The 3 Fundamental Problems of Screenplay Development

Transcription

1 The 3 Fundamental Problems of Screenplay Development [Music Intro, upbeat] Video Transcript Hi, my name is Jeff Bollow, and I m an independent film producer based in Sydney, Australia. Well, I was I couldn t find any screenplays to produce! If you ll give me a few minutes of your time, I d like to show you how my career getting sidetracked for 10 years is going to revolutionize the way you write screenplays. In this video, I ll explain the three fundamental problems of screenplay development. And these problems are ingrained. If you use any approach to screenwriting that doesn t directly address these problems, you re spinning your wheels I know, I ve been there.

2 And as a thank-you for your attention, I d also like to send you two free reports that take you inside the mind of a producer actively seeking screenplays. Plus, I ll give you a bonus report that you can use as a roadmap for your writing. You get them all for free, just for giving me a few minutes of your time. Now, I m assuming you re here because you ve got an idea for a movie. Maybe you have ideas for many movies. Well, that s great news! I m looking for screenplays. And I m not alone. There are literally thousands of producers actively seeking screenplays right this very minute. And if current trends continue, next year, more feature films will be made than in any previous year in history. The opportunities for screenwriters have never been better. But, there s a problem. I don t really want to read your screenplay and neither do the thousands of producers. You know why? Because and this is a fact 99% of screenplays submitted to production companies fail to meet producers basic needs. 99%. Across all skill levels, from complete novice to the Oscar-winning professional. How is this even possible? If you do a Google search right now for the word screenwriting, it returns over 4 million results. We re swimming in screenwriting information. Dozens of books. Classes and courses and workshops. Methods and systems and

3 techniques, and gurus multiplying like rabbits! With all that information swirling around, how is it possible that 99% of screenplays still fail to meet producers basic needs? The answer? Because of the three fundamental problems of screenplay development. Let s look briefly at the three problems, and then we ll introduce some solutions in those free reports I promised you at the end of the video. Problem #1: The Money Problem You ve got an idea for a movie. But we can t shoot an idea, and turning the idea into a screenplay takes time. And time, as we all know, is money. Who pays for the time it takes to write a screenplay? When you write a script on spec that is, when no one s paying you to write a movie based on your own idea you re paying for it... with time. You re hoping (or maybe dreaming) that someone will eventually buy the script and compensate you for that time. But what happens if a producer likes your script, but needs changes? Who pays for that? In Australia, and for that matter anywhere outside the top tier of the professional film community, producers don t have money to develop screenplays. And that shouldn t come as a big surprise. I mean, think about it, if 99% of screenplays fail, it stands to reason that 99% of script development money is kinda gonna go down the gurgler. Even the big Hollywood studios know they have to buy ten screenplays for every one that goes into

4 production. They pay for it out of the profits from their blockbuster hits. But independent producers don t have that kind of money floating around. So who pays to develop the script? The producer can t afford to throw money at you, and you can t afford to throw time at a never-ending stream of speculative projects. Conclusion: Roadblock. The Money Problem The second problem I only discovered once I started teaching. Problem #2: The Teaching Problem Let me ask you this: If you could choose, who would you rather give you script note on your screenplay a writer who s never actually sold their own work, or a producer who s actively looking for projects to produce? It s pretty obvious, right? But what about all those Google results? How much of all that information all those books and courses and websites is offered by people who are looking for screenplays?...people who know how to use screenplays?...people who know what they need in a screenplay? What I found when I started teaching is that in Australia and this is true in LA, too most of the people teaching screenwriting are either writers themselves doing a day job to pay the bills... or teachers who have been taught how to teach. Consider this: It takes almost two hours to read a properly written feature-length screenplay. To give notes and feedback takes another 3-4 hours minimum. I ve spent up to 20 hours giving detailed script notes on a single screenplay. How could an active producer

5 afford to do that? Or afford to do that for a group of writers? He couldn t. The producers are busy producing, so the only people teaching, or assessing, or giving script notes, are people who do that for a living. So the person you want to help you can t. And the person who can help you isn t really the one you want to help you. Conclusion: Roadblock. The Teaching Problem. The third fundamental problem goes a little deeper. Problem #3: The Reading Problem Screenwriting is kind of like the bastard child of the writing community. Let me ask you this: Who do you think is better suited for screenwriting a writer who loves words, or a movie person who loves the darkened theatre? Movie people play with images and sound to have an impact upon a viewer. Writers play with words to have an impact upon a reader. Writing has to be read to be appreciated. And movie people are movie people they don t really want to read. And since screenplays are never actually read by an audience, movie people tend to think of screenwriting as an interim stage something for their benefit rather than for the audience s benefit. So it s pliable and flexible and changeable. But good writing requires very vivid imagery. Creating a richly detailed intricately complex and compelling story with vivacious characters and punchy dialogue? That s a craft! And the craft is so delicate, in fact, that any

