5 Things That Need to Be in the First 10 Pages of Your Screenplay
The first 10 pages are probably some of the most important ones in your script, because, well, people don't usually read screenplays for the sheer thrill of it.
There's a reason the saying "cut to the chase" originated in Hollywood—no one wants to wait until the end to find out whether or not their time has been wasted, especially when you're working in the film industry. So, in order to avoid getting your screenplay thrown in the trash by a script reader who has read way too many horrible buddy cop stories today, here are a 5 things The Script Lab says you'll need to include in the first 10 pages to keep them reading.
Here are the 5 things mentioned in the video:
- Establish the genre
- Intro main character
- Show the world
- Hint at the theme
- Dramatic situation
It's not just important to include these things to keep your script from being tossed aside; it's also important for your audience should it ever become a film. I mean—audiences might actually be less patient than Hollywood types, so getting the right information to them early in the film whets their appetite for more of your story.
Now—rules shmools, right? Rules are meant to be broken, we all know that. So maybe some of these things aren't included in the first 10 pages of your script—which is okay, buuuut—make sure that the lack of this information is intriguing rather than confusing.
Source: The Script Lab
