What Screenwriters Get Wrong On Page 1

[@charlesnelson5187]

98% of 'readers' don't get past the first page...and 98% of movies that get made are unwatchable...I'm trying to figure out if there might be some connection?

[@SashaYery]

Does that have to do with who you know? And in turn, who they know.... "Who you know" may not even read your $h!t, (just like you), and "who they tell", to make your move, is the someone who decides if movies get made or not.

[@theTeslaFalcon]

"He murders people, but we don't know whether he's good or bad. He goes home & cares for a plant. Immediately sympathetic." ???? That guys has his wires crossed.

[@alancham4]

A lot of these “rules” have nothing to do with making a good movie, but in getting it through a pipeline

[@JohnMoseley]

I'm tempted to agree, but I think the business of 'stakes' or 'jeopardy' goes deeper than that. I like a lot of films from outside the mainstream - foreign stuff, Cassavetes etc. - and the stakes are still absolutely compelling in these.

[@resistancepublishing]

I’ve watch hundreds of these interviews when I started learning to write and 95% of the Hollywood individuals says basically the same thing about how to get a script through a pipeline. It’s like everyone bows down to the Hollywood rules and gatekeeping, no one has anyone independence but yet they preach to new writers to be brave and daring. There’s no freedom in they’re actions. I now see why all the Hollywood movies are boring and look alike. I get bored after 10 minutes of watching these tutorial videos because I’m a rebellious type of writer that doesn’t follow rigid rules.

[@demetriusdion286]

@@resistancepublishing , Scripts are like DNA, write films that only you can write. Each script that you write, is uniquely yours. Only you know how to write this particular screenplay and these particular characters. Get into your own head, and pull out the magic that is there.

[@Ruylopez778]

Look at the greatest movies of all time, and they all have relatable characters that we care about, and conflict that makes us want to get to the end of the story - and we don't have to wait a long time to get hooked in them. If you say that's nothing to do with a good movie, then I don't know what kind of movies you want to write.

[@resistancepublishing]

RuyLopezQB6 I might have not explained my point fully or you don’t understand that gatekeeping Hollywood executives has two sets of rules. One for typical writing a script and the other studio rules for making movies. The “rules” that I think Alan Chamberlain in his original comment was referring to are the “gatekeeping Hollywood rules”. I was mainly referring to Hollywood from the 1990’s up to today where “gatekeeping” set “rules” for you to follow that makes movies flat and boring. The proof is there. Watch maverick producers and directors in interviews and they say it all the time. The breakout movies that we enjoy are usually because the director or producer broke the rules and went behind the studio’s rules. That’s why people love independent movies. Jaws, StarWars are perfect examples of not following “the rules”. Majority of Hollywood movies are carbon copies and aren’t memorable, another reason Hollywood is failing now

[@giresrowgh]

To Film Courage , Thank You. The most important nugget I hold from your videos, is that many writers didn’t have a resource, as well crafted and accessible as THIS. Thanks for the Leg-Up. - Gires Rowgh

[@two-moonz2953]

Film Courage is the best You Tube Channel on Screenwriting. Thanks to your videos it has helped me to finally finish my own screenplay and submit it to this year's Nicholl Fellowships Screenwriting competition. If I get anywhere I will certainly give you a credit. Thank you for what you do.

[@goldeneddie]

How did it go with the competition?

[@stijnvdv2]

yeah but also a lot of really arrogant people.... talking about movie scripts..... just give me 1 movie or franchise that isn't made by Spielberg or George Lucas that is original, in the sense that it's original and comes from a scriptwriter that actually invented/made up that story. It's all adaptations of a proven concept before, whether that's a successful novel, a comic book or a movie from a distant past..... and that was up to 2016... from then on the scriptwriting of Hollywood is bloody awful and full of politics rather then an actual entertaining story. And politics is one thing, but they lecture you based on an ideology that killed hundreds and hundreds of millions in the past century alone, from the Holodomor to the killing fields of Cambodia.

[@meg-k-waldren]

Not sure who spoke on this but imo reading a single scene to determine if to read the next scene isn't that practical a compass at all... because scenes don't always flow into or payoff in the immediate next scene (payoffs, flows or correlation scenes can occur later in the script). A plot is a *sequence of events...* Therefore an informed judgement from.a reader, however brief, can only come from reading a string of scenes to intuit where a writer may be going. Otherwise, why not stop at the title page cause the title isn't catchy?

