99% Of Screenplays Are Rejected After The First Scene - Corey Mandell
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- čas přidán 8. 12. 2019
- In this Film Courage video interview, Corey Mandell on 99% Of Screenplays Are Rejected After The First Scene.
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#screenwriting #writing #screenplay - Krátké a kreslené filmy
Check out Corey Mandell's two full video interviews on CZcams here:
czcams.com/video/cj5tlCDEdcE/video.html and czcams.com/video/hZgWw5juPJ8/video.html
I loved what he says about staying authentic. I have tried but never been willing to follow a formula due to the nature of my scripts which are all based on real life stories. Life is so unpredictable and as a writer I think it is important to let the story unfold organically and then add to it if it feels empty. Thanks for the insight into UCLA and how future writers are being encouraged or not to follow Hollywoods old school formula. Stay safe and well and never give up on your dream. Rehash that old script.
What a great interview. He is just so warm, and articulate, generous and wise.
BLAIR M Schirmer I’m not sure what your point is.
Great talk. Very interesting guy. Thank you for sharing. I have noticed that movies, tv, and entertainment have changed a lot in the past 10+ years, but I had never heard anyone explain it all as clearly as this. Very interesting times folks. I believe the most powerful movie has not been shot yet, and the most engrossing tv series has not been made yet. Stay tuned.
I think this shows the better side of criticism and I can usually tell much about the speaker when the text clips scroll and I read them...most of the words don't really have clarity. There is a better percentage of clarity in this one. Thanks
Makes you wonder how many great films weren't made because of this approach.
99% Of Screenplays Are Rejected After The First Scene? IF WRITERS LISTEN TO HIM THEY WILL STOP WRITING
@@orestesvega2475 He's telling the truth though. Hollywood is run by idiots. Not his fault.
Star Wars, Pulp Fiction, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Usual Suspects, First Blood, Casablanca, Platoon, Back to the Future, Home Alone.
All these films were rejected. A small handful saved from the massive scrap heap of forgotten scripts.
@@orestesvega2475 nah, hopefully they'll just up their standard. so many writers are okay knowing they've written mediocre scenes bcz they believe in the story.
@@orestesvega2475 On the one hand, I kinda agree. On the other hand, I relish the writer that doesn't back down from the challege, even if big names don't pick them up. Like a river polishing rocks or gold purified by fire. Keep pushing, crew!
Im just gonna put the whole script on the first page. Problem solved
Yes! In really tiny font, with the whole text gathered into the shape of a bat.
Rib-breaking!!!!!
YES
Hhhhhhh
Just write it on the back of a CVS receipt
"The fear of rejection can lead people to reject themselves"-Corey Mandell. Thats powerful.
Give up
There's a lot of great advice here for all writers.
I feel the opposite can hold true too. Fear of acceptance means you have to come through. That fear of eventually being rejected. So I think acceptance can lead to imposter syndrome.
@@jonweinraub Yeah, that's exactly what Corey Mandell said, it 's not the opposite
I feel like that is an extremely close-minded way to look at storytelling. How many great stories were lost because of THIS very mindset.
He's not necessarily saying that's it's fair, or it's right. But the reality is, film's cost money to make. If you're a producer and you've got hundreds or unknown writers looking for your money, you feasibly can't give them all the time they deserve. Therefore the films that start off strong are way more likely to catch the attention of a busy producer
@@TheChromaKid I did read some book and they sounded Stupied and dumb from page 1 but it gets better after few chapters in.
So yeah, some good idea might have been brushed away because of this mindset.
But I also respect the Fact that they saw too many shit papers they found a pattern of first scene sucks = pass.
Most readers I've talked to, or heard about, are looking for any reason to NOT t have to read a script.
So how do you think the best movies were made
Exactly!!!
I'm at 1:10 thinking: "Do I have to listen to the remaining 27 minutes?"
Same, I stopped watching. And I'm just reading the comments.
Me too, what a silly way to see storytelling.
No, no, you don't
Just start your story right off with gun fights, explosions and the protagonist kicking the antagonists ass...now THAT'S how you impress idiots like this clown
The last 27 minutes was a waste of my time.
Akira Kurosawa, an influential Japanese director, advised writers to make their scenes more interesting by having the emotion that the character exhibits at the beginning flip to its opposite by the end of the scene. If they start out happy, they end the scene sad. If they begin relaxed, they finish the scene afraid. This creates an dynamic that not only delights the audience but challenges the emotional range of the actors.
That's actually a really nice insight for ideas. Thanks
He was also really into the weather and showing a lot of movement with rain and snow and wind
Do you remember where he said this?
@@PhilWithCoffee In Japan.
This is brilliant as it follows the electromagnetics of dynamic polarities - the Third theory of physics repressed by the mainstream.
Why am I listening to this guy. He wrote _Battlefield: Earth._
Hehehe, sooo true
You are listening because he got paid to write that script, and you didn't. Also, if you've ever tried reading that book, you'd hail this guy as a genius, for making anything remotely shootable out of it.
@@ernststravoblofeld hi scientologist, a happy new year to you.😁
@@tubbalcain Yes, I hear all Scientologists tell people how bad Hubbard sucked. You must be very smart.
@@ernststravoblofeld are you hungry?
"What's so terrible about these scenes?"
Not written by the friend of a Hollywood exec.
EXACTLY!! It’s pure BS!
This leads people to believe the first scene is the best scene - which is probably never the case. This is just sad, I feel.
No. It means every page has to be so good lots of people want to read every page, including the first scene. In other words, don't take too long to get started.
Completely agree!
That's why writers now tent to opt for a super fast 1 act to get to the action, when actually by doing that they kill it, because if you rush to the action scene, then why should i care? I had no time to empathise with the hero. Still these movies are made and they are shit
The best =/= most important to get selected
Well no, it leeds writers to focus on making the first scene as a "Hook" to readers.
