I haven’t slept in three days. But that’s not going to stop me from offering some amateur screenplays! Rhyme alert. This is the section of the paragraph where I usually write something witty or funny. I will leave that up to you though. Write something funny for me in the comments and I’ll insert the best sentence. huhuh. “Insert.” We’ve got some good scripts this week, too. It should be an entertaining battle. Read, vote, critique!
Title: ENDWAR
Genre: Action-Thriller
Logline: When every major city across the United States is attacked by an overwhelming paramilitary force, a Special Ops team has less than 24 hours to breach the war zone of New York City in a last chance attempt to retrieve a device that could turn the tide of war, before the US government takes drastic action and initiates the ‘Endwar’ protocol.
Why You Should Read: Hey everyone! I was recently inspired by a similar type of script that was recently featured on Amateur Friday with it’s use of artwork, so I’ve decided to do a similar thing myself, featuring the images on standalone pages, rather than behind/beside the text (so don’t freak out at the page count, it’s not as long as it might look). I have long had a fascination with war stories, but where this is different is that it takes place on American soil (something only very few films have explored in the past). The script was kind of an experiment in going big, unlike my previous scripts which were much smaller in scope. I want to take this script to the next level, with your notes Carson, and with the notes of the SS community. Thank you to everyone who can help.
Title: Kill Order
Genre: Action thriller
Logline: A retired CIA hitwoman is given 72 hours to assassinate a heavily-guarded African despot before her own husband and daughter are executed.
Why you should read: Kill Order is a marketable action thriller with a clear GSU and a kick ass female protagonist (studio bait right now) capable of leading a Taken-style franchise. The script has been optioned twice in recent years but I’m hoping that this latest draft will take it to the next level. Any comments / suggestions from the Scriptshadow readers would be greatly appreciated!
Title: God Dammit!
Genre: Action/Comedy
Logline: After discovering that her oven is a portal to the afterlife, a grieving loser teams up with her psychotic friend to rescue her dead brother from heaven.
Why You Should Read: I’ve been writing for awhile now, and it’s very rare that I write something where I think, “This is actually good.” But, I really feel good about this. And, I know every writer thinks their script is the best thing ever written. But, I really feel good about this one. It’s a big, broad comedy with real characters, real emotions, and real ideas behind it. And, it’s got a fight with a dead Jimi Hendrix if that’s any incentive.
At the very least, I need to know if it sucks.
Title: Virulence
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Logline: After a mysterious virus ravages Los Angeles, a father and daughter trapped in the evacuated city attempt to escape from a horde of infected canines.
Why you should read: I moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting and creative writing. This is my attempt at a feature-length screenplay. The premise is World War Z meets Cujo. Here’s a tagline for the movie: “Welcome to the dog days of summer.”
Title: The Medusa Room
Genre: Contained Thriller
Logline: After an accident exposes him to an unknown contagion that leaves its victims permanently “inert” rather than dead, a once-renowned doctor must use the limited resources at his disposal to solve a mysterious outbreak and prevent a worldwide plague- all while trapped inside the world’s most advanced quarantine chamber.
Why you should read: I knew I had a killer concept, and wanted to make sure I was making the absolute most of it. As such, I purchased coverage from Carson to look at what amounted to my first serious draft (from Carson: you can learn more about consultations here). His feedback was by far the best education I’ve ever received in the art of screenwriting, and that feedback in turn led to a page one rewrite. After some positive reception to that version from fellow writers, I decided to hit the cold query circuit. Within eleven (!) minutes I had my first of several read requests…
And that’s when the real work started. Those read requests came from some of the best managers in town, but resulted in passes of both the silent and vocal (but polite) nature. Still, though, I refused to give up, and went looking for further feedback from fellow writers/readers- feedback I’ve used to hone the screenplay accordingly.
I know that some of the most beloved scripts required years of rewrites (see Future, Back to the) before they landed on solid ground, but I feel this one is worth the effort. It’s a high concept that balances really cool tech with really tight character development inside of a tense, ticking-clock scenario, and it’s a movie I’d watch in an instant. I think a larger audience would, too, and I’m open to any suggestions on how I can maximize the potential of my idea.
