PASS or CONSIDER?? How Producers View Your Screenplay

[@mariaalaniz719]

This is an extraordinarily content rich video regarding the Hollywood filmmaking industry and how it works in practice. It is highly recomendable viewing to any screeplay writer who would try to make a place for themselves in this system.

[@iamscotthouston]

Simple, direct and invaluable. Thank you.

[@everafter2611]

I just got my very first consider. It's a confidence booster but that's it. I heard about people getting a recommendation but still don't make it.

[@BigRedStripe]

Yes!! A "consider" is a win and means you are getting closer. Don't give up. Keep submitting. Keep writing. Congratulations! ... now, here's to the option or the sale!

[@jenangeli6635]

Thank you! There's so much here to help with perspective and approach.

[@matthewlavagna6080]

I think it's important when you're writing to try to look at your screenplay from the point of view of a producer. ie If I were the one producing this film what would I need for this scene? How much would it cost? Is there a way to write it which would make it easier and cheaper to film without diminishing the story?

[@BigRedStripe]

Yes, but to a point. If you do it too much it can cripple your story because you start second guessing things that you don't need to. What I do is before I start writing, I decide some of the broad parameters I'll play in for that script--things like budget, for example. If it's a big film, I just go big. If not, I don't. Casting, though, is always at play and the main character should be one that could be played by a big star... so always consider casting. But the other stuff? Not as much, at least once I start writing. I might address some of it in a later pass, but middle drafts are about story and storytelling. Main thing I'd say is "think about it and be aware of it, especially if it's a script you are planning to shop, but don't dwell on it."... that's the producer's job. But it does help you deliver better scripts if you think about your script from their perspective... that is 100% true.

[@matthewlavagna6080]

@@BigRedStripe The original Raiders of the Lost Ark screenplay included a long fight between Indiana Jones and a swordsman. When it came to filming they decided to cut out the fight by just having Indy shoot him. Cutting the scene saved alot of time/money and the simple act of Indy shooting the swordsman also provided a moment of comedy. Would the film be better if it had included the fight scene? It's hard to say but it just shows that it can be difficult to know what to include in a screenplay and sometimes there is no right or wrong answer. If I had been the writer and I knew that the budget was modest I probably would have chosen not to include that scene in the screenplay where as if I knew that the budget was big I probably would have included it.

[@allthingselderly]

Having at least a solid 5 well written, original, unique, stories in hand...is a good thing.

[@user-zd1jh5zz9n]

I think Independent Film making is like comparing Mountain climbing crews to Deep sea divers.. They have a great zest for challenges but they operate different. The term Easy come- Easy Go.. Describes the big boys.. Stephen Spielberg and West Side Story. Someone didn't do their market research. I enjoyed it, My late mom would of but it just didn't have a core of an audience that was remotely interested. So Yes This video is very very very good. I agree with everything except your final points. It all depends on how much time and money the producers have at any given time to throw their hat in the ring with a new project or not. Sometimes like the lottery. Your project has to hit that special synch. Rare with 25,000 new scripts are worked up every year..

[@claudiamanta1943]

From a strictly economical perspective, it’s about maximising profit. Therefore, all other things being equal, they will choose to make the movie that will be a successful one with fewer resources needed. Why waste money?

[@spacecatboy2962]

dude, i a tellin ya, i just put a new polish on a script i started a few years ago and even printed out a bound copy, dang i hate punchin all those holes. Anyways, this could be sweet babe. This is a good one. One for the national register

[@potential2themax]

Nice video big red !! It amazes me what is out there… I can barely bring myself to view a film fearing I may stop watching it halfway through. So, with all the Scripts out there and submitted, and movies being made - where is the quality? Whats ur opin?

[@BigRedStripe]

Generally when I watch films, I don't watch to criticize, but to either: a) enjoy or just get lost in it, or b) learn what they do well Every film, doesn't matter how bad, has some good elements. And if I am watching a film I'd categorize as "bad," I start trying to look for the good things. A good performance, or moment, or story beat, or shot composition, or score, or any host of other things that contribute to the story. Every story can be improved upon, and I don't know of any artist who is 100% satisfied with everything they create. They always see ways to improve. So for me, I just spin to see what I can learn from the film. Have I sat through some bad films? 100% My college roommate loved (and still loves) "B" movies, and some of those are definitely not award winning filmmaking... but I've learned a ton from watching them. Last thought, any writer looking to break in to Hollywood has to have a couple of really great scripts. If a new writer sells a script, it's probably really good. Can it get hobbled in the filmmaking? Sure. But everyone involved in the filmmaking process is approaching the project with a "I want to do the best job I can" attitude, so I tend to give a lot of grace and know that sometimes too many cooks get in the kitchen and spoil the stew. I'm appreciative of the work it takes to get a film done, even a bad one, so I opt for a "what can I learn" mindset, which greatly impacted how fast I learned, especially when I was starting out in the business.

[@thomascrump1165]

Nice I'll think about this before even starting any future projects.

[@TiagoCavalcanti-ji6hu]

Straightforward. Well done! Cheers!!!

