Last year, a scriptreader read 300 scripts for 5 studios, all the while taking notes on the problems and trends he saw. The number 1 problem? The story started too late in the script.


The scriptreader listed 37 frequently occurring problems, here are the top 20:

The story begins too late in the script The scenes are void of meaningful conflict The script has a by-the-numbers execution The story is too thin The villains are cartoonish, evil-for-the-sake-of-evil The character logic is muddy The female part is underwritten The narrative falls into a repetitive pattern The conflict is inconsequential, flash-in-the-pan The protagonist is a standard issue hero The script favors style over substance The ending is completely anti-climactic The characters are all stereotypes The script suffers from arbitrary complexity The script goes off the rails in the third act The script's questions are left unanswered The story is a string of unrelated vignettes The plot unravels through convenience/contrivance The script is tonally confused The protagonist is not as strong as [he or she needs to] be

In a way, while the information about script problems is helpful, there's a ton more information included here. Like the fact that 270 of the scripts were written by male writer(s). Or that only 2 scripts took place in outer space. Or that the most common location for these films-in-waiting was "some anonymous small town," which just narrowly edged out its exact opposite, a place called "New York City."


So here's to more space, less anonymous small towns.

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