I just got out of film school for certification to be a screenwriter/director. My mentors told me the same thing, they lose interest and just toss the script. That's why I join groups online that has the same like and hobby like me because they also have student actors who can act your script to see where you can improve if the script is weak. It's the best way to get used to bad critics too, especially in the film industry; it's always a competition. I am also trying to compete for screenwriting to see where it goes wrong if my script didn't make it. It's really passion, hard work, and having a tough skin.
With film making still evolving there are opportunities to change the form in so many ways, i get why a dodgy first page/pages can set off some personal preference alarms in a reader but we must be open to someone trying something out too. It's simply not the best idea to shut down something so early in its pages in this time we are in right now. This is literally when we should be not just open to different forms of story telling but we should be looking for it. (excluding bad writing of course) Kubrick talked about wanting to change the form of filmmaking and i think we are coming into a place where we will see that happening very soon, Keep your eyes open for that new voice, don't skip it by accident, we need it. send me the rejected ones i bet i can find the film by page 30.
We are coming up to exactly that, i think A.I. technology combined with artistry in the next 20 years will see people making movies in a laptop that will be literally be indistinguishable from a committee made Hollywood "Movie" that's not a compliment haha, it will still be sort of pretty shite just like Hollywood and stiff script readers would select and produce but in there somewhere a film maker will rise up.
Yeah but if you’ve already read dozens of scripts, you’ve probably already given this sort of charity and have learned that many scripts don’t get much better than where they start. Throwing it all in the trash in under a page seems ridiculous, but it’s an over-exaggeration. You have a few pages, one or maybe two scenes, to make a reader interested in going forward. Don’t rely on people giving you a shot, because if a screenwriter whose been in your shoes doesn’t express that kind of patience, why would an audience?
This video is not only helpful, but also vital for beginner writers. The number 1 story flaw I find in unpublished novels is the absolute lack of engaging beginning. Not necessarily explosions or danger, but some form of emotional engagement. David reinforced the notion that the beginning is crucial for the story's success, and went a little further, telling us about other factors that contribute to an engaging beginning, such as human, layered characters. Of course, not every successful story has a stellar opening, and what hooks some audiences might not hook others, but delivering good characters and emotional engagement is a fundamental part of the craft.
Insightful and useful. This channel is excellent for helping people starting out (like myself) find a broader context for thinking about their work & tips about working methods & potential pitfalls. Thanks for putting these videos up.
Just continues to drive home the point that you need to nail that first page, that first scene. It needs to grab the reader by the throat and not let go. Good stuff! Thanks again!
Pretty rough depiction of reality ... Like having one guy go through the waste to find those diamonds ... Makes sense right :P I'd have ten guys like him going through everything and let out word that I assure all writers their scripts would be read by my company (first act guaranteed). Pretty soon I'll be getting the real good ones one week before everyone else.
He just said within the first minute of the video that if the quality of writing isn't good enough, it doesn't matter what the story is like, because they will find a script with great story and great writing. So, they have a ton of crap that isn't ready, that writers send anyway, that's wasting their time. No wonder.
This interview speaks to the subjectivity of so many people. Let's face it, people are different. They have moods and egos and issues and prejudices and on and on. The cumulative effort of all the people making a film is not easy to judge from the first page of a script. It is not possible to discover the potential of a script by one know it all flipping pages day after day.
But it is possible to tell right away if you want to keep reading, and if you aren't grabbed the material isn't ready or writer isn't good enough, and they submitted their work too early
Theoretically it should be true. But 80% of movies that get made are absolute crap that came from crappy screenplays. Many are willing to invest in crappy screenplays because they can sell the movie to a certain demographic. This is reality.
He said something very interesting. If it’s a great script it doesn’t mean it’s going to translate. Which is why I think movies are green lighted because someone saw potential in the script meaning it was a great script to somebody.
I think every person that presented a script to someone, it's their job to say no right away. The majority of the producers follow trends in society or reboots. You always hear from writers who were turned down many many times. But yet their script made millions after all. There is just too much judgment on the first few pages of a script. A script can always evolve in the process. I will always take my readers on a ride they can't predict.
Go to Netflix and scour their vast library of crap! There are movies made all over the world that just suck ass. Besides, Hollywood isn’t the only game in town. And you know what, most of the movies out there are exactly the same. Same set up, characters, reactions etc. and what about that shit that your movie has to be sooo kick ass, fuck ass good. Lol! Back to The Future was rejected by studio after studio. Zemekis only got it made because he directed Romancing the Stone and it was a hit.BTTF , one of the greatest movies of all time rejected all over town?
1 dimensional characters are the best characters. Jason Voorhees , Rambo all extremely 1 dimensional. I've written the most 1 dimensional character of all time.
Wanna know why not to trust supposed reader gurus? Find the studio reader coverage of "Boogie Nights" that was released a few years ago. Hint: "bad characterizations, sloppy story." The End. Hollywood only knows one type of storytelling and it's showing its seams.
