I've done some research lately, especially on the drama genre. I don't see why anyone would bother to write original drama scripts when at least 80-95% of drama movies are based on novels, and the small percentage that aren't based on novels consists of only comedy and musicals. I decided to check out other genres as well, and guess what? I see the same pattern, especially currently. So many Hollywood movies and even indie films are based on novels , so what's the point in writing a screenplay? Might as well be a novelist.
-
Wondering which camera, gear, computer, or software to buy? Ask in our Gear Guide.
The point of original scripts when all Hollywood produces are movies based on novels?
- Thread starter PerseusCarr
- Start date
One of the big differences with Book Publishers and Hollywood people is that not much has to be done with the work after it gets written. If they don't like it they can have you make some changes.
With movies. They have to produce a movie. An expensive usually million dollar production. They only have so much money. So they have to be more selective.
Anyone can publish their own books nowadays pretty easily. Producing a movie is still expensive. There is not much in the way of cost of entry in books though. They can move on much faster.That isnt to say it cost no money for books, but there are a lot more things blocking you from making a movie than writing a book.
I understand filmmaking. I understand that a screenplay is not a
product on its own. I understand producing. What I am unfamiliar
with is publishing.
You said, “Hollywood is bombarded by screenplays. Which, are so numerous that it is impossible to read them all. The book industry however doesn't have the same level of pressure on it.”
I am curious about that statement.
Are you saying the book industry (I assume publishers) are not
as bombarded by manuscripts as Hollywood is by screenplays?
and if they are not, do you know the rough numbers; manuscripts
vs. screenplays submitted?
product on its own. I understand producing. What I am unfamiliar
with is publishing.
You said, “Hollywood is bombarded by screenplays. Which, are so numerous that it is impossible to read them all. The book industry however doesn't have the same level of pressure on it.”
I am curious about that statement.
Are you saying the book industry (I assume publishers) are not
as bombarded by manuscripts as Hollywood is by screenplays?
and if they are not, do you know the rough numbers; manuscripts
vs. screenplays submitted?
It takes minutes to self publish a book on Amazon. Because of this I'd imagine publishers are not as flooded as they used to be.
https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/
It has been joked that every single person who lives in LA has written a screenplay. While not 100% the reality it is not far from the truth. It is a concentrated saturated market. If you were to dig through the trash of a studio you would probably find a whole ton of screenplays. If you take every little town in the US there is usually someone who drives to LA with the dream of becoming big in Hollywood. And really these people come from all around the world. That's a lot of people with a lot of dreams. That's why Hollywood Blvd. is called the Boulevard of Broken dreams.
Book publishers are still bombarded by scripts, but I wouldn't say as much as people in the LA area with screenplays. There are several publishers all around the world, which lessen the load for any publisher. People don't need to find some fancy publisher. The only thing however a real publisher can be good for is creating publicity. You don't really get that with amazon.
I couldn't give you numbers, but have read books on getting screenplays made. I've read accounts from agents and producers that had to wade through countless scripts and simply threw most of them in the trash. The sad part is I'm sure some great scripts get thrown in the trash that are merely unappreciated. I even read one account where a script was thrown away because it didn't use the proper type of metal brads or everything else was fine about the script but the font wasn't Courier. The nerve!
That isn't to say that there won't be a future one day where making movies won't get to be as easy as publishing books are now. This is an indy forum. So, if you intend to make your movie with indy production in mind it is highly likely to get made as there are few barriers for that. Writing the next installment in the Aliens Series or anything really expensive is a difficult goal though. Even Neil Blomkamp who was able to get his foot in the Hollywood door is having trouble with that.
A nice thing is right now it is not terribly hard to set up your own streaming channel on a Roku that competes with netflix and hulu, or even publish a movie on Amazon or Youtube.
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=63645
In that thread I show you how to get a channel set up. It only took me a few hours to make my experimental channel. It isn't the greatest, but it is a start. I don't really have my own content though. When you launch your own channel you become a movie distributor, which is something people would not have been able to do a few years ago themselves without a lot of money. If you have films you have made that you have the rights to you can create a space where you can start making money off of them. If you do please give me the channel name I'd love to watch. You can make money off of commercials or paid subscribers. I'd start off free though. You give out crack for free and once people are hooked then they become loyal customers.
