Episode #29: "Bones and All" 10-Page Read-Through!

✍️ EPISODE REFERENCES

"Bones and All" screenplay: https://www.scriptreaderpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bones-and-All.pdf

"Bones and All" on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10168670/

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DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

Grab a copy of the transcript here:
https://www.scriptreaderpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Transcript-Bones-and-All_-Analyzing-the-First-10-Pages-Episode-11_compressed.pdf

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TRANSCRIPT

This is the Script Reader Pro podcast. Hey, everybody, this is Desiree

Desiree: In this episode, we are reading the first 10 pages of the movie Bones and all.

Scott: Yeah, it's a surprising screenplay. We're going to point out why the first 10 pages work so well.

Desiree: So listen in m. This is the.

Scott: Script Reader Pro podcast. Hands on advice, insider hacks, and deeper discussions for the screenwriters who are serious about breaking into the industry.

Desiree: Hey, everybody, this is Desiree, and you have the Script Reader Pro podcast, and I am with Scott. Scott today.

Scott: Hi, everybody. I'm Scott.

Desiree: Wow.

Scott: I'm Scott. I'm Desiree's husband, most importantly, and also a screenwriter and part of the Script Reader Pro team. Mentor, consultants, all that kind of stuff. Script doctor and whatever you want to call me. I. I try to do it all.

Desiree: Wow. That's a really great answer.

Scott: My business card. I try to do it all.

Desiree: Oh, wow. That's nice. I just want to say thank you to the listeners who have come and listened to us time and time again.

Scott: Yes. Thanks for. Thanks, for being audience. Thanks for sharing and enjoying and commenting.

Desiree: Continuing to come back every. Every second week, which is wonderful.

Scott: Yep.

Desiree: Today, Scott, Yes. We are going to be doing a page read.

Scott: Yeah, this is fun. First 10 pages of a screenplay.

Desiree: We've done this before.

Scott: We've read the opening pages of scripts and people liked it.

Desiree: I do want to mention as well that you can follow along by accessing the show notes.

Scott: Yes. In the show notes, there's a link. It'll take you to the Script Reader Pro podcast page, and all of the show notes are there. You can download the PDF of this script that we are going to read today.


Scott and Desiree received a listener message thanking them for their podcast

Desiree: And first, what I'm going to mention is we did get a, ah, listener message. Us.

Scott: Yes.

Desiree: and I wanted to read this to. To you today.

Scott: Perfect.

Desiree: Says dear Scott and Desiree. You two are. Are adorable.

Scott: We are, aren't we?

Desiree: Let me say I am a Scott Parisian. Big fan.

Scott: Oh, nice.

Desiree: That's really, really nice.

Scott: Very nice.

Desiree: But I knew there was a sweet wife behind the scenes. this is my very first podcast listen, because I noticed it was about rom coms, as, Scott knows my favorite. So this is my first time hearing Desiree and what a doll you are, Des. This must be someone that knows you.

Scott: She was a mentor. Client. Yeah.

Desiree: Okay. I walked and listened to the both of you, and you were both so entertaining and informative. But more than anything, you gave me a ton of inspiration. Thanks, guys. You are great and may even get me to exercise longer.

Scott: Oh, change in the world. One podcast at a time.

Desiree: Keep up all the good work. Thanks again, Joy.

Scott: Nice, Joy. Thank you, Joy. Appreciate the comments and that was nice. Keep. If. If people want to send a comment or anything like that, please do. We love to hear it again. Lets us know that we're. We're on the right track and that.

Desiree: Scott doesn't suck as bad as. I think you can send that to. Hello. At, script readerpro.com. yes.

Scott: And we are here to entertain and inform. So that's why desire is here. Because if it would just be me.

Desiree: holy guys, that would be so boring. And I apologize in advance.

Scott: Fun at all. So Desiree brings the fun, I bring the knowledge, and we make it work.

Desiree: You know how people say, like, they bring the fun, this person brings, blah, blah, but it finishes a word. We have to come up with some kind of slogan like that. Do you know what I mean?

Scott: Yeah.

Desiree: Like, she brings the.

Scott: She brings the fun in fun.

Desiree: No. Okay.


We went to a movie called Black Bag that was really good

Anyways, the way that we start every podcast is the same.

Scott: Yeah. We talk about something that we've watched or. Or enjoyed the last little bit or even didn't like. But.