[@paulonius42]

The title is immaterial to a reader because it's almost certain to be changed if the film is made. But a single scene is enough to show whether the writer can do the basic element of writing a movie: writing a scene. If a single scene doesn't work in and of itself, odds are good that the entire script has similar issues. To a professional script reader, a poorly written first scene is a clear indication that the rest is going to need too much work to be worth it. Could they be wrong? Yep! Great scripts have come out of rejection piles. To some degree, it is all subjective. Judging a screenplay by a single scene might seem unfair but it's reality. A first scene is a first date, as they describe in the video. If the scene/date doesn't make you want another one, why keep going? Stop and move on to a more promising option.

[@MiguelCruz-oz7km]

Watch Paul Joseph Gulino's interviews from this same channel. He goes in depth on techniques that writers use to keep the audience engaged. Chief among those is that from page 1 its stoking the reader's curiosity. There's a question being posed that makes you turn to page 2 hoping that it will provide an answer. Then page 2 will either provide an answer and then pose a new question or it will provide an incomplete answer that makes you turn to page 3. The bad scripts almost uniformly do not do this. They're just presenting you with stuff but not necessarily causing you to anticipate anything that would make you want to keep reading. If on some level your reader isn't thinking to themselves, "I have to know what happens next," your script becomes easier to set aside perhaps forever.

[@MrTimmy132]

Other people I've seen speak have acknowledged this problem. Some scripts, that actually get really get post scene 2, can be thrown into the trash because scene 1 & 2 is trash. Gotta keep in mind these people have to read many many scripts.

[@MrTimmy132]

@John Doe They've been picked up by other people and read? I don't know, I wasn't there haha

[@d.c.7944]

I'd say it's more like one scene needs to create a desire in the audience to learn what happens next in a subsequent scene. The payoff and resolution doesnt necessarily come in the Very next scene. But each scene needs to do 1 of 2 things (or both). Its gotta do a setup, or a payoff, or both. Act 1 scene 1 doesnt get its payoff in act 1 scene 2. BUT the audience wants to read act 1 scene 2 because the payoff is coming eventually.

[@demetriusdion286]

Film Courage, these videos are better than wasting thousands of dollars on film classes. This is my Film School. Keep up the good work.

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Demetrius! Great that you continue to find value here on this channel. Keep learning and keep creating!

[@bertustenbrinke9231]

The ultimate cross to bear: Every time you are shown on screen, the words “Battlefield Earth” will show too.

[@paulmcnamaramcnamara9726]

Is this guy serious. Didn't he write Battlefield Earth? It's like taking sailing lessons from the captain of the Titanic.

[@joaquinmombergbarria516]

@@paulmcnamaramcnamara9726 like seeing game development classes from Fallout 76 developers.

[@KohanKilletz]

@@paulmcnamaramcnamara9726 probably his original script was good but it was ruined in the edit

[@jenelleb5256]

In one of his full Film Courage interviews, he goes in depth about what happened with that movie. If anyone is interested in hearing it from the source and not assuming it was just a shit job. He sets the record straight.

[@G-Blockster]

I LOVE this format. I'd be excited to see similar compilations covering the Inciting Incident, the Midpoint, and the Dark Night of the Soul (Third Plot Point).

[@filmcourage]

That would be fun. We appreciate the feedback Greg. Not sure if we have enough material for those topics yet but will keep it in mind.

[@osareafallire]

Good to see Battlefield Earth getting the appropriate amount of love in the comments.

[@carlysmith2687]

i really enjoy the compilations, where each writer gives their best lines of advice, it creates a juicer video overall

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Carly, we do our best to bring value together in these compilations. Nice to hear you found this helpful.

[@frankraucci9110]

Basically write an interesting page turning first 10 pages and then do it again for the next 10 pages and again......

[@BudsCartoon]

It's, perhaps, arrogant to "read only one page" of a script when the last decade of Hollywood has been the worst, most unoriginal pile of shit in cinema history. Those are the gatekeepers... Female Ghostbusters.

[@jag5798]

I really enjoy this mix of many of the videos I have watched. Nice refresher on one subject.

[@filmcourage]

Awesome, thank you!

[@garymazeffa]

An enormous paradox when it comes to writing a successful screenplay. OMG, there are so many "out of work" experts. All telling you the right way, the only way, this way, and that way to be successful. Quick example: Let's imagine that you wrote the screenplay to PARASITE. Do you really think Hollywood would have bang down you're front door for that script? We all know the answer. In part, that is one of the reasons Bong Joon Ho was the writer, screenplay, director, and producer of the production. They all tell you there's a secret-secret formula and then in the same tone they tell you to write something different to make it stand out. After all, as one of the guys mentioned, "Too much out there." Yes, I agree with most folks following their advice. Did I mention parasites?

