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: Reception
GENRE: Found Footage Horror
LOGLINE: A videographer tries to track down his missing girlfriend after a mysterious outbreak turns wedding reception guests into primal killers.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ: I paid close attention to your post about “How to Write a Found Footage Film” (1/5/2014) and believe I’ve hit most if not all of the points addressed. Camera holding motivations, emotional anchors, short run time… I also use a Glidecam for a different look to found footage than shaky cam (some really cool videos on youtube). Characters change through the circumstances surrounding them vs. a traditional story arc and hell, maybe you’ll find a character funny. One reader in the very early drafts thought it was a zombie comedy (it’s not).
TITLE: What The Hell Happened?
GENRE: Comedy
LOGLINE: A drunkard, an anxious CEO of a tv station, and a timid security guard’s lives are all affected after a little league baseball game goes awry and a man ends up storming the field naked and throwing up on a child.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ: My name is Etai Shuchatowitz and I’m a high school senior who has been reading you for the better part of four years. I’ve been trying to write for a long time, and after many disastrous results, I think this might be one that I got right. At least, I hope. It’s a comedy, so it’s not supposed to make you cry hard like Terms of Endearment or Armageddon (yeah, I’ll admit it. I cried at the end of Armageddon). But, it is a comedy that deals with a some hopefully mature themes and characters. I really like it and hope that you would too.
TITLE: Brother Cody
GENRE: Comedy
LOGLINE: The party boy heir to a bankrupt Milwaukee brewing empire infiltrates a monastery to steal the recipe of their legendary beer.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ: I moved to LA a few years ago to try my hand at screenwriting. I’ve had some success in contests, and one of the scripts I co-wrote last year actually made the AOW listings, but alas didn’t make the final cut. Hopefully Brother Cody can do better. I took my time, got feedback from both friends and pro script readers, and this newest version has received some good responses.
TITLE: The Procurist
GENRE: Sci-fi Thriller
LOGLINE: A callous identity-thief-for-hire, who specializes in genetically altering his clients so they can assume another person’s identity, falls for his latest victim and must risk his own life to protect her from his ruthless employers.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ: I set out to write a fast-paced, action thriller with a hint of real-world sci-fi, grounded by an intriguing protagonist and a tangible setting that is a character itself. A movie with a marketable concept and a strong theme that would appeal to producers, directors, and actors. A movie inspired by gritty ‘70s thrillers that takes the audience on a breakneck ride. I’d very much appreciate the opinions of Carson and the Scriptshadow community to tell me if I’ve succeeded.
TITLE: Culture Crash
GENRE: Dark Action Comedy
LOGLINE: Stuck with only each other, five kids from four very different worlds, end up on the run after their lives intertwine through the death of a greedy drug dealer. “Breakfast Club” meets “Pulp Fiction.”
WHY YOU SHOULD READ: Without going into my entire bio – I’m in my twenties and have been committed to writing for a very long time. I’m honestly not being lazy, but feel like a script should speak for itself. Chances are, if you’re not interested in the material/characters after the first couple pages, you’re not going to be interested in it at all. However, that being said, there’s no way in hell I would have sent you this material if I did not think you would enjoy it. Please give the first ten pages a read.