Desiree: Yeah. Ah, I didn't like. We've gone. We went to a movie actually, a, couple weeks ago called Black Bag.

Scott: Yes. It was actually really good.

Desiree: It was good. I didn't hear very much about it, though, leading up to it. No, Never saw previews. Never. Like, when I didn't either.

Scott: Yeah.

Desiree: No. So it's kind of a surprise. Didn' really know what you were getting into. And it was actually a little bit different than, like, I don't. It was produced differently.

Scott: Yeah, it was like a surprise.

Desiree: Take a different take on it.

Scott: It was weird because at first I thought it was taking place in the 70s, just way kind of. Everyone was dressed. This guy had like, a turtleneck and a blazer, and I'm like, no one wears that anymore. And then the guy pulls out a vape and I'm like, I think this how is happening today? But yeah, it was interesting.

Desiree: The music was interesting.

Scott: Yeah, we agreed. The music was.

Desiree: Didn't quite.

Scott: Didn't quite fit. And the first, like, probably 20 minutes was like, really heavy on, like, governmental speak lingo. like, yeah, a lot of tech, techy MI5 lingo. And I'm like, I don't know if I understand who all these people are and where they fit and. But then it just really got deep into more character stuff. And everyone had a secret and everyone wasn't telling the truth. And it was just. It was really cool.

Desiree: It was different.

Scott: Yeah, it was Different. I recommend it. Yeah, it was enjoyable. Great twists. You didn't see them coming. Yeah, great acting, really good cast.

Desiree: But the movie. But the music did take me out a little bit where I was feeling it. And then the music came and it was like, ooh, odd choice.

Scott: Didn't quite kind of fit. I don't know what it was. But anyways, really good. We. We both enjoys it. Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett. Really great, actors and actress.


You remember actors names, but then if I tell you to do something else

Desiree: I really hate it when you throw names out there because it makes me feel so stupid.

Scott: Well, I mean, you're. You don't know that you're not gonna.

Desiree: Well, I thought you were gonna say, well, you are stupid.

Scott: No, but I mean, remember actors names. Some, don't, so it doesn't matter. You're just like, oh, that guy who is in that.

Desiree: Okay, yeah, you remember actors names, but then if I tell you to do something else, you forget it.

Scott: Of course.

Desiree: But you'll remember everything to do with actors.

Scott: M. Make a phone call or you have an appointment at 2:00. Like cake. Got it. And then I'll be like, then you don't show up at the appointment. Why aren't you at your appointment? Yeah, that's life.

Desiree: But then you ask someone, who are the actors in black Bag? And then you can ramble them off. Useless information.

Scott: I am a vat of useless for this podcast.

Desiree: Not so useless. But for most things in life, useless.

Scott: Yeah. That's why you. Because I couldn't function. Because you make me less useless.

Desiree: You put the use in less in useless.

Scott: Just like you put the ass in class.

Desiree: Oh, speaking of the ass in class, we are going to be reading these pages like I mentioned, but I just want to give a heads up. We do like to keep this family friendly. So if you're like, on like a freeway in LA and you're driving and you're listening and your kids are in the vehicle, we tend to not swear.

Scott: Yes.

Desiree: So I will just be using other.

Scott: There's a lot of F words in these pages. So Desiree will just be saying f or effing when it comes up. Just because we just like, keep it. We like to.

Desiree: But I might take you out of the whole scene if I say.

Scott: Well, don't say.

Desiree: Okay.

Scott: Because who says that?

Desiree: Desiree does.

Scott: Yes, you will. You'll be doing some sourdough things that will go wrong. You'll be like, oh.

Desiree: It almost sounds like a, bird snoring. That's how a bird would snore. Big bird Big bird. Big bird. Big bird snores like that.


We are going to be reading over the 10 pages of a movie script

All right, all right.