[@kingkylie9655]

americans suck at screenwriting tbh i have been a fan of korean films for over a decade now, you guys follow formulas too much.

[@13TeK11]

are we rly gonna act like battlefield earth has a good script..?

[@vicjames3256]

Haha - nope. But out of all the full interviews I've watched on this channel, I found his to be the most poignant. I think some of the best teachers are the ones that can't do very well the thing they teach.

[@user-un-known]

Check out the video where he explains in details just what the hell happened, what part he played, how it affected him, and what can you do to avoid ending up being one of credited writers on "worst movie ever". Video is on this channel. I highly recommend it.

[@ERoBB1]

You should act like anyone who has had a script produced by Hollywood professionals is a good authority for advice.

[@johnbalk6091]

@Tek Dude, I was thinking the same thing!

[@elgonzo5]

Battlefield Earth the screenplay got green lit, then it became a movie...gotta put that in the W column.

[@_i_am_unceded]

Honor and Respect 🪶 Greetings from Saint Augustine Florida

[@RudyGold]

Agreed! But what about whiplash? First 10 pages were just ok but grows as you keep reading

[@DR-qi3pv]

Chazelle went to Harvard

[@FlyingOverTr0ut]

I love Corey Mandell's approach and hope to get his coaching sometime.

[@t.c.s.7724]

Wonderful compilation with one caveat, beware superficial mystery boxes.

[@tombombaddie]

Corey Mandell knows what's up. While we were still learning to spell our names, he was being groomed to conquer galaxies!

[@michaelcatalanotto7354]

I wonder what a script reader would think of something like "There will be blood", or "2001" as a script... assuming they had no knowledge of the film or filmmaker.

[@SuBeKuTah]

I totally get that but then, I see so much that is being made, sometimes with a horribly big budget, that completely fails doing that for more than the first couple of scenes. I've struggled to get through the first episode of several hyped shows. Maybe whoever makes decisions should rather have a second look at great stories with a vision even if the first page is mediocre than pour their money into what is supposed to sell based on titles only - because, you know what? I've come to think that you can sell any cr*p if you put enough money into attaching names and marketing. Still, I've learned something from this video and got an idea, as usual, so thanks for bringing all this content to us!

[@johndoe6449]

I don't know whether to feel happy or embarrassed that I already heard 85% of these and they are all in my notes

[@filmmaker5457]

Better be rejected, than to know you never tried

[@gilbertroy6558]

So..... make sure you have an inciting incident by page 10? Also, don't jump into it too soon or you'll run out to things to write by page 70? But they read only the first 2 pages?

[@sandal_thong8631]

I used to say people in Hollywood don't read, and that's why so many adaptations of books aren't faithful and don't work. How many pages in _Unbreakable_ are there before we get to the intriguing point where Bruce Willis's character is the sole survivor of a train crash without a scratch on him? I think it's about the pitch meeting, not someone reading the script.

[@Batmansdad1]

A lot of people in the comments are saying that they won't listen to any advice from Corey Mandell because he wrote Battlefield Earth, which is a shame because in this and a lot of other videos on the channel he makes some great points. He may have written a bad script then but he knows the industry and has a lot of experience. Battlefield Earth came out 20 years ago, I guarantee he has learned a lot since then. In his last comment he talks about how in his early days his writing was flawed because he hadn't yet learned to personalize it. I think we can all learn a lot from what he has to say. I don't think he would claim that Battlefield Earth is his best work, but he would tell you the lessons he learned from that and how he had improved

[@dkthg]

STFU! He wrote Battlefield Earth!!

[@redbaron8130]

Battlefield Earth is based on an existing novel correct? I’m fairly certain Corey Mandell didn’t write the novel. I’m also fairly certain John Travolta has some pull in the industry and can get movies made. So he was hired to put an existing story into screenplay format at the direction of John Travolta and the church maybe? I don’t think he deserves the criticism.

[@NadirNovelties]

@@redbaron8130 And yet it's pretty much his only writing credit.

[@JoelAdamson]

If you watch his full video, you'll hear about what happened. He's credited for union purposes. The script was completely rewritten with different characters by Church of Scientology people, but they had to credit him because he developed it and wrote multiple drafts.

[@rogerdsmith]

Anyone that would take another 30 seconds to search the Film Courage channel, will discover a video Corey made, where he goes into excruciating detail about exactly what happened. There was another team of writers after him, who completely changed the script. If I remember correctly, Cory actually tried to get his name removed, as a screenwriter, from the credits of that film.

[@maxwellsmartarse2916]

So if producers are only reading the first page of scripts before rejecting 99% of them ... yet so many horrific movies like battlefield earth are still getting made ... how bad are the rejected scripts? Or, is the accepted standard to only accept shit scripts?

