What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

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  • What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

    OK, first of all, to anyone who read and/or traded and/or discussed and/or liked and/or hated the script I just sold (GOING THE DISTANCE)...thanks. Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thanks. It totally blows my mind that anyone is even reading it, much less talking about it.

    I had responded to an earlier post about the script and mentioned I was a reader (I actually read for the studio I sold the script to, New Line) and someone sent me a message asking what scripts I would recommend they read. There are a bunch of different ways to answer that question, but it's a good question, so I thought I'd tackle it in long form just in case anyone else was curious.

    Whenever someone who wants to start writing scripts asks me what they should do, I tell them two things: read SCREENPLAY by Syd Field and read every single produced screenplay you can get your hands on. I don't know if people still read Field as much as I'm told they used to, but I think it's an invaluable tool. Though you want to avoid writing the cookie-cutter scripts the Field system (not that he created it, but explaining it concisely and simply is rightfully credited to him) teaches, it's important to know the rules so you know the right ways to break them.

    Anyway, there are six scripts in three classes of films - High-Concept, Perfectly Executed, and Impossible to Top - that I mention without fail.

    HIGH CONCEPT

    BACK TO THE FUTURE - The epitome of a big, fun, "studio" movie. It has all the nuts and bolts.

    THE KARATE KID - Same as above, except this was a movie no one was sure was going to do well (and that a slew of people expected to fail miserably). Essentially the perfect "formula" script that manages to make you not care about how stock its storyline is.

    PERFECTLY EXECUTED

    SE7EN - Not everyone agrees with me on this, but I consider this script the height of tight storytelling and setup/payoff. And Andrew Kevin Walker is from my hometown, so I'm almost required to think that.

    THE SIXTH SENSE - A brilliant story that should catch you completely by surprise and at the same time make TOTAL sense as you go back and read through it. That's the mark of quality.


    IMPOSSIBLE TO TOP

    NETWORK

    CHINATOWN

    (There's not much to say about these two; they're generally considered two of the - if not THE two - best scripts ever written. Though I'm continually confounded that SO many people don't know anything about NETWORK. That's depressing).

    Just for fun, here are some of the best scripts I've read over the last few years:

    SEEK OUT/KEEP YOUR EYE ON

    THIS SIDE OF THE TRUTH
    UNTITLED BILL CARTER PROJECT (AKA FOOLS RUSH IN - the best script I've read in nearly five years)
    A KILLING AT CARNIVAL ROW (Note: If you can get your hands on either the original by Travis Beacham or the newest draft by Neil Jordan, read thsoe; the draft that Guillermo del Toro ****ed up is just sad.)
    MIDLIFE PIRATES
    MAN-CRUSH
    2-FACE
    THE WRESTLER (probably obvious now)
    F*CKBUDDIES
    THE GARDENER
    KING SUCKERMAN

    That's a short list off the top of my head. And after poking around on the boards, you guys have convinced me to read GALAHAD. Hope this helps!

    Geoff

  • #2
    Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

    KILLING ON CARNIVAL ROW (Beacham's draft) is one of my favorite recent scripts.

    Good picks.
    "Tone is now engaged in a furious Google search for Leighton Meester's keester." -- A friend of mine

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    • #3
      Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

      Ralphy - It really is sensational. Just a totally original script all-around.

      Just thought of three more that I really want to recommend:

      FEED THE MONKEY - Don't think anyone has picked this up yet, so it might be tough to get a copy of, but man, is it worth it.

      BLOOD AND SILVER - Fantastic Vampire Western that uses Twain's ROUGHING IT as a jumping point and even makes Twain a character in the story. I've lost my hard copy of this, so if anyone has it, PLEASE let me know.

      NINTENDO CHRISTMAS - Essentially A CHRISTMAS STORY, but set in the 80s around the boom of the Nintendo Entertainment System. Not a perfect script by any means, but really heartfelt and funny and, my God, how could this NOT make a great movie?