Scott: And on that family friendly note, we are going to be covering reading non family friendly material first 10 pages. Because 10 pages are obviously important. and why are they. Because if someone isn't pulled right in 10 pages in at the very most, they're just not going to keep going. So we are going to be reading over the 10 pages of a movie script, and it is titled Bones and all. Now why did I pick this? I can think of a handful of times over the last 10 years that me and Desiree went into a movie and were so surprised and shocked and pulled in and enthralled of a subject matter that we didn't expect or like. And we just could not stop just being fully immersed into it. So that's why I thought it was good. It ties in well with our think outside the box and be different and be surprising episodes that we've done. But yeah, it's a very effective opening. Very effective first 10 pages. And so we're going to go over it and the. To keep in mind is this is adapted from, a book. Right. So it's not a spec script. We'll. We'll definitely do a, A spec script, in a future episode that just kind of like caught fire in the market. But this is, an adaptation and I've, I never read the book, but watched the movie and, and you know, we were just really, really, pulled in so.

Desiree: Well, not just that, but this subject matter is subjective, right?

Scott: Yes. And. And we didn't actually know anything about it. The, the log line was like two young star crossed lovers try to get out of. Yeah, like, try to get out of their hometown on this new journey or whatever. That, that's really what it was. but as it got more inward, like, what kind of movie is this?

Desiree: But the interesting thing is for me to remember this movie just by Scott telling me the title tells you it left an impression.

Scott: Yes. Because Desiree forgets what she watched last night.

Desiree: I did watch a movie last night.

Scott: No, we tried. We started one.

Desiree: Oh, yeah, we stopped it.

Scott: Yeah. But yeah, it's, it's a thing.


We do not endorse cannibalism. Neither does Script Reader Pro

So. All right, so here we go. We are going to, And we're gonna like, interject and, and comment as we read just to be like, showcasing. Oh, that really made me pay attention or. Oh, I love that line. Okay, so you'll hear that.

Desiree: Yeah, that, that's what we did last time. But I also would like to mention that we also do not eat people.

Scott: No, we do not endorse cannibalism.

Desiree: We don't endorse it. Neither does Script Reader Pro.

Scott: No, but it's fiction. And this is a screenplay. It's not a true story. It's fiction. So anyways, yeah, so here we go. Put your feet up and grab your.

Desiree: Popcorn and your, ah, peanut MMs. They have to be peanut MMs, unless.

Scott: You'Re allergic to peanuts. And then do not eat them.

Desiree: But if it's made in a factory with peanuts, do not eat them. Still, be very Cautious.

Scott: Have your EpiPen nearby in your cup.

Desiree: Holder with your drink.


Desiree will do all the voices of the female characters

Scott: And here we go. The first ten pages of Bones and All. So the way we're going to go through this is as a reader, you're going to be reading along, and Desiree is going to do all the voices of the female characters. And when we get to them, I will just be saying the title of the name of the character, speaking, saying, sherry says, that kind of thing. Just. You're not confused. And then I will be reading all of the narration. So, ready?

Desiree: And the part of the male.

Scott: And the male voice. Yes. Just because it'll sound like it makes sense.

Desiree: And also, I did not agree to read any of these parts, nor am I an actor of any sort.

Scott: No, but you do have a great voice. Personal information. Desiree and I met many years ago.

Desiree: I don't know if they want to.

Scott: Know on a telephone chat line what it's like. It was. It'd be like Tinder for before Tinder for oldies. You would, like, call, and you would, like, leave a greeting. And then people would listen to it, and if they liked it, they'd send you a voice message and you would respond back and forth. And when I heard Desiree's voice, I was like, oh, this girl's voice. And, so that's what hooked me. So I knew it was the husky, husky voice.

Desiree: Hey, baby. Hey, Scott. Want to be my friend?

Scott: No, thank you.

Desiree: Okay.


In slugline, Virginia High School uses double dash before timestamp day

Scott: All right, here we go.

Desiree: Anyways.

Scott: Interior, Virginia High School, quarter day. And you'll notice.

Desiree: Why'd you say quarter?

Scott: Why'd you say corridor? You'll notice that in this slugline, they use a double dash at the end before the timestamp day, please. A slug line is what you call a scene heading, but normally you just see one dash. This one uses two. It's a personal style thing. The school day has ended, and the halls begin to empty. A few students come out of a side hall with battered instrument cases past them back in the band wing, someone plays piano. Then we go. Interior, the band room. Marin, 17, mixed race, haltingly plays Sibelius's Swan of Tunella. She wears a cor. She wears a cardigan big enough to be her father's. And no jewelry or makeup. See, that's an interesting character detail. She doesn't wear jewelry or makeup. That's different. Because most people this age probably would. Sherry, also 17, comes in looking more like an American teen in 1988. Oversized top, lip gloss, bangs that tells us 1988 without having to say super 1988. So you're gonna use.

