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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board  /  January 2019 -  One Week Challenge  /  Colored Skulls - OWC
Posted by: Don, February 2nd, 2019, 12:06am
Colored Skulls by Nemo The Sixth - Short, RomCom - When Bob finds himself about to be burnt alive as a part of a ritual, he gets a chance to go home free if he can only prove that he's loved. - pdf format

Writer interested in feedback on this work

Posted by: irish eyes, February 2nd, 2019, 9:41am; Reply: 1
On the title page:

NOTE: This is longer than 10 pages but the script is mostly dialogue so it would be a 10 minutes or less short on screen. Aaron Sorkin would have approved. Please consider it.

I don't know if Aaron Sorkin is reviewing the OWC but run of thumb is 1 page is 1 minute and you're at 12 pages.
parameter 5-10 pages

Ok usually I'm the last guy to call out pissers but...

Jeff... this has to be you :D:D:D

Maybe I'll come back later
Posted by: Mr. Blonde, February 2nd, 2019, 9:47am; Reply: 2
I don't want to be that guy, but the note on the title page didn't put me off. I'm not usually a big stickler for rules. What did bother me on the title page, though, is that everything is off-center. Did that happen automatically? Anyway, onto the review:

Unfortunately, this one won't be getting a good review from me. There are a large number of typos and grammatical errors in here (I know they're easily cleaned up and it was only a week, but I'm at 19 of them on page 5 thus far). In addition, the dialogue is nothing but pure exposition. The only thing that wasn't so far was the side bet that was placed (in all fairness, it looked cooler in "Die Hard"). You said Aaron Sorkin would approve, but I don't agree. He wouldn't a static room with people lobbing generic exposition at each other. But, there's still another half to go and I'm hoping it finishes off strong.

In truth, it didn't get any better. The same problems kept showing up. The use of the chocolates and flowers were a nice touch, but the dialogue had too much talking without enough being said. You hardly knew anything about anybody. It could be made better, but if I were you, I'd tear this down and start with a page 1 rewrite and attempt to do it with 20% of the dialogue you used the first time around. Might do better.
Posted by: Warren, February 2nd, 2019, 9:14pm; Reply: 3
Hi Writer,

Sorry but this is out by a page and a half so it's definitely a DQ from me. Also not going to read it at this point with 40 scripts that have potentially met the parameters.

I might come back when I'm finished the rest, or after the OWC.

All the best.
Posted by: ghost and_ghostie gal, February 2nd, 2019, 9:22pm; Reply: 4
Okay, I considered it, I read it.

I'm sure you had a lot of fun writing this, but I'm not buying a ticket to this rom-com.  

The parameter called for 5-10 pages.  Here, you have to play by the same rules.

There's good exposition... and there's bad.   All I can do is give you a few suggestions, do a bit more showing, then telling, and second, I would have been more forgiving if you had found a better way to make the “info dump” entertaining.  

Methinks whether it's for comedic or dramatic situations - the audience will accept it.  But this is JMHO,  I have no dog in this fight.   Kudos for finishing.
Posted by: Talldave, February 2nd, 2019, 10:29pm; Reply: 5
Enjoyable concept, but definitely needs some polishing. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but I enjoy the more casual descriptions, so that wasn’t my problem.

The dialogue just wasn’t on point. I’d probably watch this, and enjoy it, but I’m not in love with it. Good work with the script!
Posted by: Matthew Taylor, February 3rd, 2019, 7:10am; Reply: 6
Hi Writer

Despite the plea I'm going to have to leave this one - didn't meet the challenge.

Some may think that is harsh, but all other entries managed to do, so not fair to rate this one on the same challenge as them.

Well done to taking on the challenge though

Matt
Posted by: eldave1, February 3rd, 2019, 4:09pm; Reply: 7

Quoted Text
NOTE: This is longer than 10 pages but the script is mostly dialogue so it
would be a 10 minutes or less short on screen. Aaron Sorkin would have
approved. Please consider it


Out.

Posted by: Vincent, February 3rd, 2019, 9:17pm; Reply: 8
You need to follow the rules. And this could have used some tightening.
Posted by: LC, February 5th, 2019, 1:12am; Reply: 9
I did consider it, so read it.

Too much of a hard slog for me. Ended up skimming which is never a good sign.

And not what I define as RomCom.
Sorry. Looks like you put the work in.
Posted by: Cameron (Guest), February 5th, 2019, 3:19am; Reply: 10
Alright Nemo,

Sorry, mate, in a challenge with 40+ scripts and yours running beyond the parameters it ain’t gonna work. A DQ for me.

Cam
Posted by: PKCardinal, February 6th, 2019, 2:18pm; Reply: 11
Gave it a chance, as requested.

You could easily find a page and a half to cut. The fact that you didn't is a DQ.

