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How do you know if a script is good before purchasing it?

I wanted to purchase a feature length script to produce and direct myself, and have been looking around, but so far, I haven't found a script that really pops out. How do other filmmakers tell which scripts are worth making, compared to not, if they just have one shot?

Also, just because you think it's good or bad, does not mean other audiences would. So how does one go about accessing it? Do you just say I like it, let's buy it, and make a movie, and that's it? Especially because it can be hard to get good feedback from many people, in such a small window you have to buy the script, before anyone else does. Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks :).
 
There are many answers to your question, there is no straight answer, the real question is, before looking at a script, do you have the budget for it? do you have the team for it? what about cast? do you even have the skill? do you have the determination?
 
I haven't had the money to do more shorts unfortunately since I went overbudget on the last one, and have been saving my money for a bigger better script such as this. I have been helping many others on their shorts over the years.

One of them I felt had a good script with potential, the others, not so much but I am not sure what other people thought of them. The big one I did this year, must have had a lot since they had lots of cast and crew, and I mean a lot. But my friends saw it and spotted numerous problems in the story.

It probably just goes to show that everyone has a different opinion and so I need to figure out who's opinion can count for the majority, if their is such an opinion.
 
Some things you probably should consider is "what sorts of stories are selling these days and are getting greenlit?"In the indie world there's far less specified trends and marketing schemes going around (at least it seems so), but best to still check things out. Also, "What is the genre and story of this script?" "Do I think enough people of a particular demographic will enjoy this story?" And things like that.

But then you also have to dig deeper and determine if the script has any structural issues. Every time something happens in the script, ask yourself "why is this happening," "does this make sense with the characters' personality," "does this make sense within the context of this world," and so on. Because one of the big things you ought to be sure about is whether or not the script is sound and will actually work well on screen. If there are any serious structural and plot related issues, that will only force you to have to make rewrites when you really don't want to. Although re-writes may always be inevitable in some capacity. Nonetheless, best to purchase a script that works well, flows well, and makes sense, so that you aren't getting a bum deal.

And then definitely think about the things that ~film autre said, with regards to budget, available money, crew, cast (and whether or not you can find the right people for the roles).

And for you personally, if you want to be the one to direct, then again, like ~film autre said, you must dig deep and ask yourself, "Is this a story that I would like to tell my way?" "Is this a story that I have the skill and the know-how to tackle?" And "do I have the stamina and the physical ability to handle this story?"

Because not only can some stories be technically challenging, but they can also be physically taxing on their crew and director with regards to locations, long hours, night shoots, negotiation deals that may take a lot of back and forth, or potential legal issues. And of course there's always the chance that the story and the subject matter could be mentally and emotionally difficult for the director to handle, much like with Steven Spielberg and Schindler's List. So be certain that you are ready to handle a difficult emotional project if that is what this script might be.
 
I haven't had the money to do more shorts unfortunately since I went overbudget on the last one, and have been saving my money for a bigger better script such as this. I have been helping many others on their shorts over the years.

One of them I felt had a good script with potential, the others, not so much but I am not sure what other people thought of them. The big one I did this year, must have had a lot since they had lots of cast and crew, and I mean a lot. But my friends saw it and spotted numerous problems in the story.

It probably just goes to show that everyone has a different opinion and so I need to figure out who's opinion can count for the majority, if their is such an opinion.

how many shorts have you completed and are viewable online?
 
I wanted to purchase a feature length script to produce and direct myself, and have been looking around, but so far, I haven't found a script that really pops out. How do other filmmakers tell which scripts are worth making, compared to not, if they just have one shot?
When it really pops out, you'll know.

Also, just because you think it's good or bad, does not mean other audiences would. So how does one go about accessing it? Do you just say I like it, let's buy it, and make a movie, and that's it?
That's it. A producer goes with their gut. No producer ever knows if
an audience will like it. Ever. They go with their gut.
Especially because it can be hard to get good feedback from many people, in such a small window you have to buy the script, before anyone else does.
That's why producer soffer an option on the script. That way the window
isn't so small.
 
It probably just goes to show that everyone has a different opinion and so I need to figure out who's opinion can count for the majority, if their is such an opinion.

Everyone will have a different opinion. But opinions come into play with regards to the "likability" of a story or genre rather than the quality or the successful narrative structure and plot that the story has.

Quality and success in storytelling is a totally separate area than enjoyability, and one with a larger group of individuals who understand what makes a story good and what makes one bad. The people who will think a bad story is good, however, will likely be looking at elements beyond the structure for whether or not they think what's going on in the story still succeeds. And you have to consider that as well.