Desiree: Oh, they just say use the.

Scott: The fashion to tell us. Tell us that. Does that make sense? That was good. One thing I just noticed here, right? We call out that Marin is mixed race, but we don't name the race of. Sherry. Yeah. Why are we talking about this in a previous episode that if you don't name a race, they're just automatically white?

Desiree: Sherry says, you didn't tell me you play piano. Marin says, hey, you are here. Why weren't you in homec all week? Sherry says, yearbook. We missed our deadline with Justin's.

Scott: Marin says, how does it look?

Desiree: Sherry says, you're not going to be in it, by the way. Mr. Esser says he reminded you three times to get your picture taken.

Scott: Marin fends this off with a shrug.

Desiree: Sherry says, so, hey, my dad's doing inventory all night. And Jackie and Kim are sleeping over. Come, too.

Scott: Marin looks up, surprised, but then retreats.

Desiree: Says, my dad won't let me. Sherry says, so sneak out after he goes to bed. Marin says, does Marin say?

Scott: Marin says.

Desiree: Marin says, how would I even get there? And Sherry says, you're down in Southwind, right?


There are a few details that as you study screenplay, you start to notice

Scott: Okay, so that's the first page. End of the first page. So there's not a lot of exciting stuff happening on there. But there's some interesting details, right? Her dad won't let her. Overprotective dad. She must be new to the school. They don't seem to be like, close friends. They're kind of like acquaintances. She's inviting her last to her party. So a few details that as you study screenplay, you start to notice. Okay, this must be a setup. This must be a setup, Right? So those are the things you want to pay attention to. So.

Desiree: Because everything has a reason.

Scott: Everything. Everything should.

Desiree: Everything should.

Scott: Yeah.

Desiree: Okay.

Scott: Yeah. Page two. Marin nods, almost hiding her insecurity about this. She says, or Sherry says, you know.

Desiree: Where the power lines go up the hill? That's Chesapeake Road at the top I'm, Right there. You said you wanted to make more friends here.

Scott: Yeah. And there was parenthetical of sincerely before she said that line, so. Meaning that it's not sarcastic or snarky. Right.

Desiree: I know. I. That's why I didn't say it's sarcastic or sn.

Scott: I'm just saying. So that's what we.

Desiree: If I said it's sarcastic or snarky would be like, you said you wanted to make more friends here.

Scott: Right, exactly. But. And that's why that. What. What's called O'Reilly. Right. Is in there. It's telling how the actors. How the character is saying it. and that is O'Reilly. Yeah.

Desiree: Oh, yeah, we talked about that.

Scott: And I mean, I think that's a good placement there. Because like you said, that line could have been said how you just said it.

Desiree: Yeah.

Scott: Right. Marin goes back to Sibelius with a tiny shake of her head.

Desiree: Sorry, who's Sibelius?

Scott: I think that's what she's playing on the piano. It said that in the first page.

Desiree: Oh, I missed that part.

Scott: No, that's okay. So she goes back to Se S Bellius with a tiny shake of her head and she says thanks, though. So. Shake of her head, obviously saying no. Right. So there's something going on there why she doesn't want to come.


Scene: Virginia High School parking lot. Marin's father's beat up station wagon

Next scene. Exterior, Virginia High School. parking lot. The buses are gone. Marin's father's beat up station wagon idles out front. When Marin's father's 40, black, sees her coming, he slides over so she can drive. Marin gets in, puts her book bag in the back seat and turns back to the wheel, nervous. Good.


Marin looks to where high power lines disappear from view into the trees

Next scene. We are outside of the Southwind mobile Home park. Marin parks carefully. She helps her father carry groceries to their trailer. She looks to where the high power lines disappear from view into the trees. It is a gray afternoon. So that's just a call.

Desiree: She's already. Yeah, she's already thinking, oh, that's. Those are the power lines that she talked about.

Scott: Yep. So she's thinking.

Desiree: Even though she said no, she's thinking, right, good.

Scott: Good pickup. Right. Good pickup. All visual. Marin's, father says, that was good. On the road. You've got to work on your parking, but good.

Desiree: Marin says, do you think it'll rain tonight?

Scott: Marin's father looks up at the sky as he unlocks the door. He says, I don't think it's supposed to.

