tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post534562119477184289..comments2024-03-07T20:15:45.996-08:00Comments on The Bitter Script Reader: Writing samplesThe Bitter Script Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-77574029712664371382011-03-04T08:26:39.220-08:002011-03-04T08:26:39.220-08:00But, hold up, The King's Speech is most defini...But, hold up, The King's Speech is most definitely not in the same position as the first time writer trying to write a period piece.<br /><br />Yes, the writer was a first time screenwriter, but The King's Speech was a stage play first. It had a history, an audience, some success.<br /><br />Hollywood will always make period pieces. It's just that a lot of the time they are adaptations, not specs.<br /><br />Many of us that visit this site every day are not in the position to sell a period piece just because The King's Speech made $300 MM.Carlos Matthews Hernandezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04844149114686947104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-25602518515494310742011-03-04T02:35:56.631-08:002011-03-04T02:35:56.631-08:00I don't think summer is the right time for a p...I don't think summer is the right time for a period drama, but I can be proven wrong. Adult viewers might be looking for something different from the multi-million dollar blockbuster. And platform releases used to be the norm once, when tentpole movies didn't get released in a bazillion screens and there was space and time to build an audience for smaller flicks. In summer it's even more difficult due to the huge number of blockbusters released.<br />As well, having a platform release will never allow to a 100million opening, but it will limit the P&A costs (fewer prints, fewer ads, trust on word of mouth)and in the end turn a bigger profit for the studio.AntoBlueberryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15317098220264755823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-35490640481586937532011-03-03T19:54:15.320-08:002011-03-03T19:54:15.320-08:00I think if an agent or manager who's consideri...I think if an agent or manager who's considering you for representation asks to see several scripts just to make sure you have more than one script in you, you could include an un-commercial screenplay like a historical drama. But sending it out by itself would probably be the kiss of death - as would be giving the agent only historical dramas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-60973546810609243512011-03-03T10:57:11.134-08:002011-03-03T10:57:11.134-08:00I wouldn't bet huge on that. I think when the...I wouldn't bet huge on that. I think when the dust settles, The King's Speech is going to be seen as a fluke. It's not going to get studios actively hunting for period drama scripts. <br /><br />I just took a look at the Top 100 Grossing films of last year at Box Office Mojo, and unless I missed one - The King's Speech is the ONLY period drama on that list, and #100 grossed only $26 million domestically.<br /><br />You have to remember the Hollywood mentality is such that Warners was convinced they were going to take a bath on Inception... and that's with Christopher Nolan and Leo! They saw it as a favor they had to do Nolan and were scared shitless that it'd be a big loss. Even when the first weekend grosses came in, they still didn't relax.<br /><br />One period drama isn't going to change that all on its own. Now, had The King's Speech opened to a $30 million first weekend, then maybe the studios would be a bit more secure that there was demand for it. As it stands now, it's a film that did this well because it's the rare beast that benefited from a well-timed, platformed release, Oscar buzz, and a marketing campaign that capitalized on all the awards season talk.<br /><br />Those are a specific set of circumstances that can only be replicated at a particular time of year. For the most part, Hollywood like stocking their release slate with hares, not tortoises. <br /><br />If you want to totally reverse the trend, show that a period drama can open in summer (or heck, even just late spring) and cross $100 million. THAT might start changing some minds. For now, I'd bet on them still being seen as passion projects.The Bitter Script Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-38422916696882434212011-03-03T08:58:28.141-08:002011-03-03T08:58:28.141-08:00I'm sure that the 300million dollars that the ...I'm sure that the 300million dollars that the King's Speech will make worldwide at the end of its run prove that there's still room for period drama.<br />"A king with a speech problem and his therapist become friends", I'm sure a lot of Hollywood execs would have thought "This thing won't make a cent at the b.o."<br />One of those Hollywood people (an agent at a very biiig company)wrote me that if they make a movie based out eh same high concept of your script, or similar, and it proves a success, in the end it will probably help you to have yours put at least in development, if not made.<br />I'm sure there are studios looking for period drama scripts now.AntoBlueberryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15317098220264755823noreply@blogger.com