Screenwriting : Reading Scripts by Spencer Robinson

Hi Spencer - First off, thank you so much for these posts. They are some of the most helpful, actionable pieces specific to writers to be found on here. They have helped me alot.

And I do have a 100% serious non smart-ass question. I promise haha. I have read some. I read the pilot for Weeds because it is a comp for a pilot I have written. While I enjoyed the show I am curious what sort of approach to take when I feel extremely confident that if I submitted that exact script it would be shredded for so many things. Overly long descriptions, parantheticals, personal commentary etc...

I am pretty easily led down a path that is prescribed as the 'right way' but there is some frustration when I read that script and think 'there's no way anyone would read past page 2 if I submitted this'. It would be labeled as not serious and credible.

Do you have any gold-standard scripts you would recommend for your favorite genres? For example, I am writing a kind of odd-couple comedy and want to know what a classic, perfectly executed odd-couple movie to mirror it would be. If that exists. I love What About Bob, but the structure itself runs kind of long for a comedy nowadays.

I've done a lot of my learning by reading. Sorkin, Tarantino, Classics like Casablanca, Sorkin hits you with every word, almost visceral. Tarantino lulls you into the dialogue like you're talking with a friend. I've also read a lot of bad ones. But you gain a perspective from it all. I hope people could read my script and learn something good from them.

here’s a example of a professional script, this book is written by me and I plan to turn it to a short movie just 1hour30minutes

Characters:-

David Clifford

Mary Clifford

James Clifford

Andrew best ( David best friend)

Julia ( David lover )

Coach Ramirez ( David coach)

Iron Malone ( James Clifford arc enemy )

Mrs best ( David best friend mom )

DEX ( David arc Enemy)

Book title: shadows in the ring

written by Michael Dukumor (jr)

CHAPTER 1: THE PRELUDE

ARENA LIGHTS GO DARK

INT. BRIGHT INTERVIEW ROOM - PRESENT DAY - NIGHT

The room full with noise and screams, cameras flashing non stop, people are screaming to the top of their lungs; cause the impossible happens today

The interviewer: David this is your 25th win in a row, which is unbelievable, how did you start and what fuel your motivation?

“Pointing the mic to David”

David starts narrating

Harsh lights illuminate DAVID CLIFFORD, 30 years old, world heavyweight champion. Scars mark his face. The belt sits on the table like a trophy and a burden.

DAVID (V.O.)

David says: Lights this bright still feel soft compared to the ones I’ve stood under with twenty thousand screaming my name. I’m David Clifford — “Davey Cliff.” But the real story isn’t in the belt. It’s how a boy learned to fight… and why everything he believed about his father was both true and a lie.

CUT TO: A flashback

David continues 35 YEARS AGO)

JAMES “THE CLIFFHANGER” CLIFFORD, 28, explodes with speed against IRON MALONE.

The crowd chants “CLIFF-HANGER! CLIFF-HANGER!”

But on the 8th round One uppercut changes everything — James my dad drops down on the canvas, James’s head snaps back violently. The referee counts. Lights blur. Medical staff rush in, the doctors says it was an orbital bone fractured Just like that, 17 years of hard work vanish to the dark

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT

James lies in bed, face swollen, one eye bandaged. Mary, his wife of three years, stood by him through the haze of painkillers and pitying stares. She was his anchor, with eyes like warm chestnuts and a laugh that could chase away the storm clouds. Just weeks after the loss, she whispered the news over a hospital bed: she was pregnant. James forced a smile, but inside, the fire dimmed. No more paychecks from promoters, no more adoring fans. He traded gloves for wrenches, becoming a mechanic at old man Hargrove’s garage. The days blurred into a rhythm of grease-stained hands and the rhythmic clank of tools, but the nights… the nights were where the demons crept in.

Alcohol became my dad’s new opponent, one he couldn’t outpunch. It started with a beer to unwind, then whiskey to forget. By the time Mary’s belly swelled with their son, James was a shadow of the man she’d married—a hulking figure slumped over the kitchen table, bottle in hand, eyes hollow. Dave arrived on a stormy autumn evening, his cries piercing the thunder like a siren’s call. Mary held him close, naming him David after her father, the steady one in her life. But James stared at the tiny bundle, his brow furrowing. “He don’t look like me,” he slurred, the words sloshing out like spilled ale. “Eyes too dark. Skin too fair. What kinda joke is this, Mary?”

