Hey there,

Just wanted to share this and I'd be thankful for every like on youtube.

I was notified about winning the table read quite a while ago, and here it is: the brand new February 2016 winner in Wildsound's TV Pilot category. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)

Mindwalker Table Read

++++++++++

Congrats Thorsten  will give it a listen later...

Just received a mail, my short 'The Wall In The Garden', which is here on STS as well, will be table read at their April festival. Don't know how it placed yet, but I believe they select 5 shorts for each session. 'Beyond Treatment' didn't make it into the final selection, though.

Great news Thorsten!

Good luck in getting something done with the scripts. I'm not sure what a table read actually does... is it so the director can better pitch the script to industry pros?

I suppose it is.

It's also a good way to hear a script read by either actors or whoever you can get hold of. I've been at a few and it's surprising what you can discover. The only thing we were missing was an actual table. I doubt it would have helped.

Shows like the Sopranos always did a table read before rehearsing then shooting. You can iron out and improve stuff without going to a lot of expense and trouble.

R

What Ren said. Some have decent prizes too. The London comp provides $1500 towards airfare (feature length only) which is not bad. I do think they'd better be darned good scripts to actually be table read at a festival - some I've seen appear a bit lacking in the pro acting dept, and I have a feeling the writer is the one who would get most out of it in terms of entertainment value, but also I suspect if there's no producer attached then it's great exposure.

A hearty congrats, Thorsten. No doubt the STS review of The Wall In the Garden clinched it.  ;D  ;)

Yeah, it helps to hear it read by actors. I don't know if you watched the Mindwalker table read, but the actors there do a great job, especially the guy who reads the main protagonist, Andrew. I think he figured the role out pretty well as he reads and acts it like a character who isn't taking himself very serious. That's been the intention / image I had when I created the character and it makes much of the story work better. I received feedback from various sources, saying it wasn't clear whether the show is meant to be mainly comedy or a serious mystery/suspense show. I think it is a mystery plot with a self-ironic protagonist, and the unlikely team of Andrew and Anna gives it a comedic taste. When I watched the table read, I felt that worked really well.

Another thing is, when reading the script myself, I didn't realize I had quite a lot of misplaced exposition in there, but when you listen to the table read, there will be moments where you screw up your nose when such obvious exposition interrupts the flow. It helped a lot to figure out what to work on.

I also see it as kind of an advertising element. The video only had about 260 clicks on youtube so far, but if you think about it, what are the chances you would get 260 people to read an hour-long script? When you submit your work to a producer for example, I think a link to the video makes a nice add-on, as people might find it easier (and more conclusive) to actually hear it read by actors instead of reading it.

Clicks are something I do understand... 260 clicks, is not 260 people. Better to go by the likes as they are uniques.

I have been to table reads before but only when it's going to be shot and the actors are practising. In regard exposition, it is often necessary and then up to the actor to pull it off. If they fail, then it could be down to them and not the writer. I do remember cringing a few times during my own table reads though.

I've seen things before when you win a table read, but wasn't quite sure what it meant. Has anyone ever sold a script after winning a table read?

@LC

I don't think they saw the STS reviews. At least their notes I received were much more critical than the STS reviews :)
I now have time until April 10th to make changes based on their notes, seems like Wall In The Garden will end up significantly longer than 10 pages, as they require more back story, showcasing their 'perfect life' a bit more.

According to the notes, they seemed to like Beyond Treatment more than Wall In The Garden, but they rejected it, because they felt the story lacks some explanation as to why Larry and his wife got attacked in the first place. I didn't think I'd need an explanation - burglaries happen every day - but I guess they didn't buy it.

I was just kidding, Thorsten, hence my 'wink'.  Reviews on STS are purely for promotional purposes.

You're doing well regardless. Good luck. :)

Just received my 1st round scorecard from CreativeWorldAwards (where my other pilot, Project Endolon, ended up in semi-finals last year).

The Basics
Overall view of basics:  Good  
Level of grammatical accuracy? (1-10) 9    
Correct format, indentions & scene headings? (1-10) 8    
Overall style and depth of narrative? (1-10) 7  
Is the genre clear? (1-10) 10
Is the writing concise, action driven & visual? (1-10) 7  
Average basics score:   8.20

Structure
Overall view of structure:  Fair  
Is the hook/concept and premise clear? (1-10) 7    
Are the scenes cohesively written, placed & do they flow naturally? (1-10) 7  
Act I: Is there a clear dilemma of magnitude that sets the story up? (1-10) 8    
Does crisis force the protagonist to take decisive action about their dilemma? (1-10) 7  
Act II: Does the conflict rise & drive the story forward? (1-10) 7  
Does the story culminate in a strong crisis � the make or break point � that demands an immediate response? (1-10) 8  
Act III: Does the protagonist conclusively solve the dilemma for better or worse? (1-10) 6.5  
Are the subplots, if any, resolved in the end? (1-10) 6.5  
Average structure score:   7.13

Characterization
Overall view of Characterization:  Fair  
Are the characters memorable and well described throughout? (1-10) 6.5  
Is there a central protagonist & antagonist that clash and create conflict? (1-10) 7  
Are the characters developed with depth & range? Are their traits precise? Is their worldview justifiable? (1-10) 6.5    
Do the characters have a distinct voice? (1-10) 7    
Are the characters motivations, goals and actions clear? (1-10) 6.5    
How well developed are their arcs? Do they learn and grow from actions? (1-10) 6.5  
Average characterization score:    6.67

Quality of Dialogue
Overall view of dialogue:  Fair
Is the dialogue authentic according to setting and environment? (1-10) 7    
Are the character traits reflected in dialogue?  (1-10) 8    
Does the dialogue accomplish a purpose (i.e. set something up, pay it off, move the scene forward, etc.)? (1-10) 7  
Does it deliver on multiple levels with subtext? (1-10) 6.5  
Average dialogue score:    7.13

Trend & Commercial Potential
Overall commercial potential:  Very Good  
Is the concept fresh, unique, original? (1-10) 7    
Is the hook compelling enough to keep the reader engaged? (1-10) 7    
Is the theme powerful enough to resonate with the audience? (1-10) 6.5    
Is it commercial? Does it appeal to a wide audience? (1-10) 9    
Is the premise large enough in scope to appear on the silver screen? (1-10) 9  
Average commercial potential score:   7.7


Not that bad, I guess, but worse than Project Endolon which scored:

Average basics score: 8.30
Average Structure Score: 8.31
Average Characterization: 8.17
Average Dialogue: 8.25
Average commercial potential: 8.60

Probably won't be enough to make it this far again, unless later round judges will add to the score significantly.