Desiree: And that also would be her, you know, seeing if it's going to rain because she's potentially thinking about sneaking out.

Scott: Right. And if she sneaks out and it rains and comes back, she can be soaked and then maybe, you know, so. Yeah, I think it's a. I think that's what that marker is. Good pickup.


On the first page of the script, it says all states are abbreviated

All right, Then there's a title card.

Desiree: Va what is title card?

Scott: So when, like, words appear on the screen.

Scott: Right. And so this is VA, which stands for Virginia. On the first page of the script, it said. Not this one, but just before the title, just after the title page, saying that all states are going to be abbreviated. So the reader would know that going in.

Desiree: But there's different states, though, that we're seeing here.

Scott: It must be. We must.

Desiree: But that's okay.

Scott: Yeah, but that's what that. That's why.

Desiree: And then this here has that. It's a shooting script. What does that mean?

Scott: That just means this is the one they use to shoot. Right.

Desiree: So this would be the final one.

Scott: This would be the final script. Yeah.

Scott: All right. And then over. Around the title card, he's got the.

Desiree: The.

Scott: The lines of dashes. Right.

Desiree: Separating.

Scott: I've never seen that. No, I've never. I usually. I would just. Usually myself, I just use super.

Desiree: He likes his dashes, but.

Scott: Yeah, he does. Yep. Good stuff.

Desiree: Is it a he or she?

Scott: Yeah, it is. Yeah.


Marin and her father are in a trailer at night

All right, so now we are inside the trailer, in the front room. Marin and her daddy. Dinner. They have few belongings. There are no photos in the fridge. No plants or pets to tend to. That's a really interesting detail. Right. Because it makes you go, okay, well.

Desiree: It'S kind of cold.

Scott: You're in a trailer, first of all. Which usually isn't like, you know, sometimes a lot of people are just in trailers for, you know, in the meantime or transition or. Some people live in them, but with nothing there. That tells us that. That this isn't their home.

Desiree: That's why it doesn't feel warm.

Scott: Right.

Desiree: Doesn't give you a warm feeling.

Scott: Exactly. So then Marin's father. You got homework?

Desiree: Marin says, just some reading.

Scott: We cut to the bathroom, bedroom, and hall. At night. So now we're at night. Marin finishes brushing her teeth and comes out of the bathroom and stops at the hallway closet where she palms a screwdriver from a toolbox there and hides it in her robe.

Desiree: She says, night, dad.

Scott: So why.

Desiree: She takes a screwdriver, but then says it so nonchalantly.

Scott: Yeah, night, dad. But why does she need. Why is she sneaking a screwdriver? Interesting detail. Her father is in a sleeping bag on the sofa watching a young Rudy Giuliani on 2020. He must sleep there. He gets up because there's a sleeping.

Desiree: Because there's a sleeping bag.

Scott: I don't know why he said he must sleep there.

Desiree: Well, we know he obviously, so I.

Scott: Don'T know if that's needed.

Desiree: That isn't needed.

Scott: Yeah.

Desiree: I don't think. I think it's an extra.

Scott: Yeah. So anyway, so then he says, sleep good. And then he walks her to her room. When she shuts the door, he locks it on the hallway side. She doesn't react. This must be routine. Fade out. That's interesting. Hey, that makes me go, okay, what's going on?

Desiree: I forgot about this whole scene.

Scott: Yeah. So that's page three. And now I'm like, okay, I gotta find out why the screwdriver. And now that she's locked in a room, makes me think, okay, she's obviously gonna use it to get out somehow, right?

Desiree: So, yeah, we asked why the screwdriver? But then now that he's locked it, now we know why the screwdriver.

Scott: Yeah. And it's interesting because they obviously have a. Like, they have a. Seem like a good relationship. It's not like he doesn't seem abusive or anything. Right. She seems comfortable around him. So why is she locked in her room? Is it something to do with her? Does she, like, is she dangerous? Is she a vampire? Like, I think that's what I first thought when we were watching this. I'm like, she must be a vampire or something.

Desiree: I thought there was something else going on, that he was not a good guy, that the dad was a bad guy.

Scott: Interesting.


Marin unscrews security grill on her bedroom window

All right. So then we faded out, and now we are in her bedroom. So it's dark under Marin's door. She can hear her dad snoring in the living room, TV off. Now she's dressed again, quietly unscrewing a security grill on her bedroom window that keeps it barred shut.