In the words of the legendary screenwriter William Goldman, Nobody in this town knows nothing.
Bearded Jagger is that a purposeful double negative?
@@Th_Uslss_Indvdl Yes. The actual quote is "Nobody knows anything..." When I quote it I add the double negative for effect.
@@zyrrhos It's an interesting double negative and makes the argument for watching the whole interview. Mandell drops some interesting insights here and there.
@@pequodexpress It's been 3 years but I'm pretty sure I watched the whole thing, but how does the quote make the argument for watching the whole interview?
The most important rule in writing: make the reader want to see what happens next until the final page
Yup, you got it.
...or have a bit of patience as long as the writing is good.
I know plenty of people who stopped watching Breaking Bad after the first season because it was “too slow.” They ended depriving themselves of what is arguably the best TV show ever made. And we’re talking about people giving up on it after an entire SEASON, not the first episode. How are you going to judge an entire script after the first scene?!
The main reason why Hollywood is lacking so much originality nowadays is because of their unwillingness to go out and find new talent.
^infairness to Breaking Bad, that season 2 was slow as fuck, maybe it was the writers strike, maybe because they needed to rewrite cause the guy who played Tuco wanted out, don't know but in season 3 the pace of the story really picked up.
@@JaneEva thats true as well!
"To really hit your full potential, you have to be okay with being rejected." I appreciate his honesty about the importance of courage. Thank you Corey Mandell for sharing your advice!
I suspect there is more money made teaching people how to write than in selling books and scripts. Perhaps a lot more.
So? Same in Gold Rush. Think Levi Straus.
@@scottslotterbeck3796 He wasn't 'having a go' he was sharing an opinion. STFU!
@@Matt_Mosley1983 What are you talking about? I was agreeing with him. What a nasty attitude you have. Wow.
Wells Root (Writing The Script) said that the desire to become a screenwriter pretty much replaced the American Dream of becoming president or an astronaut. So there would be a lot of money on that.
Those who can't DO, Teach..
Imagine reading the first scene of Parasite and then going “nah” because there’s no conflict yet...stupid way of looking at things.
Parasite opens with a family dealing with abject poverty.
S Mac the first scene is interesting
Anthony Echo yes. The first scene is interesting and yes, the family is dealing with poverty, but there isn’t a recognisable “conflict” yet.
the first scene in parasite is interesting as fuck. what are you talking about?
You don't need to have conflict in the first scene. It just needs to be compelling enough to move to the next scene. And a movie like Parasite is a big named Korean director with a track record made outside of Hollywood.
I just listend to the first two minutes and I am already thinking: what is wrong with the industry? I see so many films, that if I were reading the first scene I am bored to death. But the movie is still good. So how does this go hand in hand with what he says? Oh my...
He’s talking about how to get picked up for the first time. He’s talking reservoir dogs, not pulp fiction
@@thebacons5943 Before reservoir dogs was made, Tarantino wrote already two scripts that were already directed by other famous directors. One was natural born killers. So... very bad example you are giving here. Tarantino got lucky and was introduced to the right people. He didn't need no convincing anymore at this stage.
@@Leprutz
Wrong - Reservoir Dogs came out in 1992, True Romance 1993, and Natural Born Killers 1994. Before that he made a terrible amateurish film, but had enough quality dialogue here and there to get his other scripts read.
And THIS is why the lovely world of Indie film making exists. Because some random Hollywood script reader must NUT! after reading the first sentence or your script goes in the rejection bin. The nerve.
Herp&Derp LMAO 😂 SO TRUE
BRUH 😂😂😂
THANK YOU for being a fan of Indie!
😂✌🏾
He dances around it, but the sad truth is that most 'blockbusters' are written to adolescent boys with an IQ around 90. Television is better because most adolescent boys use their family TV for video games --- so they've selected themselves out of the target audience.
I've listened to this man speak for 60 seconds, and I feel no need to listen to him any more.
sort of proving his point really
lmaooooo
@@dontpickonme 😄 True.
If this tells us anything, it's the limitations of Hollywood creativity
Hollywood just wants remakes reboots and sequels anything that's not is rejected unless it's about something awful and offensive.
If you actually watch the whole thing he said that you should write as innovatively and originally as possible, in your own voice, telling stories that unfold naturally in their own time. So like... the opposite of both of these comments.
@@futurestoryteller fair enough
"Buts and therefores. NEVER and then."
- Trey Parker and Matt Stone
I have never heard quality screenwriting distilled so succinctly.
I love how long you allow the speaker to speak and how minimal the editing is in these longer form videos. Getting a complete, coherent idea from an informed individual-with all its tangents and asides- is so incredibly valuable. Thank you!
I disagree. Some of my favorite films, e.g., Space Odyssey, No Country for Old Men, etc when reading their first scenes may appear to be not interesting. Sometimes you just need to set the pace and mood first before storming out the gates trying to impress a reader. Tell a story not try to wow people all the time-that's why he have spectacles now, instead of good solid movies.
i agree. this is a really stupid approach judging by the first scene.
.....he literally said "UNLESS it's an already established writer"......
Relativity at work. Everywhere. Very few notice.
Exactly what I was thinking. I was like “if everyone though like this No Country For Old Men would have never been made”
No Country For Old Men starts with the Tommy Lee Jones' character narrating about horrible murders he can't wrap his mind around, and then a guy with a perverse haircut is taken to a police station, where he promptly murders the cop who took him in like it's nothing. The idea that the opening of "No Country" is uneventful is a farce. This is completely setting aside the fact that readers don't even have to be involved on a script by the Cohen brothers, because that movie will get made anyway.
