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Something I was once told...

ussinners

ussinners

When one of my teachers read version 3 or 4 of Half-A-Heart he said I should start shopping it. I knew it could be much better, so I didn't.

But if your story meets the following criteria.

1. Good Story.

2. Good Characters.

3. Decent Dialogue.

4. Good Structure.

5. Story that's shown and not told. (I just corrected this. Wow, one of the most important rules)

6. Good grammar and punctuation.

You have a screenplay that's ready to be shopped.

Because as my teacher told me: It doesn't matter if the script is perfect. This is not the script that's going to be shot. You won't recognize your script after a studio is done with it.
 
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Pretty good advice.

Can anything - even a script - ever be so perfect that
it cannot be changed? Can a script ever be perfect?
Since there is no such thing as a perfect script I tend
to agree with your teacher; "It doesn't matter if the
script is perfect.". We writers do the best we can and
then we are at the mercy of others.

And then when we finally make the sale the script is
changed.
 
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This is backwards:
5. Story that's told and not shown.

And somehow, *concept* didn't make it onto this list. If you are selling the script, or even just want to get people to read it, the concept is critical.

But here's where your teacher's advice is completely wrong: yes, they will not be filming your script as written... they will need to screw it up first. So your screenplay has to be much much better than the resulting film will be...

And to sell it in the first place, you'll need to be good enough to rise to the top of the pile. I estimate there are about 1 million scripts in circulation at any time (if you want, I can do the math and show you where I came up with the million), and fewer than 100 original screenplays are bought every year. Your script has to be *better* than the other 999,900 scripts in circulation that year.

But most films are not from original screenplays - they are writing assignments you get because your script is brilliantly written. They hire you *as a writer* for your skills *as a writer*. So your script has to be great.

And you are not in competition with the worst writers out there - you are in competition with the very best screenwriters - limited number of jobs, Oscar winners are trying for them same as you.

If you aim low, you get nothing.

- Bill
 
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Absolutely good advice.

Get it damned good, then let it go. Making movies is a collaboration. If you can't stand what happens when people "fix" your script, then write a novel, or make it yourself.

And nail down the story structure. If it's not rock solid, someone will rewrite it, and write you right out of the credits. They can change some scenes, and if the outline of the story is still recognizable, you'll probably get and deserve a byline. If not, then all you get is whatever they paid you.
 
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wcmartell said:
This is backwards:
5. Story that's told and not shown.

And somehow, *concept* didn't make it onto this list. If you are selling the script, or even just want to get people to read it, the concept is critical.

But here's where your teacher's advice is completely wrong: yes, they will not be filming your script as written... they will need to screw it up first. So your screenplay has to be much much better than the resulting film will be...

And to sell it in the first place, you'll need to be good enough to rise to the top of the pile. I estimate there are about 1 million scripts in circulation at any time (if you want, I can do the math and show you where I came up with the million), and fewer than 100 original screenplays are bought every year. Your script has to be *better* than the other 999,900 scripts in circulation that year.

But most films are not from original screenplays - they are writing assignments you get because your script is brilliantly written. They hire you *as a writer* for your skills *as a writer*. So your script has to be great.

And you are not in competition with the worst writers out there - you are in competition with the very best screenwriters - limited number of jobs, Oscar winners are trying for them same as you.

If you aim low, you get nothing.

- Bill
Click to expand...

The list is my own, and it's in no particular order. My teacher said the statement. Half-A-Heart is far from perfect, but in his (and other teachers) eyes, it was ready to be shopped. Because at the absolute least, its written properly, contains all the elements a marketable screenplay needs, and they felt it would make a good Lifetime MOTW.

As for a million other scripts, absolutely. Unfortunately, go to Zoetrope, Triggerstreet or Circalit and look at the scripts. There's 999,000 out of a million.

I know I'm not intelligent enough to ever write a novel. My vocabulary is inferior at best. Yet it's said that it's harder to write a good screenplay then it is a novel. How could that possibly be? Because no matter how hard most people try, they don't get the simple rule "Show Don't Tell". Until you fully understand and write your screenplay with that in mind, you have nothing. No one is going to get past page 5 if the characters are spouting poor exposition from the opening.

Is it almost impossible to sell a script? I think so. But, that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. Half-A-Heart is a good story, and I have quite a few others I'm polishing. I just have a hard time with everything but getting the words on the page.
 
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9 out of 10 movies are released with a big "Unrated" sticker on the DVD in an attempt to sell more DVDs.

So, your script has to be able to be turned into an Unrated version for the studios to want to make it.

I'd wouldn't be surprised if Princess and the Frog has an Unrated version...
 
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so unrated is the new R+ ? lol

It would be funny if they started releasing G films as UNRATED.. I mean, unrated means technically just that, unrated, so it could just as easily go the other way.. .. right?

Guess not..
 
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wheatgrinder said:
It would be funny if they started releasing G films as UNRATED.
Click to expand...

In the VHS days it was common to release a TV movie with an R rating, just so people would saw the movie for free on TV would now rent the video. My USA Net film was *shot* with R rated material for the video release, but many had added footage - post airing reshoots! Drew Barrymore was famous for objecting to an R rated sex scene they cut into one of her TV movies... because they never asked her to do the R rated stuff, and she thought she would have been much better than the body double actress they used.

The "unrated" thing is to make this movie more interesting than all of those other movies... and that's what is important. What makes your movie that one people *must* see?

- Bill
 
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ROC said:
You forgot point number 7 in your criteria:

7. Ability to be released in an Unrated version.
Click to expand...

Or in 3D.

Really good advice from Diretorik and Wcmartell though. I'd say those are roughly around my own thoughts on this as well.

I also can't imagine it's harder to write a screenplay than it is a novel. I'm working on my second novel and have found it to be an enormous struggle that's sucked up over a year of my life already. That's just the first draft. I can write a first draft to a screenplay in a month or two. That doesn't mean it's not choked with errors and problems that need to be worked out by the second draft. It's just the way I'm wired.
 
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ussinners said:
When one of my teachers read version 3 or 4 of Half-A-Heart he said I should start shopping it. I knew it could be much better, so I didn't.

But if your story meets the following criteria.

1. Good Story.

2. Good Characters.

3. Decent Dialogue.

4. Good Structure.

5. Story that's told and not shown.

6. Good grammar and punctuation.

You have a screenplay that's ready to be shopped.

Because as my teacher told me: It doesn't matter if the script is perfect. This is not the script that's going to be shot. You won't recognize your script after a studio is done with it.
Click to expand...


So I guess a good dilemma isn't that important. :hmm:

And please let me repost this again because the word dilemma is constantly being used incorrectly.

di·lem·ma   /dɪˈlɛmə/ Show Spelled[dih-lem-uh] Show IPA
–noun
1. a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives.


It doesn't matter if the script is perfect. This is not the script that's going to be shot. You won't recognize your script after a studio is done with it
Click to expand...

But I do agree with this.
 
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