't trying to repeat an action block. I'll clarify that, if I need to.
THE NEWS REPORT
Foster's disappearance is very news-worthy in this story. Palmer Robotics is a major Robotics company. In this world, Robert Foster and Dr. Kirk Palmer are the equivalent of Bill Gates, or Elon Musk. Also, in the real world, A CEO being kidnapped or disappearing would be very news worthy. Also, most of the future tech in the story comes from Palmer Robotics--as is seen in the City scene towards the end.
THE PHOTOS
You mentioned that I gave double information regarding the pictures of Foster. I corrected that today.
FOSTER'S GUN SKILLS
As far as how Foster is adept with guns, I was toying with the idea of this as a feature. In that, I planned to elude to the fact that Foster does some hunting/skeet shooting. There wasn't a place for it in the short.
THE DROID MISSES
I know the droid misses when it first fires on Foster. Foster does get shot towards the end. Do you think I should've had him get hit right off the bat?
THE USE OF CONTINUOUS
I'll look over this and see if it could be done differently.
THE FLASH BACK
The slugline for the flashback should be correct format. A way it can be done is
INT(or EXT). LOCATION-TIME-FLASHBACK. This comes from "The Screenwriter's Bible" by David Trottier. It's on pages 156 and 157. Mine was a slight variation of that.
CAPTIALIZATION
As far as some of the sentences being done in all caps, I see If I can do that better. Same goes for some of the "We Sees".
Anyway, thanks again for your feedback. I read it again and see if I can sharpen up some of the action, and make it leaner(This version kinda is the trimmed down version. I had more scenes, but cut down on some of those so it wouldn't go past the 30 page limit I gave myself.)
Matthew Lincoln
P.S. What did you think of the two big reveals in the story?
No Worries - just to add, I am an amateur writer so you are free to ignore all I say lol
In a strange way, for the screenwriter, words are the enemy - by that I mean, we have to try and convey a lot of information/feelings/tone with as few words as possible. This obviously comes with practice. I think tightening up your action blocks will shave off a few pages.
Let's see if I can't give an example
Quoted Text
INT. FACTORY-NIGHT
It’s a decrepit joint that looks as if it’s been around for years, decades maybe. What’s odd, though, is that the factory has locks and bars on windows that look as if they’ve been recently installed.
I would probably go with
Quoted Text
INT. DECREPIT FACTORY - NIGHT
Ancient, except for shiny new bars and locks on the windows.
I'm pretty sure that conveys the same with far less words. A word of note, I have been told off for using adjectives in my slug line - But I like them, used correctly I think they immediately set the tone of the scene and remove words from the following action block
Quoted Text
INT(or EXT). LOCATION-TIME-FLASHBACK. This comes from "The Screenwriter's Bible" by David Trottier. It's on pages 156 and 157. Mine was a slight variation of that.
Thanks for that, I have that book somewhere, I'll get it out and look it up.
First off, Happy New Year to everyone. I've done a third(and hopefully final) re-write of Inescapable. I've sharpened up some things, and changed others. I made it so an important plot point gets revealed a bit earlier in this story. Overall, it's the same story--just tweaked. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
I enjoyed this overall. You drop us into the middle of it and never let up. It was full of action and thrills, you kept me turning the page. I particularly liked the depiction of the droids even if they seem familiar from other films.
The cat and mouse sections between Robert and Nemesis which make up the main body of the script were well written, both scary and taut.
As before, your writing could do with some tightening up, some trimming but it’s an improvement on The Courier and it’s something you will learn in time the more you write. Less is more.
Unfortunately, as I noted in the page by page notes, I did see the reveal coming before the end and I feel others will too. This is a shame because the whole script really hinges on our sympathies being reversed from Foster to Palmer.
I would see about trying to obfuscate it more, throw in a few red herrings to mislead us. Particularly when Foster finds the news articles around the half way point, I feel the penny will drop for readers/audiences then. The reiteration of the fire at Palmer’s house, Foster being the successor sends up too many red flags that not all is what it seems. Try to bury that more, make it more subtle. As it’s written, it’s too obvious.
Which, as I say, is a shame because otherwise this is a solidly written little sci-fi thriller. Decent job,
Thanks alot for your feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was concerned the audience would pick up on some of the reveals a little to early( mostly the reveal about Foster). Not so much concerning The Scarred Man, for me that was a big reveal in service of THE big reveal--which concerns Foster. What would you do as far as throwing in some Red Herrings?
One other question: Would you get rid of the news headlines at the half-way point? I'm thinking about doing that, and just keeping the scenes with the photos.
One other question: Would you get rid of the news headlines at the half-way point? I'm thinking about doing that, and just keeping the scenes with the photos.
Matthew Lincoln
As per your email, I think it needs to be changed to something along the lines of what you suggested, omitted entirely, or perhaps hinted in a more oblique/less direct manner. As of now, its too much of a giveaway.
Gritty noirish sci-fi. Good that it was grounded that way. Shouldn't foster have recognized Palmer more quickly. Shouldn't he also have recognized the men in the photos whose faces were X'd out, as he must have hired them to dispose of Palmer in the first place.
Enjoyed more than originally suspected. Liked that it wasn't too fantasy. More chase through a dark alley, dangerous game feel.
PALMER ROBOTICS: MAKING A BETTER TOMORROW TODAY. What kind of technology do they usually produce if not Nemesis drones? Seems Palmer should know more about this and what he's fighting against.
Thanks for the read. I'm glad you liked it. In a new version that I've written, there was a reference to the fact that Palmer Robotics had a rivalry with another corporation, Delphi-Corp. The CEO of Delphi, was convicted for his role in sabotage/ industrial espionage of Palmer Robotics. Foster thought it was retaliation. Also, PR specialized in alot of different technologies. In my backstory for Foster's kidnapping, Palmer Robotics recently secured a Defense Contract for weapons development. The Nemesis droid wasn't part of that, as Foster pointed out.
I forgot to mention that I did a final re-write of Inescapable, and entered it into Screencraft's Short film contest. I'll keep everyone posted on any news regarding that.