Rear Window is also a hilarious example, because of how outdated the filmmaking norms are. Remember when every scene was basically a wide shot of a whole room. Remember how in Hitchcock's old movies people had to enter every scene, then introduce themselves and talk about BS before anything else could happen? You know, the good ol' days when mise en scene was literally a foreign concept... Look I'm not saying he never used it, or to great effect, but it's obvious: norms changed. He comes from a time when seeing a toilet in a movie was a big deal - I think we're in a different ballpark now. Also, they don't just read your script, you send them a synopsis, and other materials, they already know the guy is going to be in the wheelchair at the start of the movie.
And don't get me wrong - I like me some languid movies, but your competing for people's passive attention in a society increasingly oversaturated with attention grabbing things. In the 1950's no one had color Television sets, it was more common to sit in a room listening to the radio than to watch TV. The idea of _ever_ watching a movie outside the theater, or even any old movie was basically unthinkable, and people went to the movies all the time, they went in whenever, and they left whenever. Look it up: in '60 when Psycho was made, Hitchcock had to start an advertising campaign basically begging people to show up on time for his movie, because it was _that_ rare for people to care about or respect your "finely crafted artistry." I bet you right now, tons of people complaining about this think that my comment is way too long. This isn't 1960, audiences aren't all that captive anymore, and frankly Psycho's advertising proves they weren't all that captive to begin with.
I love how many failed screenwriters in the comment section are insulting Corey Mandell because they are upset about the "only the first scene" rule... While obviously basing their insults solely on the title of the video.
"99% Of screenplays are rejected by the industry after the first scene. What are screenwriters doing wrong? What's so terrible about these scenes?"
Ever thought there might be something wrong with the industry?
What's wrong is that there's too many garbage scripts. It's simple supply and demand in that narrow view. That could mean many amazing scripts go unread, but that's what happens when you're a diamond in the rough.
he states why, no conflict ,nor character empathy, ... also emotion this is called suspense in a thriller, you just have to translate it into your chosen genre. You have to include the audience
It's irrelevant what's wrong with the industry. This is what a "nobody" has to deal with. You don't have to like it.
Just think about how many scripts aren't made into movies. This is absolutely reasonable. At school you need to write a good script. That's not nearly good enough to get it made, though. Your script needs to be the best script of the 100 people in your class to get *considered*. And then you have to best out everyone else who was the best of *their* classes too.
touché! Like the industry is SO rotten that I haven't watched a movie in 5 years. Well I have watched movies, just NONE that have come out in the last 5 years.... coz what Hollywood produces now.... it's complete utter garbage. 'Let me educate you on ultra progressive politics'. No thanks! If I want that kind of crap, I turn on cable tv! 'We're gonna make a real action Mulan, but instead of a really strong relatable empowering story of a female, she's gonna be a Mary Sue that's having Chi over 9000! from the get-go.' Naa, I'm good, don't need your horseshoed in stonk wahaman. 'We're making a new Indiana Jones and the fedora is gonna have a vagina this time around while Ford is going to be a bumbling fool that we gonna kill off coz caucasian male problematic. You know, like we did to James Bond Too Scared To Release.' NO THANKS!!!! Don't you have something entertaining? You know, it's the entertainment industry. .... Entertainment you say? MARTHA!!!! MARTHA!!!! CAN YOU GOOGLE ENTERTAINMENT FOR ME?! Lesley Headland, you can stop sucking my dick now. Burp!
That sums up Hollywood!
PS. This script is even more entertaining then everything Hollywood produces today! Sad state of affairs when even I can do a better job then the entire industry.
I love how film school you learn all the rules, and then learn why you can’t use them
This is how you select for boring unoriginal genre movies.
Agreed.
Those don't go through the script reading process.
Not really
Wrong, if someone can't write an interesting scene they can't write an entire script. If you can't write a good short story you can't write a novel because it's just a more complicated version of storytelling.
Going with what is familiar to the mind... True. How would an action movie be that is totally different. 🤔...
That's like clicking off this interview after the first 10 seconds.
"Fear of Rejection Can Lead People to Reject Themselves"
That's Deep...
Drinking Game: every time he looks up to his right, take a shot.
... and if he rolls his eyes take two shots.
I died of alcohol poisoning just thinking about this.
if he looks up to the left that means he's lying
There is a naked woman over there
I’ve read a lot of scripts too and few or any have ever made me want to keep reading after the first scene, even the very great ones. You just have to give a story time to air and take root so that you can give a damn about it. Not that hard.
He's not talking about it blowing your socks off, he's just talking about assessing it as an investment of your time. Sometimes that'll be arbitrary - based on your mood, what have you, but that would always be the case. It's plenty hard to give _every_ script the benefit of the doubt.
Read the screenplay for Argo. The first page got me hooked. Aim for that. Hell, what a great first scene.
In your opinion, which company is best suited for comedy flicks? Thank you
Probably the most frustrating part about it is that there are a lot of new Tarantinos or Nolans or whatever out there, but they are not given the benefit of the doubt and are therefore wasted. Instead, non-screenplay-writers like Rowling get to screenwrite their own shitty franchises.
The Plight of being an Outsider: the lattice-work constructed opening scene / 1st 10 that elegantly sets up the story must also 'sizzle' on its own, drawing the anonymous studio or agency reader ineluctably forward. Otherwise it's promptly shit-canned. Frustrating, for certain. [How many books or scripts of unknown genii has any of us read in the past year?]
I worked as a reader for two different major production companies and I was required to read the ENTIRE script and then write a coverage about all the reasons I reject it or forward it along to the VPs. From what I understand from my friends who still work in story departments, readers still read the entire script regardless of how good or bad it is. Maybe it’s different for agents and managers, but for production, the whole script gets read.