Are the plot-holes or the unexplained or under-explained elements of the story damaging to the entertainment value that the story has? Do these problems take away from someone's enjoyment? And if not, then despite their inherent structural problems, trying to fix them might actually detract from the rest of the script and the characters and what is express and present to the reader. But usually a script can only be great to read despite structure issues if it's a comedy, and if it's a good comedy. Beyond that, structure issues will usually always be a much bigger problem to worry about, especially in thrillers, dramas, romantic films, and certain sub-genres of horror.
 
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I wanted to purchase a feature length script to produce and direct myself, and have been looking around, but so far, I haven't found a script that really pops out. How do other filmmakers tell which scripts are worth making, compared to not, if they just have one shot?

Also, just because you think it's good or bad, does not mean other audiences would. So how does one go about accessing it? Do you just say I like it, let's buy it, and make a movie, and that's it? Especially because it can be hard to get good feedback from many people, in such a small window you have to buy the script, before anyone else does. Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks :).
What is your goal in making the film? If it's to make money, then you need to select a script that has market potential. If your goal is to make a festival film, then identify festivals and be sure you're clear what kind of films they normally show. If the goal is to master skills, then you will want a script that has not only a variety of shots but is well in budget. Now obviously a combination of the above is possible, but initially it's best to have one in mind.

A producer should have a solid grasp of budgeting a film. If you feel unsure, then you need to educate yourself. I usually anticipate a minimum of $300 per 12 hr day for a No/Lo budget. Now script filming can vary widely depending on content. However for an average, 1 page = 2.5 hrs to shoot for 1 minute of screen time. Obviously dialogue heavy scripts are shorter and action sequences can be longer. For a well balanced script, say of 100 pages, you have about 250 shoot hrs or about $6250 for a 1.5 hr film that takes about 12 weekends to shoot (about 2.5 months). That is a base and doesn't include props, permits, costumes, etc. which are story dependent. You will need to feed your cast and crew, have production expenses (batteries, memory, etc.) and miscellaneous expenses (printing scripts, etc.). Now, anticipate about half again for post, marketing and distribution. So for your film, you should anticipate at least $9375. This doesn't include your script purchase.

Everyone has their own numbers from personal experience so I'm not suggesting this is exact for everyone. It will depend on your location/country, what other resources you can draw upon, etc. When considering scripts, you need to keep in the back of your mind, that regardless of the story, you will need about $9500 for a feature indie film or about $95 per page. I'm not talking about shorts or student projects. This is where you need to acquire, rent or find people with film equipment. There is also a "corollary" that the cost factor can grow or shrink with the film size. A 30 page script may only cost $60 per page while a 120 page script can cost $120 per page. As a producer, you need to keep budget in mind. Go back over your past films and identify where you went over budget and why. Use that to make better estimates.

Again, what's the end goal? You say your audience. Who and where is your audience? Is distribution for theatrical release, direct to DVD or streaming? How do you intend to market it? Will you go the crowdfunding route? Do you have a social media campaign in place? Each service has costs associated. A good producer is worth their weight in gold. You can do it yourself but it helps to network with other filmmakers in your area who can help guide you and assist with finding resources.

Choose a script that interests you as a director. Once you purchase it, you can make changes to it. You're not tied to the script. There have been other threads detailing this about options and purchases. Props, costumes and effects add up quickly. If actors can provide their own, that's a plus. So contemporary settings are much more appealing. Fewer actors make scheduling easier. Identifying scripts is a balancing act. I may see what films are similar, what the budgets and returns were. I may ball park a rough below the line (BTL) estimate. The above the line (ATL) costs (salaries for actors, directors, producers, writers) is typically about 3 to 4 times the BTL in major union productions. Though the BTL estimate given union crew would also raise the per page estimate. In-house studios often have dedicated crew so that balances out. So a 1.5 hour indie feature could run about $25K when said and done if you reach out to name talent (though not necessarily union).

So returning once again, your goal is to decide if the script you're reading can pull in enough views to pay off it's production. If this is a business model, you want a profit. As Rayw would say, you go where the money is and write/produce to your budget. If this is for personal education or festival, you might simply want to break even. If you can profit from it later, all the better.

As Rik said, if you feel strongly about it, option it. See what you can drum up for financing, working up the budget, etc. Once optioned, you can request a re-write. However, if you don't purchase it at the end of your option, you lose all rights to script and its re-write. If the script "speaks to you" and you're the director, it doesn't matter about the audience because you're making the film in your vision and inviting the audience to see the story as you do. Directors focus on telling an awesome visual narrative around the script. Producers can and often have to rein in talents to stay on budget and on schedule. It requires tact and diplomacy so again a good producer is golden.