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      • #4
        Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

        Goose,

        I admit that my 8 scripts/day experiment was a little crude.

        I was wondering what you learned as a reader that ultimately helped you write this script.

        Were you a writer in any capactiy before that? If not, when did you decide to write something? Was it after reading all that crap and thinking, "I can do better than this?" Or was it reading so many good scripts and, through that, figuring out the formula that best allowed your script to sell?
        Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

          Originally posted by Ralphy W View Post
          KILLING ON CARNIVAL ROW (Beacham's draft) is one of my favorite recent scripts
          that whole intro with the pixie/fairie murder blew my mind -- what an awesome unique idea -- a great script
          "you have to write right, right?" -- Todd Gordon

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

            wilsoneads -

            I originally moved out to LA to be a writer, yes. I had written several short screenplays in college and thought I'd give it a shot. I was lucky enough to know someone at the studio who got me the reader gig, as he knew I'd read a lot of scripts and my spare time and understood story.

            But once I got here and started working...yeesh. Reading scripts takes a LOT out of you creatively. When you're reading two, three, sometimes FIVE scripts a day and writing 4-5 page book reports on each one, you start to burn out on all things screenplay. Quickly. There are two reasons for this:

            1. When you're done writing coverage...you just don't want to write anymore. It's glorified paperwork. I think someone mentioned this before, but the real horror of the job is that you might be reading an awful, awful script that you just can't stand...and you HAVE to finish it so you can write a full synopsis. That's the killer. When you've done that over and over and over again...your own writing just doesn't seem to be too important. So you don't do it.

            2. Every bad script has the same six problems, and you can see them all coming from a mile away. When I finally got back into writing (and attempting to write my own screenplays) I found that this notion made me almost paranoid, and I tried to make my scripts SO out there and SO different that they just blew goat by proxy.

            Conversely, reading a GREAT script can really be a creative boon. On the downside, they're really few and far between. I have two stacks of scripts in my apartment. One is that of screenplays that have been either produced or sold since I came to LA; I'd say maybe less than half of them I'd consider "good". The other is a stack of scripts that I thought were so incredible that I HAD to save them. In 4+ years, after reading literally thousands of scripts, there are exactly 37 scripts in that second pile. And I wouldn't even consider myself one of the more jaded readers.

            When I DID start writing again - and not trying too hard - I found that, of course, I'd gleaned some invaluable lessons from reading. Though sometimes it's impossible to avoid, I know exactly what NOT to do with my writing as far as structure and character. But more than that, the most important thing that I learned was that you HAVE to have your own voice. Even if most people don't care for it, even if someone tells you it's not "commercial" enough, even if it's not ideal for the studio system, there has to be something about what you're writing that makes you stand out. Even for writers who have sold before. There are more one-time script sellers in this town than you could possibly imagine.

            Jesus, could I be more long-winded in these responses? Sorry about that.

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            • #7
              Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

              Originally posted by goosetown View Post
              The other is a stack of scripts that I thought were so incredible that I HAD to save them. In 4+ years, after reading literally thousands of scripts, there are exactly 37 scripts in that second pile
              thanks for listing the ones you really like as I have some of them on hand so I will give them a read -- keep listing them
              "you have to write right, right?" -- Todd Gordon

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

                Originally posted by goosetown View Post
                wilsoneads -
                2. Every bad script has the same six problems, and you can see them all coming from a mile away. When I finally got back into writing (and attempting to write my own screenplays) I found that this notion made me almost paranoid, and I tried to make my scripts SO out there and SO different that they just blew goat by proxy.
                Could you go into this a little more? What were the six problems? Which one drove you the most crazy? And it sounds like trying to be as different as possible to set yourself apart is one of the most important lessons you learned.

                oh yeah, and which stack did you put your script on?
                Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

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                • #9
                  Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

                  Originally posted by wilsoneads View Post
                  Could you go into this a little more? What were the six problems? Which one drove you the most crazy? And it sounds like trying to be as different as possible to set yourself apart is one of the most important lessons you learned.

                  oh yeah, and which stack did you put your script on?
                  Sure.