Same. I read for major productions companies, you must read the whole thing and write coverage.
@@interestedparty7523 Is it possible to get in touch with production companies, to send a script to them so it could be read?
@@interestedparty7523Yeah, this matches what I heard from folks working in this field. It’s the only way to be professionally accountable. If you’re not a professional reader tho things might be different.
To kill a mocking bird -- rejected! Harry Potter -- rejected! And many more!
Harry Potter was rejected many times! Can u believe that?!
@Rtkts rofl
Now I understand why Netflix cancels TV shows.
North by Northwest - REJECTED! Put it in the bin!!!!
There will be blood. Rejected
Willing to be rejected to be authentic.....I needed to hear that. That's what I am currently struggling with in my writings.
In the words of Dean Smith: dare to write badly. Whatever scares you the most is what is most imortant to write. (Protip: You don't ever have to let anybody read it. Ever. So write it.)
The Courage to be Disliked, Japanese about Adlerian psychology vs modern day Freudian psychology, look it up
Really dig the part about rejecting your true self to be what you think others want you to be. I feel like a lot of writers can relate to this.
From a guy in England with an MA in screenwriting who's been very low and unwell for a long time who needed a pick-me-up, thank you Corey for your video lessons and for your wise and sensible advice. Many times in life we get knocked down for lots of different reasons, but the important thing is to always get back up and try again. Never give up trying. Thanks for helping me get back up, Corey.
You know I get what he's saying. Script readers have to read a ton of scripts and so time is precious however I disagree that you can base it off the first scene. Sometimes it takes time to get into the rhythm and the opening can be something that can be improved later. I also really hate this idea of too much structure when writing scripts. I get there needs to conflict etc and you can't just have scenes that go nowhere either, but for me as long as each scene makes a valid point, the way that journey unfolds should be organic. I quit reading books on 'how to write' and just trust my imagination. I also look to films i enjoy watching and understand pacing from that. When you get so lost in the rules it can stifle creativity...you can lose your voice which is the most valuable thing you can offer...Maybe I'm too much of a dreamer and I'll never sell a script to the big dogs but art is suppose to free you and if it becomes a prison then what's the point?
I've read so many how-to-write-a-book books that I know *exactly* what you're talking about. I think the idea is they provide a baseline - a place where you can approach the problem with some semblence of a goal. I started writing in 1981 as a teenager and I never knew how you were supposed to do it except for the very simple-minded things that were taught in the books back then. Show, don't tell, that sort of thing. And I read a lot of novels, trying to figure it out. I do think the information we have now is very helpful. But, at some point, you have to let your story-telling mind do its work on its own terms. I just finished my fifth novel and I finally feel like I'm writing. Not just trying to write.
I agree. I try to write in a way that goes along with my own flow of imagination, like playing a scene in my head and then writing along with it, then tightening it up afterwards.
I think that comes from that I'm not trained in any way at all, which is also how I play music. I don't like structures or formulas, I like a more free-flowing experience first, which then can be supported or anchored at the most critical points. - I think that we are more of story-writers than script-writers, really, but that doesn't mean can't turn our stories into scripts.
@@michaelangeloh.5383 I'm same with piano also! haha...I can structure scripts...I understand it...just hate feeling too confined.
13:35 Then how in tarnation is *every single film* seemingly a reboot, a sequel/prequel or a full blown remake of some older film?
In fact, I think I can name all "original" (looking) movies from the top of my head, and they were probably all written by established writers as well, not even new ones.
Answer: because 99% of all modern movies are made by the same [insert small number] people and there's almost no way you're gonna break into that unless through nepotism.
Beppe okay. So show me all the famous last names who scored WGA credits as first time screenwriters last year. Or let’s widen the field, the last 5 years. No, Ten.
Go ahead. You’ve got google to help you.
It’s true that very few people make it in Hollywood. And it’s true that an incredibly small number of people get hired over and over for the top positions. But that’s because they have a reputation and have proven that they can deliver time and again. They are reliable work horses who collaborate well and communicate even more clearly.
If you really wanna make it, invest the next decade of your life in writing. Don’t go to parties. Don’t relax and take the night off. WRITE. Spend 25-30 hours a week writing, in addition to the 40-55 hours you spend at your day job. Don’t go out to the bar. Stay in and write. Don’t go on a road trip, use your vacation days to write. Get yourself to a place where you don’t need to be “inspired.” Get yourself to a place where you can go from loose-idea to first-draft in 6 weeks.
Then keep doing it.
And after 10-15 years, you’ll probably build up the needed skill set. And at that point, yeah... you need to be in LA and meet some people. So, start when you’re 20 and try to get a day job in the industry. Work 50 hours a week unpaid for a year if you have to (I did). Talk to your coworkers. Go to business drinks with colleagues. Then go home and write.
And if you can do all of that and still claim it’s “who you know” well then... I donno what to tell you.
@@tawdryhepburn4686
_"So show me all the famous last names who scored WGA credits as first time screenwriters last year"_
You seem confused. Nepotism isn't necessarily within the family... And I feel like I have to explain this so:
If my friend, or my teacher, or my neighbour endorses my script to an Hollywood insider, that's nepotism.
@@tawdryhepburn4686
_"But that’s because they have a reputation and have proven that they can deliver time and again."_
Name 10 writers that have delivered time and time again in the last 10-20 years.
Go ahead. You’ve got google to help you.
A lot of those work horses write uninspired, by-the-numbers garbage half the time that only sells because it has a big name attached to it, be it a franchise, a director, an actor or producer.
I'm wholly unsure why you seem to be taking issue with my straightforwardly correct comment, or feel the need to make up random shit.