A script that is well balanced, with a solid story that can be shot on budget should be the first criterion. Second, do you like it enough to invest your time and money ($10-25K for 5 months) to make this film? Lastly, do you have the skills and resources to pull it off? If the answer is yes to all, then consider optioning it. Use that window to do your pre-production work. If you cannot decide on the first criterion, get someone who can. Not lots of someones, just ONE someone and accept the pass/approve decision. No second guessing. It's easier to do that when it's not your script on the chopping block.

Once purchased, the script is yours to craft or re-craft. Story is only relevant to you as a director for how you want to make it come alive from script to screen. Remember, despite a good script, bad direction, bad acting, bad production quality and bad marketing/distribution can play into the failure of a film. That cannot be attributed to the purchased script.
 
When you're a good director, it is easy for you to see the potential in a story. If you are not there yet, you will only see the potential, if the script has a strong resemblance to an already produced hit movie.

Meaning, find a good director who can take you under his wing and point you to the right script for you. If you can't find that director, don't pay for a script. Work with what you have access to for free and learn the craft.
 
Okay thanks. Well as far as stories I would like to tackle, I am much more of a fan of the thriller/drama genre, than I am of comedy/romance. Action is too high budget I think, unless I retool the script, but audiences probably do not want to see an action script, with the action taken out, unless I can pass it off as thriller only.

Horror I am very particular about, mostly because I have seen a lot of bad horror movies, and it seems that the good ones are rare, at least in my opinion.

As for judging a script based on structural or plot problems, this is difficult because no screenplay is perfect. Even in my favorite movies, there is always a plot hole, or a character action that you can bother you, but that happens with every movie coming out of Hollywood. I have never seen a perfect movie where you feel like everything in it, holds together 100% when you break it down.

I guess I could just go with my gut. As far as asking myself, why is this happening, well that only goes so far as well. Does the script have to really speak to me, in order for me to have enough of a vision to do a good job? Or can I just pick a script, because it's the best one available for the next couple of years, and I should make it to make money and get further into the business?
 
Okay thanks. Well as far as stories I would like to tackle, I am much more of a fan of the thriller/drama genre, than I am of comedy/romance. Action is too high budget I think, unless I retool the script, but audiences probably do not want to see an action script, with the action taken out, unless I can pass it off as thriller only.

Horror I am very particular about, mostly because I have seen a lot of bad horror movies, and it seems that the good ones are rare, at least in my opinion.

As for judging a script based on structural or plot problems, this is difficult because no screenplay is perfect. Even in my favorite movies, there is always a plot hole, or a character action that you can bother you, but that happens with every movie coming out of Hollywood. I have never seen a perfect movie where you feel like everything in it, holds together 100% when you break it down.

I guess I could just go with my gut. As far as asking myself, why is this happening, well that only goes so far as well. Does the script have to really speak to me, in order for me to have enough of a vision to do a good job? Or can I just pick a script, because it's the best one available for the next couple of years, and I should make it to make money and get further into the business?

When it comes to choosing a script yourself, and deciding whether or not to do it because you want to advance your career, rather than being asked by a studio to handle a particular project; that's probably going to always be a tough decision. Do you do it for the love of the concept, or do you do it for the money in the end? But in either case, you ought to have a certain amount of passion for what you're making a film about. Because if the script doesn't "speak to you" in some fashion, then I don't know if you'll really be able to make all of the best possible decisions to get it made, and to where it will result in something that can entertain others the best way that it can. You also are more likely to wain in interest and wisdom with regards to the production if you don't have a genuine appreciation for it at the beginning.

In my case, I'm very open to a multitude of concepts, ideas, stories, and genres, and if I have a certain passion or enjoyment for what the story is about, then I should have a decent time putting myself in the right mind set to do what is best for it. But not everybody is likely to be as adaptable to various projects like that.

Do you really think picking up this script, despite how good of a possible outcome it might bring, is going to advance your career, though? Are you ready to give up a year or more of your life working on something you don't have some passion for just in the fleeting hopes that it will bring you more opportunities?

The way I look at it, if you don't have passion for what you're working on, and if the script doesn't speak to some part of you, then you are less likely to put your own personal and creative choices to work: and you might end up creating a more "by-the-numbers" cookie-cutter production than one with any sort of style. Because style comes from creativity, and creativity is born out of struggle and difficulty, but a difficulty that you are determined to overcome because you are passionate about getting the production done right. Therefore, if you don't have a real passion for the script, it might not result in a film that presents the best that you have to offer as a director.
 
