Your script’s title is crucial. It can help you get requests from producers, directors, etc., and it'll definitely help market the movie/show. There are different types of titles to pick from:
A title that tells what your script is about like “Sharknado” and “S.W.A.T.”
The “How to…” title like “How to Train Your Dragon” and “How to Lose Friends & Alienate People”
The “Guide to…” and “Guidebook to…” titles like “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” and “The Single's Guidebook”
The tale title like “Shark Tale” and “The Handmaid's Tale”
The monster/villain title like “The Thing” and “Chucky”
A title that tells where your story takes place like “Pleasantville” and “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia”
A really unique/unusual title like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
Try to make your title as catchy as possible, avoid confusing titles, and avoid picking a title that’s way too long.
There’s probably other types of titles. If you know any, feel free to post them in the comments.
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You can name your film after the protagonist: "John Wick"
Or you can go with the character's feelings or situation they find themselves in: "The Beguiled" or "Don't Breathe"
For me, picking a title is one of the hardest parts of writing. It's gotten a little easier over time, but sometimes I just can't come up with a title that clicks.
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Thanks for sharing those, Lisa Lee. Glad it's gotten a little easier for you over time. It's gotten easier for me, but it's hard to pick a title sometimes. I do a lot of work to come up with a title that works. I look up the definition of words, mash words together, etc.
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You can use lyrics or song titles: Title of my Romantic Drama is a song title from the 6os, "I'll Never Find Another You.". Use punctuation to create misdirection or mystery as in "In Self Defense?"
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Great ideas, Michael Elliott! I never thought of those. Thanks.
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It’s funny because the first thing that came to my mind was the title and only after I began to write the outline :)) Now, I changed the title, because the original was too big, and the new one is short and strong. I think I will share in the next YIW! Titles are always a funny game as the Tagline too. Thanks Maurice Vaughan for being this theme :))
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I'd argue the opposite: the the title is the least important thing in a screenplay. Titles change A LOT in the industry. If you're lucky enough to be optioned/sold, the money people will be the ones who decide how to market the film or show, including the title. That being said, effort should be made to make a title appealing as possible, but I'd bet it won't affect a writer's success, as far as getting $.
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You're welcome, Sandra Isabel Correia. I come up with taglines for my scripts sometimes. I add them in my treatments, pitch decks, social media posts, etc. to help pitch my scripts. Looking forward to hearing your title next Introduce Yourself Weekend!
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You're right, Joshua Keller Katz. Titles do change a lot in the industry, and the money people will decide how to market the film or show, but a script title could catch the eye of a producer, director, etc., which could lead to a script request, which could lead to an option, sale, or writing job.
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I love choosing a title
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I agree with Joshua. Titles are important, but often not the writer’s choice.
I had a discussion earlier in today about not getting hung up on a title during the writing phase. Have a working title, but be open to alternatives. You may get to the end of writing the script, and THEN come up with the title based on a theme or line of dialogue you discovered during the process.
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I didn't have a tagline, but now I have. Kay Ross guided me, and I am so happy. It's a working title obvious, but is the one it represents better my screenplay to catch the eye of an interested person in the industry :) The final title will be decided with the production team when the time comes. I will :)