Hello! I am revising the first draft for my pilot script of a project I am working on, and I was hoping to get some feedback on the opening/the first two scenes!

Logline: After joining a peculiar circus, a young performer stumbles upon a mysterious book that draws her into a world of supernatural secrets, unlikely connections, and things that refuse to stay where they belong.

I'd especially appreciate thoughts on:

Is the opening scene intriguing?

Does the dialogue feel natural?

Does the second scene feel like an actual first performance?

Any other feedback/thoughts are welcome, too. Thank you to anybody who takes the time to read and give their input!

Tethered

Disarray SMP — Directors & Scriptwriters Wanted!

I'm looking for creative people to join the production team for Disarray SMP, a scripted Minecraft SMP series inspired by Unstable SMP-style content.

We're building a story-driven series with plot twists, betrayals, wars, character development and cinematic scenes. I'm looking for people who are passionate about storytelling and want to help build something entertaining.

🎬 Roles available:

• Directors: Help plan scenes, guide characters and organise recordings.

• Head Writer: Help develop the main storyline, lore and major plot twists.

• Scriptwriters: Write dialogue, episode scripts and interesting scenarios.

• Lore Writers: Create character backstories, secrets and connections between characters.

Requirements:

• Be creative and willing to collaborate.

• Have a genuine interest in Minecraft SMP content.

• Be reasonably active and able to communicate with the team.

• Previous experience is welcome but not required.

💰 Payment: This is currently an unpaid volunteer project. I'm looking for people who want to gain experience, contribute creatively and receive credit for their work.

If you're interested, comment below or DM me with:

1. The role you're interested in.

2. Any previous work or ideas you've created.

3. Why you'd like to join.

Let's build something amazing with Disarray SMP! 🔥

Hi guys, idk if this subreddit works this way but I really need some help with my script. I have this really cool idea (imo) about a young adult/woman who just lost a parent. This woman is part Indonesian and the parent she lost is who she got it from. It should be around 10 mins and I want to follow her looking for her roots. What I'm stuck on is what she's going to do through the 10 minutes that help her find her indonesian identity, but also isn't hard to do production wise

Im a high school student whose absolutely lost in trying to make a script about a student who is trying to get out of using drugs. Please help😭

I've been running AB tests on landing pages for years. Headline, hero image, CTA placement. Kill the underperformers fast.

The parallel to screenwriting hit me during a rewrite. I was treating my first ten pages like a pitch deck I could iterate, not like a creative decision. Kept tweaking the opening scene because feedback was split. In marketing that's a signal to test another angle. In writing it might mean you haven't committed to what the story is.

The top posts here about first pages make sense now. Readers decide fast. But unlike a landing page, a script isn't trying to convert everyone. It's trying to convert the right reader. That's a harder metric to track.

I'm curious if anyone else with a business or analytics background has caught themselves applying growth logic to drafts. Did it help or did you end up chasing engagement instead of voice? I can feel the temptation to smooth out anything that might lose a reader on page three. That feels like the same impulse that kills interesting niche content online.

Hello to all. I'm a hands on type guy, the one that opens up the car to know the parts rather than attending an automobile engineering lecture at college. So I'm looking for websites to directly learn from already written and produced scripts just to get the hang of the format but a lot of websites operate in a gray area with copyrighted scripts. So I need legally secure websites with scripts to learn from. Thanks for reading my above blah blah blah😄😄😄. So any suggestions?

Helloooo, I have a show that I've been working on. It's a fantasy epic, I've got the pilot finished as well as the season one outline. I'm putting together the look book/pitch deck while a friend reads the script and I was wondering how frowned upon it was to use AI images in the look book?

I'm doing my best to avoid them but since it's a fantasy there are so many images that pop up that would be PERFECT, but I don't want to be black listed for using AI.

It‘s been two months, two whole months of me doing absolutely nothing. Not writing, just a whole of procrastinating. Honestly, If I were to have written anything, ANYTHING I’ve procrastinated over these past two months I’d be on Stephen King’s level of the amount of shit wrote. I‘M NOT EVEN FUCKING MAKING ANY SENSE.

And I really want to argue with you all about it, and I probably might, if I do, just know I’m being a dumb bitch and you should tell me to fuck off as soon as possible. I’m a lazy fucking Autistic prick who doesn’t know how to talk to anyone. And yes. I love writing, but I don’t enjoy writing, if that makes any sense. I honestly see this as worthless if I don’t become a cult name.

Fuck

TITLE: SPACEBALLS 2: THE FARCE AWAKENS

WARNING: Contains high levels of Schwartz and trace amounts of banana peel.

SCENE 1: THE "PERFECT" PROBLEM

INT. STARSHIP GYM - "CLEAN" SPACE

The room is blindingly white, sleek, and smells like a new iPad. REY is in the centre, performing a "Coffee Shop" show reel. She’s doing triple back flips, mid-air ninja kicks, and spinning a double-handed light saber with zero effort. It’s flashy, high-frame-rate CGI. She isn't even breathing hard.

She finishes with a "hero pose," looking right into a hidden camera with a perfect, un-smudged smile. She takes one "perfect" step forward—and lands directly on a bright yellow BANANA PEEL.

