Tue, 2024-Mar-05 01:02 (GMT)
I find it interesting that people make posters for their scripts on this site. Some are very detailed and beautiful to look at but I thought that sort of thing was seen as unprofessional for a screenwriter. Is that an outdated mindset? Am I out of touch?
No idea, I always do posters since I have some experience with graphic design and since I enjoy watching other people's posters, I think it compliments the presentation for the script (and helps to set the tone). But don't know about what the current mindset is.
That's a good question!
Okay, if we're being completely honest: Here, on this website, we're talking about screenwriting - not about any expertise in poster design. So yes, posters wouldn't really be necessary, because they don't say anything at all about the quality of the script.
But since self-promotion is an extremely important aspect in almost all areas today, a successful poster can of course attract additional attention. It can help newcomers in particular to stand out a little more in the mass of offers. That's why I like the option of adding additional posters. Ultimately, however, the script itself has to be convincing.
It's also worth remembering that it is INCREDIBLY HARD to get people - even producers! especially producers! - to read anything. So any effective visual representation can likely work in our favour.
I hear you. I've managed to get one of my stories to a few producers via LinkedIn but I never know if I'm pushing too hard or not hard enough. I have to think through every word I write during interactions with them, even the friendly ones. And so far, all of them have been either unavailable or uninterested.
A poster would be more concise and I'm not knocking the time, effort and skill it takes to make them. I just don't know if producers take that approach seriously.
From my experience, the ONLY thing that matters is the script itself (spent a lot of time trying different forms of visual pitches in the past - now all I do is spend my time on the actual script).
Nobody is in a position to say what producers do or don't want as a whole.
What is clear is that we've moved into a phase of script promotion that's more based on pitching than reading loglines, as there's just so much content out there.
Script Revolution is more poster-orientated than other platforms, and that's partly because that's how my own material got read, and led to me breaking in.
Sean has written more produced scripts than most of the rest of S R put together. We should listen to Sean.
But yes - some people are always going to respond to visuals and if it works effectively as a short hand, fair enough.
I agree with Sean. I've always approached it with that mindset but the real problem is persuading people who are both willing and available to read anything. Ironically, I've actually had more luck getting my work to people who aren't available than people who are.
Just my opinion and two cents. Do posters and pitches as you need, but invest your time and effort in the scripts. I spent a lot of time more pitch work for a script called SWAP, as people became interested the story changed and the pitch material was out of sync with the story (and they never even looked at the material - just read the script from the logline pitch).
But saying all that, poster-orientated as CJ suggested above is one way to visualize a concept, without getting bogged down in time and expense. Maybe thinking of it as a visual logline, is the way to go. + have a damn great script if they agree to take a read.
Creating materials to help promote your work doesn't necessarily come at the expense of the work itself. Suggesting people who have created posters, synopses, and other aids aren't focusing on their scripts enough is kind of an insult.
Writing the best script you can in the first place is a given. Anyone who needs telling that is a dead in the water.
I get people contacting me sometimes, angry they aren't getting any traction at all via any channel. Then I look at their online presence, and there's just a blank profile pic, a vague bio, and maybe one logline. How is someone supposed to get excited about that and believe someone is chasing a life dream?
A producer literally saw a poster for one of my scripts on my website and felt they just had to read it. They'd gotten there because my blogs had suggested I could write well. Those two things, which people had assured me absolutely weren't needed and wouldn't achieve anything, kicked off my career.
I gave an opinion CJ. Nothing else. Didn't comment to insult and frankly shocked to be received as such. I've been nothing less than a champion of your site and book. Not sure what I have done to warrant this. I've spent weeks on pitch material that wasn't even glanced at. The logline got a read though. Just my experience of almost 20 years of trying to break in and failing. I've read pitch decks that cost real money for scripts that weren't ready.
Again just my opinion. Take or leave it. Just don't assume agression as that's not my brand.
Nothing aimed at you, Sean. Just a comment I was making about how the rhetoric can go.
Thank you all for your contributions! As a result of this discussion, I have decided to write more short film scripts in the future in order to make them freely available under a Creative Commons license.
Maybe this will also help to lower the hurdle of getting others to read the works.
I do posters all the time that's what grabs the attention of producers as they are common at film markets--examples look at my screenplays on this site and my posters