People you trust...
MikeBarcode said:
After completing a first draft, I plan on reading the entire script, and making changes I want to make, etc. etc. After that, I was thinking about letting others read it to get feedback, ideas, changes, and the like. I have these questions:
Is this too soon to bring others in?
How many readers is too many readers? I don't want too many people reading this, but I also would like to get feedback.
Also, what type of people should I have read? I'm guessing not people too close, but I don't want strangers reading....I don't know. I'm fuzzy on the revision process. Tips, tricks anyone?
MIKE
Definitely let people you trust read what you have... Unfortunately, unless they know anything about screenwriting or storytelling, the feedback you get might not be that helpful...
I have several other SCREENwriters on the hook to read my stuff... There's 5 of us all together and we read each other's stuff... We then make notes on what we've read and go back to work...
If you can't accomplish this because of not knowing enough screenwriters, I would suggest, AT A COMPLETE MINIMUM, that you get some standard industry coverage for your script assuming it's a feature.
Shorts are a totally different animal so you need to find people that know short films and short film screenplays...
Industry coverage will at least tell you if your script is in the ballpark... With an indie film depending on so many variables for success, I always recommend getting coverage... In fact, I would recommend getting coverage AND a professional analysis of your script...
You can't afford NOT TO if you're hoping for a successful indie film. For the extra $500 it'll cost you to have some professional analysis done, you'll save a whole hell of a lot doing this BEFORE going into production because let's face it...
Most low budget indie films simply cannot compete with the big boys...
To compete, you must have completed a much better screenplay than the usual stuff we see at the theaters...
Now before you start saying that everything at the theater is crap...
I wholeheartedly agree with you but you should view this crap as the ABSOLUTE BASELINE for your screenplay and then raise the bar about a thousand percent.
filmy
EDIT: And most low budget indie film screenplay NEVER even get close to the baseline...