I’m still trying to figure out how a McDonald’s Monopoly article became one of the hottest projects in town, seemingly overnight. As a screenwriter, it’s your job to take note of what A-list actors and directors are drawn towards so that you can use that knowledge in deciding what you yourself should write to attract similar talent. I don’t know why this one is garnering so much interest though. It seems dumb. What’s not dumb? Reading and voting on this weekend’s Amateur Offerings scripts!
For those playing for the first time, Amateur Offerings asks you to read as much as you can from each script and vote for your favorite in the comments section. The script with the most votes will receive a review next Friday!
And if you believe you have a screenplay that’s better than anything Hollywood is making at the moment, submit it for a future Amateur Offerings! Send me a PDF of your script, along with the title, genre, logline, and why you think people should read it (your chance to pitch yourself or your story). All submissions should be sent to Carsonreeves3@gmail.com.
Title: THE LAST SHOT
Genre: Crime Drama/Action
Logline: When a routine prison transfer turns into a precarious hostage situation at a rural gas station & grill, a curmudgeonly small-town sheriff on the cusp of retirement must team up with a hardened Native American inmate to dodge gunfire and keep each other alive as a rebellious pack of insubordinates seek to finish off the ‘old guard.’ (Tonally, somewhat in the vein of ‘Hell or High Water’, ‘Wind River’, ‘Gran Torino’, or ‘No Country for Old Men’.)
Why You Should Read: Here’s what the Blacklist’s story analyst had to say about my script: “The story is rife with conflict and remains engaging from beginning to end, and the dialogue is really strong. The relatively contained setting also makes this a more affordable film to produce – especially considering the amount of action – which can open up wider range of potential financiers. And, the best crime dramas can absolutely draw large audiences; this is a very commercial film.”
I feel like it’s ‘almost there’; it’s been read by some reputable companies (like Screen Gems, Blumhouse, WWE Studios, etc.), and it’s helped me get some of my other scripts in a few reading piles on the strength of my writing voice, but thus far, no one’s pulled the trigger and said ‘Yes, I’d like to option this’.
It’s a little different (which can be refreshing in a genre like crime drama / action); it borrows more cues from movies like ‘The Breakfast Club’ than it does from movies like ‘Die Hard’. I want to keep the emphasis on the characters in a way that isn’t boring, in the sense that ‘The Breakfast Club’ isn’t primarily a movie about a bunch of kids trying to sneak out of detention (although they do, in fact, sneak out of the library at one point). Would love any and all feedback from the Scriptshadow universe. Thanks in advance for your consideration!
Title: The Final Frontier
Genre: Drama/Sci-Fi
Logline: On the last night before he permanently relocates to Mars, a disgraced astronaut struggles to settle his final affairs at home with his father, his kids, and his ex-wife.
Why You Should Read: I am an aspiring screenwriter and while I’ve gotten positive feedback from some other writers and from my friend who’s a development exec, I feel like I need some better notes on my material so that I can improve it enough to get repped. My script would technically fall under the Sci-Fi genre, but it is way more Richard Linklater than it is James Cameron. It is a family drama at its core, and ultimately depends on characters resonating with the audience and the dialogue being well-written in order for it to be successful. I’d like for you (and everyone who visits your site) to be the judge to decide whether I made it work. I urge you to give me a shot.
Title: Repossession
Genre: Comedy
Logline: When a mama’s boy buys an exotic car that’s haunted by a rich obnoxious party girl, the ghost won’t rest in peace while this stubborn five star loser owns her sweet ride.
Why You Should Read: My friends keep telling me I need to “live a little”. That I should get out more instead of staying in and writing scripts all the time. But instead of being more social and learning how to live a little, I decided to write a script about someone with the same problem lol. I thought it would be interesting to share this now because it’s basically the same concept as the recent AO contender, THE CAR, but my ghosts are played for laughs. What a coincidence! They say timing is everything. So, I decided to live a little and share my script with all the generous folks here on SS!
Title: Before I Forgot
Genre: Drama/Horror
Logline: The compelling true story of Dr Walter Freeman, a narcissistic egotist that convinced America his lobotomy procedure could cure everything from depression to the common cold. Thousands of returning soldiers and Rosemary Kennedy were amongst his ‘satisfied’ clients.
Why You Should Read: This little ‘slice’ of American history needs to be told to the masses. The more I researched this guy, the more I became entrenched by his audacity and the more I empathized with his victims, especially the American war heroes returning after WW2 with mental health issues. The mental health system in America was imploding. Dr Walter Freeman played God. Its a heavy subject matter. I wrote this script a while ago and feedback was that it would never get made into a movie in America, given the sensitivity of the Kennedy family and of course the fate of Rose Kennedy. Nothing like some controversy to propel a script. Thanks for your support and feedback. I hope I’ve done the story justice.
Title: Followers
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Logline: When a Philadelphia detective discovers her son belongs to a group of clowns terrorizing a suburban neighborhood, her attempts to protect him ignite a string a death and violence that threatens to swallow them, and the entire city, whole.
Why You Should Read: Followers is inspired by the pre-election clown hysteria of 2016. I decided to take that insanity and make it even more insane and tell it through a hyper-realistic crime thriller. Listen to Marilyn Manson’s “Mobscene” right before you read it and you’ll get an idea of the tone of this thing. Enjoy, I hope.
