New York Women in Film & Television: Notes from a Screenreader nywift: photo via Go Into the Story It’s an open secret that you only have a few pages to convince experienced readers that your script is worth reading. What you might not know is that you can make mistakes on the very first page…
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GIANT BLOCKS OF TEXT ON PAGE ONE
“WE SEE”
Some people hate it, including me, and some people could care less. BUT NOBODY LIKES IT. “We see” is weak because it’s a given. Of course we see it. What’s our other choice? “We see Kate on her knees in the flowerbed.” is ten times less interesting to read than “Kate yanks weeds like an…
Read moreA SCRIPT WITH YOUR EXACT STORY JUST BLEW UP ON THE BLACK LIST
HOW LONG SHOULD A SPEC BE?
Ideal competition length is no more than 99 pages. If your story starts fast and reads fast and you NEED them, 115 is fine. How can you tell if you need 115 pages? I’ll give you $1,000 for every word you can cut by tomorrow.
Read moreGRATUITOUS RACISM/SEXISM/HOMOPHOBIA IN YOUR SCRIPT
IS YOUR PROTAG A DOUCHE?
Shit hot protags are unsympathetic and very boring. You may have idealized your protag if: He has a quippy comeback for everything. He comes out on top in every confrontation. His game is solid gold. He has First World Problems. But cocky doucheness is very popular in heroes! Women go crazy for them. Men want…
Read moreWhen Your Friend Asks for Brutal Honesty About His First Script
LOGLINES ARE EASY!
Yes, loglines are easy. If you write them first. Logline instructions usually include describing the protagonist, his challenge, and the course he takes to accomplish his goal. It is often recommended that you describe the antagonist as well. That should all be wrapped up in one tidy sentence that indicates tone and genre, polished up…
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