Yup - agree 100%.Look at each scene in isolation and ask yourself "will the overall story still make sense if I removed the scene?". If it will, you probably need to cut it altogether. If there is some detail/event in the scene which is important to the story, but it only takes up a small part of the scene, consider incorporating that detail into another scene and cutting the rest.
I really HATE to say this because I hate writing treatments... LOL. But? The truth is? If you write the treatment a little like you might write a book? You can usually come up with a much better screenplay somewhere down the line. It's just a real pain in the ass to write both in my humble opinion but if you really want to bring out some nuances you didn't even consider during script development? Try turning the script into a short story or novella (or call it a treatment). Allow yourself the opportunity to write some character's THOUGHTS in the treatment. See what develops. This can give you a completely new perspective on the script.Another idea is to write it out as a treatment. The screenplay format can often feel very alienating and skeletal and it's hard to visualize the story as a whole. Write a treatment and you can check it for bulk and fluff. Or if you wrote out the whole treatment and left parts out purposely to make a better treatment, then, you know they can (potentially) be cut from the screenplay.
What are the major turning points in your story? Specifically look at what pages do they happen on?now I have to cut it to about 110. Do you have any suggestions on what to cut. What plan to follow to spot the unnecessary? What is considered as unnecessary
That's my prosses. I've traced the number of excess pages around the turning points. My most excess pages are in midpoint, about 50 excess pages! I also have about 15 excess pages at the 75% point... I can evaluate the pacing, f.e. after midpoint it is too slow, but it seems to me that everything I have is relevant to what should happen at the next point.What are the major turning points in your story? Specifically look at what pages do they happen on?
And then you can evaluate the pacing from there..
Generally you want certain things to happen at certain points of time, it keeps the audience engaged.
Look at some of your favorite movies and note what time the big changes in story happen
That's my prosses. I've traced the number of excess pages around the turning points. My most excess pages are in midpoint, about 50 excess pages! I also have about 15 excess pages at the 75% point... I can evaluate the pacing, f.e. after midpoint it is too slow, but it seems to me that everything I have is relevant to what should happen at the next point.
I'm gathering any knowledge I can about what to cut to correct that pacing. What is the lead road to follow to find what is not relevant.
Don't know if this will help you at all, it's difficult without seeing your story and what it's about, but a template I found handy for working out how to portion up the screenplay goes roughly like this. For a 80 to 120 page screenplay, each of the 8 sections should be about 10 to 15 pages -I'm gathering any knowledge I can about what to cut to correct that pacing. What is the lead road to follow to find what is not relevant.
1. Normality - we see the protagonist's normal life followed by an inciting incident.
Is this what Hollywood wants? Is it ok to write a screenplay with the inciting incident at page 2 and send it to agents? Aren't studio readers turning the screenplays at around page 12 to check if there is the inciting incident?The only thing that I disagree with from @Jkds 's post is this:
I know that that's standard but I disagree. I think that in the modern screenwriting world, you need to get to the inciting incident within a page or 2.
Normal life is boring - for everyone, including your protagonist. Don't make people read about it.
Yeah, I agree with that actually. I read somewhere that you should look to include an inciting incident by page 3 and then a second one around page 12. The first one often sets the tone of the story, giving you a flavour of what it's going to be about and possibly the hook. The second incident then drives the protagonist's personal dilemma, possibly a threat or an opportunity.I know that that's standard but I disagree. I think that in the modern screenwriting world, you need to get to the inciting incident within a page or 2.
Normal life is boring - for everyone, including your protagonist. Don't make people read about it.
Aren't studio readers turning the screenplays at around page 12 to check if there is the inciting incident?
Oh... I'm doing this... and I was worried whether I should cut my first inciting incident!Yeah, I agree with that actually. I read somewhere that you should look to include an inciting incident by page 3 and then a second one around page 12. The first one often sets the tone of the story, giving you a flavour of what it's going to be about and possibly the hook. The second incident then drives the protagonist's personal dilemma, possibly a threat or an opportunity.
Normal life IS boring but ONLY IF YOU WRITE IT THAT WAY.The only thing that I disagree with from @Jkds 's post is this:
I know that that's standard but I disagree. I think that in the modern screenwriting world, you need to get to the inciting incident within a page or 2.
Normal life is boring - for everyone, including your protagonist. Don't make people read about it.
No they are NOT. Everyone loves stories that GET RIGHT TO IT. There should be a little world-building and the introduction of your Protagonist of course but it really all comes down to YOU and HOW YOU WRITE IT DOWN.Is this what Hollywood wants? Is it ok to write a screenplay with the inciting incident at page 2 and send it to agents? Aren't studio readers turning the screenplays at around page 12 to check if there is the inciting incident?
It is one thing whether your script is boring and therefore your inciting incident won't save you and another thing how the pros work in the studios. If the readers who read 8 hours a day scripts, have the habit to turn to page 10-15 to check if you even have an inciting incident there, then there is no point to improvise and put it somewhere else. This is why I'm asking.No they are NOT. Everyone loves stories that GET RIGHT TO IT. There should be a little world-building and the introduction of your Protagonist of course but it really all comes down to YOU and HOW YOU WRITE IT DOWN.
Boring is boring no matter what.
If what you're showing us about your Protagonist is BORING during the first 12 pages? Nobody's even gonna GET to page 12... Trust me. Because if those first pages are boring? The rest of the script will... VERY LIKELY... Be just as boring.