[@paulonius42]

Great video with a great lineup of advice and specific answers! Thank you! :)

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Paxpaul, glad you found value in this video!

[@paulonius42]

@@filmcourage I've grumbled at other videos, so it's only fair that I praise too! Whoever selected and edited these clips did an excellent job. Keep up the awesome work, stay healthy, and thank you! :)

[@filmcourage]

We appreciate it. Didn't have as much material as we would like and did the best we could. Thought there was enough to at least be valuable. Cheers. Stay safe and keep creating!

[@SirGriefALot]

I don't get this idea. Don't you sometimes have to lay the groundwork for stuff that will pay off or become important later on? The first 40 minutes of 'Alien' is boring as hell so how did anyone get past the first page?!?

[@Derplander90]

Good point. But alien opening was rather visually appealing. I think they took that into consideration.

[@smartalecc]

What Screenwriters get wrong on Page 1 is they assume they're a creative storyteller by trying to get the approval of an exec on page 1. If you really want to tell your OWN stories you gotta make the thing yourself.

[@zachjohnson9859]

I’m ready to write my screenplay

[@LightW]

Good luck! 🍀

[@shadeburst]

In days of yore the audience had paid for their tickets, it was a night out, and walking out of the theater was simply not done. Now they'll give you a couple of minutes and [click]. When you write a novel they're going to look at the front cover, the title, the back cover, and skim the first paragraph, and if they don't like it they'll put it back on the shelf. Some readers like a chatty style, others want to get straight into the action, but your work sells purely on first impressions. If you want you can start with a long shot of mist in the early morning valley and close-ups of insects sipping the beaded dew etc etc, but you'd better get to the dejected fairy princess sitting on a rock with begrimed wings pretty soon. Or the camouflaged sniper or the fly fisherman with the floating body about to come into view.

[@JoelAdamson]

My problem with Part 2 "The Answer" is that hooking the audience/reader is a great objective, but who doesn't have that objective? Are there writers out there who actually are trying to bore readers with the first page? Are there people who don't know a script is supposed to be compelling? This just seems like a lot of hot air: obviously writers know what they're supposed to do. They just don't know how to do it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I find the idea preposterous, that there are just tons of writers out there deliberately writing boring material because they think that's what they're supposed to do. That's ridiculous.

[@Jinseioshiro]

Scene 1 is a set up for scene 2 which is a set up for 3 and so on. It's all about set up and buildup.

[@geetanjaliiyer3728]

What most of the screenwriter gets wrong , is they get a lazy READER, who hardly do a justice to their job, and toss away a script, if its not meeting their expectations right from the word go. Those have compelled so many creative people to become slave of these formula and methods of what should be on which page. But, that is how life is...!

[@cinechris5886]

11:30 Wally! Yes, wonderful exposition of concept.

[@tarman47]

If Hollywood executives knew what they were doing then there would be a lot of good movies and shows to watch. And there isn’t.

[@OlgaKuznetsova]

Always such good advice!!

[@Ride2Eat]

Wait, why is there so much bad stuff out there? 98% of what you can watch is terrible. Are the people making choices on scripts the problem? Where is the breakdown? Anyone want to do a video about that?

[@Dimahfilms]

Yea Corey Mandell: battlefield earth, budget: 73 million, box office 29 million. Mannnnn I understand of education of writing but at the same time writing is Art . Art don’t have rules.

[@loach711]

I say we burn all copies of save the cat and exile all executives who go by it.

[@kokoleka808]

While "Save the Cat" offers good tips on screenplay mechanics and physics, the heart and soul of any movie is the story. Michael Hauge touched on this in this video, while some of the greatest screenwriting teachers of all time, such as Robert McKee, insists that Hollywood execs and studios ultimately buy great stories, not scripts based on catchy loglines like Blake Snyder would like us to believe.

[@two-moonz2953]

You mean end up working at Disney with Kathleen Kennedy on Star Wars?

[@ComicPower]

I love this montage of advice and analysis. Awesome.

[@filmcourage]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnathandeveraux4578]

Also some people sell movies/tv shows with no script. Premise alone. So…

[@anthonydavis4829]

Writers should tell the story they like. Don't try to please evey point you read or hear. This is why polish is put on at the end.

[@hnttakata713]

This video starts out with doubt; 98 percent of scripts are tossed by page ten. By who? The atypical Hollywood agent looking for the atypical blockbuster with action and no meaningful dialogue?