Desiree: That's why we needed the screwdriver.

Scott: She lifts it away as quietly she can and then boosts herself out. She climbs down from there. Okay, cool.


So now we're outside. No lights come on Inside. Crickets chirp madly

So now we're outside. She waits. No lights come on Inside. She zips up her windbreaker and heads off. Windbreaker.

Desiree: I think of neon. I think of the neon pink and blue.

Scott: Yeah. Crickets, chirp madly. She makes her way under the massive power lines, which buzz overhead. So you'll see. We talked about that before. He's capitalizing sounds, right? Important sounds. I don't know how important. Cricket.

Desiree: Cricket chirp is because it's not really allowed. It's more like,

Scott: I think that. I think it's just there to tell us that this is a very isolated place.

Scott: Right. Not a bunch is happening. And the buzzing, because it's so quiet, that's all you can hear. So I think that's just setting. Setting a mood maybe.


So now we are outside of Sherry's house at night

So now we are outside of Sherry's house at night. So Sherry lives in a split level. As she walks up, Marin can see Sherry in the kitchen with Kim and Jackie fussing with a tube of instant cinnamon rolls. Marin knocks on a side door. She hears the tube pop, a cheer and then the door opens.

Desiree: That's sinful that she would make instant.

Scott: Cinnamon rolls while she is 17. But I don't know why the detail, why it's important. It's a split level. Like that seems like a very specific.

Desiree: Yeah.

Scott: So maybe it's going to have something to do with the logistics of what's going to happen in the house.

Desiree: Maybe.

Scott: but it tells. It makes us see it.

Desiree: So Sherry says, hey, you got prickers all over you.

Scott: Marin's jeans are plastered from all the weeds she's climbed through. The other girls watch her enter. So interesting. Okay. Yeah. I think it's just. I think that is another detail to be. Because I was trying to think, okay, there's got to be a reason for each of these things that says to me that she's not from around there and she doesn't actually know her way through things because she went through all the weeds. So then we are inside Sherry's house. they take big gooey bites of the out of the rolls. Some booze is sitting nearby. They've been drinking, but not outrageously.

Desiree: Kim says, so Sherry said you couldn't come because your dad's real strict or something. Marin replies, he's like that. I don't know why I crawled out a window. Kim replies, does he worry you're going to get kidnapped or something?

Scott: Kim's tone hovers between slightly and slightly bored.

Desiree: Okay, hang on. That would be different then. So like, does he worry you're gonna get kidnapped or something? Yeah, that's more.

Scott: Yeah. And then Marin shrugs and says, that.

Desiree: Might be a relief for him, but your dad must worry plenty.

Scott: Sherry's eyebrows go up. But Kim takes Marin's sarcasm in stride, is pleased even. I don't know what that's supposed to get.

Desiree: Neither do I. That's a little.

Scott: Maybe she's just throwing it back at her like, well, obviously your dad doesn't worry if You're. I'm not sure what that is. Okay, so then Kim says not even.

Desiree: He wouldn't pay a dime to get me back. Or my sisters. My brother is a different story. Sherry says, dad and their effing sports boys. Jackie says your dad would pay.

Scott: Kim cuts her off.

Desiree: No. Think of all the money we'd save on B.S. he'd say. He calls me his glitter baby. And he's not being nice when he says it. Sherry says, my sister started selling Avon. Did I tell you so? 80s 90s. Kim says he doesn't even know where I am. Marin, you're the Lost girls.

Scott: Then Kim hooks an arm around Marin as if claiming her Lost Girls.

Desiree: Damn right we are.

Scott: Nice. So that's an interesting scene. It obviously they're okay with this outsider being there.

Desiree: They're finding a connection.

Scott: Kim's bitching aboard just to kind of think it's like, oh well, she. What's ever. She wants her to know that this is her group.

Desiree: Yeah.

Scott: But yeah, she seems to be fitting in.


People say don't put songs in screenplays because you can't get legal rights

Next page then. We are now in the living room at night. So they've moved to the living room. Duran Duran's Save a Prayer place. And this is fun. I mean like that's the thing is people like, oh, don't put songs in screenplays because you can't get the legal rights. And D. It doesn't matter.

Desiree: This one's already made anyway.

Scott: Right. But even if this is a spec.