If it was tight as hell and still over 10... then, maybe, just maybe I'd let you slide. Probably would have only docked a point... but, it wasn't.

I thought the idea was clever. Probably not a romcom, but I can see your argument that it was.

Tighten, tighten, tighten and you might see your story jump to life.
Posted by: SAC, February 7th, 2019, 9:35am; Reply: 12
Writer,

Lots of entries this go round, and it’ll be difficult to get to them all. Pretty much an automatic DQ based on your page count. Sorry.

Steve
Posted by: Dreamscale (Guest), February 7th, 2019, 10:23am; Reply: 13
Definite DQ!

Logline is terrible, anyways, so I'm glad I don't have to read this.

Title Page is way off center and looks very poor.

Posted by: ReneC, February 7th, 2019, 1:18pm; Reply: 14
I don't care about the note on the title page, but usually you'd reserve that for the first page of the script. The formatting of the title page really put me off.

More than 10 pages? If you go 10 and a half, fine. This is way over. You failed to meet the restrictions of the challenge. And Aaron Sorkin, you ain't.

I was going to give it more of a chance, but when you go meta and actually call out your own terrible script, that's the last excuse I need. Hope it was fun, good on you for at least entering.
Posted by: Gary in Houston, February 9th, 2019, 9:33am; Reply: 15
So my first draft in this challenge was also 12 pages and I found two pages to cut.  After reading this, there’s a lot of dialogue that could have been cut as well to get it under the limit.  There’s way too much talky and not enough showy going on here.

It’s really not a romance and barely a comedy. So beyond the page limit thing, you aren’t necessarily meeting the parameters. But best of luck going forward.

Gary
Posted by: khamanna, February 12th, 2019, 1:13am; Reply: 16
So, this a script.

And here's my review for it:

I didn't have a big dinner today, instead went for a desert. And a had a large coffee with it. I'm thinking that maybe I need to cut on that coffee after all. It makes my heart pound.

Also, that stitching class I'm taking is a pain. I'm so sorry I didn't drop it. We have to stitch half of a dress. It's not even a whole dress, it's a half of it. But what's done is done and I'll have to stick with it. Can't wait to move forward to other classes, like learning photoshop and autocad. I'll do much better at those.

I hope I helped some. Good luck to you with it. and good job on entering.
Posted by: CameronD, February 12th, 2019, 10:07am; Reply: 17
Oh no, A disclaimer at the beginning its over the page limit, is mostly dialogue AND that Aaron Sorkin would approve? Boy, you really know how to get me hyped for a good entry! This an't Masterclass. This is the OWC.

I'll read until I have no interest to. Let's see how far I get.

Page 3.

This no more more or less dialogue than is to be expected. You telling me you couldn't cut 2 pages out this somewhere? Lots of little direction in the dialogue I didn't care for, not sure how this was romantic or a comedy. The writer can write but kinda a lazy effort.

Next.
Posted by: Philostrate, February 13th, 2019, 5:33pm; Reply: 18

Quoted Text
NOTE: This is longer than 10 pages but the script is mostly dialogue so it
would be a 10 minutes or less short on screen. Aaron Sorkin would have
approved. Please consider it

12 pages? DQ'ed - sorry.

If I have time later, I'll come back and give it a read.

Good job on entering.
Posted by: Spqr, February 14th, 2019, 12:12pm; Reply: 19
I liked this big-time, but a lot of scripts could have benefitted from additional pages, so that has to be taken into consideration when scoring. But it's still one of the best scripts of the bunch.
Posted by: Dreamscale (Guest), February 14th, 2019, 12:36pm; Reply: 20

Quoted from Spqr
I liked this big-time, but a lot of scripts could have benefitted from additional pages, so that has to be taken into consideration when scoring. But it's still one of the best scripts of the bunch.


It's 12 pages.  that's 2 over the limit.  IT's a DQ.  There should be no consideration for a score.

Am I missing something here?

Posted by: Zack, February 14th, 2019, 12:47pm; Reply: 21
I'm with Jeff. Spqr, your post is sort of puzzling to me.

As for the script itself, I didn't make it far. Besides the off-putting and snarky "warning" on the title page, the very first action line is back to back sentences starting with "We". Big no-no.

Sorry, but I'm out.

Zack
Posted by: irish eyes, February 15th, 2019, 8:09am; Reply: 22

Quoted from Dreamscale
It's 12 pages.  that's 2 over the limit.  IT's a DQ.  There should be no consideration for a score.

Am I missing something here?


Maybe it's his script  ;D;D;D
Posted by: AnthonyCawood, February 15th, 2019, 7:48pm; Reply: 23
12 pages...

Weirdly I'm watching Big Trouble in Little China as I read this...

5 pages in and not seeing any rom at all. Not by 8 either.

Sorry extra pages and not meeting genre requirement.

Pass
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