The best writing advice I ever got was from a friend who wrote screenplays in a past life: "Imagine your audience sitting in a theater, watching the story you wrote. If you don't capture their attention and convince them to stay in their seats in the first 5 minutes, you've failed."
Now imagine your audience sitting on a couch, pressing PLAY, and realizing 2-30 seconds later that they WANT POPCORN NOW.
"In a world... where attention spans have been destroyed... one screenwriter succeeded where all others failed." (apologies to Don LaFontaine)
And ALSO don't forget they have a magic brick in their hands that contains all their best friends, their crush, and an endless supply of entertaining jokes. And they have a chemically dependent brain addiction to it.
omg I got into a whole debate with my dad over Christmas because he was like "There's always 20 minutes of previews anyway" and I'm like "The previews MATTER."
Really enjoy reading your writing, but also came here to say- I, too, missed the 2001: A Space Odyssey bit the first time I went to watch Barbie in theatres because I ran late! I got in just around the time that the producers' credits were on the screen. Didn't realise what I'd missed until I checked it out on the second viewing. What a coincidence!
The best writing advice I ever got was from a friend who wrote screenplays in a past life: "Imagine your audience sitting in a theater, watching the story you wrote. If you don't capture their attention and convince them to stay in their seats in the first 5 minutes, you've failed."
Now imagine your audience sitting on a couch, pressing PLAY, and realizing 2-30 seconds later that they WANT POPCORN NOW.
"In a world... where attention spans have been destroyed... one screenwriter succeeded where all others failed." (apologies to Don LaFontaine)
And ALSO don't forget they have a magic brick in their hands that contains all their best friends, their crush, and an endless supply of entertaining jokes. And they have a chemically dependent brain addiction to it.
Gotta hit that hook so hard.
Lovely breakdown! It¨s time to revisit page one and dig deep.
100% agree on this. My friends and family know I refuse to go to a movie if we’ll be a few minutes late. 😅
omg I got into a whole debate with my dad over Christmas because he was like "There's always 20 minutes of previews anyway" and I'm like "The previews MATTER."
Such a sharp point, Audrey! Opening is everything.
Thanks, Michael :)
Really enjoy reading your writing, but also came here to say- I, too, missed the 2001: A Space Odyssey bit the first time I went to watch Barbie in theatres because I ran late! I got in just around the time that the producers' credits were on the screen. Didn't realise what I'd missed until I checked it out on the second viewing. What a coincidence!