DAVID (V.O.)

That very night, my father’s dream ended. Mine was just beginning — in the shadow.

SMASH CUT TO BLACK.

CHAPTER 2: THE FIRST SHADOWS

INT. SMALL HOUSE - NIGHT (DAVID AGE 6)

Since I was a kid my parents fight over somethings I can’t comprehend, Whiskey and motor oil hang heavy. James starts another argument shoves Mary against the wall. She cries out. A frame shatters.

I saw the purple shadows under her eyes that seemed to appear after every bad night.

By 7, I witnessed another “performance.” One night James had her by the wrist, twisting just enough.

Young Me charges in, tiny fists flying.

YOUNG DAVID

Stop it, Daddy!

James scoops Me up easily.

JAMES

Stay out of grown folks’ business.

David is dumped in his room. He listens to his mother’s muffled pain through the thin walls.

NEXT MORNING

Mary hides bruises with practiced makeup. David watches from the doorway.

Later, in the yard, Julia (6, warm and curious) finds him sitting alone. She offers half her biscuit.

JULIA

You always look sad after nights like this. Want to play?

David manages a small smile. Julia’s kindness is the first crack in the darkness.

Little David told Julia: is my dad

Little Julia asked: what happened

Little David says last night, my mom screamed convincingly. My dad loomed over her, but even then something felt… off. His feet were planted like a fighter’s — balanced, never truly stumbling the way a drunk should. I didn’t understand it yet. I only felt the terror and the vow forming in my chest, ( David never knew, his dad was a boxer till him was 14 years old)

Little David continues telling Julia, this morning. I watch my mom silently from the doorway hole, applying makeup on her wounds, l noticed how she flinches at every slammed door.

I asked my mom why can’t we just run away from Daddy?

(David mom) MARY kneels eyes full of love and pain.

She says I’m an immigrant from Libya Africa, my son. I met your father during my days as a stage girl. He stopped me from that work when I got pregnant with you. That’s why he sometimes doubts if you are really his… because of my past life. You and your dad are the only family I have left. Your father is not usually this violent. He’s a cool guy… but when he drinks, something changes, and he unleashes his anger on me… sometimes on you. I have no family member who can help me, says David mom

Little Julia hugs little David as him cries out his heart

TRANSITION: Slow push-in on young David’s determined eyes as he whispers to himself: “I will protect her.”

CHAPTER 3: FUEL FOR THE FIRE

EXT. INDUSTRIAL TOWN - DAY (DAVID AGE 14)

The years go by so far, So many nights of tears and pain, David had to stomach his dad behaviour, David, tall and wiry, to escapes most times to his best friend Andrew’s warm home whenever he can. Andrew’s family laughs easily, Mrs best pancakes was the best ever says David

— a world David craves but can’t fully join.

One afternoon, David got home and sees his dad shouting as his mom, him tried doing something but him was afraid fueled by guilt and rage, Sneaking his saved allowance from odd jobs—mowing lawns, delivering papers—he signed up for boxing lessons at the local gym, a dingy warehouse called Mick’s Fight Club. Coach Ramirez, a weathered ex-middleweight with a nose flattened like a pancake

COACH RAMIREZ says

You got heart, kid. But heart without skill gets you killed. David says coach Ramirez told me “boy you’re the Youngest lad I’ve ever trained” l know him have questions why a young boy this age decided to try boxing only if him knows my pain then coach Ramirez will understand

David attacks the heavy bag like it owes him blood.

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What is the solution? How many pages should it be? What is the best target pages 110-120? or what do you suggest? And what is the sweet spot for half hour -25?

I took acting classes, for about two years. And all we did was read scripts, it’s actually what I was using as a sort of guide when writing my pilot. My question is how do I get a manager, I’ve finished my pilot, and my series pitch bible. I would just need someone to tell me some notes, on what to fix, and what’s good.

