I'm going to try to read some more. I just have a hard time with script format. It's not a new problem for me or illness related. My eye tends to wander over slugs and sometimes even action description.

I've been reading articles over the last years and I think there are big changes going on in the way the industry acquires properties. I think it makes the spec market both harder and easier.

What studios are doing is acquiring stories that can be turned into films. That's not new, of course, there have always been book adaptations and "based on a true story" stuff.

But now they are gobbling up short stories.

Here is one reason: what they need to be able to do is find a good story and pass it around to other executives. If enough people think it might make a film or series, they buy it. Then it ends up in some process where they get directors and actors and producers to look at it in their pile of acquired stuff. They really don't care how the script or story is formatted. If it reaches the point where important actors or directors start attaching themselves to it they then go out and hire a team of screenwriters to craft it into the feature they want.

Which brings us back to that stage where things are being acquired. What matters most is that the story draw enough interest that it gets passed around. We're in the digital age. So let's say some developer gets a story they like. They email to other executive in their group, and people read it on the plane, or at home with the kids playing around, or in the coffee shop.

All that matters is the story be good enough to get passed around.

So what a writer needs to ask is what format best achieves that.

Of course, if the writer is trying to use scripts as samples to show their writing so they get hired onto a team, that's different.

But I'm talking about writing a story that will get passed around and hopefully bought.

With that in mind, using prose, a short story, or even a novelette, might be the better strategy.

We're talking about scripts though. However, the same principle applies. If the script is not easy and entertaining to read, how likely is it to get passed around? How likely is someone who opens it on the plane to keep reading?

Billy Wilder(I think it was him) once said you can begin a movie with a courtroom scene, but not a screenplay. The reasons why should be clear.

That really limits the story telling options of the spec screenwriter. For example, you don't want too many characters or too much description.

I'm not sure what the best way for screenwriters to handle this challenge is. The OWC entry Stowaway was brilliantly written. It's not by any means a brilliant story. But there is something maybe to be learned. Let's say the writer is planning a feature based on killer spiders. By having an opening scene with only one character it makes it a much easier READ.

If Stowaway was the opening scene for a feature, it would achieve several things as a spec script.

1) it pulls in and holds the writer til the end of the scene
2) it creates a great trust in the writer. Because the scene grabs and helds our attention we know we're in very good hands. So if the next couple scenes are more challenging for us as a reader we're more willing to put in the time because we trust the writer knows what he or she is doing...based on that opening scene.
3) it injects enough humor that we know we'll be entertained no matter how cheesy it gets

The other scripts I've read so far were all very competently written. Some would make good movies. But none of them achieved the things I listed above.

But with a slightly better strategy, most of them, maybe all of them, COULD achieve that.

Let's cross breed two scripts as an example, the Stowaway and Libertine. Imagine if Libertine opened with a slave chained in the bowels of the ship and he's attacked by the spider from Stowaway. Is this spider supernatural? Where did it come from? The chained slave struggles to escape its attack, and the quick scene ends with the death of the slave. THEN we go to the captain and his undermanned ship and their challenges. This would have been easy for a writer with the talents the one that wrote Libertine. And it would have pulled us into the story. Easy to read about one character grappling with a spider. Or maybe the deck is filled with slaves, but as long as they are not get named, it's basically one character. Tense, easy to read. Simple.

I haven't been able to read many, but this is a valuable lesson for me anyway. If I ever write a screenplay again(I write prose now), I'll remember this. If it's a spec script it's absolutely critical to bring the reader in. That means very few characters, one or two; it means little description, maybe just enough to color the situation. Humor helps. In sum, the most important thing is bringing the reader in with something easy to read and entertaining in the opening. Not saying I have that ability, but that will be the goal.

Peace.

Humour doesn't always help. Humour detracts from serious drama. I've found that humour helps a lot in OWCs. Also strong subjects like child abuse pull at the heartstrings of the writers here. But people with cash to spend on films don't care about any of that.

Kevin, Kevin, Kevin...

Oh man, don't even get me started!

Nice to see you championing a script, but understand there many other opinions on what you have championed.  Also, remember, you've only read a few entries.

Different strokes, different folks.

Quoted from leitskev it injects enough humor that we know we'll be entertained no matter how cheesy it gets

Only if the story calls for it. Having humor in a script does not necessarily
make it better, nor does it necessarily make it worse

There are some jokes told in scripts that I cringe over, usually if those gags involve self awareness and callbacks to other (better) movies and shows.

I’m reading more on Monday.

Yes, obviously humor is not appropriate in every situation. But it helps in many. For example, OWC writers love horror. But many, maybe most of the horror OWCs have a heavy dose of cheese. I'm guilty of it too, big time. But if there is humor that cheese suddenly becomes a steak dinner. Because it's the writer saying, "Ok, this is cheese, but I recognize that."

I think my main point is this: you have to sell the STORY first. So the question is what is the best way to do that?

You have to get people passing around your story. Which means it has to be an easy read and entertianing.

