Why Producers Stop Reading Your Script Before Page 11
Segun Iwasanmi@iwasanmisegun212159
2 days ago
© Segun Iwasanmi
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If your script can’t catch fire in the first 10 pages, forget page 80. Producers don’t have that patience. Scripts are like bread in the market,if it smells stale from the start, nobody is waiting to see if the inside is sweet.
Here’s the trick: the first 10 pages are not introduction, they are audition. That’s where you prove if your story can carry weight. Most writers waste those pages on long greetings, character backstory, or endless explanations. Meanwhile, the producer is already closing your file.
Start with movement. Start with conflict. Give me a scene that shows me what’s at stake. I don’t need to know every detail about your character’s childhood yet. Just let me see them face something that forces me to care. Even if it’s a small moment,an argument, a choice, a slip that hints at trouble ahead,your reader should feel, “I want to see what happens next.”
When I edit scripts, this is one of the first things I fix. Because if your first 10 pages are weak, the rest of your script may never even get touched. It’s harsh, but it’s reality.
So here’s my advice: treat those opening pages like your CV. Don’t say “trust me, I’ll get better later.” Show me from the start that you can hold attention.
Now let me ask you: think about your favourite film,what’s the very first scene you remember, and why did it hook you?
© Segun Iwasanmi | ™The Man With The Story.
Book Writer | Screen and Scriptwriter | Creative Fiction writer | Book Editor.
I help people turn rough ideas into bold stories that work
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