GITS: The Twitter Conversations — Script Readers (Part 15)
On Wednesday, April 10th at 7PM Pacific, we had the 3rd GITS Twitter Conversation with industry insiders whose jobs involve reading scripts: Amanda Pendolino [@amandapendo], Nate Winslow [@nate_winslow], and The Bitter Script Reader [@BittrScrptReadr].
I will be posting an edited transcript of the conversation every day this week.
AP [Amanda Pendolino]
BSR [Bitter Script Reader]
GITS [Me]
NW [Nate Winslow]
Here is Part 15 of GITS: The Twitter Conversations — Script Readers:
AllPiano: What about writing for specific locations?
AP: please set your script somewhere, though. I read too many scripts that aren’t in a specific place. missed opportunity.
GITS: Think of location as a character in the story.
14Shari: how specific must the place be? must you choose a city, area?
AP: yes, choose a city. I need to know what I should envision. palm trees? snow?
BSR: This actually can happen. Know writers who’ve had to change locals for tax break reasons. But don’t worry at spec stage
AllPiano: I have one like that now (city as character) Was going to make it generic, but now I won’t. Thx.
14Shari: Which subjects and genres are a no-go or less attractive nowadays?
BSR: avoid the period piece. I also finally feel like torture porn is dying.
NW: Westerns are never easy. Straight up adult dramas are tough on spec still. Sprawling period epics are tough on spec.
AP: yeah, people shouldn’t choose genre based on what they think will be an easy sell
GITS: How important to you is a writer’s voice when reading a script? What attributes do you associate with voice?
BSR: wow. That’s a big question for 140 characters. I feel like tone is key. You feel writer making specific choices
BSR: Strong voice makes a script more memorable. If I remember it, it’s probably doing something right
NW: I just had a conversation with a manager talking about trying to sign some1: “We both agree his voice is strong.”
NW: The story, the characters and the execution were also great, but voice got the mention re: to sign or not to sign.
AP: def important. voice=how you see the world. the stories you’ve chosen. the dialogue.
BSR: It’s what makes your script different. My rom-com will probably be vastly diff from @amandapendo’s, for example
EitanTheWriter: Write has to feel strong and in control but not like they’re trying too hard. It’s a balance thing.
BSR: yeah, I like that answer
NW: That being said, all voice and no story/characters/plot? :(. But add voice to all those other things and that’s…
NW: …what makes you stick in someone’s head. People remember voice over plot twists when they’ve read 5,000 scripts.
BSR: I’m probably nearing 5K scripts and I agree this is accurate
Takeaway:
There’s a lot here, but let me zero in on one item: 5,000 scripts. Imagine that. Imagine you having read 5,000 scripts. What would be your attitude when you cracked open a script to read? You probably think you’ve seen everything. Probably 50% of the scripts you’ve covered have been utterly sub-par. 90% of them ended up with a Pass. You desperately want to find a great script, but you know chances are this particular script is not going to cut it.
Now switch Protagonists. You’re no longer that script reader. You’re the writer of that script the reader is opening.
Question: Have you written a script that will grab the attention and win over a script reader who has ground their way through 5,000 scripts?
Friends, those are the images you have to keep in mind with every story concept you consider, every script your write, every scene you craft, every line you pen.
Average is not good enough. Decent is not good enough. Very good is not good enough.
Great is good enough. Great is your goal.
Learn the craft. Practice the craft. And write the hell out of that script.
Make the 5,001st script that reader reads cause him/her to give you stellar coverage.
Some background info:
The Bitter Script Reader (@BittrScrptReadr) has spent many years — “perhaps too many,” he says — working in development and as a reader at production companies and agencies. For over three years, he’s blogged regularly about the missteps he’s seen writers both young and professional make, and implored his audience to avoid those same writing pitfalls. You can find him at his blog and check out his videos on his YouTube Channel.
After working for a motion picture literary agent at a major talent agency, Amanda Pendolino (@amandapendo) went on to become a professional script reader for a few different production companies. She is also developing some feature comedies, in addition to an original sitcom. Her blog is here. You should bookmark it.
Nate Winslow (@Nate_Winslow) moved to Los Angeles last year and spent the majority of his time reading scripts and writing coverage for a production company and an A-list director. He’s currently working at the production company Defender Entertainment.
For Part 11, go here.
For Part 12, go here.
For Part 13, go here.
For Part 14, go here.
For Parts 1–10 from our 2012 Twitter Conversations, go here.
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