“You Are One Script from The Success You Want!”

I’ve heard that line said many times in this Industry – sometimes by writers, managers, and even producers.  It sounds magical. But is it just wishful thinking?

Yes and no.

If you are writing without any direction, you’re going to need some serious magic.  But if you are willing to create in a more focused way, you really do have a chance.

The big question:  “What script will give you that success?”

You already know how to write screenplays.  What if you focused on making this next script something that will attract actors, producers, and streamers?

The great news is you’re just a few decisions away from something that can sell and maybe even get produced.

My advice:  Be intentional about the most important decisions of your script.

It starts with the pitch.

The pitch is the first thing a producer or agent hears from you.  It is also the first thing an audience sees or hears – your pitch presented as a trailer or 30 second TV spot.

If your pitch is great, the producer reads the script.  If your pitch is great, the audience gets excited, creates buzz on social media, and goes to the theater to see it!

Here’s an idea:

Instead of waiting until you have written the script to create the pitch, what if you designed it first?  I learned that from Mark Roseman (Lizzie McGuire, Sorority Row, A Cinderella Story, etc.), who had written 9 scripts and 8 of them were made into movies.  He said his success came from writing the pitch first.  If he thought the pitch could sell, he wrote the script.

Pitch first; then script!

Both of them are creative acts.  Since you’re a creative person, you can create pitches just as easily as characters.  If you haven’t done that before, just pretend you can.  When you get an idea for a script, ask yourself how you might pitch it.

Go for the big-picture questions: concept, characters, main conflict, and transformational journey.  If you can answer those four questions, you’ve got the basics of a pitch.

What’s the basics of a great pitch?

The producer or audience needs to see enough to get them hooked, but not so much that they find a reason to turn it down.

• Concept:  The big idea of this story that is both unique and universal.
• Lead Characters:  The roles that are perfectly designed for this story.
• Main Conflict:  The fight, struggle, or battle the characters are engaged in.
• Transformational Journey:  The protagonist character arc and the series of events that challenge them to the core as they make the change.

Are you willing to play this game?  Just try it.  Create your pitch right now!

It doesn’t have to be perfect on the first try.  Again, it is a creative act, so the first draft may have some holes in it…but that is totally okay.  And if you are doing it by yourself, there’s no loss by making mistakes.

The more you do it, the better you get.  Soon, you’ll be able to come up with pitches quickly that will impress producers, agents, and managers!

If you are willing to generate some great pitches, you really can be just one script from the success you want!

Related Class:  Get Your Scripts To Power Players!