This is an idea to think about before you embark on writing your next screenplay. I know some of you might hem and haw that you can't write for the market or that you have to "just write" and that's fine, however don't expect to sell your project just because you think it's good writing. The film business is a business and it is about making money. And whether you are looking to sell your screenplay to a production company, or produce the film yourself and need investors, you must pass this very simple test: WOULD I RISK/SPEND MY OWN MONEY TO MAKE THIS FILM? If you only had $50,000 to your name, would you invest it in this project? If the answer is no, then you need to rethink your project. It is very important to understand the state of this ever changing industry and what types of stories are bullet proof in the market. When your own money is at risk, I would imagine you would be very careful that the investment was as wise an investment as it can be. THAT'S where your script needs to be. When you can explain to a producer and an investor WHY this film is guaranteed to be a hit and make them there money back (and then some), then you are on to something. I'm not saying you should write something that doesn't interest you, just because it could be a money maker, to the contrary, you should make a list of your 15 favorite HIT films, then see what genre is most prevalent of those 15 films... now look at what elements of those in the same genre are similar to one another... what is it that you loved so much about these few films (that you could watch over and over)? THAT"S the genre you should be writing in and the type of subject matter and themes you should work in. Why? Because you are passionate about this subject and genre. You cannot spend hours and hours, week after week, month after month, working on a story that you aren't passionate about! So thats my theory... know the market, write what excites you, and don't dare ask for money until it's bullet proof enough that you would buy it yourself.
Screenwriting : Is your screenplay BULLETPROOF? by Guy Guido
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Impeccable logic
Guy actually I want to write my sixth script . I am toying along and tossing many ideas can you tell me which script will immediately get your producers ?
No Padma, you tell ME... my point is that you should know enough about the movie business, story telling, screenplay writing and market to know which of your scripts will attract producers... Having that knowledge, which one would YOU risk all of your money to make, knowing that you will make that money back? Thats the one your should write and put out there. ;)
Yeah. You learn about this more and more as time goes on and you build your contacts; and still you never really learn it completely, and you shouldn't! If you write simply for the producer, your film will flop! Write for the audience and any intelligent producer will recognize the market value of your work. But ... there is no field of human activity where all are intelligent. It disturbs me when producers tell me, "You've got to dumb it down. The audience isn't smart enough to like that kind of film." BS. Everybody I know tells me they miss films of intelligence. There is a balance. You can have dumb action, guns, car crashes etc. and still have a story. I've gone through and rewritten all eight of my screenplays with this in mind. Alan Walsh (Brave Heart) agrees with me on this. He and I have both got some significant works.
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I totally agree, I hope my post doesn't insinuate "dumbing down"... Story is extremely important to me.
Exactly Don! Thats what i meant when I wrote about "write what excites you" NO one can be passionate about your project if you aren't! :)
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I like this post. My project, Original thriller titled IN 5 DAYS... To me fits the bill of bulletproof. Because it has heart, twists, turns, and a strong drive!!!
Yeah a real informative post