Beppe that’s a rather loose definition. And it ignores key factors. Like, I got an early script of mine handed off to a big deal Rep. We met. He like me. I totally bellyflopped thereafter because of nerves. But, my successful friend passed my script to the Rep because it was good. My Successful friend read other scripts that he didn’t pass along because they were less good.
Your definition of nepotism doesn’t account for sincere belief in another’s talent or potential. It also presents as sinister something that is totally ordinary. Everyone in every industry gets a job interview because of a personal recommendation. Or a connection made through networking efforts.
How else should things work? A strict rule of blind script submissions or open calls for resumes all presented with the subject’s name blotted out?
Mentorship, friendship and a network of like-minded colleagues are all essential for success in any business. And especially in a creative field where there is less of a right or wrong answer or a specific formula, it’s virtually the only way to cultivate talent.
Again, how else should it be done?
@@tawdryhepburn4686 My definition of nepotism is *the* definition of nepotism. Yours is skewed towards family only. And _"doesn’t account for sincere belief in another’s talent or potential."_ I'm sure this is true, but the fact remains that that is still nepotism... This isn't a difficult concept to grasp for anyone not invested in not getting it.
And you're basically making the case that you are profiting from nepotism. So now I understand why you take issue with my comment.
_"How else should things work? A strict rule of blind script submissions or open calls for resumes all presented with the subject’s name blotted out? "_
Sure. Why not. This is how auditions are done for orchestras these days. Seems fair to me.
Basically if Film Courage has taught me anything it's that there are very little actual standards for anything. Everything is each person's opinion.
"You've got 10 pages to make an impact."
"You've got a scene to make an impact."
Don't get me wrong, the stuff that's available is educational. But 15 people telling you 10 different things is more difficult to understand than 2 people who share the same really good advice, if you know what I mean? 🤷♂️
You've got 10 pages to make an impact."
"You've got a scene to make an impact."
you realize a scene is about 3 pages and he said 2 scenes max in this video. Thats about 6 pages give or take. So its essentially similar statements ur quoting. So yes, there is a standard
depends how long your scene is lol
I agree--I like @Lessons From the Screenplay
Because by sending mixed signals it's pretending to be difficult and complex while barring its doors to outsiders. In other words, it's just a self indulgent conservative industry that poses as complex to justify gatekeeping.
you can't even string together a couple of coherent sentences, your scripts must be total shit
So what we're saying is: You can be the best screen writer in the world and it's still 99% luck.
Yup, sounds like Hollywood / U.S. Entertainment.
That's life. Same with music. There are some great bands that never made it, because they were just unlucky. Same with just about every occupation imaginable. There are some great baseball players, hockey players, soccer players that never made, but would have with some better luck. There are some great animators and comic artists that would have made it with a bit of luck. There are some great chef's that could have made it with some luck. By "luck" i don't mean fluke, or stars aligning. Luck requires persistence, hard work, and being proactive... plus a few stars aligning. But it doesn't happen out of the blue, you have to make it happen, and even then it isn't guaranteed.
Furthermore, you're not the greatest screenwriter in the world if you haven't 'made it'. If the Beatles or Nirvana had never made it and stayed playing in their garage, even if the song writing and talent was all the same, they would not be the best bands in the world. 'Making it' is part of being the best. You can be a great writer and never make it, but you wouldn't be the best, that requires taking it to the next level... which is getting your movie made. Cheer mate.
So many movies start off slow though, including great ones. What counts is who you know and whether you have the money to get something made.
Seekingthemiddle Way NO. Not at all. Starting slow and starting badly are not the same thing. At all. And no one is saying a script will be tossed because it has a meticulous pace or requires some table setting. All of those slow-moving movies you love... THEY GOT MADE. Every one of them is evidence against your thesis.
And the nepotism thing is wildly overstated. It can open lots of doors. But once you’re in the room... you’re all alone and have to stand on your own two feet.
@@tawdryhepburn4686 Not my thesis, Corey Mandell's. If slow-moving films get made Corey Mandell cannot be right. There must be another factor and I think it's influence and money. Most producers write their own stuff these days.
@@tawdryhepburn4686 I agree. Slow starters still have something compelling either with the character or with the scene that makes the reader question "what is this about and where is this going?" You could have a scene of someone eating a bowl of cereal but they wait until its soggy before eating. But the catch is they drink all the milk first and then scoop up the soggy, mushy cereal and eat it that way. Nothing has really happened...we don't know what the stories about but one thing we do know is this character is strange on many levels.
@@tawdryhepburn4686 You forget that most great and innovative movies were originally rejected once, twice or more times, precisely due to morons that the guy who talks in the video.
They might start slow but you still want to see what comes next.
This reminds me of something I heard a while back
“I watched the first episode of this show and didn’t really like it. It was confusing and the characters were strange. But, you know, the first episode is always the most awkward because you’re unfamiliar with it.”
It’s meant to be explained and loved over time. Think about all the characters in tv shows that you hated in the first episode. But by the time you finished it you loved that character. You could have never come to love that character if you gave up because of your experience with the first episode.
You can’t judge a script entirely on its first scene just like you can judge a tv show entirely on its first episode.
Its not about judgement, its about wanting to read the next scene.
@@lauraharmour you have to judge in order to read the next scene, no?
I feel like this guy loses credibility bc of battlefield earth ... kinda comes off as pretentious
Thanks for posting this talk. The part which makes me sad is how folks just seem to criticize things just so they can have an opinion. "Oh this script is garbage because ...."
Virtually every script is rejected, its the nature of the game. The how and why its rejected is what interests me.
"You have to risk being rejected to be authentic" so well put. Took me forever to really understand this.
He lost all credibility with me after he said if it's Tarantino and the first scene sucks ... keep reading.