[@vincesierra555]

But what if it's not about the writing, but the content that turns the reader away? Similarly, how many times have people said a movie is great but you're just not interested in the subject so you don't even give it chance.

[@heroireianjo3799]

I would say, on page one, show something normal that shows the basic thing for the character that makes them deserving to have a show or movie about them.

[@greyeyed123]

What I want to know is how I can write a great script fast for huge money. I don't care about reading scripts, writing words, how movies or stories work. How do I get rich quick? What's the trick? Or would it be easier to sell drugs? I hear there is lots of money in that.

[@Genus2525]

The Hollywood reader/story analyst is largely a bored factory employee sitting in for a paycheck, deploying bad management factory values in search of an elusive pearl.

[@BlueSideUp77]

Good writing advice.

[@davidpearson611]

Thank you...AGAIN! Very helpful

[@filmcourage]

Glad this was helpful David!

[@IDVDalot]

Thank you

[@BvBshow]

thank God we no longer have to rely on gatekeepers to make and distribute content. a rude awakening is coming. a lot of wallets will suffer. good lucx to everyone and to the creatives who understand the shift that is underfoot, get ready for tons of awesomeness... no more compliance... make your own route. Ask for forgiveness, but never ask for permission. NO MERCY!

[@restlessnative9305]

11:52 I have never, Never gone to a theater to find out more about myself. How narcissistic do you have to be to think that way?

[@JohnMoseley]

They're all right, but, with respect, especially with regard to the earlier parts of this video, that's sort of a problem. There's a lot of shoulds. I've done improv and I'd say it's a far better grounding for writers than all this paralysing perfectionism because it gives you so much permission to fail and be bad, which is the only real way to learn, to actually get stuff down and get a feel for what works. Stephen King in On Writing basically says he wrote a ton of stories when he was young and most of them didn't work, but gradually he found his way to things that did - and when he did, it wasn't because it obeyed a load of abstract rules, it just felt like the kind of story he wanted to be telling.As one of the speakers here acknowledges, those things that make you want to keep going are pretty hard to define. But by starting many stories fast and loose, without worrying about it, you can find your way to a mode where you're naturally entertaining yourself, naturally making the protagonist relatable etc. and doing it in ways that don't feel clunky and obvious. That said, i do agree that creating compelling jeopardy is key and, one way or another, generally takes a lot of work and a certain amount of going deep in terms of one's own wants, needs, fears and sense of what opposes one.

[@filmcourage]

Great comment John, thanks for posting!

[@JohnMoseley]

@@filmcourage And thank you, Film Courage. I really do find the advice helpful, I just think an ability to relentlessly, recklessly and enjoyably attack the blank page probably comes first.

[@Ruylopez778]

@@JohnMoseley To push back a little, I think a lot of this advice might come from analysing what works, and imitating it, rather than finding it out through experimentation, but then we could also argue all King did was come to the same consensus. He's still drawing on the books and stories that he's seen on a subconscious level. Of course, it's true there's a difference between analysing and creating. Audiences seem to want the same thing, whether we find it by instinct or outlining. Finally, while some like to find answers through discovery, not everyone learns in that style. Some people enjoy being given boundaries, and reasoning, so the analytical side of things is more interesting to them than the intuitive, to some degree. Some people want immediate answers [regardless of how effective they are] rather than "waste time" (in their eyes) trying to discover things that are already established.

[@JohnMoseley]

@@Ruylopez778 I agree and I've found lots of story structure advice useful and even more of it interesting. But In a lot of ways, I'm talking to the me of ten years ago and others who might feel the same: I wish I'd learned to get into the flow of making up stories from scratch first, learned that that's something one can do over and over and that it gets better and gives you more options the more you do. Edson himself goes on to extoll the necessity of just reading and writing a hell of a lot. I think doing this over and over - something I really still haven't done enough - is what gives you the confidence and freedom you need just to get through a script and it's probably later in rewrites that the guidelines become really helpful. I take your point about different learning styles, but in a way also my point is that the structure stuff is seductive for almost anyone new to this because it appears to offer a map at a point when one feels fundamentally lost and insecure. I think this can be a dangerous illusion. Vicki King's How to Write a Screenplay in 21 Days almost functions as a kind of (deliberately and cleverly) hilarious satire of this: she gets you to map our your 3-act structure, then keeps popping up in the writing process to reassure you as the map falls apart. A lot of her point is just to get you writing and making discoveries that way. All that said, certain mapping processes, done quite fast and improvisationally, have lately seemed useful and fun to me as more writing exercises, more ways of getting down possibilities concretely. Again, I'm glad of a background in loose improvisation just to be able to use them like that.