If your story is about Anne Frank you probably don't want humor in the opening. However, if you are an unknown writer trying to get a spec story out there, there coud be useful things to learn from the OWC. For example, your opening scene maybe should have as few characters as possible.

Jeff, the thing is few readers will read a script the way you do. You have a great eye for detail and you are processing everything from the the slugs to the wrylies. But how many people passing around a script will read it the same way? I suspect very few. Those readers want EASY and ENTERTAINING. They want the story to grab them quickly and hold on. They want to care about the characters, feel pain, fear, laughter. Those things are hard to do any any writing format, for any writer. But sometimes the screenplay format makes it much, much harder. Shouldn't screenwriters take that into account?

I would add this: if putting a story in the form of a comic book or graphic novel will get it passed around, then that's better than a screenplay. I don't read comic books or graphic novels. But many people do. If industry execs do, then it would be a real advantage. You'd be putting a story into their hands that is easy to read and has a very visual format.

Quoted from leitskev Jeff, the thing is few readers will read a script the way you do. You have a great eye for detail and you are processing everything from the the slugs to the wrylies. But how many people passing around a script will read it the same way? I suspect very few. Those readers want EASY and ENTERTAINING. They want the story to grab them quickly and hold on. They want to care about the characters, feel pain, fear, laughter. Those things are hard to do any any writing format, for any writer. But sometimes the screenplay format makes it much, much harder. Shouldn't screenwriters take that into account?

Kev, everything you're saying here is pretty much common knowledge, isn't it?  Maybe not the "grab them immediately part, but everything else is what all writers strive for, I think.

I watch alot of movies, and 1 thing I don't personally like is when the shit hits the fan from the get go.  I like things to start slow and work their way up.  Maybe it's just me, but that's definitely how I feel.

Quoted from leitskev I would add this: if putting a story in the form of a comic book or graphic novel will get it passed around, then that's better than a screenplay. I don't read comic books or graphic novels. But many people do. If industry execs do, then it would be a real advantage. You'd be putting a story into their hands that is easy to read and has a very visual format.

A comic book, graphic novel, screenplay.  It's all going into the recycler by the nineteen year old intern with no attention span or qualifications.  

As far as getting it in the door, it's all about the query letter.  And sadly, whether or not the script placed in a competition.  If it hasn't, it's twice as hard to get it in anyone's hands.  

I'm all but convinced at this point that it's all about the meat of the script.  The format, the action, descriptions, etc will take priority over story, plot and character.   This really seems to be the case for most competitions.  If it LOOKS impressive (even with a mediocre story and premise), it will get handed up the chain.

As a script reader for The Radmin Company back in 2003-2004, I saw this time and time again.  TWISTED (aka Blackout) looked terrific on paper.   Nice, clean format, terrific descriptions and ZERO substance.   Bad story, character, dialogue.  All terrible.  But it was their golden property because it structurally hit all the right notes on paper.  

You want to get real industry eyes on your script? It's easy. Really. Write a really good script. Send it out for coverage to a reputable well known company with connections. Since you're paying them, their readers have to read it no matter what. Now, if the script is as good as most writers think their scripts are and it gets a RECOMMEND, you bet your ass you're going to get people that want to read it. Everyone in or near the industry wants to be the one that discovers a great script and like Robert McKee says, "everyone in Hollywood is in search of a great story". There just aren't as many out there as we think.

Cheers!  

Jeff, that's a good point to continue the discussion. Yes, we all know a script should grab the reader. But the question is how. Are there tricks for doing this or things to avoid. I mentioned a famous one by Billy Wilder, who advises that a movie can start with a court room scene, but not a screenplay. I've pointed to the Stowaway script here in the OWC. You might dislike it, I don't remember, and I'm sure you have good reasons for however you evaluate it. But one thing no one can take away from that script: it's an easy read.

How important is that? It depends. Making a screenplay an easy read in an ideal world shouldn't matter. And for Aaron Sorkin it doesn't. He's earned the right to build his story the way he wants. His script doesn't need to get passed around. Are the certain tricks for making a scene easy to read besides limiting the character amount? Probably. Maybe you can suggest some. I'm eager to learn.

You mention how you like movies to start. I'm with you on that. The best movies develop carefully.

But here's the thing: the best movies seldom begin as spec scripts. A spec script DOES have to grab the reader right out of the gate. It doesn't have to be shit hitting the fan. Just something that is easy to read that grabs our attention.

Jack, yeah. But that also proves my point. Let's say you work for a big studio. Thousands of scripts submitted every month. Most of them a slog to get through. That's what interns are for.

But make no mistake, there is a huge market right now for material. Netflix and a hundred other content producers are gobbling stuff up. The search is intense.

Things do get passed around. Not ideas, because those can't be copyrighted. But short stories ARE getting circulated now.