It might be a great story but the writing is no good, this won’t work as a film...? Ummm, maybe reassess your assessment process? But what would I know
Why waste time and money getting a script up to standard (when it will just get rewritten anyway) because the writer submitted something that wasn't ready? Who wants to work with a writer that submits work that isn't ready? But what do I know.
these guys' opinions are nothing indeed.. how you dare to decide the fate of a work, only reading the first page of it?? isn't it like to pass a hard and fast judgement on a book, by just looking at its cover?? this's disrespectful, cruel and above all, totally unjust.. hearing such things about this so-called "evaluation process" really makes me sick!
Close, Fidel, but no cigar for you. You read it and weep. Then you put it down because the script isn't good. That's how it works. Tough if you're a real reader in the Biz because there are SO many mediocre scripts... 98-99% is correct and has been for decades... and you get to read pages and pages of "meh" in your weekend read. The exceptionally few excellent screenplays stand out like blessed saviors and keep the wheels of production churning.
What do you mean by that, Fidel? Because, for novels, it's actually common for publishers or agents to reject them after the first line. I myself had permission to reject some manuscripts after the first line. If it doesn't hook the reader, they'd rather hop into RUclips instead of reading the novel. And if they don't feel like reading it, well, we're in trouble.
It's not what you know it's who you know. L.U.C.K. How many shit scripts and films get read and made. So much crap on Netflix, Sky, etc. So my advice is to stick with it.
Even though all these films courage videos tell me it's a super small chance of being produced, it still makes me feel super confident in my script.
What d'ya know... I didn't make it through the first scene of this interview.
Thanks for sharing your profound insight.
🤣 this got me rolling
Meh, Formula Humor. Pretty cool if you're Morey Amsterdam.
Thank You Film Courage.
Lol
I just got out of film school for certification to be a screenwriter/director. My mentors told me the same thing, they lose interest and just toss the script. That's why I join groups online that has the same like and hobby like me because they also have student actors who can act your script to see where you can improve if the script is weak. It's the best way to get used to bad critics too, especially in the film industry; it's always a competition. I am also trying to compete for screenwriting to see where it goes wrong if my script didn't make it. It's really passion, hard work, and having a tough skin.
noice
What online groups if you don’t mind sharing
You need to work on your writing. The above paragraph is poorly written.
With film making still evolving there are opportunities to change the form in so many ways, i get why a dodgy first page/pages can set off some personal preference alarms in a reader but we must be open to someone trying something out too. It's simply not the best idea to shut down something so early in its pages in this time we are in right now. This is literally when we should be not just open to different forms of story telling but we should be looking for it. (excluding bad writing of course) Kubrick talked about wanting to change the form of filmmaking and i think we are coming into a place where we will see that happening very soon, Keep your eyes open for that new voice, don't skip it by accident, we need it. send me the rejected ones i bet i can find the film by page 30.
It's still Art, we cannot afford to lose Art by being too clinical. see the images.
if only production of a movie can be cheaper and more accesiable to people. so they dont have to compete for the few slots a studio has.
We are coming up to exactly that, i think A.I. technology combined with artistry in the next 20 years will see people making movies in a laptop that will be literally be indistinguishable from a committee made Hollywood "Movie" that's not a compliment haha, it will still be sort of pretty shite just like Hollywood and stiff script readers would select and produce but in there somewhere a film maker will rise up.
Yeah but if you’ve already read dozens of scripts, you’ve probably already given this sort of charity and have learned that many scripts don’t get much better than where they start. Throwing it all in the trash in under a page seems ridiculous, but it’s an over-exaggeration. You have a few pages, one or maybe two scenes, to make a reader interested in going forward. Don’t rely on people giving you a shot, because if a screenwriter whose been in your shoes doesn’t express that kind of patience, why would an audience?
In what ways was this video helpful to you?
This video is not only helpful, but also vital for beginner writers.
The number 1 story flaw I find in unpublished novels is the absolute lack of engaging beginning. Not necessarily explosions or danger, but some form of emotional engagement.
David reinforced the notion that the beginning is crucial for the story's success, and went a little further, telling us about other factors that contribute to an engaging beginning, such as human, layered characters.
Of course, not every successful story has a stellar opening, and what hooks some audiences might not hook others, but delivering good characters and emotional engagement is a fundamental part of the craft.
Insightful and useful. This channel is excellent for helping people starting out (like myself) find a broader context for thinking about their work & tips about working methods & potential pitfalls. Thanks for putting these videos up.
Conversations like these are very insightful...
Just continues to drive home the point that you need to nail that first page, that first scene. It needs to grab the reader by the throat and not let go. Good stuff! Thanks again!
'Character tics'. Thanks!
Aren't script readers overwhelmed assistants who have 1 million scripts on their desks that they don't want to read in the first place?