[@Ruylopez778]

@@JohnMoseley Well yes but the easiest way to learn a skill is to imitate. Even without any knowledge of writing, like how children write stories at school, it's still imitating what they've read. In order to master the craft, isn't it better to go beyond imitating and understand why those tropes work and how? That's either through trial and error and experimentation, or following advice. I think both are equally valid depending on the writer. I take confidence in knowing that even writers like Gaiman still panic midway through the writing process, thinking they don't know what they're doing.

[@DAMON409]

A screenplay has to keep the interest of the reader, so if there aren't enough story beats to keep the interest moving, the reader will stop reading. The first page doesn't need to be brilliant; just has to get the readers attention.

[@shirlsshirls8594]

If these readers, producers, executives etc actually knew what they were doing, there wouldn’t be so many terrible movies being made.

[@filmcourage]

What are the best movies you have seen?

[@seanmccormick1412]

I think the most important thing is everything you write either has to develop character or move the story forward. Then there is an understanding your first draft is always your sh**t draft. It's only a guide post. I'm a aspiring screenwriter but there is no clear answer to this question.

[@sandal_thong8631]

That sounds better than some of the blurbs they said in this video.

[@einsteindarwin8756]

Thank you. The perfect storyline in my opinion is Midsummer Murders or any Agatha Christie movie.

[@Sophia-wv6yf]

I love you Film Courage 💜💙💚💛

[@filmcourage]

Cheers Sophia!

[@AKN8V]

Sophia second that!

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Anthony!

[@luchomscyfy]

Everybody saying "it's the writer of Battlefield Earth", but remember: it was a novel by.....L. Ron Hubbard. I never read it, but it must be a pain in the ass adapting that thing from a crazy cult leader, with followers like Travolta or Tom Cruise, to the big screen.

[@RealCameronV]

It’s even worse then. Now we’re supposed to take advice from the guy that didn’t actually write the story he’s being credited for on screen

[@user-un-known]

@@RealCameronV Check out the video where he explains in details just what the hell happened, what part he played, how it affected him, and what can you do to avoid ending up being one of credited writers on "worst movie ever". Video is on this channel. I highly recommend it.

[@Chris-pn2iy]

I regularly check this channel, and these videos are interesting and informative. But I kind of want to know the interviewer's opinions about writing, TV, films, the entertainment business, etc.

[@ChucksNourish]

@John Doe I think it's more of who you know, when it comes to tv shows and movies with terrible writing. Most of these videos are geared towards those who don't have an easy in into the industry and have to make up for it with more skill than others.

[@plutovenus4101]

This people are bunch of so called gods who follow some rules made by some people. These people are criminals if they get paid to read the first page ? How many of you remember a movie's first Scene. I bet hardly any. Because a movie has hardly anything to do with what's its first Scene. I feel sad.... possibly people like them put so many great stories in the dustbin. RIP to some of the great writers and great movies....

[@vikkipakki]

Hello. So can someone tell me how a horror movie works? for example let's take The Conjuring. Who are we following in that film as the main character? The family who wants to save their kids or the Warrens who come in later to help the family. For something as complicated as the Matrix, we can say the story is going to follow Neo. But with horror genre, there is this family which goes somewhere or does something stupid and gets into trouble, and later on a priest comes in to the rescue. So who is the main guy? who should I write about? (sorry about the long question). Thank you!!

[@roger8654]

I have read shitty scripts that got sold. I wouldn't listen to any of this diatribe. Cory is responsible for writing the script for a movie that ruined John Travolta's career.

[@pierbover]

This is awesome. Would be great if you added links to the original interviews.

[@tusharsonar963]

This is very helpful... Always wanted to thank you guys at the Film Courage. Thank you for bringing so many great teachers at one place. It has been helping me to shape my screenplay.

[@filmcourage]

Love to hear it Tushar! Thanks for taking the time post this comment. Keep writing!

[@G0TIMAN]

>just write, don't afraid being rejected >if you fail on first page, you will not be a good screenwriter HOLY FUCK

[@victorallencook7107]

Creative writing with less words . Less is more in screenwriting .

[@koegness]

This the biggest lie you have ever been told

[@victorallencook7107]

@@koegness No, your description should NOT be a half of a page paragraph .

[@123mandalore777]

Is this why most modern movies are so bad and samey now? Because writers and studio producers are basically forced to acquire ADHD just to get through the metric ton of scripts they get sent? Remember Luke Skywalker wasn't introduced until the 16th minute, and even in the script for his earlier deleted intro scene was just a really boring scene of him by himself looking through some binoculars into space. I imagine there are thousands of 10/10 quality scripts out there that never got made because someone couldn't make it past the first 2 pages.

