Please help me understand

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  • Please help me understand

    A romantic comedy I've written has gotten good response but the comments say it's more suited as a TV Movie as opposed to a theatrical release.

    I can see it as both but of course I'm biased. So, can someone please tell me what exactly differentiates a TV Movie romcom from one on the Big Screen?

    BTW, I'd be thrilled if it became a TV Movie... I'm just curious what makes one different from the other.

    Thanks
    The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense - Tom Clancy

  • #2
    Re: Please help me understand

    Originally posted by Logliner View Post
    A romantic comedy I've written has gotten good response but the comments say it's more suited as a TV Movie as opposed to a theatrical release.

    I can see it as both but of course I'm biased. So, can someone please tell me what exactly differentiates a TV Movie romcom from one on the Big Screen?

    BTW, I'd be thrilled if it became a TV Movie... I'm just curious what makes one different from the other.

    Thanks
    It's always tough to tell what someone else meant by their comment... but sometimes the suggestion that it'd be better for TV movie can be a subtle way to say that it's formulaic and not all that original. That's not necessarily a bad thing; producers who make television movies are often looking for an established set of genre conventions, a familiar structure and pacing, and content/conflict that's appropriate to general audiences whereas the theatrical feature spec market is often driven by things that are fresh and unique. I don't know your particular situation or even the content of your script, but it might be a way of saying that it's not original and doesn't stand out enough to make as a feature... but that it's got quality elements that might be more appealing to producers looking to make a more conventional romantic comedy.

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    • #3
      Re: Please help me understand

      yes, formulaic, predictable (which btw can still be really hard to do well) and small. in both conception, and for production.
      if its getting good response with that comment my guess is youre doing something that is not earth shatteringly original very well.

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      • #4
        Re: Please help me understand

        What those two said, plus no big marketable idea at its core.

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        • #5
          Re: Please help me understand

          My guess would be scope and stakes... with concept and zeitgeist in there.

          I always think size of story needs to match size of screen - so a movie story needs to be bigger than a TV story... but with a Rom-Com that may come down to zeitgeist elements as well.

          If you have a hook that completely connects to changes in the world today, things that people think about but there has yet to be a movie that explores that - you have something that will work on the big screen. Those things are difficult to find. I think SLEEPLESS did that will communications and the weird thing that we can develop a relationship with someone on the other side of the country. We were all thinking about those things when the film came out, and it spoke to us.

          Another possible translation of the note is that the script is "soft" - low stakes, slow paced, small in scope.

          Whatever it is - it's on to the next script.

          - Bill
          Free Script Tips:
          http://www.scriptsecrets.net

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          • #6
            Re: Please help me understand

            Thanks all for your comments. It's something I will use when developing ideas for future scripts.
            The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense - Tom Clancy

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