Cice Rivera, MS, PhD, CAP The way I think about it is. On average, one page is one minute of film if you have everything buttoned down. But more importantly, and this is more to Spencer's point, do you truly understand the structure you are writing in? Are you writing with an intent? You don't get there unless you've read a lot of scripts and really have seen what makes a TV Script or Film Script successful. My best example of this was following the script of Molly's Game by Aaron Sorkin to completed film. There are three things I observed. 1. Impeccable visuals that translate well to screen and character. 2. Don't worry about the little shit. (New writers tend to OVERWRITE trying to describe every minor little detail when it's not as needed as you think). 3. Let your dialogue carry itself. (We don't need someone to say it's your 25th win in a row.) The subtext and dialogue should highlight your character not tell me directly how they feel or give me some random detail that you should just show me. For film, which is what I write for, my goal is to land between 90 and 120 pages. But I focus on my beats. When I design a beat board to write, I estimate how many pages it might take to write it. You can then really gauge how many pages you'll end up with to tell your full story. And hopefully, find your format.

Thank you Daniel.

I have read produced scripts (recently read Sinners), but if you had to recommend a couple scripts to read, what would they be?

Spencer is spot on with this post. Most writers I know do not read feature (or TV) scripts. I would say it's good to read scripts that have been produced. Keep in mind the version you read may not be the draft that went into production. That's ok. Good source: Scriptslug - the site has plenty of scripts.

Yan Ju Zeng You can read almost anything. But for me Aaron Sorkin, Tarantino, Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan. The other way to think isn't about writers but a movie that really captivated you. It usually means the script had something about it that made it that way.

Yes, I read and have a long read queue that occasionally gets shuffled around. I learned a ton from freely available scripts online. A real shame that TheScriptLab closed down.

"[movie/series title] + screenplay + pdf" -- is the formula for Google searching. I recently read A Complete Unknown this week. Great stuff and always helps!

Become a member of the International Screenwriters' Association www.networkisa.org.

They have an extensive library. I typically make a point of reading Oscar and Golden Globe nominated screenplays, then when moved, pick up something that piques my curiosity such as Kubrick's THE SHINING or the Coen Brothers' THE BIG LEBOWSKI.

Steven Mitchell Hi Steven - I'd love to hear about your experience with this group. This is the first I am hearing of them.

I remember back when, many moons ago watching a pilot that was an hour long. The hour long (with commercials) was to grasp the audience into the start of something good. Then, the episodes that followed were 20 minutes long with almost ten minutes of commercials. Did this all change over the years? Thanks, Spencer.

Darrell Pennington Hi Darrell, The International Screenwriters' Association (ISA) is essentially a hybrid platform, part marketplace, part networking hub, part education portal. The value to a screenwriter depends a lot on where you are in your career. Membership offers screenwriters a centralized platform to showcase their work, access writing gigs and industry opportunities, and connect with producers, reps, and other writers, similar to Stage32. It combines portfolio hosting with submission tools, educational resources, and optional feedback services, and also provides perks such as contest discounts, waivers and networking events. Darrell, think of it like a portfolio plus submission hub. Unlike Filmfreeway, their contests are exclusively for screenwriting competitions. For emerging writers in particular, I find ISA serves as a practical entry point into the industry, though I would suggest it’s best used as one part of a broader strategy rather than a standalone path to breaking in. I hope that helps.

Reading scripts is the cheapest and fastest way to get better. Skip it and you're just guessing at format, pace, and structure!

I agree with you that reading scripts is essential, because it helps you understand how a film is actually built and what exactly should be on the page.

But I have a different question. I’ve read the script for Joker, I’ve read The Terminator, and I’ve read Parasite. I’ve also read scripts from Ukrainian films and TV series, since I’m from Ukraine.

And here’s the paradox: every script feels different. Each one is written in its own way. For example, “Joker” is written in the American style, while “Parasite” comes from Korea and follows a different rhythm and approach.

So my question is: how do you navigate this as a writer? If every country has its own way of writing scripts, how do you understand what is “right” and what is not?

Steven Mitchell Thanks so much for taking the time for such an in depth description. I will definitely check it out. I appreciate it!!

Spencer, I make sure to read a script every single day...even if most of the time, I find scripts right here on Stage 32 as well as Script Revolution. (I'm trying my best to support the other members of the two platforms.)

Once in a while, I check out a script that actually became a TV show or a movie. The most recent produced script I read was the "Abbott Elementary" pilot...and I found that last year.

Loved it, too!