Elevator Pitches

Making Your Script Shine: Three Essentials

• Seek Varied Feedback:

  • Invite AT LEAST five individuals to delve into your script. They don't need to hold a film degree, just an appreciation for cinema.

  • Show gratitude for their time with a gesture - perhaps a bottle of their cherished drink.

  • If more than one person points out a specific issue, it's a signal for you to address it.

• Staged Reading:

  • Partner with your local theatre group to conduct a reading. This experience can be invaluable in identifying what clicks and what falls flat.

  • Create a relaxed atmosphere; perhaps throw in some bagels for everyone.

• Professional Insights:

  • If you can, spend on a pro to analyze your script. But remember, it shouldn't burn a hole in your pocket - let’s say no more than $500.

  • Potential spots to find adept readers? Production houses or dedicated script consultation services.

Crafting a Gripping Story: Elevator Pitches & Beyond

“He who cannot set boundaries will never master the art of writing.”

– Nicholas Boileau

It's a jungle out there. And in this dense jungle, elevator pitches are your sharpened arrows.

The genesis of the term? The average elevator ride: a concise 118 seconds, as one moves from the ground to a hotel's topmost floor. Corporate dynamos use this window to sell, inform, or persuade.

But for a writer? Imagine you have a mere five seconds. Perhaps ten if you're speaking to someone patient (a rarity, I assure you).

Whether penning an email to a studio executive or making that nerve-wracking call to an agent, cut to the chase. And pronto.

Here's my mantra for the budding screenwriter:

Your narrative, in essence, is about a CHARACTER who is compelled to ACCOMPLISH something. But if they falter, a massive, earth-shattering CONSEQUENCE awaits.

Consider:

• The objective should be the protagonist's worst nightmare.

• The stakes? Make them personal. Palpable.

• The goal should be explicit. For instance, Andy Dufresne from “Shawshank Redemption” didn’t just yearn for freedom. He aspired for a specific life in Mexico, manning his boat.

• The challenge must be arduous, layered with irony.

• The core idea? Fresh as morning dew.

For example, a tale of a librarian organizing books under the looming threat of a missed fourth-grade assignment? Weak stakes, minimal conflict.

Or a rehash of the “Sister Act” plot? Old wine in a slightly modified bottle.

But imagine this:

A librarian, usually content amidst her books, is thrust back in time to treacherous terrains. She must save Shakespeare from a malevolent warlord. If she fails? Centuries of rich western literature risk being obliterated.

Or...

To unearth an elusive Shakespeare manuscript, our librarian must step into the diametrically opposite world of a stripper.

Here, you have a concoction of high stakes and an unexpected journey, replete with contrasts.

Given a choice, I’d pick the latter. It promises a rollercoaster of emotions, challenges, and most importantly, growth.

But let's take it up a notch:

To save her estranged, younger sibling from the clutches of the underworld, a reserved librarian plunges into the world of strip clubs, all the while searching for a lost Shakespearean play.

Now, that's a story I'd pay to watch.