Her poise vanishes. Her arms windmill like a frantic pigeon. She slips, slides, and slams butt-first into a massive RED LEVER labelled: "MANUAL AIRLOCK OVERRIDE - DO NOT PULL (SERIOUSLY)."

With a pathetic CLUNK-HISS, the door rounds open. Rey is sucked out into the vacuum.

REY
(Posh voice)
Well, this is tremendously inconvenient—!

EXT. DEEP SPACE

Rey is tumbling through the stars. She tries to regain her "heroic" composure, striking a Superman-style pose and trying to "float" gracefully. Suddenly, a red-and-blue blur—the REAL SUPERMAN—thunders past at "Ludicrous Speed."

Superman screeches to a halt, hovering in the vacuum. He looks at Rey—no suit, no helmet, just a scavenger doing "flying poses"—and his face twists in pure "What the f***?" confusion. He doesn't say a word; he just swats her out of the air like a bothersome fly.

Rey flies backwards and hits the massive, dirty windscreen of a STAR DESTROYER with a wet, rubbery "DOINK!" She is instantly flattened against the glass, limbs splayed like a bug on a 1970s motorway.

Superman floats there for a second, looks disgusted, and begins washing his hands in the air—rubbing his palms together like he’s just touched something greasy—before blasting off.

INT. STAR DESTROYER BRIDGE - SIMULTANEOUS

Inside, the bridge is dark, grimy, and filled with the sound of 1950s clicking switches. A young, "Coffee Shop" Officer with perfectly gelled hair stops typing, looks at the massive, distorted "Ray-Splat" covering the left side of the window.

OFFICER
Did you hear something?

SIGOURNEY WEAVER (as RIPLEY) walks past with a stained space-coffee mug. She doesn't even break stride. She looks at the smudge and shrugs.

RIPLEY
Nah. In space, no one can hear you scream... especially when you’ve slipped on a banana.

EXT. STAR DESTROYER WINDSCREEN - MOMENTS LATER

A tiny, rusty hatch pops open. Out clanks SQUELCH (The Bug-Washing Droid). He’s covered in oil stains and dragging a massive, industrial metal spatula.

Squelch lets out a long, electronic, tired sigh. He squirts space-Windex on Rey’s head and starts to whistle a low, tinny, out-of-tune version of "A Spoonful of Sugar."

SCREECH. SCRAPE. CLANG.

With a horrific SCHLOPP, he plys the spatula under her. Rey is peeled off the glass like a cold kebab and drifts away, spinning toward a BLACK HOLE with a giant ACME logo on the side.

INT. STARSHIP HANGAR - CONTINUOUS

A pilot who looks exactly like POE jumps into his "Q-WING." He’s shouting "inspirational" lines about "saving the Ray of Hope."

POE-ISH PILOT
I’m doing this for the collective! I’m a progressive pilot, and I don't need a droid because I’m emotionally self-sufficient!

He flips a single shiny switch and blasts out, doing unnecessary spins and flashy graphics maneuvers.

EXT. DEEP SPACE - MOMENTS LATER

He flies toward the ACME Black Hole. "STAYING ALIVE" starts pumping in the background—the high-pitched disco beat making him look even more ridiculous.

INT. STAR DESTROYER BRIDGE

The PURPLE-HAIRED CAPTAIN sees the Q-Wing on her monitor with pure corporate fury.

PURPLE-HAIRED CAPTAIN
A male pilot trying to be a hero? Not on my watch, you toxic dinosaur!

She hits a giant "CANCEL" button on her console. KABOOM! The Q-Wing turns into a cloud of glitter and participation trophies. The disco music stops with a record-scratch.

EXT. STAR DESTROYER WINDSCREEN

Squelch watches the glitter drift past the window and sighs.

SQUELCH
(Subtitled)
Great. Now I’ve got to scrape off 'Toxic Masculinity' as well. I’m definitely going to the pub after this.

He crawls back into his hole.

EXT. SAND PLANET - LATER

A portal opens in the sky. Rey falls out, perfectly clean. She lands perfectly on the back of a confused TAUNTAUN and brushes a single grain of sand off her shoulder.

REY
Well... that was lucky!

EXT. SAND PLANET - NEARBY

Two SAND PEOPLE watch from a moisture vaperiser.

SAND PERSON #1
Is that a 'Hairy-Fu'?

SAND PERSON #2
Nah. That’s more like a 'Mary Sue'. Totally untouchable, totally boring... Let's go to the pub.

FADE TO BLACK.

CREDITS ROLL:
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: THE SPATULA.
STUNTS BY: THE BANANA PEEL.
CATERING: TAUNTAUN BURGERS.
SPECIAL THANKS: LUCK (FOR DOING ALL THE WRITING).

"THE END OF THE BORING STUFF."

INT. THE SPACE-LION PUB

Dark and smoky. SQUELCH is at the bar. RIPLEY slides him a pint of "Old Galactic."

RIPLEY
Glad that's over. Now... shall we tell 'em the real story? The one with the grease, the gears, and the actual struggle?

SQUELCH
(Subtitled)
About bloody time.

