From a directing perspective, when developing a character-driven drama, how early do you expect a script to be solid before moving into pre-production discussions?
Filmmaking / Directing : How Early Should a Script Be Solid Before Pre Production by Imad art
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I’ve always gone into the first day of the shoot absolutely certain the script was 100% locked… until we started rolling and something better revealed itself. Got to be agile.
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That’s very true.
I see the script as a solid blueprint — but once actors, locations, and reality step in, flexibility becomes essential.
The challenge is knowing what to protect and what to let evolve
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From Bergman’s perspective, “I start with the characters, and the screenplay connects to them later.”
From my perspective, “the more developed and detailed the characters are, the longer and richer the screenplay becomes.”
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Carts before horses come to mind.
When the writer feels they've crafted a compelling story to the best of their ability, then seeking proper feedback from pros to ascertain whether there is consensus about it.
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Imad art I'm not sure what you mean by the question. The script has to be done. That means no plot holes, tight dialog, cohesive characters. Nothing left, from the written script point of view, to be done. There should be no anticipated changes at that point save what comes through reads and rehearsals with actors and interaction with production design crew. Starting preproduction before then is a waste of time and money.
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“Thanks everyone for the insights on my previous post about script readiness. I really value your advice and would love to hear more about developing characters effectively before shaping the screenplay.”