What makes a great opening 10 pages?

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  • #61
    Re: ?

    Doesn't come down to identifying that special 'ethos' that compels you to keep reading? I don't mind a steady build if I can vest myself in a character. Training day is a damn good script, but we see Ethan Hawke's home life before we go on the roller coaster. By Koj' standards, he would have flipped it across the room, but missed some fantatstic pages. Conversly, Long kiss goodnight starts out with a bang and fizzles because of character.

    I always appreciate a script that moves against the grain and delivers a punch or immediately vests me in a character.

    Can you make a reader care about your protagonist in ten pages? In most cases, that's what i'm shooting for. Who wants to pick up transparent, soggy breadcrumbs?

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    • #62
      Re: ?

      I think a lot of beginning writers try and boil it down as if the first ten pages is a scientific formula, and that's a terrific mistake. There are certain givens - the inciting incident, introducing conflict, etc, but micro-managing it down to what should happen by such-and-such paragraph is a bloody headache.

      At the end of the day, the Supreme Court Justice said it right when describing porn: "I know it when I see it." After experience reading and writing, you simply know a good opening when you see one.

      What grabs me? I want the writing lean - if I wanted a novel, I'd read a fvcking novel. I want it to flow -- good pacing, etc.

      I don't want to see the character living out 10 pages of his usual routine, i.e. eating breakfast. Granted, comedies especially will sometimes use this as a starting point, but they do it lean and quick, giving us amusement to keep us going and then hit us with something.

      Finally, something I don't see much mention of here, is originality. Don't just think "outside the box" when you're writing the script, fvcking live outside of it. A new setting, something.

      Anyhow, what do I know. That and $20'll get you a nudie dance.

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      • #63
        Re: ?

        The only rule I'm absolutely certain of concerning the first ten pages of a script is that the first ten pages must be precisely ten pages long.

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        • #64
          Re: ?

          "$20'll get you a nudie dance.' & vice-versa:lol
          i think it's a balancing act--you can grab w/action but then audience won't care abt the predicament of char's cuz they don;t know them yet... or if you do too mundane & slow char study without at least suggesting potential conflict&drama yr reader might get bored ( audience that paid $ will likely squirm but wait it out)

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          • #65
            Where the !@#* am I going?

            I like what Steven Speilberg said about story telling and I've tried my best to adhere to it when writing. He said something to the extent that the audience should know where they're going, have some idea about how they will get there but no clue what will happen when they do.

            BTN

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            • #66
              Re: Where the !@#* am I going?

              love this thread sc!
              Very late protag intro and no antag, check.
              :lol

              What about the opening shots in different films?
              1. a man moves through an airport
              2. a wall mural of Jesus
              3. a man speaks, "I believe in America."
              - ?

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              • #67
                Re: Conflict (emotional) and/or Mystery

                Originally posted by wcmartell View Post
                Your first ten pages are going to introduce the protagonist, introduce the theme, set the tone, tell us the basic concept, and give us the basic conflict...

                You don't need to start with the central conflict on page one, but of you can hook us by using a conflict with an emotional component or create a mystery that we want to know the answer to - that will involve us. The reason why your first ten pages are important is that if you can get the reader *involved* in the first ten pages, you'll probably have them for the rest of the script. (This doesn't mean the other 100 pages can be flat).

                www.scriptsecrets.net/tips/tip244.htm

                www.scriptsecrets.net/tips/tip56.htm

                www.scriptsecrets.net/tips/tip158.htm

                Make us want to know what happens next or wonder how the hero will ever get out of this or worry that the protag is going to become an emotional wreck.

                MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING opens with Julia Roberts in a restaurant getting a message from her Dermot. She tells her pal that she and Dermot made a pact to marry each other if neither was hitched by age 30... and she's about to turn 30! Oh my God! Is he calling to marry her? How will she deal with this? Okay - that gets us hooked. We have a conflict with messy emotional repercussions. She calls Dermot back, worried, and... more messy conflict! Now he's marrying someone else! Hey, she's gonna turn 30 and doesn't have a fall-back man. Each of these conflicts makes us wonder what will happen, and also takes us deeper into the story... and it starts on page one.

                - Bill (only Ron Bass uses more "..."s than I do)
                So what's the absolute latest you would have the inciting incident occur? I know the gurus say page 10-11 ....

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                • #68
                  Re: Conflict (emotional) and/or Mystery

                  Originally posted by seh View Post
                  So what's the absolute latest you would have the inciting incident occur? I know the gurus say page 10-11 ....
                  Bill might have a totally different impression than me on this, but I would figure it would be as easy as checking the top ten of AFI's hundred greatest films of all time for when they introduce their 'Inciting Incident'.

                  1. Citizen Kane
                  2. Casablanca
                  3. Godfather
                  4. Gone with the Wind
                  5. Lawrence of Arabia
                  6. Wizard of Oz
                  7. The Graduate
                  8. On the Waterfront
                  9. Schindler's List
                  10. Singing in the Rain
                  But this wily god never discloses even to the skillful questioner the whole content of his wisdom.

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                  • #69
                    Re: Conflict (emotional) and/or Mystery

                    Originally posted by reddery View Post
                    Bill might have a totally different impression than me on this, but I would figure it would be as easy as checking the top ten of AFI's hundred greatest films of all time for when they introduce their 'Inciting Incident'.

                    1. Citizen Kane
                    2. Casablanca
                    3. Godfather
                    4. Gone with the Wind
                    5. Lawrence of Arabia
                    6. Wizard of Oz
                    7. The Graduate
                    8. On the Waterfront
                    9. Schindler's List
                    10. Singing in the Rain
                    Or better yet, get copies of recently sold spec scripts.

                    The spec market operates a tad differently AFI members voting on finished movies. They're taking into account everything from editing, camera work, performance, and most importantly how their votes reflect on their taste.

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                    • #70
                      Opening Ten Pages

                      Let's see...

                      First two pages: The defeat of American forces in their attempt to invade Canada provides an inciting incident and a primary goal of the protagonist.

                      Next two pages: Introduce the protagonist and his trusted companion.

                      Fifth page: Introduce the antagonists.

                      Sixth and seventh pages: Establish the goals of the antagonists in their first confrontation with the protagonist.

                      Eighth page: Set up a future goal of the protagonist, while recovering from the first confrontation.

                      Ninth and tenth pages: The trusted companion explains the real motives of the antagonists but, finding the protagonist's methods too extreme, leaves the protagonist to confront a major dilemma by himself.

                      The first act ends on page twelve, (with the protagonist thinking about Lincoln's assassination).

                      Okay...

                      Hollywood readers would probably toss this screenplay away before finishing the first ten pages, but isn't the idea to grab their attention and keep their interest until your story ends? And, I'm writing for a Canadian audience.
                      JEKYLL & CANADA (free .mp4 download @ Vimeo.com)

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