[@spacecatboy2962]

all i need to know is how many minutes will they give me for my oscar speech

[@BigRedStripe]

90 seconds. Talk fast.

[@claudiamanta1943]

@@BigRedStripe ☹️🤔 Thoroughly disappointing. Film industry does not deserve me if this is how they treat a genius 🧐

[@regularolpoet1462]

The game seems so hard it makes me want to play. Thank you. Great clip.

[@TGo-n-Roscoe]

Alright... I'm here...I happened to be up.

[@marklerux9923]

I got the next Western complete .tittle riding into the sunset Montana. Keep the set and shoot save amen

[@MenopauseMountain]

I absolutely love your channel it's so informative and really direct. Do you have a video on treatments?

[@BigRedStripe]

Pretty sure I don't. I do cover it in my coaching program, but treatments are complicated (in some ways) and super simple (in others), so it depends how they are being used and in what context. A TV treatment is very, very different than a feature treatment... even though there are several similarities.

[@JamesFleming1]

Great advice as always. I’ve written a screenplay and its sequel and there is plenty more to this tale. The question that I have is what is the best way to generate interest and protect my IP? Write a comic? The novel? Try to produce a trailer/short?

[@BigRedStripe]

Copyright it with the US Copyright office to establish creation date. That's the best way. Any of your other options can also work, but it depends on what the story is... the medium you tell a story within can often impact the nature of the story itself.

[@claudegagne9803]

It's pretty discouraging. I think a person would be better off going to school and becoming a surgeon. At least you'll only have to open one door, the university door! Screenwriting is addictful. There are too many doors to open and the chances of getting in are pretty slim. Even if you have a good script, it could take years before you can see it on screen. But for me, I love it. It's a hobby and if someone by any chance gets to see my work on Stage 32 and like my stuff, then maybe I won't have too many doors to open. Ha, have a good one.

[@claudiamanta1943]

Money IS important. I don’t know anything about film making, but I don’t like waste (time, money, and other resources). Yes, a screenplay is a commodity, but I, personally, would not look at a producer or director as source of income. That’s just me. I had a screenplay in mind and, strangely enough, I realise now that I was thinking about how many sets and special effects I would need to make it. Also, not focusing on too many spectacular props and effects is respectful for the actors because their talent can properly shine, thanks to their performances not being obscured by overwhelming special effects. I don’t like movies that are all spectacular explosions and CG monsters where the actors are just props. Even if they are paid well, it deprives them of the opportunity to do an excellent job (and earn an Oscar). Speaking of intellectual property- if I write a screenplay that is successful AND it can be used for a video game, who has property rights for the game? Last, but not least, I am not sure that Harry Potter movies are just for children and teenagers. Maybe, ideally, a movie should stir something in a larger audience than the main target group…A movie seemingly for young people might speak to older people who reminisce about, and re-live, their younger years (maybe even achieve some resolution to real past issues by artistic proxi). Maybe the younger audience can take something away from a movie that is seemingly about/for older people (The Notebook). Maybe I’m wrong, but this is what I think. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@BigRedStripe]

If you write a screenplay, whoever buys the screenplay will have all of the rights. Including video game rights. Only way to keep it as yours would be to do the video game first... or to write a graphic novel... and then sell the film rights and the video game rights separately. As far as audiences go, don't worry about that. Have an idea in mind, and then write your movie. Don't worry about a lot of those things.

[@bakhshishsingh2711]

Good

[@rjpeters8674]

Question? I've written an animated/live action Fairy Tale. Am considering the setup on page one with a flashback on two and then there are two more flashbacks and a flash forward within it. We do end back in the present. I'm told readers hate that. This true?

[@BigRedStripe]

Always depends on the story. See my other answer.

[@Felix-mp2vj]

Let's just take indie productions. My question is: is it still important to have a big star name as a protagonist? Because there are lots of movies whose protagonist isn't so known (even the protagonist of Avatar was not a big star at time)

[@BigRedStripe]

If it's an Indie film? Yes. _Avatar_ is not an Indie film and James Cameron's in a whole other category. Bigger budget movies with big directors can get movies made, so it doesn't just have to be the actor. But someone with a track record and a big name of some capacity. OR... everyone is completely new and unheard of and the film wins Sundance or something like that.

[@badandy9716]

With the HW box office returns so low comparatively speaking and a great number of projects going straight to streaming services; would you say producers are currently looking for low budget scripts with higher potential?

[@BigRedStripe]

Yes, currently projects less than $20M or so will get much more play than more expensive scripts. The bigger budgets will come back, but for right now it's going to be the $10M-$20M scripts get the most play from industry people... mostly because they don't have the money to spend at the moment. It will change, though. Everything in Hollywood is cyclical. Bigger budgets will come back, but not for a few years unless it's a big franchise or massive IP. So if you're writing a spec, consider something a little smaller... and small budgets can still feel big. Example: _John Wick_ was around $20M.

[@claudiamanta1943]

@@BigRedStripe Just wait until the AI starts writing scripts and making 90% of the movie, for online streaming companies, whilst incurring very low production costs. Maybe it’s just me being overly pessimistic, but the cinema art (and even industry) is at risk.

[@resident1123]

I scare