Everyone knows the old saying that there are no new stories under the sun. And trust me, as someone who reads over 15 scripts a week, that saying is certainly true.
In fact, I personally have read over 10 pilots about the first drug task forces in the U.S. And most of these pilots are written well. But none of those scripts excited me enough to make me want to sign the writer.
What does this mean?
There was nothing new in the style, story or characters that I haven’t seen before.
For example, there had always been cowboy movies since the dawn of Hollywood, but in UNFORGIVEN Clint Eastwood told the story of a bad cowboy trying to set things right in such an interesting and exciting way that the movie ended up winning four Oscars.
If you, the writer, know you are writing about a subject that is very popular, and even if you know that your material is well-written, you have to find a way to tell your story in a way that is engaging, exciting, and unique! I can’t stress this enough.
You should assume that I have read every idea under the sun. Therefore, you should do everything you can to make what you have written the best and most interesting script ever!
Because for me to get excited about taking on a new client, the material has to be something really really special — something I haven’t seen ever before!
Print This
Tweet This
RSS of Show Me The Screenplay Blog