[@stillbuyvhs]

George Lucas got in because the producer liked American Grafitti. Also, the early draft of Star Wars was much, much different than what wound up on the screen.

[@DevonRichardsCreates]

So... Write good..? That is the laziest advice I've ever heard.

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

They give plenty of specific examples of what they think constitutes good writing. That's not the same as what you said. Also, it's "write well." So even that advice isn't useless.

[@Statford]

Karl Iglesias: "In the movie Leon, it opens up with the character performing a hit, he kills people. So we don`t know if he`s good or bad".....ok, time for you to stop giving advice, and take the guy who wrote Battlefield Earth with you. He should really not be giving advice on good writing, just tell us how you wrote one of the worst movies ever, so we can learn from your mistakes....

[@JackTucker-b4i]

Thank God the screenwriter of critically acclaimed classic film Battlefield Earth is giving me advice on how to write

[@dangoudreau7366]

This is such bulls$#%t. The laziness of readers and producers to already decide every script in their possession is such total crap that there is no chance whatsoever that there could be anything good past the first 30 words is so extremely pretentious. They would have turned down every single great film at the script level with that kind of laziness. It's more than that, it's a discrimination. A brilliant script will fall in their lap which will require a full read through for them to be able to even grasp it but if they don't see the age old devices they are expecting, they have already rejected it and used it for toilet paper. if it's a new genre defining thing, it would be impossible for them to notice due to laziness and bias.

[@j.oakley9588]

So how the hell did Battlefield Earth get squeezed through?!

[@filmcourage]

Here's more on how it got made along with more of Corey's story - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKiwlJpslKaIlck

[@arthurballs2754]

It was a passion project by then-A-lister John Travolta, he's Scientologist and B.E. is based on the novel of the same name written by the founder of Scientology: L. Ron Hubbard

[@j.oakley9588]

Arthur Balls I vaguely know the story behind it. It’s just that we are talking about what makes a “good” script. So I guess we can take all this information and pretty much disregard it… As long as you are an A-list celebrity who wants to get a “passion project” green lit.

[@amirtaufiq797]

Guys help me. when we're writing, in some scene do we have to tell the real reason why character been doing this or that? I mean do we have to make producer keep guessing like audience or just exposing? example scene 20, character A kills character B, the answer behind that criminal is on scene 50 do I have to tell immediately why he's killing?

[@tiluchapa5621]

You should take Corey Mandell's workshop. I'm about to finish it and it is awesome. You'll get all answers to your questions.

[@QualityVideoService]

Do any of these people being interviewed have major TV/Film writing credits?

[@filmcourage]

Yep

[@QualityVideoService]

@@filmcourage I checked out Daniel Stamm, I didn't realize we wrote 13 Sins, cool movie.

[@justayoutuber1906]

Anyone that lists Battlefield Earth as a proud accomplishment is suspect.

[@IRONCROWNPRODUCTIONS]

How can this be true if some movies Like “once upon a time in the west “ nothing happens for 10 mins in the beginning but maybe I should read that script

[@AKN8V]

Na'Im HD QT is an established writer/director; I believe these rules are for non-established peeps.

[@AKN8V]

Na'Im HD sorry I just realized you were talking about “the West, not Hollywood” but still... Sergio Leon was established and “once upon a time in the west” had a great buildup for Charles Brunson’s entrance. Plus he had small conflicts throughout the opening before CB stood tall against the bad guys. Would they kill the old man? Who are they waiting for? Why didn’t he try to kill the fly? The water dropping on the guys hat... plus that’s a classic and classics had a different audience; an audience that was more willing to settle into the movie experience. Man that’s a great movie, especially cool how Sergio made us wait until the very end to tell us who Charles Bronson is or was.

[@paulneary3094]

@@AKN8V I don't think he meant the Tarantino movie, but the classic Sergio Leone western. And in that, the opening scene doesn't have a single word of dialogue or exposition

[@AKN8V]

Paul Neary yeah, I realized that after I sent my first reply, lol. So I sent an apology and then talked about the classic Leone western. If I remember correctly, the only dialogue was from the old man selling the train tickets. Lol

[@c4n940]

A LOT is happening tho. I just checked the first minute of the movie for the experience.. and I can already pick up 3 mysteries and 1 conflict. Plus I've never watched this movie and I can already tell you that I want to see more (and the scene isn't even finished yet) This is great writing.