Quoted from leitskev I'm going to try to read some more. I just have a hard time with script format. It's not a new problem for me or illness related. My eye tends to wander over slugs and sometimes even action description. I've been reading articles over the last years and I think there are big changes going on in the way the industry acquires properties. I think it makes the spec market both harder and easier. What studios are doing is acquiring stories that can be turned into films. That's not new, of course, there have always been book adaptations and "based on a true story" stuff. But now they are gobbling up short stories. Here is one reason: what they need to be able to do is find a good story and pass it around to other executives. If enough people think it might make a film or series, they buy it. Then it ends up in some process where they get directors and actors and producers to look at it in their pile of acquired stuff. They really don't care how the script or story is formatted. If it reaches the point where important actors or directors start attaching themselves to it they then go out and hire a team of screenwriters to craft it into the feature they want. Which brings us back to that stage where things are being acquired. What matters most is that the story draw enough interest that it gets passed around. We're in the digital age. So let's say some developer gets a story they like. They email to other executive in their group, and people read it on the plane, or at home with the kids playing around, or in the coffee shop. All that matters is the story be good enough to get passed around. So what a writer needs to ask is what format best achieves that. Of course, if the writer is trying to use scripts as samples to show their writing so they get hired onto a team, that's different. But I'm talking about writing a story that will get passed around and hopefully bought. With that in mind, using prose, a short story, or even a novelette, might be the better strategy. We're talking about scripts though. However, the same principle applies. If the script is not easy and entertaining to read, how likely is it to get passed around? How likely is someone who opens it on the plane to keep reading? Billy Wilder(I think it was him) once said you can begin a movie with a courtroom scene, but not a screenplay. The reasons why should be clear. That really limits the story telling options of the spec screenwriter. For example, you don't want too many characters or too much description. I'm not sure what the best way for screenwriters to handle this challenge is. The OWC entry Stowaway was brilliantly written. It's not by any means a brilliant story. But there is something maybe to be learned. Let's say the writer is planning a feature based on killer spiders. By having an opening scene with only one character it makes it a much easier READ. If Stowaway was the opening scene for a feature, it would achieve several things as a spec script. 1) it pulls in and holds the writer til the end of the scene 2) it creates a great trust in the writer. Because the scene grabs and helds our attention we know we're in very good hands. So if the next couple scenes are more challenging for us as a reader we're more willing to put in the time because we trust the writer knows what he or she is doing...based on that opening scene. 3) it injects enough humor that we know we'll be entertained no matter how cheesy it gets The other scripts I've read so far were all very competently written. Some would make good movies. But none of them achieved the things I listed above. But with a slightly better strategy, most of them, maybe all of them, COULD achieve that. Let's cross breed two scripts as an example, the Stowaway and Libertine. Imagine if Libertine opened with a slave chained in the bowels of the ship and he's attacked by the spider from Stowaway. Is this spider supernatural? Where did it come from? The chained slave struggles to escape its attack, and the quick scene ends with the death of the slave. THEN we go to the captain and his undermanned ship and their challenges. This would have been easy for a writer with the talents the one that wrote Libertine. And it would have pulled us into the story. Easy to read about one character grappling with a spider. Or maybe the deck is filled with slaves, but as long as they are not get named, it's basically one character. Tense, easy to read. Simple. I haven't been able to read many, but this is a valuable lesson for me anyway. If I ever write a screenplay again(I write prose now), I'll remember this. If it's a spec script it's absolutely critical to bring the reader in. That means very few characters, one or two; it means little description, maybe just enough to color the situation. Humor helps. In sum, the most important thing is bringing the reader in with something easy to read and entertaining in the opening. Not saying I have that ability, but that will be the goal. Peace.

I do agree that job one is to get someone to keep turning pages.

Job two is to have a story that resonates with them when they've turned the last page.

In the example you listed (which I thought was a relatively solid entry) - job 1 was achieved IMO - mostly because of the great craftsmanship (I actually found the humor a bit disrupting).

Job 2 was not. The story won't stay with me like a couple of the others did. That's just my opinion.

Again - I'd give it high marks on writing skill alone.

Quoted from eldave1 I do agree that job one is to get someone to keep turning pages. Job two is to have a story that resonates with them when they've turned the last page. In the example you listed (which I thought was a relatively solid entry) - job 1 was achieved IMO - mostly because of the great craftsmanship (I actually found the humor a bit disrupting). Job 2 was not. The story won't stay with me like a couple of the others did. That's just my opinion. Again - I'd give it high marks on writing skill alone.

Agreed, but will also add that many of the asides, profanity in the asides, and "stuff" that has nothing to do with what's in the script, did not really help the read, and definitely did not make it an easier read.

Anytime you add unnecessary prose, you're not making for an easier, quicker read.

Quoted from Dreamscale Agreed, but will also add that many of the asides, profanity in the asides, and "stuff" that has nothing to do with what's in the script, did not really help the read, and definitely did not make it an easier read. Anytime you add unnecessary prose, you're not making for an easier, quicker read.

Don't really agree. Jeff. I didn't mind the asides, the profanity in the asides or the other stuff. I thought they all helped set the tone and spark the imagination and in fact made it an easier read. Just me.