Thread by @SamanthaHorley

So I promised some cold hard truths to writers about submitting scripts to execs. Buckle up, this is gonna be bumpy. #scriptchat

The first thing to say is that they assume it’s going to be shit. Sad isn’t it? The fact is that most scripts are. Even the packaged* ones.

*packaged meaning with producer, director, cast.

When I say “shit” I mean creatively: plodding, too long, badly structured, don’t have payoff, bad characters etc

But also may be badly packaged: miscast, budget too high etc

Muddy genre, no audience**

Or here’s the clincher..

They may not be to that person or company’s MO. eg you’re sending a horror script to a company who does award winning dramas. 10 pages in and you know you’re gonna pass so you’re already wasting that person’s time.

Bearing in mind this is all at a professional level here.

So. What I can ASSURE you is that every exec in the film industry loves films. Of EVERY genre. We love talking films and TV. We love horror films and silly comedies and tearjerking dramas. (So don’t be a snob coz we aren’t).

In the example above if the script is good…

… it’ll likely get finished and you’ll get a nice note about your writing but it’ll still be a pass with perhaps an irk that you’ve not done your homework about this company.

**no audience/muddy genre. This is what I lecture on a lot as you know. A script can actually be good (a good page turning read) but if it has no audience, it can be perceived as shit. Tough isn’t it?

Sometimes it can be fixed. Sometimes not.

So, onwards. Most scripts are shit. I read a lot for an investor. For several years. In that time there has been ONE that I truly loved.

A couple were good but needed work… most were just not good at all.

So this is the sad bit…

All of us who read scripts started out loving films and excited to read scripts. But most are shit. Over time we all became jaded and it gets to the point that reading scripts is a fucking chore. See, told you it was sad.

Also, even the salaried execs are expected to read scripts outside of office hours. Sunny Sunday today and execs are resentful at having to read shit scripts on the weekend. For me, paid per script, I’m resentful a 128 page script is gonna be an even bigger bite out of my day.

I know one exec at a huge production co essentially suffering depression at having to read terrible scripts. You may well say tough shit, sure. But I understand the jadedness too well. You no longer have any expectations…

BUT the the joy… THE JOY!… when one comes through that you love. You want to jump up and down and it breathes life back into your jaded existence and you want to hug the writer and be their champion and it reminds you why you’re here in the first place.

This happens maybe once every five years.

So what am I saying? Make it as easy as possible for the exec so that their heart doesn’t sink when they come to your script. Start with page count. It’s literally the first thing we look at. Anything over 110 pages and we resent you already because it may be a sunny day.

Try around 100 max. Please. Edit edit edit. Be tough on yourself.

Genre. Choose one and stick to it. Don’t try and be tricksy and clever here. Needs a clear target audience.

A good title and a cracking two line pitch may well get you noticed if it makes an exec sit up…

… and say “That sounds cool, I wanna know more.”

I’m a writer now. I get my stuff read***. I also tell them “it’s an easy read.” Which my scripts are. The “action” is as fun as the rest because it’s tone setting. This is a whole other thing I’ll get into another time.

*** if you think I get my stuff read because I have the contacts, well, sometimes sure. But guess what, most of the execs I send my stuff to? Well, they assume it’s gonna be shit. See above.