Screenwriting : Pandemic stories not even worth the time right now? by Devin Overman

Now. Possibly.

I wrote one in 2015. Sold it in 2019. Funding feel over in 2020. More finance was hard to get because, believe it or not. There wasn’t enough pandemic in the story.

But that boat has sailed. If you think of it as a genre, a scenario, an external force. It will be that for a long time.

Ask feedback from your circle of trust. It could be a great writing sample for staff tv jobs or rewrites on paid jobs in the pipeline.

Gotta believe in 2-3 years the pandemic will be over and consumers will be more accepting to pandemic themed movies and tv shows. Smart Buyers are probably stacking movie and tv ideas for year 2022-2025.

I think outcome/aftermath stories would do even better...'specially if this pandemic lingers...

Dan MaxXx I'm thinking the same - writing sample or maybe people will be open to it later. It's a very sweet story, not as depressing as one would think.

Barry John Terblanche Trashing work is only an option for me if it's terrible. Sadly, I feel this one is quite good. Maybe my best. I actually haven't read or heard of any other pandemic scripts, except people making movies themselves. Not to say they aren't out there, but not as prevalent as even I had expected.

The feel within the industry is to get away from the negativity and claustrophobia. Entertainment is escapism after all.

After the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, there was a glut of frantically written specs offering stories that explained the mystery. After the success of 50 Shades of Grey numerous publishers joked that they had to rename their slush pile the "blush pile".

What seems to succeed well after a fad are stories which come at the subject from a radically different angle and/or focus heavily on the humanity. I think anybody with a very unique take, that has strong commercial appeal, would be wise to invest time in a spec.

I think that if you feel there is a story growing with a unique point of view (maybe that bit about not being what's expected tonally) you should dig and make it grow.

You live this pandemic too, you hear about it as much as anyone... so if all that fuss pushes you forward in your story, go for it. If on the contrary it repells you and gets more and more complicated, maybe it's not time.

Market is bored and doesn't know what it wants. If it did it wouldn't need authors and specs.

Good luck !

Devin Overman the number 1 annual BL script last year was about a hero who eats his victims. Cannibalism with a modern twist. A great writing sample will get you general meetings/Zoom calls. That is 100% fact.

Devin,

Ultimately it's just 5% story subject and quality of the story (combined) and 95% human PURSISTANCE that gets you over the finish line of making a movie.

And concerning story subject:

"... stories which come at the subject from a radically different angle and/or focus heavily on the humanity. " -AND- "a very unique take, that has strong commercial appeal, would be wise to invest time in a spec."

CJ, both a 100% "Agreed! (And trust me, if I thought you were talking sh.t, I would just as easily say it)

So there's a story...fine...

There's a production team. Better. But even if you have a complete production team including a well-known director and DP, half of the main characters, and secured shooting location(s), then there's still that famous ABBA song that keeps bugging you, playing over and over in your mind, making you conclude you only just entered your project's twilight zone -- its development phase -- knowing that if your script would have been absolutely perfect (which no script ever is, even after being revised in production), everybody still - at first - wants to be a 'minority' producer," and you're witnessing "perhaps the end of the beginning" of your project AT BEST.

Concluding: nothing really matters if there is/are no MAIN producers -- people who have, or can get you, the money to 'really' start the production process of your movie. So keep searching... and connect with people that can really help you. Then again. Having 30.000 connections on Stage32 is cool, SURE, I also like to "connect, " but is there really any NATURAL common ground, instead of saying "let us connect" so we -- the not arrived -- can work on a cool project... then doing a video call and then - ?so unexpected? in DUAL DIALOG say "this is how you can help me...," you both laugh, and only after finishing the call, realize that "this was IT. THE END." (Trust me, in some sort of form -- I've been guilty as Hell, but I'm trying -- trying real hard -- to be the shepherd.

And yes, CJ, knowing most of us have less to show for than you have, I can relate to you telling us to stop playing each other shrink, get off our lazy asses(=putting 99% sweat into screenwriting, but only1% into research and pitching), and start doing the walk, instead of only the talk. Nobody should want to grow old on this forum -- any forum. Thinking of it, it feels like I already pi..ed away enough time writing this... So let me conclude --- for all of us "like" it or not --

-- Life isn't easy. You will fail -- fall -- be ridiculed (or ridicule yourself) -- over and over again. But CJ and many others (also on this website) proved -- you should f..k the STATS and start 'falling forwards' ...over and over again; and even if you fall backward, you must crumble to your knees and stand upright -- like Rocky -- so you're able to climb that hill for the last time and enjoy the view... hopefully without too much brain-damage -- and you can feel a real HERO... but...hey, DON'T... wake up (!), it was JUST a film. You making a trillion mega-successful blockbusters could not even come close to what really matters -- being healthy, family, and (other) loved ones. A Corona crisis shouldn't need to remind us!

Devin Overman I am in a very similar situation at the moment. I have shelved mine for quite a while, but am leaning towards finding a home for it. In my opinion, people who want nothing to do with anything even remotely pandemic-like will feel the exact same way for the next several months, maybe years. You only need one yes. Go with your gut and if you think now's the time, go for it. Best of luck!

Thanks everyone for thoughts!!

If anyone is curious, I think I'm going to keep working on it, getting it polished, getting some feedback, etc. Then maybe I'll just focus on contests and fellowships right now. Maybe it'll earn me some clout and I can use that to prop up another project.

Maybe I'll even eyeball pitching it! You never know 'til you try!

I worked on a tv show about terrorism a year after 9/11. It lasted 2 seasons because people weren't ready to see anything related to terrorism. We had some reputable writers on board as well. Timing is everything.

Christine Capone I can definitely see that! It's hard to conceptualize, but my script is actually quite comforting. It's more about friendship and roses than a plague, to be honest haha

But if it means I can only use it in contests and as a writing sample, then it wouldn't be a total wash.

Write it! Its clearly speaking to you.

Oh ok well that's a different approach! I think it sounds interesting. Sometimes good can come from tragedy and it could give people hope.