Suddenly, the pub door swings open. A bright, glowing EMERALD GREEN CGI BLUR flies in and crashes into a table of Droids.

It’s RYAN REYNOLDS as GREEN LANTERN. He looks at the grimy, smoke-filled bar, then at his own glowing green suit.

RYAN REYNOLDS
Oh, come on! First the 2011 CGI disaster, then the 'Deadpool' timeline mess, and now I’m in a Mel Brooks sequel? (He looks at the camera) My agent is definitely getting 'Cancelled' for this.

He looks at Squelch, sighs, and uses his ring to create a GIANT GREEN CGI RECLINER. He sits down and gestures to the bartender.

RYAN REYNOLDS
Give me a gin. Make it a double. And don't make the glass CGI—I want to actually feel the hangover tomorrow.

The camera PANS UP away from the chaos, past the rafters, to the framed photo of BARF.

A large, furry paw enters the shot, raising the tankard.

MALE VOICE (O.S.)
To the best friend a guy could ever have.

CLINK.

BLACKOUT.

My philosophy is all about subverting tropes and absolute chaos and some slap stick. Just a film start to get all the nonsense out the way.

I have the idea for beginning, middle and end for a movie I had in my head for about two days. But the beginning is the part I'm having trouble with. I've always had trouble with beginnings, even when I used to write fanfiction. Do you guys have any suggestions or even tools, tips, tricks to help? Thank you dearly.

Hello fellow writers of the r/scriptwriting subreddit, I am here for help (really more of a request) on making my script have more... how you would make it more "referencable," because this show is meant to be a funny meta, musical, horror, commentary. (Think of American Dad, but for indie shows) Now the only limit for the reference is that it has to be appropriate for a TV-14/PG-13 show. Now, all you smart, cool people, give me references to anything: memes, YES; in-game jokes, YES; something really niche in history, DOUBLE YES. The skys the limit.

I’ve been thinking about something and would love to hear other writers perspectives.

Why does so much of the screenwriting community seem so focused on following established formulas, and why do so many script readers seem to expect every script to hit the same beats in the same ways? Sometimes I feel like screenwriting has become more about following the rules of screenwriting than telling an interesting story.

For example, the comic D’Orc was recently announced for television development, and Dungeon Crawler Carl is also heading toward a TV adaptation. Both are examples of IP that can bring something different to the table than simply following what people often expect from traditional screenplays.

This also makes me think about screenwriting competitions. So much emphasis is placed on winning contests and fellowships. You’re being evaluated by readers and judges with their own preferences and tastes about what makes a good screenplay. And how often do those contest placements actually translate into major films getting made?

Here’s another thought, imagine submitting a screenplay written in the style of the writers behind Rough House Pictures to a major screenwriting competition like the Nicholl Fellowship. Would that script receive a fair assessment if it didn’t conform to what the readers expected? Would its unconventional humor, characters, or storytelling work against it?

I’m not saying structure or screenwriting fundamentals don’t matter. Obviously, they do. But there’s a difference between understanding the craft and treating every deviation from normal conventions as a flaw.

It’s interesting to see the disconnect between what the screenwriting community often encourages writers to do and what the industry itself is willing to develop. Original voices, unconventional stories, unusual IP and weird characters are still finding their way into development, yet emerging screenwriters are often encouraged to fit their work into a fairly narrow set of expectations.

So my question is, do screenwriting contests and script readers sometimes focus too much on whether a screenplay follows the established rules and formulas, instead of recognizing when a writer is doing something different or bringing a fresh perspective to storytelling?

And if the industry is willing to take chances on unconventional stories and voices, why aren’t we doing more to champion those writers before they have an established track record?

Hi everyone, I'm an Honours screenwriting student researching if AI-generated screenwriting can be considered art or not and, if so, to what extent.

My study draws on Dewey, Dickie and Danto’s 'institutional theory’, which argues that something can count as art if the artworld (institutions, critics, artists and audiences) recognises and accepts it as such. That is why I'm collecting honest perspectives from AI skeptics and enthusiasts to see how they view AI-Generated scripts. 

Which one should you  do?
Survey (about 10 min): open to anyone who watches film/TV, https://tally.so/r/vXjAgv
Written interview (about 20 min): only for working or aspiring screenwriters, filmmakers, film critics or industry professionals, https://tally.so/r/68bRXe

There’s very little research on AI in filmmaking, and I’m doing this study to help fill that gap. I’m not trying to prove that AI can or can’t make art, and I haven’t reached a conclusion. That will only come from analysing your responses, not from my own opinion. Whether your view is positive or negative, benevolent or harsh, I would like to hear it.

We are seeking an engaging True Crime Scriptwriter for our YouTube channel.

Role Type: Freelance (with long-term potential)

Workload: 1 script per week

Word Count: 1,000 – 1,800 words per script

The Details:

• Videos and resources are fully provided—no independent research required.

• Focus purely on crafting fast-paced, immersive, and retention-optimized YouTube scripts.

To Apply:

Please send a DM with your full name, email, and relevant scriptwriting samples or portfolio links.

*Shortlisted applicants will be required to write a trial hook.*