After having written a few features I kinda got impatient with waiting for feedback and getting somewhere with them. So I started to write a lot of short films instead and found out that I was much more skilled at this. They are also much easier to find producers for as even amateurs want to make movies.
But I have a problem. I know I can write a good short film as some of my scripts are being filmed. But right now I want to send a new batch of scripts out to directors but don't know which ones to pick. Some of them are just not good I assume as they get no response at all. Some of them have potential. But I just kinda randomly send them out and this is not ideal. I don't mind giving twice as much feedback as I get in return. But even that is not possible unless I find a good feedback group where I can get feedback on most of my short scripts. Do these kind of groups exist?
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They used to but not so much anymore. John uses reddit and used Amazon Studios to find like minds to build a group of like six people to get feedback from. That's grown through mutual connections but it took a long time and you have to wade through a bunch of crazies.
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You've got to put in the time to find a writers group (either in person or online). There are tons on meetup already formed, or you can find people on various writing critique subreddits, or (of course) right here on Stage 32. In my screenwriting group, we always make sure to check samples before adding anyone to make sure the prospective writer (a) can write well enough to give appropriate feedback and so that we can also learn while reading their work, and (b) has a different voice the the writers currently in the group (you need lots of different experiences and perspectives to get the most out of a group). If you start one yourself, it might be more difficult, but you'll have full control over the kinds of people you want to bring in.
Yeah, I have been thinking about making such group. But the people I have been asking are not really eager to join any kind of feedback group online. I think they value their time too much. They all are kinda interested but then not really as they don't see the need for more feedback than they can get via paid sites or via friends IRL. I even keep asking them to send me scripts so that I can give them feedback but they always say: I have something ready in 3 months. They never have anything now. So I have to find some writers who love to improve as writers, just like I do. It's just really hard because as you may imply, there are a lot of people on various forums that don't even know the very basic formatting. So all the groups I have looked into have been just inactive or just had 1% of the users giving 80% of the feedback. Which is unfair to them. And this happens to me too. I join groups and then I end up being one of the only people giving feedback while there are a lot of social loafers there not really returning any favors.
I will try to start something up myself. But I don't see how I can improve something that no one else I have seen have succeeded at.