UPDATE: Calling all female screenwriters – we want YOU to submit your best work for an upcoming Amateur Offerings Weekend that will showcase scripts written exclusively by women! Send a PDF of your script along with the title, genre, logline, and a ‘why you should read’ section in an email to carsonreeves3@gmail.com ASAP! :)
This is your chance to discuss the week’s amateur scripts, offered originally in the Scriptshadow newsletter. The primary goal for this discussion is to find out which script(s) is the best candidate for a future Amateur Friday review. The secondary goal is to keep things positive in the comments with constructive criticism.
Below are the scripts up for review, along with the download links. Want to receive the scripts early? Head over to the Contact page, e-mail us, and “Opt In” to the newsletter.
Happy reading!
TITLE: Pilot
GENRE: Science-Fiction/Thriller
LOGLINE: An intelligent spacecraft, crash-landed on an alien world, resurrects its failed-pilot-turned-engineer, in the hopes he can repair the damage before the planet collides with a dying star.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ: “So I was at a Hanson concert the other night… Don’t ask. Needless to say, I’ve earned myself some significant points with my significant other… Anyway, I started asking myself (silently): where did I take a wrong turn in my career endeavors? I mean, I’m a smart guy. I’m artistic. At age six, I wrote my very first book; A short Christmas story involving Santa Claus, magic dust and some wicked sweet pictures accented with glitter and elbow macaroni. But after more than two decades later, I have yet to break through the industry walls. Which brings me to my point; I have an incredible sci-fi script that I’ve been toiling over for the past year and some change, and I’ve the fourteen draft revisions to prove it. And when I say draft I don’t mean polish. Each and every draft I write has its own distinct outline. It’s been sort of an obsession to get this thing as perfect as can be, because… well… I honestly obsess over my writing quite frequently. It’s a curse as well as a gift, because I’m willing to put the time in to perfecting my craft while my wife sits idly by feeling neglected… Which brings me full circle as to why I had to go to the Hanson concert to begin with.
The short and sloppy pitch is it’s Cast Away meets 2001. Both movies I liked but didn’t love for different reasons… Which is probably why I felt compelled to slap the two together. I loved the human element in Cast Away; Tom Hanks. Out on his own. Doing anything he can to survive and get back to the wife he loves… But I felt it lacked “stuff”, not to put too scientific a term on it. It lacked the miniature story twists, turns and surprises that I love so much. I didn’t come out of it feeling like I had discovered more about myself in the process. 2001 was a brilliant film, visually… But at the same time, felt very cold and distant (which no doubt was Kubrick’s intention) and lacking a human connection. You had Dave the astronaut, but by the time he came around, I was usually knocked out cold. It took me a good ten viewings before making it all the way through!
Sorry if I’m getting off point, but my script, Pilot, has the unique visuals; has a uniquely flawed character at its core; and well… I’m obsessed with it. You would be doing me (as well as my wife) a great service just to tell me to let it go and move on to the next script, because I’ve rewritten this thing over to death, and I honestly have no more drafts in me. It’s as good as it’s ever going to get, by my hand alone. This is my best work, and I’m a self-judgmental SOB when it comes to my own work. Check it out!”
TITLE: The Devil’s Jokebook
GENRE: Film Noir / Horror
LOGLINE: Heaven and Hell converge on New York when an ancient book disappears. But the only man that can save the city is a non-believer with a grudge against the Church.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ: “My script is a 2013 ShriekFest Finalist. This is my fourth time being a finalist in that competition. My story meshes classic film noir elements with the supernatural. Think “The Maltese Falcon” with demons. But I’ve swapped out the old school cops with Vatican goons and the mob with demons to put a fresh spin on those tropes. Please consider The Devil’s Jokebook for review. It’s a DEMON NOIR with one hell of a punch line.”
TITLE: Stuart Frankfurt’s Middle Life
GENRE: Comedy
LOGLINE: Tired of being overlooked and undervalued, Stuart Frankfurt lies to get attention. As his popularity grows, so do the lies—and then they start to come true.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ: “This is my seventh or eighth script, and the one that’s furthest from my comfort zone. I tend to prefer quirky indie films, but those loglines are harder to get noticed (I experienced this when I submitted one to your 20 logline day. It received all of a dozen comments, and while positive, it was certainly not enough to get picked). This time I tried to come up with a higher concept film idea and write it with the same attention to character. I wrote this script about two years ago, got notes, made changes, and promptly forgot about it. I recently remembered it, re-read it, and still liked it. Maybe you will, too.”
TITLE: Alex & Alex
GENRE: Romantic Comedy
LOGLINE: After meeting in group therapy, two depressed college students try to start a relationship even though they share many of the same personal demons.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ: “I am passionate about telling stories with powerful emotion and I think I’ve captured something special with my script “Alex & Alex.” It’s based on my own dating troubles in college and is full of laughs and tears. I think this story perfectly blends sometimes-raunchy college humor with heartwarming romance. It also deals with the social issues of mental health much like the film “Silver Linings Playbook” and features two lonely and broken characters that find a kindred spirit in one another. I believe I have a ton of creative talent to offer and I have dozens of original, diverse and interesting screenplay concepts. I love working on the craft of writing and I’m always looking for inspiration in my daily adventures. I would love to become a filmmaker and have a chance to tell my stories. I hope you love what you read!”
TITLE: Breaking News
GENRE: Contained Thriller
LOGLINE: A flash drive is left at the door step of local news station showing a vicious murder of the town mayor with a mysterious message at its end. As the weekend anchor, on his final day, and his team investigate, they discover a bigger plot may be behind the mayor’s demise. (The Newsroom meets The Purge)
WHY YOU SHOULD READ: “For the last couple of years, I have been writing screenplays only learn and improve at my craft. While I believe I’ll always be learning and looking to improve, I am confident that I have reached a point where I can put my work out there to be looked and, hopefully, be sold. Breaking News is that work. I really think this script can be turned into something and I wanted to put it out there for the Scriptshadow crowd to read. Give it a shot and your time won’t be wasted.”
