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So It's True...
...Script Readers use their powers for EVIL as well as good! Check out ScriptWeaver's confessions on his rather marvellous blog (make sure you read the comments section too, it's sobering stuff!). He's reading for the Austin Festival at the moment and is taking great delight in the fact many submissions have not adhered to the guidelines!
Lots of people ask me whether it's "really that important" to follow guidelines for competitions and festivals: will they really be chucked onto the "OUT" pile, unread? They also quibble whether script readers at literary agents and production really DO chuck screenplays with bad grammar or format out of windows, at each other or line the dog basket with them.
I have seen all of the above happen. (The dog in question was called Alfresco, I'll have you know.) Whilst of course nothing in this world is GUARANTEED, the fact that people have seen these things, with their own eyes, should perhaps be food for thought for skeptical writers. But that's just my opinion!
BTW, anyone interested in other readers' opinions should check out the lovely Danny Stack or Scott The Reader. The latter has been known to post chunks of, shall we say, "misguided" screenplays on his blog and both have thrown down the gauntlet, inviting questions from interested parties about the reading process and general formatting, dialogue, visual issues etc.
Enjoy!
bang2write at 14:21:00 o'clock BST Blog about this entry |
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I can only speak from experience, not as a professional reader but the guy at the office who fields the scripts that come in, that I have chucked many based solely on typos and bad grammar - and that usually happens around page 2 or 3. If the cover is "pretty", that usually goes right off. I'm also averse to anything that comes in that's not in Courier 12 pt. Why? Google the answer and get with the program already! All to say, if you're going to send stuff out, please respect the formatting and keep the sloppiness for around page 50 so you'll have a fighting chance with impatient and demanding trolls like me.
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No problemo Mr Weaver, a pleasure.
Totally agree - as spec writers we're all swimming against the tide anyway and that's WITH good craft, story, character, arena etc...
As you say then: why let something that SHOULD be arbitrary take you down before you can really get started? -
Thanks for the plug, Lucy! Let it be said that a great script will USUALLY rise to the top regardless of technical demerits, but why take the chance?
Scriptweaver
23/04/06 17:53
Didn't I tell you there were monsters out there children?!? Run, run like the wind.... ; )