Also, things like Kickstarter have helped people launch some films. We're living in the time of the democratization of media. When you think about the studios at some point they were all little independent companies making silent films. One of us is going to be the next Carl Laemmle, William Fox, Warner Bros, or Walt Disney.
https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/
It has been joked that every single person who lives in LA has written a screenplay. While not 100% the reality it is not far from the truth. It is a concentrated saturated market. If you were to dig through the trash of a studio you would probably find a whole ton of screenplays. If you take every little town in the US there is usually someone who drives to LA with the dream of becoming big in Hollywood. And really these people come from all around the world. That's a lot of people with a lot of dreams. That's why Hollywood Blvd. is called the Boulevard of Broken dreams.
Book publishers are still bombarded by scripts, but I wouldn't say as much as people in the LA area with screenplays. There are several publishers all around the world, which lessen the load for any publisher. People don't need to find some fancy publisher. The only thing however a real publisher can be good for is creating publicity. You don't really get that with amazon.
I couldn't give you numbers, but have read books on getting screenplays made. I've read accounts from agents and producers that had to wade through countless scripts and simply threw most of them in the trash. The sad part is I'm sure some great scripts get thrown in the trash that are merely unappreciated. I even read one account where a script was thrown away because it didn't use the proper type of metal brads or everything else was fine about the script but the font wasn't Courier. The nerve!
That isn't to say that there won't be a future one day where making movies won't get to be as easy as publishing books are now. This is an indy forum. So, if you intend to make your movie with indy production in mind it is highly likely to get made as there are few barriers for that. Writing the next installment in the Aliens Series or anything really expensive is a difficult goal though. Even Neil Blomkamp who was able to get his foot in the Hollywood door is having trouble with that.
A nice thing is right now it is not terribly hard to set up your own streaming channel on a Roku that competes with netflix and hulu, or even publish a movie on Amazon or Youtube.
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=63645
In that thread I show you how to get a channel set up. It only took me a few hours to make my experimental channel. It isn't the greatest, but it is a start. I don't really have my own content though. When you launch your own channel you become a movie distributor, which is something people would not have been able to do a few years ago themselves without a lot of money. If you have films you have made that you have the rights to you can create a space where you can start making money off of them. If you do please give me the channel name I'd love to watch. You can make money off of commercials or paid subscribers. I'd start off free though. You give out crack for free and once people are hooked then they become loyal customers.
Also, things like Kickstarter have helped people launch some films. We're living in the time of the democratization of media. When you think about the studios at some point they were all little independent companies making silent films. One of us is going to be the next Carl Laemmle, William Fox, Warner Bros, or Walt Disney.
Thanks. A very long way of saying you don't know much more about
publishing than I do.
From my limited knowledge it seems that publishers are flooded with
scripts at the same rate if not far higher than "Hollywood". A quick
search and I find that each of the top publishers get about 100/150
manuscripts per week. Just about what the WGA says the top studios
get. Queries are about five times that - for both publishers and studios.
The book industry seems to have the same level of pressure on it.
the rules for submission. But I do not for a moment believe it ever happened.
I can tell you from actual experience as a script reader that if a script is not
in the proper format (font is VERY important) it will be rejected.
Haiku is poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five which doesn’t rhyme. If it doesn’t follow these rules it may be a great poem, but it isn’t haiku.
publishing than I do.
From my limited knowledge it seems that publishers are flooded with
scripts at the same rate if not far higher than "Hollywood". A quick
search and I find that each of the top publishers get about 100/150
manuscripts per week. Just about what the WGA says the top studios
get. Queries are about five times that - for both publishers and studios.
The book industry seems to have the same level of pressure on it.
The brads story is told over and over and over. It's a nice allegory: follow
the rules for submission. But I do not for a moment believe it ever happened.
I can tell you from actual experience as a script reader that if a script is not
in the proper format (font is VERY important) it will be rejected.
Haiku is poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five which doesn’t rhyme. If it doesn’t follow these rules it may be a great poem, but it isn’t haiku.
You're correct about science fiction. Most of science fiction is indeed based on novels. Hollywood producers probably don't want to take risks with original stories when they have to put 100+ millions into production.
Yet, there other other genres. Drama, comedy, dark comedy, action, thriller, horror... those mostly are not based on novels
Yet, there other other genres. Drama, comedy, dark comedy, action, thriller, horror... those mostly are not based on novels
I hear it all the time - many queries, pressure and etc...
Why won't they hire some more people to do the job?
Are there no more people to fit this job? I'm sure there are.
Do publishers have no money to hire more people? I'm sure they do.
What's the point then?
I'm sure they don't, too.