No option but to deliver - professional quality script | Scott Myers

A fundamental shift in studios' approach to acquisition & development

I've talked about how the studios in cutting back their acquisition budgets have changed their approach to the script development process. The following comes from a longtime Hollywood script reader and story analyst. I asked her how important story concept is compared to structure and characters as far as studios are concerned. She talked about her experience working with one company:

At [unnamed production company], concept is all important and, as much as I hate to admit it, definitely more important than both structure and character in that a script with impeccable craftsmanship and characters but so-so concept would still get a pass while a script with solid structure and characters AND a great concept is an easy consider. In other words, script had to have a catchy concept before it would be considered no matter how great the writing. A script with great concept but horrible execution and thin characters would still get a pass from the reader, but we'd have to flag the concept in the comments and the execs scanning the coverage may decide to give the script a closer look based purely on the logline and/or any buzz surrounding the script.

But things have changed a lot in the past 5 or so years. Development money shrunk and production entities like [unnamed production company] are no longer willing to sink a lot of money and time developing a project. Readers are instructed to give considers only to projects that are close to production ready.

Two things. First this is a reminder that story concept is still a critical aspect in determining the fate of a spec script. As I've said before, your choice of story concept is perhaps the single most important decision you make in the script writing process.

The second thing comes from that last paragraph: "Readers are instructed to give considers only to projects that are close to production ready." Whatever minimal leeway a spec script had a decade ago, where a buyer would think we can fix it in development, is just about gone. That means now more than ever, you need to know how to write a professional quality script.

Go Into The Story: A fundamental shift in studios' approach to acquisition & development