[@coolme1168]

did u find it

[@Felix-z2r]

I would like to know the average age of those 'readers' and what experience or talent they bring to a read. Some seem to be post University grads~! ( bless their hearts)

[@chrisianlewis]

I was 20 when I got my first Reader job. They gave me one script to read and provide feedback to (one A4 page). Then the head of development read my review. She liked it, so I had a job. My job was to read a script start to finish and if I liked what I read then I put it in the hands of the head of development for the next stage. In the 3 months of being in that role I put through zero Scripts. most scripts are not engaging from page to page. bad dialogue. Cliche story points. Unclear character motivations (from start to finish). Minimal conflict. It was both depressing and inspiring to an aspiring writer. every company is different (and my company tended to make smaller movies with the exception of a couple of big coproductions) but there was no emphasis on how commercial it had to be. They wanted weird stories. Obscure characters. Dark themes. But it still has to be a page turner.

[@Felix-z2r]

@@chrisianlewis Hello Cris; thank you for your reply. I have often wondered how studios dive through the thousands of scripts or log lines that they receive. Are you still working in the same capacity? Are you a writer? Regards

[@aymen2949]

Those rules don't make a good movie, probably they get to make very conventional films !!

[@RichRayBeatsnFilms]

So in other words, someone gave a break to certain screenwriters because there are some movies out there that should be in the trash. Correct?😂😂🤣 Not being negative at all. I'm just trying to figure this out.

[@prismagraphy]

RichRay Films by DJ Sharp Beats more like the screenwriter did all of the stuff mentioned, but a director or producer had final say and scenes got cut or changed on set 😅

[@Ruylopez778]

Just an FYI for anyone watching who likes Corey's methodology, he has recently uploaded three videos on his own channel.

[@two-moonz2953]

And the first page of Battlefield Earth was....?

[@filmcourage]

Here's more on how it happened - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKiwlJpslKaIlck

[@maciek8159]

Stop making excuses for him. Even if they didn’t fuck with his screenplay it would still be a shit movie

[@carlysmith2687]

this was extremely helpful!

[@samantaluna3870]

I don't think it's really conflict that should be established in the first pages, as it's a sense of mystery. To hook the reader, you need them to become curious about the established setting. About the life of the character and what incident will interrupt that peaceful life.

[@VinceLyle2161]

I'm supposed to listen to a guy who has "Battlefield Earth" on his resume?

[@filmcourage]

You don't have to listen to anybody.

[@saracena996]

There is a saying that goes abad beginning is a good ending

[@artsveiman7776]

spent 5 minutes watching this video and it said the same thing over and over for 5 whole minutes, why should I want to watch more?

[@nicolaspierola424]

Such a diverse bunch this is!

[@thebougiewinechick1869]

Let's be real these producers like more than 2% of the scripts they read. The 2% they accept probably have a famous name or big player attached to them.

[@Ruylopez778]

No, I don't think they do. I think they get sent a ton of crap, that isn't ready. They might find something they like about it if they get past the first scene, but why bother trying if the first scene is boring?

[@MHElahi85]

I got notes on my recent pilot by David Wappel, really good guy.

[@filmcourage]

Great to hear!

[@torinibasoren]

S N A P POPS off the page

[@BeMyArt]

And after all of this so much lame shows coming out 😅 Even so system exists - it doesn't work well

[@AlicanErenKuzu]

It's because people in the industry have no clue what they are doing. The guys in this video are a good example. They talk about how the first pages have to hook without ever mentioning that a readers opinion depends much on their personality, intelligence and attention.

[@aprilmiller6767]

Does it say anything about the industry that the only professionals interviewed are men?

[@smfknj6010]

April Miller oh god. Another overly sensitive feminist who can’t realize she’s just an idiot so she blames men for being sexist

[@ericwilliams626]

Stop trying to sell a script. Sell an idea.

[@ericwilliams626]

@alo alo Sorry for you being argumentative instead of saying anything constructive. Maybe you're just a simp.

[@HirographFX]

Battlefield Earth was terrible! butI guess being sponsored by scientology no-one cared about its quality

[@joshmos]

We should listen to anyone involved with Battlefield Earth???? Lmao

[@AauroraPictures]

Aliens ruling Earth in year 3000. Possibly the worst movie of this century.-Ny times

[@DarrenJSeeley]

Battlefield Earth is a terrible film. But that does not make Mandell's opinions and information any less valid. Besides, there's a related Film Courage video on the issue worth checking out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKiwlJpslKaIlck

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Darren!

[@AauroraPictures]

@@DarrenJSeeley Yes of course. Anyones that has made it that far in Hollywood has some good knowledge for sure.

[@maciek8159]

Quit sticking up for the douche bag. He admitted to ripping of 99 % of his students in class by only focusing on a few. But he happily accepted their money