Tarantino sucks. Never got his message to be honest. Like Rocky Horror Picture Show, it's a fad.
8:03 there you have. It's not about having a good script! It's about knowing the META of script writing in Hollywood and following old conventions and having conection. If you are not connected or famouse they will probably only read the first scene of your script! So you better make sure to write it a way that breaks convention in a sterile way.
That's why some people write and produce their own scripts.
I loved this video, and saved it in my library. His interviews are always good and insightful and worth rrewatching. It was a bit startling to hear that having great characters is no longer enough. One needs to have those and authentic and amazing stories, stories you haven't seen before.
It’s difficult isn’t it. All these books, experts and how to do this or that; do this structure, or that.... but if you do too much of it,,,,, your knowledge will just get in the way and you end-up spitting out something cliched or formulaic. Difficult, that’s for sure. Interesting video.
Steve George i hate and love that its difficult.
Cliche writers are a dime a dozen, that's why the studios starve for creativity.
"Crispin Wheeler" - My opening scene begins with two customs officers (early 18th century uk) riding swiftly across a dark and rainswept Warren to face a crew of wreckers on the beach below, where they are preparing to force an ailing East-Indiaman onto the rocks. The ship has been caught in a force 8 freak storm and the crew are fighting hard to get the ship back on course. The ship is tossed and turned in all directions; passengers hang on for dear life. No dialogue for the first few minutes with nothing but howling wind and hard rain. First draft was lodged with the Library of Congress a decade or more ago and has gathered dust ever since.
Last week I started reading scripts from three genre-busting, seminal science fiction films and they all start with pages and pages of descriptions of hallways and equipment and noises and steam. But yeah.
That genuinely sounds boring. So....
You know novels used to start with page after page of exposition too, people have way too many options to occupy their time now to be trying to seduce them with "steamy hallways"
The problem is many movies from the 1% are pretty average. Especially, the indie movies.
A lot of "big movies" are mediocre as well these days. Name 10 "big" paradigm shifting movies and I'll maybe change my mind.
I refuse your hypothesis. Lol.
Seriously- pick many mediocre indie movies available on Amazon Prime and ask yourself- who funded these movies. Very few stand out. Add to that the lack of ressources and questionable talent. I could also pick 10 big budget movies- but for one average big budget movie, you’ll have 10 indie average ones. Also, big budget= quite big names, quality actors and production value. Are there exceptions? Yes, but the hollywood standards are there, like it or not.
All in all- big budget movies qualify to the 1%, given their high risk and return on the investment. Indie movies- don’t, just by their overwhelming number and one can always wonder who gave 5 mln $ to see the 1000th movie about some bland and pretentious drama of an ordinary individual.
French Coupon facts
Sturgeon's Law
"Everything" means... _everything_ even the stuff that's vetted, that's just how it works.
futurestoryteller Could you develop about « Everything ». To which part of the conversation does it relate to?
Thanks !
love how authentic this interview was!
Thanks for watching
Thank you, Corey for being so generously honest. Fascinating to get an insider's view.
The rejection of the self is the trigger for self improvement.
I find really disrespectful and arrogant when an agent rejects a novel or a screenplay after reading just the first couple of paragraphs. Not too long ago I was watching a video exactly about that, two agents reading submitted manuscripts and they had a bell to ring when they were rejecting them, and they almost always rsng it after the second paragraph with lame excuses to why. How are you expecting to get the narrator's voice, worldbuiling, character, and story with just that? They critized the submitted work for lacking the stuff that was obviously coming right after they stopped reading...
In here, 10 pages could be a lot, but still is much more than what I know the average agent reads these days...
If people in general weren't too afraid of trying something new.....
So? You want to get in her pants, not change her upbringing (in the analogy).
Might be disrespectful but I recently heard a writer say that her agent got anywhere between 5-15 scripts a day. And that wasn't even the biggest studio agent out there.
Imagine having to read utter tripe 10 times a day, on average.
true, but I've seen people rejecting a manuscript because by the end of the first paragraph they couldn't feel the character's voice. That's just ridiculous.
@@xChikyx these agents read so many scripts and are so well practiced that they're like those auto mechanics who can tell you exactly what's wrong with your car based on the pitch of the noise its making. Most writers just aren't there. Even if you reject that idea out right. Say its complete bullshit. The fact of the matter is these agents can't represent everybody who wants to be represented by them. They might have 1000 submissions for every client they can take on. They don't have time to vet every one of them thoroughly. Therefore your work needs to tickle their fancy in the exact way it likes to be tickled.
If you suck, you're going to show it fairly early.
The most honest and inspiring Film Courage clip I've seen, and I've seen many. Corey says he quit his screenwriting career because he lacked the courage to face rejection of his authentic voice. As a teacher, he helps students find theirs.
What a great interview. The guest was fantastic and interviewer did a great job not interrupting and asking good questions.
If you’re a writer, you shouldn’t feel safe but you also shouldn’t feel like it’s too out there. There’s a grey area.
"You have to be willing to be rejected to be authentic." - Corey Mandell 20:00
Just so long as your first scene isn't too authentic...
Well, I have little trouble with being rejected, so that's a plus...
@@bainst Good point, but it can be done. Look at Breaking Bad and The Wire.
@@scottslotterbeck3796 lol
Realky enjoyed this video, and I really needed it! Glad to hear someone saying that you don't have be formulaic to succeed.
So far, this is the most useful video I have seen on Film Courage. Thank you, Corey, for being honest and not acting like a know-it-all. I appreciate your use of current productions.
This was an excellent interview. "Dating" a new series is a real thing. I generally give a pilot about 5-10 minutes before bailing for a new one.