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Does the script have to really speak to me

Sure, why not. All scripts should have those little speakers in them making noise and all. If you have to ask this, you're not ready to purchase a script.

Or can I just pick a script, because it's the best one available for the next couple of years

If you can buy the best script available, you're doing very, very well. Go for it. There are lots of experienced directors looking for a great script. If you can land the best one available, thank your lucky stars. You're already way ahead of the curve.

I suspect you've once again used inappropriate choice of words.
 
Also, just because you think it's good or bad, does not mean other audiences would.

Ultimately, this is what separates good/successful directors from everyone else calling themselves a director. A good/successful director is one whose idea of "good or bad" aligns with audiences' idea of good and bad. In other words, Objectivity, or maybe more accurately; the same subjectively as the audience, is a difficult and time consuming skill to master but of all the skills a director needs this is by far the most important! No directors (that I'm aware of) are complete born naturals, most have some natural ability which is developed with practice and experience. It's extremely difficult, at every stage of filmmaking, to stand back and "see" it for the first time as an audience would and certainly the vast majority of indie filmmakers fail in this regard, to a significant extent. This is the main reason why it's so vital to gain a lot of experience making films (shorts) and assessing and learning from audiences' feedback.

No good script or film is without faults/plot holes, the skill of the director is in telling the story in such a way that those plot holes/faults don't disengage the audience from the storytelling.

So how does one go about accessing it? Do you just say I like it, let's buy it, and make a movie, and that's it?

Yes but there's a proviso and it's a big proviso if you wish for some level of success. Do you like the script because you objectively believe you can turn it into an engaging storytelling experience for your audience? Most indie filmmakers either: 1. Just try to present a script in the form of moving images with dialogue rather than actually trying to make an engaging storytelling experience, or 2. Think in terms of what engages them personally (as the filmmaker) rather than what engages an audience. Both of these issues ultimately come back to the point I made above. No one can therefore tell you how to assess a script because no one has exactly your resources ... resources which include your personal style/ability to create an engaging storytelling experience.

G
 
Nicely said APE!
Looking to your own work with fresh eyes and without attachment is indeed not easy to learn. But doing this will let you see how to improve the film.
I often had discussions with other filmmakers about stuff I thought should be cut out: often it is "but it is such a cool shot" or "but we spent hours to get this shot". Actually I still think like that as well, untill I honestly ask myself: "does this shot help the story?"

And H44: let's face it: you need more experience. This thread just shows that you lack the confidence to make a decision about a script.
For the past years everyone told you to make short stuff to get skilled.
You've been given numerous ideas for very short stuff you could shoot in 1 or 2 days, but you just don't do it.
Yes, I know you did stuff: and that is great. But you need experience based confidence by doing more. Otherwise you'll end up with a good script turned to shit because you still have no oversight, no experience and thus no control.

Okay, you say you have to save the money for the feature, but I'm not the one saying you need to spend a lot of money on shorts. For less than $200,- you should be able to shoot a short video and that money will probably go to gas, food and perhaps licenced music.
Shoot during the day, outside, with 2 actors...
(Oh well, you know what I've been trying to say all this time...)

You can still buy a script if you want.
But ask yourself this: how often did you direct a movie?
How often did you produce?
How did it go?

BTW, it seems you and your friends just watch movies to find the holes in the story... if you look for it, you'll always find it.
 
Okay thanks. The biggest bill when it comes to shorts is the post production, mostly the audio engineering. I just need to find someone that can work for cheaper, otherwise the short is dead in the water before I even start shooting.

This is a mistake I made before. I can continue too look for audio engineers and hopefully I will find one that I can afford. One reason why I have had a time getting actors before is that I am not a good writer. I would like to use someone else's short films, but everyone who writes shorts that I know so far, want to direct their own. I will keep looking and keep trying to improve my writing if necessary. But I think I am better in the directing department than a writer.

I know I was told before to shoot things like a person doing things, with a lot of symbolic images, so I can just have one actor, but when I show a two page script like that to people, their reaction is, 'where's the plot'?
 
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Okay thanks. But then the cast and crew want to see the movie, they see it has very poor sound, and they get a bad impression of you. Even if I spent money on youtube shorts, I cannot show them to anyone to make a good impression if they have poor sound.
 
Okay thanks. But then the cast and crew want to see the movie, they see it has very poor sound, and they get a bad impression of you. Even if I spent money on youtube shorts, I cannot show them to anyone to make a good impression if they have poor sound.

I've never had anyone complain about the sound on my youtube shorts, and I did 100% of the post production by myself with no training or experience. Just self taught.
 
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