Screenwriting: 12 Rules to Get Your Screenplay Rejected Immediately
Digital MarketingGetting your scripts rejected right away is an art. Do the following if you want to see your efforts of months and maybe years go to the trash can in 15 seconds or less.
1) Write a 30 page “feature” script.
2) Write a 300 page “feature film” script.
3) Use an excellent bright orange cover to attract attention.
4) Generously paste photos to illustrate your scenes. Your smiling photo with your favorite pet by your side and typing on your laptop would really enhance the aesthetic value of the cover.
5) Provide frequent detailed direction and camera instructions like “WIDE ANGLE SHOT, actors should imagine they are at a FUNERAL” etc.
6) Use a crazy font on the cover and within the script to grab the study reader’s attention. Never use Courier.
7) Include sidebar notes for the reader like “Dear reader, please pay attention to the plot reversal in this scene!”
8) Use character names that start with the same letter and are very similar to each other, such as Jane, Joe, Jim, Jake, Jimmy, June, Jess, Jessie, Jesse, Jo, Jon, and Jil.
9) Make sure nothing happens in the first 5 pages. For example, you can describe the beautiful scenery while your protagonist is traveling by train from New York to Boston.
10) Do not use the universally accepted paragraph style format for hyphens. Be original. Wrap all text to the RIGHT.
11) There are very few tracks under the sun and it’s smart to imitate success. Take CASABLANCA. Change the names to Bob and Shamita. Change the city to Austin, Texas, and bingo! You have a 100% unacceptable script.
12) “Dramatic Structure” is for pigeons. Create a Protagonist with no desire for anything in the world. After all, isn’t he a Buddhist monk?