I always give two or three episodes for a series to develop into something interesting. Imagine giving GoT only ten minutes, and all you'll end up seeing are a bunch of nobodies hunted in the woods by a little girl with blue eyes, and a scene with multiple interchangeable characters talking exposition.
I completely agree about seeing if the plot will unfold in a certain amount of time. Or by watching a few episodes of a show before deciding
Battlefield Earth
50 cycles! With infinite options for renewal!
Woah, that was such a good interview!! So much to consider and it got me so pumped to write today!!!! Thank you!
Man Corey ... you said all the things I've always wanted and needed to hear. Thank you.
I just took out my script and read the first scene. Immediately had a temptation to read forward. I think it's good enough.
The key part of the advice is that the reader, like the watcher of your film, is a stranger who has never heard of what the script is about.
Obviously because it's yours.
Blender Dumbass I’m happy for you, hope all goes well
Should change the title to learn how to judge a book by its title, makes you wonder how much talent has actually been cast aside by the more hasty reader.
The opening scene in my script is what I term the hook. In my 42 scene manuscript of my film Nigerian Gangster I attempted to tell a story from one scene to the next and realized the opening scene must be dynamic that it absorbs the consciousness of everyone who reads it.
Nigerian Gangster can be viewed on humble beginnings entertainment channel.
This is what I like about this video: Here is a guy that on a good day I would not sit with and have conversation, but when I do I learn some tremendous lessons about any subject. In this case, when he shared his greatest fear as a writer, it compelled me to look at myself and confront my fears as an individual and an actor. Then, he looks like a "numbers" guy, but he loves the organic, abstract, raw approach which was his greatest fear. So, now he teaches to ignore the rules and come from the heart which is what he feared the most as a writer. Loved it!
Conflict, puzzles, questions, and promises to come.
Question: How is it that screenplays like Ghostbusters 2016, Charlie's Angels 2019, and basically 99% of Hollywood movies are produced?
Great interview. I really appreciate him opening up and talking about his own struggles.
Wow, this interview should have started in the second half of this video. Truly Corey put his heart out there and helped us realize that we need to be ourselves despite what the industry or the world wants.
It is really so simple. He is talking about how good writing stands out. I was a Hollywood script reader for years and I got to the point where just by looking at the first page, you know if it is going to be a good script. So many people want to get into Hollywood through scriptwriting without actually understanding the journey of becoming a writer. It means dealing with yourself. His personal story about learning what is authentic writing after years of not being authentic as a studio writer was incredibly revealing, drove home his point about the writer’s need for courage. Bravo to the interviewer for providing the space for such honest disclosure.
I also don't agree with the idea that a successful/good script/movie/series is defined by the large number of people watching it. Lots of mainstream stuff is shite. But it sells and makes money. Don't forget what it's all about. It's not about the pursuit of artistic excellence. It's about an industry that is all about making money. And lost of it.
This is nuts, as a new screenwriter I'm not sure how to get ahead. Film Courage (thank you) has done such an amazing job, brining us these wonderful people who have been around the block and know the ins and outs of this awesome industry.
But I feel I'm a washing machine, one moment I'm going around in one direction then stops and then go in the other direction. And when I'm all done and I put my script out there, maybe I'll have better luck winning the lotto. Because I go on one of these networks and watch a new release and I'm left gobsmacked as to how in the world did that script make it? It seems it comes down to whom you know and how cheap you are willing to sell for (supply and demand)
Film Courage, could you do a take on Loglines (or direct me to the link if I missed it). Dory comes to mind, just keep writing, just keep writing just keep writing writing writing.......🐟😃
Tl;dr
Keep writing as if you don't care about being published.Stay truthful and authentic. Stay yourself.
I appreciate the encouragement to find your authentic self and stay true to that voice because it only takes one person to love your script.
Wonderful presentation, and (thank heavens) he talks about recent movies and TV shows.
21:50 - 23:05: "Nobody knows anything." -William Goldman
This is true but is also the reason why the industry sucks. It is possible to write something very attractive on paper that won't translate well to the screen. It´s also possible to write something that doesn´t sound attractive but could be amazing on the screen.
Emotional conversation. Authentic self. Have the courage to be rejected. Thank you.
What a beautifully open-courageous-interview.
Hollywood : *Reads title (*older movie* remake)
"Give this writer a movie!"
Can you imagine how many times Quentin Tarantino had been rejected?
The '"truth according to these young 20 yr old readers as the primary gate keepers" PUZZLES ME and rings false and unfortunate and should stop. Even if the target demo is 18-49, how many 18yr olds are watching tv and most only like super hero movies. These too young readers have had such a limited diet of films... In reality they are just cheap labor. The agency/agent is the first gate keeper unless like most shops, have their own readers. Why would a studio trust a 20 yr old gatekeeper to bring them revenue sources?? Yet, many do. That should change... Maybe that's why Netflix and HBO are succeeding... Maybe this "1st scene recommend and continue or toss" applies to writing contests. I was a reader in my 30's, after grad school and winning a nice nation-wide screenwriting scholarship, and had written for 4 yrs by then. I read the entire script twice to write coverage. I was at a major studio. The first scene is the establishing scene. I still believe in the first 2 min hook to establish characters and conflict, and the first 10 pages to mature the hook, establish characters, to this day. Even novels are structured this way; to pass the reader. We are hard wired for structure. I still check the time on the t.v. when the plot points are happening and they're still there -- paradigms all. I'm predominately a feature writer. In Nicholls, pay the $40 to have a reader give you feedback. It's worth it. You can tell who is a mature reader and who isn't. I had one of each on a war film like Apocalypse Now, I wrote. The immature one wanted more dialogue... imagine more dialogue as the guys crept through jungles surrounded by the enemy. The other was affirming and constructive. PRETTY WOMAN I read as 3000 and it was a drama w a horrible emotionally brutal end, but when a great director GARY MARSHALL got it, he had vision. An "I TOLD YOU SO" industry joke was CASABLANCA was passed around with changes to mask TITLE, Locale, Rick and Co. and it got rejected. So it's REALLY all subjective. But studios really should change the maturity of the readers or else continue to suffer and produce the "not another" superhero. That's why TV is so hot right now in my opinion and the feature world is suffering... and so is the feature audience. Good luck out there... Corey does have great insights and I've studied everybody.
