An excerpt from my script review for Bloodshot which will be available 03/23/20:
1.) Marketability of the Idea
Based on a Valiant comic.
(Gotta make use of those properties from the 90s not yet spoken for!)
It’s a comic book action script with an existing audience.
We’ve been here before (in this section) and understand what a huge boost to any project’s chances of being made this can be.
What I’m going to talk about here though is our current national climate.
If you’re like many of us, you’ve been advised to “stay home” due to Covid-19. Let’s make use of that time, shall we?
We’re also in the beginnings of what will most likely be a nasty recession (if not depression), so it’s time to hunker down, save some money, and focus on your writing if you’re serious about it.
That doesn’t necessarily mean paying for sites like these, buying books, paying for script notes, etc. We should all be counting our pennies and making full use of each and every one.
And there are plenty of inexpensive (if not free) avenues to explore out there as well.
Read scripts.
By far the easiest, and most worthwhile, use of your time. Plenty of them are available on the internet given a simple search. Read what you can, taking note of particular formats, tones in certain genres, and what you feel works.
Don’t just read one (like a Tarantino project) and think that particular work speaks for the entire art of screenwriting. Reading a handful, particularly in a specific genre, should yield a basic understanding of what’s expected.
Watch Films.
More than likely you’re already binging on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, or others anyway.
Time to focus your search, paying special attention to not getting lost in “research”, which postpones your writing.
See what works, and what doesn’t.
(If you’re taking our advice from previous reviews, and really want to explore the opportunities in contained horror, go for it.)
My suggestions, and similar to 2009/10, companies will need to justify the pennies they’re spending too as we move into the next year or two, so ratios like ROI (return on investment) will be huge if you can present a relatively small budget script in a popular genre.
Borrow Books.
If you feel the need to read a screenwriting book, see if you can’t borrow one.
Most libraries now have digital copies you can read on a tablet, since most physical copies are lost do to libraries being closed.
However, and similar to the getting lost in research, don’t procrastinate! This step should be reserved for the very beginners, and for those of us who have been at it a while, it’s better to read screenplays related to projects we’re considering.
So there are three quick tips that should help your craft and realistically not cost you any more money than you’re already spending.
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