Hello, again, Fancy Writin' Hollywood People. Let's cut to the chase. I'll start--
My most marketable screenplay (from a total of eight features) is my only one from the horror genre, HORROR-FEST.
Time taken to write: Over the course of an entire year, this script took 34 days.
Dream Director: MEL GIBSON.
I've attached a video below that ponders the question of "How much time?" The short feature also delves into film editing and story structure, which I found fascinating. Damn! That John Hughes sure could type a mile a minute!!!
Be well.
Write On!
Brock Out.
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Hey, Bill Brock. I'm not sure how long it took me to write my most marketable script. Maybe two or three months. It's a Horror Action script. My dream director for the script would be Zack Snyder because of Dawn of the Dead (2004).
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Maurice Vaughan Quick DOTD (2004) story. I saw this one on the big screen when it opened. I knew it was a remake, but hadn't seen the trailer at the time. So... imagine my SHOCK within the first 5 minutes of the movie when I discovered the zombies were REALLY FAST!!!! WOW, man. I'll never forget THAT!!
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I saw DOTD (2004) in theaters too, Bill Brock. I think fast zombies are scarier than slow zombies. You can avoid slow zombies easier, but not if it's a large group of them.
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Hi Bill Brock - marketable is such a subjective term, ay? Most marketable was likely 6 months and tops my list of me-like :-) It's a female lead action/sci-fi that would achieve wonders with Jodie Foster at the helm. Scary zombies? WW Z - creeped me out! Great cinematography!
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Bill, "Got Any More Bullets, Sister?" has the most possibilities of any script I've come up with thus far.
Actually started on it on 6-23-1985...but after two months, I got cold feet and didn't finish. I pulled it back out on 2-19-2020...and finally hit "FADE OUT" on 4-4-2020.
Now that "Bullets, Sister" is here on the Web, if Kasi Lemmons or Betty Thomas helmed the script...I'd do cartwheels.
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I have written numerous screenplays, and while I’ve optioned some big-budget ones in the past, the current market trends suggest they might not be as viable anymore. I’ve decided to focus on more realistic projects moving forward, starting with “Web of Deception,” which was previously optioned by John Travolta’s manager and producer, so it clearly has potential. My latest screenplay, “Cut to the Heist,” has garnered interest from my agent, who believes it’s marketable. Each screenplay took about two months to complete, and I’ve posted both here for your review. As far as directors go I could careless.
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Just curious how you personally define marketable. Do you compare it to what's out there and being marketed to the public or to what producers might be willing to take on? If it's the former, then I imagine it takes longer as you want to have your project as well written as possible (hence, more rewrites, feedback, etc.). If it's the latter, then an original concept might be more important than the draft's final polish. And that would not take as long.
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Dan, what are the loglines. please?
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Jed Power Here are the loglines. WEB OF DECEPTION: When a cunning con artist targets a young couple, they must navigate a treacherous web of deception and danger, racing against time to outsmart their adversary before they become the next victims in a deadly game of kill or be killer.
CUT TO THE HEIST: An ambitious agent and a reckless producer team up to make a heist movie, but when their production spirals out of control and funds dry up, wannabe mobsters demand results. Now, they face a wild choice: finish the film or pull off a real bank robbery.
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To write a marketable aka commercial script - depends on the genre, appreciating depth and detail add time. A month for an action up to twelve weeks for an historical drama. I have to add time for breaks from the script to reset my perspective. My dream would be to write an epic for Ridley Scott, and I like the thought of writing for James Cameron.
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Dan, Thanks!
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Jed Power You are welcome.
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Maurice Vaughan Two- three months? Very cool, M. Best of luck with the Soooky Script!
Thanks, Bill Brock. Best to you with your script!
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Matthew Kelcourse Agreed, Matt. When I speak "Marketable," I'm thinking what is your "Ace card" script for getting produced? Jodie Foster? Are you sure? She's in her 60s. Which script is strongest and would possibly attract an audience? I chose my horror script because the horror audience is VERY loyal. Plus, budget costs could remain low because the majority of the film's settings are a hotel and a cinema across the street.
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Okay, no more phone calls! We have our winner, Jim Boston, who held out completing his script in an INCREDIBLE 35 YEARS!!! Wow, Jim. First round's on me! Love the title!
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Dan Guardino HA, DAN! No big whoop on a choice of director? Damn! That's ballsy! I LOVE the logline for HEIST. That one sounds like a real blast! Best of luck with it. Life sure is strange. Perhaps SPIELBERG will say YES!!
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Daniel Broderick Hey, Dan. Marketable to me is having a strong first draft that has been revised and tweaked. Plus, is there an audience for what one has written? What's the budget and does the script have a built-in audience, as Horror usually does.... especially at this time of year.
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Rebecca James Thanks for sharing some excellent factors to consider, Rebecca. I was in the same room with Ridley Scott way back in 2000 when he was shooting HANNIBAL in Richmond, Virginia. I was a stand-in for one of the minor actors during the perfume scene. It was very cool to watch Scott work. Very quiet, very unassuming, and knows exactly what he wants. Julianne Moore was there that day. A rather TINY woman.
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Bill Brock Ridley hired the sexiest staff, male & female, for his commercial & music video company at trendy Melrose Place. Business looked like a Ford model agency lobby.
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I wrote the first draft of "Nobody's Heroes" (made semifinals at AFF 2024) in Feb 1984. Got me an agent at William Morris. When I left WM in 1987, I forgot about screenwriting until the forced idleness of the Covid Pandemic. Figured I'd bring it out of mothballs.
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Bill, thanks for the shout-out! (And it turns out those 35 years were well worth the wait...well, I like to think so!)
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Dan MaxXx OMG, DAN! Get me on that staff, PRONTO!
Oh, wait. I'm hideous-looking. Never mind.
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We're supposed to be writing marketable scripts?
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Dream Director: Todd Haynes. Why? because the guy loves rock music even more than Cinema. The exact right sensibilities to make masterpieces.