                  Let me clarify: every bad script has AT LEAST one of the same six problems, and most have all six. Here they are (in my estimation):

                  1. Lack of character development - Most writers simply forget to give their characters an arc, whether they're the leads or the supporters. This is the one I struggle with most, because in my own head, the characters have changed dramatically as the story has progressed. The trick is to make sure the audience can see that as well.

                  2. Bad structure - I'm less of a stickler on this than most, as I think most scripts are too paint-by-numbers in their approach to certain genres. When you're a reader, all the romcoms, all the horrors, all the sci-fi scripts meld into the same thing. It's OK to break formula, and for me, it's preferable. But some writers just don't understand how to balance out the action or moderate three act structure, and then you end up with something that's woefully disjointed. There has to be SOME sembalnce of order and balance for a story to come off.

                  3. Bad dialogue - This should be self-explanatory. We've all seen it. You can forgive less-than-stellar dialogue in a script that's really, really good otherwise, but talk that's lower than pedestrian kills most scripts.

                  4. Character psychology in scene description - In other words, the writer reveals intimate details about the character to the script reader via the scene exposition, but not to the potential viewer. This one drives me up a friggin' wall. When you tell rather than show, it becomes a nightmare.

                  5. Cliche/LAck of Originality - This one relates to structure in some ways, but more in that you can tell when a writer simply doesn't have an original thought in their head. There's nothing worse than reading a script that goes over well-tread ground for 100+ pages. An absolute epidemic in the Romantic Comedy and Serial Killer Thriller genres.

                  6. Low Concept - I mean this in the worst way - when someone writes an entire script about something that no one could possibly care about, or if they pick a concept that's just totally absurd. Case in point: I once read a script that seemed very familiar at the beginning...the names...the places...the situation...and then there was one line of dialogue that snapped my brain into realization. Someone had actually taken the time to write a screenplay based on the song HAZARD by Richard Marx. I mean...I couldn't make that up if I tried. Essentially, this is a euphemistic way of describing a script that's just flat-out boring.

                  And yes, trying to be too different is almost always a kill switch for your script. You want to be JUST DIFFERENT ENOUGH that people notice, but not so different that they don't take you seriously.

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                  • #10
                    Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

                    Nice. Thanks for taking the time to respond. So now are you saying my Richard Marx biopic is dead in the water?
                    Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

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                    • #11
                      Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

                      Originally posted by wilsoneads View Post
                      Nice. Thanks for taking the time to respond. So now are you saying my Richard Marx biopic is dead in the water?
                      I'd like to make a joke out of this, but yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

                        Originally posted by Ralphy W View Post
                        KILLING ON CARNIVAL ROW (Beacham's draft) is one of my favorite recent scripts.

                        Good picks.
                        Would love to read if anyone could send one my way. Thank you!
                        Norman Bates
                        She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?

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                        • #13
                          Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

                          First off - congrats on the sale, Geoff. I hope it's the first of many to come.

                          And secondly - thanks for that invaluable chunk of info about your experiences as a reader. It's simply stuff you won't pick up or get told at writing school, unless you hear it from someone in the trenches.

                          So thanks again, and keep the thread rolling...
                          @TerranceMulloy

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                          • #14
                            Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

                            Great post dude I started as a reader 6 months ago in the UK, and was nodding my head to every number on the 6 problems in scripts. Congrats on your sale too.
                            Scripts to trade

                            http://heartattackclubscripts.blogspot.com/

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                            • #15
                              Re: What Scripts Should I Read?; Advice From a Reader

                              Very cool information. Thanks for posting this, and welcome to the board.
                              "Witticism"
                              -Some Guy

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