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Scripts?

MarcusBonnick

MarcusBonnick

Hi,

I am just wondering if anyone knows of sites where writers make their scripts available to film makers?; either for free or for a small fee. (Writer will be credited of course!.)

Me & a few media friends want to start filming short films, hopefully to submit to festivals and would prefer to work with a pre written script as we don't have a writer yet.

If anyone knows of a site or can point me in the right direction then please reply!.

Thanks!. :)
 
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MarcusBonnick said:
Thanks, this was the first place I checked but noticed a lack of choice, I would much prefer a specialist script site where I can choose genre, length etc.
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It takes time to code such queries - we're lucky to have some pro scripts available, let alone a site that allows them to be searched in multiple ways.

These folks have a good selection of pro scripts
http://writetoreel.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?8-Read-Scripts

...and forget querying length. Just keep your script under 110 pages and read as many great pro scripts as you can (some will be over 110, most will be under).

Don't read non-pro stuff (they'll teach you many bad lessons which you may not realize are mistakes), stick to reading produced pro work.
 
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IndiePaul said:
Don't read non-pro stuff (they'll teach you many bad lessons which you may not realize are mistakes), stick to reading produced pro work.
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Reading only produced scripts is so limiting. Reading unproduced scripts
(non-pro stuff) is a great way for a writer to learn what the competition
is, know what their peers are writing and to learn what works and what
doesn't. I recommend all writers read as many unproduced scripts as they
can. Signing up on Zoetrope and TriggerStreet and actually reviewing
scripts opens a writers understanding of what is out there and what work
and what doesn't work. Read and review five scripts from each place and
one can only become a better writer.
 
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directorik said:
Reading only produced scripts is so limiting. Reading unproduced scripts
(non-pro stuff) is a great way for a writer to learn what the competition
is, know what their peers are writing and to learn what works and what
doesn't. I recommend all writers read as many unproduced scripts as they
can. Signing up on Zoetrope and TriggerStreet and actually reviewing
scripts opens a writers understanding of what is out there and what work
and what doesn't work. Read and review five scripts from each place and
one can only become a better writer.
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I hear you but I still recommend amateur screenwriters keep to reading pro scripts.

I spent some time on Amazon Studios and read a lot of scripts there. There were a few good scripts on that site, and many average to pretty damn poor ones. The same mistakes were being repeated again and again. The catch is that most amateur screenwriters don't know they are mistakes - so they write that way too.

Most keep writing in past tense and passive voice, long verbose descriptions, keep scenes going too long, mostly flat and not sharp dialogue, not cutting uninteresting scenes etc - the list goes one.

For those that don't understand what I mean by 'past tense and passive voice' read --

Stay in Present Tense and Active Voice
http://reelauthors.com/script-analysis-coverage/stay-in-present-tense-and-active-voice.php

John August: On the present tense
http://johnaugust.com/2009/present-tense
​
Hence I highly recommend amateur screenwriters keep to reading pro scripts and stay away from non-pro work.

But reading reviews is damn helpful provided the reviews have been written by someone with a good grasp of screenwriting.

Just my ten cents worth. I understand your view though.
 
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IndiePaul said:
I hear you but I still recommend amateur screenwriters keep to reading pro scripts.
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You spent some time on Amazon Studios reading scripts. Do you
regret doing that? Did you learn nothing at all from reading those
scripts? It seems to me you were not so corrupted that you fell
into bad habits. Why do you feel other writers are less astute
than you? Do you feel you would today be a better writer if had never
read those non-pro scripts?
 
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directorik said:
You spent some time on Amazon Studios reading scripts. Do you
regret doing that? Did you learn nothing at all from reading those
scripts? It seems to me you were not so corrupted that you fell
into bad habits. Why do you feel other writers are less astute
than you? Do you feel you would today be a better writer if had never
read those non-pro scripts?
Click to expand...

For me, my biggest learnings came from reading pro scripts and paying professional screenplay analysts (always sub $125 ones - not the $500+ 'gurus') for feedback/coverage of my scripts. The best ones pointed out some of the fundamental mistakes I was making - I did not understand the huge importance of writing in present tense and active voice, entering scenes as late as possible and leaving as early as possible etc.

Without them, I doubt I could have raised my game to place in the Nicholl.

If I had stuck to reading some pro work and some amateur work, I think my screenwriting would be quite a few years behind what it is now.

That's what worked for me but sure you can 100% learn from the mistakes others are making - but for me that only came after I understood what those mistakes were.
 
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