@@peacenow4456 I'm 17 and I don't write superhero scripts. If a teen is so motivated to work in the film business that he or she becomes a writer, chances are that the teen has pretty wide tastes.
He makes his own movies so practically never. His first movie script he was going to make with self funding, reservoir dogs, blew up from the start., oddly enough, if you just see the first scenery, its definately interesting enough that you want to see the next scene and more. So that was definately a poor example on your part.
Zero. Tarantino always grabs the viewer in the opening scene.
I know of at least one time! It seems like there is the false belief here that Tarantino never got rejected because he makes his own movies or something. Not true. He needs money to make his movies and for that he needs to impress people who decide what to finance. I went to a film school where I was taught by somebody who used to be a high level executive at a production company and he rejected the Pulp Fiction script, he thought it was boring and pointless. Now, I love Pulp Fiction and many others do too, but scripts, just like every art form is very subjective, so unfortunately everyone gets rejected many times in the industry. It's normal. There is no big mystery here, you just gotta be persistent and find ways to network in the industry.
I feel inspired by your own fears and see a lot of myself in you and I want to overcome my fears and start owning what I love and not be afraid to tell people.
I especially liked his insightful advice on fear of rejection. I believe we can be our own worse enemy because of fear of the unknown. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
I almost felt discouraged from watching this whole video, but I'm confident he gives really good advice, especially with regard to being truthful with your storytelling and not being afraid of rejection. I'm a huge fan of contemporary Korean thrillers. I had a few ideas that emulated this type of film. Then I had a friend of mine tell me that if I didn't make my scripts more appealing to wider audiences I would never work in Hollywood. I told him I'd rather be poor with integrity than sell out for the abstract and questionable promise of future riches. He thought I was crazy.
first sell something that they want, then you will get your name out there, then you can try to do what ever you want.
You don't get your name out there by doing what "they" want. That was the whole point.
It's probably more like do what you want - then what they want, if you want it too, then whatever you want if they'll let you.
This is why you need to make your movies. Forget Hollywood, why can't you be a filmmaker now instead of catching the boring dream of getting into Hollywood. Hollywood is cut throat, but you shouldnt be discouraged. If you believe you're artist then go make your art. You just need money and an audience.
The guy doesn’t sound “compelling” himself. He’s basically saying “Oh, I’m a toad and will only kiss big names’ asses”. With readers like him, no wonder there are very few new voices in the industry every year.
He's not the reason the industry is like that... And if you can do it better, go make your own production company that reads through scripts. How many thousands of endless scripts will you read until you start only reading the first scene or two to tell if the writer knows what they're doing? You're part of the problem, my man. Thinking that they know how to do it better without knowing or going through their situations. Sad..
Seems obvious after hearing that the first scene should be so great that the reader must read the second, but never heard it stated that way before.
Great interview. Thanks. 👍
After this guy's 1st 3 sentences i was nauseous and moved on quickly
So attention span has gotten so small that they can’t make it through ten pages?! No wonder everyone is turning to produce their own work.
Very helpful, thank you! Love all this insider info and coaching.
Glad it was helpful!
Man I love your videos! I am a novice writer working on an episodic that I believe can be the next big thing! Your videos have given me the courage and insight to go for it! Thank you!!!
Dear FC,
I am sooo skeptical about Corey's advice!!! The first scene? For YEARS we all heard everyone and their mother say "FIRST TEN PAGES", now here comes CM , the writer of the single worst script in the history of words on pages saying something else.
"Don't write sample's of existing shows", that used to be the only way a show would hire you since they needed to see that you could speak in their characters "voices". So now we are supposed to believe that someone working on CSI will read my Dragon fantasy sci-fi script because it's "an authentic voice', without ever assuring themselves that I can write in the 50-55 page format???
Please have OTHER writers , producers etc respond to this "one scene" business!!!!
Yeah, he's saying it's changed
Dude, calm down. Here's a better way. Write a great novel or novella. Many, many books get optioned. Maybe they'll hire you to write the screenplay...
Corey says he lacked courage as a writer, but he doesn't lack courage as person - and that's more important.
Not if you're trying to make it in the screenwriting business
@@JoshLavian There is no try. There is only do or do not.
I think the point some people are missing is that he wants you to write your own authentic script, but he is letting you know exactly what goes through the mind of those who read scripts for a living and that they really do judge them based on the first scene. So make sure every scene in your script makes you wanna read more. If there is anything remotely boring, cut it out. If there is important information, find a way to keep it in while cutting out the "boring" part.
Scripts are judged by mere opinions. The only opinion that should matter, though, is your own. If you like it, that's all that matters. Maybe someone else might not like it, but someone else might actually like it.
I will be rewatching this. Fantastic interview. More please.
Great to hear! Here is that full interview with Corey - czcams.com/video/cj5tlCDEdcE/video.html We also just posted a new full interview that is available to Members.
There’s a super easy fix for this problem: delete your first scene.
This is actually brilliant.
The best take away from his advice is just be connected.
I didn't mean literally
I discovered this same concept when it came to interviews and resumes/cover letters. I only learnt how to do them after I spent time hiring mass amounts of people. It's all marketing and it is applied to everything.