How 600 Seconds Can Kill Your Script DEAD

600 Seconds To Victory?

NEWSFLASH: 600 seconds can mean the difference between a full read of your spec screenplay … or not.

Why 600 seconds? Well, the received wisdom is that a page of script is equal to one minute of screen time*.

If a minute is 60 seconds, then your first ten pages = 600 seconds. It really is simple as that.

(*Of course, this measurement is not an exact science. Pages with lots of dialogue may be faster, whereas those with more visuals may be longer. But that’s a conversation for another time!).

But First, The Elephant In The Room

Script reading is, unfortunately, a beauty contest in the first instance. Lots of scripts fail at the first hurdle because the reader never gets past page 1. Harsh but true!

This is most often because of their format. While most spec screenwriters use screenwriting software now, there’s still a lot of ‘script reader pet peeves’. These can mean the difference between getting read or not.

This is the easiest problem to fix. On this blog, The B2W Format One Stop Shop can help you avoid the usual pitfalls. Make sure you take a look and bookmark it for future reference. (Even if you think you have script format licked, I guarantee you those ‘script reader pet peeves’ can still get you!).

It’s also important to note that script readers are not robots. Script reading is low-paid and an entry-level point for the industry. This means work experience kids ARE reading our work. Also, a bad day, a huge pile, or even something as simple as a script reader disliking a genre can lead to a PASS for otherwise excellent spec screenplay.

But even the robots themselves may not ‘get’ your genius story. AI-script reading platforms might exist now, but they are not infallible either.

(Thankfully, I’m unaware of widespread adoption of AI script reading in the industry. Between a human and an AI, I will always choose the human! And not ‘just’ because script reading is my job, but because the end result is supposed to be enjoyed by humans … NOT robots!).

How 600 Seconds Can Kill Your Script Dead

So if those first ten pages (from p1 onwards) are so important, here are B2W’s tips for ensuring YOURS rock …

1) No Logline Or One Pager

Yes, even BEFORE we get to your pages! Most script readers feel a certain sense of dread in opening a script “cold”. Give them an indication of what the script and story is MEANT to be and they feel better able to judge the work in front of them.

This is why a good, polished logline and one pager should ALWAYS be sent with your script! Whilst it’s true many readers skim these (we don’t get paid extra for them), it is an added opportunity to get the reader on board with your story.

2) Introducing Character THEN story

Many writers believe we must have an introduction to our protagonist BEFORE the meat of the story. This is a big mistake.

If a reader cannot “nail” what a script is about story-wise by page ten, there is a good chance they won’t give the script a full read. Character and story should go hand in hand – from page one wherever possible.

Keep in mind not only WHO we’re watching, but WHY we’re watching them. Don’t make readers ‘wait’ for the story to start.

3) Too Much ‘Black On The Page’

You want your reader to visualise your script’s story, but many writers want to paint the ENTIRE picture when “summing it up” is far preferable. Ask yourself whether ALL your description is necessary.

One of the best pieces of advice re: description I’ve ever been given was this: “When you want to use ten words, use five. When you want to use five, use one. When you want to use one, use none.”

Force yourself to use as few words as possible. Ironically, the more description a script has, the more confusing it is for the reader! This is because they don’t know which the “important” bits are. Scriptwriting is all about economy. Less really is more.

4) More No-Nos: ‘Set Dressing’ and ‘Directing From the Page’

You’re the screenwriter. Your job is to tell the story, NOT make the film. Even if you’re a writer-director, you don’t want to alienate the reader by caring more about the ‘look’ than the story.

What I call ‘set dressing’ refers to the type of visuals that paint a picture ‘too much’. The writer lays everything out as if they’re dressing a set … The outside of a building and what it looks like. Inside, the colour of the curtains or carpets. What’s on the dressing table. Unless these details impact the plot somehow, they are surplus to requirements.

As for ‘directing from the page’, this may be related to camera angles or the mechanics of filmmaking. We don’t want to see SMASH CUT, ECU, ANGLE ON or anything you may have gleaned from shooting scripts.

Similarly, we don’t want you ‘placing’ characters in the scene, telling them where to stand or how to hold their bodies. We want character behaviour and visuals that push the story forward. The difference is subtle, but crucial.

5) Chains Of Yawnsome Dialogue

Dialogue is great … as long as it does two things: reveal character and push the story forward.

However, lots of spec scripts take that first part – ‘reveal character’ – literally when it comes to dialogue. They have characters naming their pain, or saying exactly what they mean constantly.

Yet great dialogue is often what characters can’t say. Remember, characters are what they DO. Don’t have chains and chains of dialogue when character behaviour hits harder.

6) Starting with Flashback

Before you get ants in your pants, I love flashback. I use it in my own writing and think people who think it’s “lazy” are nuts.

But one thing that really puzzles me is a script that starts with flashback. What are we “flashbacking” from? It’s the start of the story! What’s more, those first ten pages starting with flashback often do little to answer this question.

7) Starting With Montage

Again, nothing wrong with montage as a device. They can be very powerful plot devices. But the key is in the name – PLOT DEVICE. They need to have a dramatic function!

Most montages I see on p1 or within the first ten pages are cityscapes to ‘set the scene’. This reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what montages are for.

Consider where you’ve seen montages, especially within modern TV shows and movies. Most often, they’re around the midpoint or somewhere in the second half. This is because montages are not about setting the scene, or signifying the passing of time.

Montages are used to signify a dramatic shift from one state of being in the story to another. No more, no less. But you hardly ever need them on pages 1-10.

8) Being Boring!

The biggest crime of all! Being dull and/or confusing in the first ten pages, it’s all over.

What constitutes “dull” is obviously up to personal interpretation, yes. However, there are certain things writers can do to ensure there’s “enough” going on to pique a reader’s interest.

That doesn’t mean you have to start with a car crash, big explosion, alien invasion or whatever, either. You CAN craft a decent hook into your script, regardless of genre, style or tone.

Ultimately, something excited YOU enough about this story. You would not have sat down and devoted hundreds of hours to your script otherwise. Make the reader feel excited about it, too. You can do it!

Don’t Let 600 Seconds (Or Even Just 60!) Kill Your Script

If standing out is half the battle – and it is – then you don’t want even 60 seconds to kill your spec script’s chances.

This is why I do the Live Script Edit at LondonSWF every year. It’s also why I run Breaking Into Script Reading, B2W’s flagship course.

Now in its eleventh year, it’s a deep dive on all things script reading. The course is not just for wannabe script readers, but savvy writers who want to see how their scripts are judged behind the scenes.

But all this is moot if you can’t get read past page 1. That’s why I have created this B2W freebie below on what script readers look for on p1. Save the pic to your phone, or CLICK HERE (or on the pic) for a PDF version to save to your desktop.