6 problems in your screenplay get amplified when you put them on the big screen. So the great irony is that screenwriting is a medium where no one actually sees your writing. They only see an interpretation of your work. It s a somewhat thankless job for a writer who s all about the word experience and it s a reluctant job for the movie person who s all about the images and sound because you need to entertain with words people who hate to read. Conclusion: Roadblock. The Reading Problem Any serious approach to screenwriting must address these three fundamental problems. If it doesn t, you re spinning in circles. And that s why I ve developed a whole new approach to screenwriting. It s called FAST Screenplay and before you run screaming away from my sales pitch, don t worry. I m not going to hold out on you. I m going to spell the whole thing out for free. You can get started immediately with no obligation. Just, hear me out. FAST Screenplay solves The Money Problem by giving you a systematic approach to creating producible screenplays in as little as two months. FAST Screenplay solves The Teaching Problem because of my unique experience, combining 10 years of teaching with 10 years of looking. And FAST Screenplay solves The Reading Problem by creating a system that guides itself a process that s designed to require little to no feedback. Now, I m not going to give you a story formula, and I m not going to give you character templates. FAST Screenplay is not a paint

7 by numbers approach to screenwriting because producers can t use that stuff. You need a system, a process, that leaves you free to create any kind of story from an arthouse film to a big Hollywood blockbuster. It just needs to be something a producer can use. I m going to reveal the whole FAST Screenplay system in the bonus report that I ll send you at the end of this video. It s called FAST Screenplay: The Screenwriting Roadmap. You ll be able to look through the whole thing and see if it s something you can use. Some writers will be able to use it immediately it ll transform your whole approach to screenwriting. But there s actually a much bigger opportunity here. Because on August 16th, 2010, I m expanding FAST Screenplay with Charter Group B. It s an extraordinary opportunity to join the Charter Group. This Charter Group will be the only FAST Screenplay group that s i nteractive. As you use the system and write your production-ready screenplay, you can ask any questions you want and I ll be there to answer them, directly. At the end of it, you ll have a system for taking any idea and turning it into a production-ready screenplay producers can actually use. Now, in addition to being the only group that gets to interact directly, the Charter Members will also get unlimited, free, lifetime access to FAST Screenplay.

8 So if we tweak or adjust anything based upon the feedback and interaction of the Charter Group, you ll be able to apply that as you use the system in the future. Plus, FAST Screenplay has only just started. You ll get all future upgrades for free. I literally can t even put a value on it, yet. Now, I need to get a good sampling of writers, so this offer is open to any and preferably every skill level, from the complete novice to the produced, credited, professional screenwriting. All are welcome. But because of the increased workload due to feedback and interaction, I really need to limit the number of writers that I take into the Charter Group. We ll leave enrolments open for one full week or until we re full. So please don t miss out I m really excited about this group. I promise you won t be disappointed. So there you go, my time s up. That s how my career getting sidetracked for 10 years is going to revolutionize the way you write feature film screenplays. Now, as promised, I want to thank you for your time. Report #1 is called The Missing Ingredient: Why 99% of Screenplays Fail and How to Put Your Screenplay in the Top 1%. In this video, I ve talked a lot about the 99% problem. But what is it that producers actually do need in a screenplay? What s the missing ingredient that will put your screenplay in the top 1%? This report has the answer.

9 Once you understand the missing ingredient, you ll begin to understand why most writers are just spinning their wheels. Report #2 is called The Secret Skill of the (Truly) Professional Screenwriter. If you possess this skill, most producers will be desperate to work with you. I ll show you what it is, why it s so valuable, and how exactly to acquire it. And lastly, as we ve discussed, the bonus report: FAST Screenplay: The Screenwriting Roadmap. In this report, I ll outline exactly what the FAST Screenplay system is all about. There s enough information in there to get you started using the FAST Screenplay approach immediately. And if you re interested in joining us in the Charter Group, there s full details about what s involved, what s required, and what you get. And remember: There s no obligation to enrol in FAST Screenplay. These three reports are packed with immediately usable information in their own right. They re my way of saying thank you for taking the time to watch this video. So let s get started. To get your copy of these three reports, simply enter your first name and address in this box. Now I despise spam, and you have my eternal promise that I will never use your address for anything other than notification about FAST Screenplay. And you can unsubscribe at any time and keep the free reports all for yourself.

10 Just don t delay. Enrolments for Charter Group B open on August 9th, and go until we re sold out or until we launch on August 16th. Thanks again for your time an attention. And I look forward to seeing your screenplay in the top 1%. [Music Out, upbeat] Please don t forget to add your name to our list to get your free reports! There s no obligation. The 3 Fundamental Problems of Screenplay Development content is copyright by Embryo Films and FAST Screenplay The video and this document may be freely distributed, but credit and contact information must be included and remain intact. All information written and produced by Jeff Bollow. For more information, valuable free information, and details about the FAST Screenplay system, visit: Embryo Films and FAST Screenplay All rights reserved.