Hello, I am a young inexperienced High-schooler and I have been making short documentaries but want to try something new. I need feedback on an idea for a feature I created based off of the game "One Chance" It is about an error in trials for curing cancer which goes wrong and releases a deadly virus which is expected to kill everyone. I would like to expand it into a full script but I don't know if it's a solid premise or if there are any glaring errors in it.

Feedback/critiques would be VERY appreciated. Thank you.  :)

Link to doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QuURuFs8KOudUhdcM6sF8irBfr1gecAvynO4Gf2o8yg/edit?usp=sharing

Hey Jeff, good for you! I wish I'd started writing seriously in high school.

I don't in any way want to put you off but feel the need to point out you might be wasting your time with this particular project unless you're doing it just for fun and as an experiment in writing.

You can write a spec screenplay based on any material you want and you don’t have to get any sort of permission from anyone. But if your script is based on a copyrighted piece of material someone, either yourself or the producer, will need to acquire the film rights before the movie can be distributed and sold. So most producers aren’t going to waste their time optioning or buying (or even reading) your screenplay unless you’ve already attained those rights...

https://www.sellingyourscreenplay.com/screenwriting-faq/writing-a-screenplay-based-on-a-book-comic-video-game-or-toy/

If I were you I'd start writing my own Shorts and post them here on the site for feedback. You can learn a lot fast by doing this.

Check out the free screenwriting software programs (below link) and get the hang of the formatting.

https://www.scriptreaderpro.com/free-screenwriting-software/

Hi Jeff, welcome to simply scripts :)

I have a couple of concerns re the idea --

1. There's already been several features about deadly viruses so it wouldn't be seen as anything too innovative.

2. The world only recently crawled out of a real-life virus pandemic. And sadly, Covid is still out there. I don't know whether there would be an appetite for this kinda story - I could be wrong, of course.

However, as Libby pointed out, it could serve as a great writing exercise for you. And I will keep my eye out for it if you chose to go ahead - you could make it really good. Nothing should ever be off the table in this craft.

Cheers

Maybe focus on creating a short film about one specific scenario like maybe there is a virus in a school that a high schooler has to contend with?