Pretty rough depiction of reality ... Like having one guy go through the waste to find those diamonds ... Makes sense right :P I'd have ten guys like him going through everything and let out word that I assure all writers their scripts would be read by my company (first act guaranteed). Pretty soon I'll be getting the real good ones one week before everyone else.
He just said within the first minute of the video that if the quality of writing isn't good enough, it doesn't matter what the story is like, because they will find a script with great story and great writing. So, they have a ton of crap that isn't ready, that writers send anyway, that's wasting their time. No wonder.
This interview speaks to the subjectivity of so many people. Let's face it, people are different. They have moods and egos and issues and prejudices and on and on. The cumulative effort of all the people making a film is not easy to judge from the first page of a script. It is not possible to discover the potential of a script by one know it all flipping pages day after day.
But it is possible to tell right away if you want to keep reading, and if you aren't grabbed the material isn't ready or writer isn't good enough, and they submitted their work too early
base on luck sigh
6:36 I guess that applies to characters like Jamie Lanister from GOT
This channel is very helpful 👌
Theoretically it should be true. But 80% of movies that get made are absolute crap that came from crappy screenplays. Many are willing to invest in crappy screenplays because they can sell the movie to a certain demographic. This is reality.
And this is the guy approving those crappy movies🤣
Great questions
He said something very interesting. If it’s a great script it doesn’t mean it’s going to translate. Which is why I think movies are green lighted because someone saw potential in the script meaning it was a great script to somebody.
I've got this !!! 🙏👊✏💪
I think every person that presented a script to someone, it's their job to say no right away. The majority of the producers follow trends in society or reboots. You always hear from writers who were turned down many many times. But yet their script made millions after all. There is just too much judgment on the first few pages of a script. A script can always evolve in the process. I will always take my readers on a ride they can't predict.
Just because "he" wasn't interested in it doesn't mean others wouldn't be, or that it's a bad script.
David needs to give examples to some of his answers to the questions.
My first line was “lol the fucks wrong with trees?”
Now I know to make my first scene the best scene
How can you tell if a character is truthful after one page? Thats just dumb. "You know they're not a good writer after page one." HUH?!
First sceneen??? Are you kidding me??!!. I got bored on 1:35 into video... too long
Go to Netflix and scour their vast library of crap! There are movies made all over the world that just suck ass. Besides, Hollywood isn’t the only game in town. And you know what, most of the movies out there are exactly the same. Same set up, characters, reactions etc. and what about that shit that your movie has to be sooo kick ass, fuck ass good. Lol! Back to The Future was rejected by studio after studio. Zemekis only got it made because he directed Romancing the Stone and it was a hit.BTTF , one of the greatest movies of all time rejected all over town?
based on luck
Thank you. I thought I was the only one who noticed all the crappy work made by Netflix.
1 dimensional characters are the best characters. Jason Voorhees , Rambo all extremely 1 dimensional. I've written the most 1 dimensional character of all time.
"There's too much good shit out their."
"99% of it though is shit."
Hhhm.
Wanna know why not to trust supposed reader gurus? Find the studio reader coverage of "Boogie Nights" that was released a few years ago. Hint: "bad characterizations, sloppy story."
The End.
Hollywood only knows one type of storytelling and it's showing its seams.
It might be a great story but the writing is no good, this won’t work as a film...? Ummm, maybe reassess your assessment process? But what would I know
Why waste time and money getting a script up to standard (when it will just get rewritten anyway) because the writer submitted something that wasn't ready? Who wants to work with a writer that submits work that isn't ready? But what do I know.
No one wants to see run of the mill human behavior in a film. I think that is a misconception.
💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💯💯💯
No doubt why so many movies open with crazy action sceens straight off the bat. It's pathetic really.
these guys' opinions are nothing indeed.. how you dare to decide the fate of a work, only reading the first page of it?? isn't it like to pass a hard and fast judgement on a book, by just looking at its cover?? this's disrespectful, cruel and above all, totally unjust.. hearing such things about this so-called "evaluation process" really makes me sick!
Thousands of scripts are put on his desk each month. It's not practical for him to disect and study each script without a short hand.
These people are such liars. The first scene? 🤣 Yeah, ok.
Close, Fidel, but no cigar for you.
You read it and weep. Then you put it down because the script isn't good. That's how it works.
Tough if you're a real reader in the Biz because there are SO many mediocre scripts... 98-99% is correct and has been for decades... and you get to read pages and pages of "meh" in your weekend read. The exceptionally few excellent screenplays stand out like blessed saviors and keep the wheels of production churning.
What do you mean by that, Fidel?
Because, for novels, it's actually common for publishers or agents to reject them after the first line. I myself had permission to reject some manuscripts after the first line. If it doesn't hook the reader, they'd rather hop into RUclips instead of reading the novel. And if they don't feel like reading it, well, we're in trouble.
It's not what you know it's who you know. L.U.C.K. How many shit scripts and films get read and made. So much crap on Netflix, Sky, etc. So my advice is to stick with it.