James Brudbidge

10 Things Before submitting A Script

By James Burbidge

When you submit a script you have one chance (per production company) to get it right. Any mistakes, any problems and it will be rejected, just like that. These companies receive literally thousands of scripts and it just doesn’t make sense for them to give you feedback and wait for your next draft – if its not right, it gets binned and they move onto the next one in their submissions pile.
That being the case, you need to make sure you are 100% happy with what you send in. Below is a checklist, a rundown of potential problems with your script that you should probably rectify before popping it in the post-box or pressing ‘send.’
10 things to check before you submit your script.
1. Format it correctly. This is obvious but, unfortunately, it still needs to be said. Use Courier 12pt. Format your margins correctly. Make sure you include page numbers. The best way to make sure you get this right is to use some screenwriting software – Celtx is free. If in doubt check our script format guide or the comprehensive books of Haag & Cole or David Trottier.
2. Make sure it is the correct length. 90-120 pages is recommended. If in doubt, cut, cut, cut. For a start, a tired script reader will always rather do a short script than a long one. Secondly, it will make your story leaner and meaner; paring a script down will help reveal what is really important in it
3. Clarify your theme. Theme is not the plot or the structure, it is the underlying debate or message in your script – it can be upbeat (true love is totally amazing!) or grim (the human race is fixated on self-destruction). It can be a question (how far do people go to save the ones they love?) or a preachy ideal (not recommended). What is important however, is that it is clear. A clear theme will guide your plot, provide direction for your character’s development and give the audience something to resonate with that is deeper than a quirky character.
4. Know what your film is and what other films it is like. Genre. You must know what genre your film lies in and what the historical precedents are in that genre. Make sure your script differs from them, has a twist, a fresh take, a voice of its own.
5. Make sure each and every character has their own story to tell. Look at the script from their point of view and ensure their dialogue and actions are helping them to realise their own goals. Make sure that they have an emotional truth and a life independent of the protagonist.
6. Avoid exposition dumps. Do not have a character walk into a room, verbally reveal half the plot and then walk out again. Do not use stupid leading questions that the character clearly already knows the answer to – “are we testing the photo-nuclear reactor for the first time ever today?” Do not use lines like “gee Bill, it’s crazy that your about to drive all the way to Berwick-Upon-Tweed.” Do not have the villain reveal his plan 5 minutes before putting it into effect thus leaving our hero time to foil his dastardly scheme (c.f. Watchmen). You’re a writer - use your imagination to get that information across more dramatically, more emotionally. Look at the beginning of UP, or the poisoned date scene in Indiana Jones to see exposition turned into something else.
7. Don’t give everything away. Reserve some mystery both for your characters and the plot. Not everything should be explainable by the revelation that Johnny’s mother hit him with a spatula when he was 7. Give your characters the subtle complexities of real people. Give your main plot a resolution yes, but don’t plan out the lives of all your characters 10 years down the line.

8. Identify your ‘water-cooler moments.’ What scenes in particular are people going to talk about after seeing this film? Do you have specific scenes or moments that are original and memorable? Make sure they stand out in the script.
9. Be cinematic. Show don’t tell is one of the older clichés in the lore of screenwriting but it is there for a reason. Visual and aural (sound effects) techniques should be used before resorting to the verbal – “I am shot!” is pretty weak writing (unless intended post-modern ironically (and if it is, make sure the reader has some way of knowing that). Give the cinematographer some great material to work with and embrace the collaborative nature of film.
10. Make it exciting, intriguing, audacious or thought provoking. Make it stand out from the slush pile. Make it more than just a good old story told well. Be ambitious.
And the bonus
11. Get it read by a professional who will give you pages of constructive feedback. There are many script reading services out there, including our own.
If you’re not sure that your writing skills are up to scratch yet then maybe you should check out some of our great writing courses.

About the author

James has been out of university for a year now and no-one has walked up and offered him a job - yet.
He is, at the moment seeking shelter and solace in the warm bosom of a Raindance internship and hoping that the recession will have gone away by the time he emerges from the cocoon-like cellar.
At the moment he hones his (already razor-sharp) skills by writing articles and timetables for the above mentioned festival company.

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