Desiree: Script or whatever, like it's fine. They can change it.

Scott: It's not like, oh no, we can't buy the script cuz we can't license the song.

Desiree: No, but they could get a different song, right?

Scott: Exactly. But it sets, you know, I don't know if everyone knows what Savor Prayer is.

Desiree: How does it go?

Scott: I don't know. But it's Duran Duran. So you know. You know, that's.

Desiree: You know what song I keep thinking Life is a,

Scott: Mystery. M. Yeah, I know.

Desiree: Cuz it's the same thing. That's what I think of first. Yeah.

Scott: Because it. Save a prayer. Yeah.


Marin and Kim lie under a glass coffee table discussing nail polish

Scott: Okay, so Marin and Kim lie under a glass coffee table on which an array of Avon testers is laid out. Sherry and Jackie try on nail polishes. Marin and Kim watch from underneath. Interesting. They're laying under a glass coffee table. It's kind of. We've never seen that. I like that. It's different.

Desiree: It would be a cool shot.

Scott: It would be. And it's not just like, oh, they're sitting in the corner. They're Sitting on the class coffee table. It's kind of cool.

Scott: So then Kim says, so you.

Desiree: Can'T spend the night, Maren. Not all night. He has tomorrow off, so I shall be back by six to be safe.

Scott: Then Kim says, oh Jesus.

Desiree: Maren says, I'll just head back when you guys want to sleep. Kim, where'd you move from? Where did you move here from anyway? Maren replies, eastern Shore.

Scott: Maren's effect is flattening even as her pulse is amping up. What is that even means?

Desiree: I don't know either.

Scott: Aaron's effect is flattening.

Desiree: Flattening.

Scott: Oh, like maybe like she doesn't like all these questions.

Desiree: She doesn't. She's not interested.

Scott: Yeah. Or I think it's more like she doesn't.

Desiree: She's getting nervous.

Scott: Yeah, she's getting nervous talking about. So it's like, is she hiding something? Is she does not want to talk about her mom?

Scott: So it's an interesting line, but it also made me stop and go. I'm confused.

Scott: But that, like it's. It's an interesting wave. Marin's effect is flattening. Okay.

Desiree: Then Kim says, is your mom not in the picture? Sherry says, you only have a dad.

Scott: Marin looks up through the table at Sherry, who looks back, seeing they're talking about something serious. Sherry knocks on the table and Kim looks up. She knows. She shows Kim her nails. Okay. I. For some reason I thought that Kim was not under the coffee table. I thought it was. I didn't think it was Kim. I, For some reason I thought we were just shown they weren't at the coffee table and then everyone was talking. But now I see it was supposed to be like a private conversation because.

Desiree: Marin and camera underneath.

Scott: Yeah, yeah. But it's interesting because Sherry says that above though.

Desiree: It says here.

Scott: I know that. But Sherry was the one who invited her. So that's why I thought that. I didn't think Kim was a. Was interested in sitting. So anyways, yeah, so it was that. That took me out of there for a minute. so Sherry knocks on it and looks up. So under the table they can't really hear. They must be muffled. So then Sherry says, cinnamon glaze.

Desiree: Talking about the nail polish.

Scott: Yes. Yeah.

Desiree: And then Kim says, we're trying to talk.

Scott: So she's like alpha. Jackie looks at Sherry, who is a bit stung. Marin closes her eyes, not wanting to be pulled into these social currents. So she doesn't like drama in the middle of stuff. Yeah.

Desiree: Sherry says off screen Kim, give me your hand.

Scott: Kim relents and puts her hand up on the table so Sherry can paint her nails. Maren opens her eyes. Kim's looking at her. Maren really does look odd. Taking shallower breaths now. Okay, what's going on? Why is she getting all freaky?

Desiree: So then Kim says, never mind about your mom. It's not my business, Marin. I don't have any memories of her or pictures even.


Maren bites Kim's finger, breaking skin

My dad won't tell me anything. Kim says, I want to move. I'm going to divorce my family when I'm old enough. You can do that, you know.

Scott: Marin looks at her again, at her face, her neck. Kim mistakes this for envy or attraction. She smiles, used to it. See, that's where I thought this was. She's a vampire. I'm like, something's going on here. And then off screens Sherry's voice.

Desiree: Try that. It's called copper fever.

Scott: Kim pulls her hand back under the table to look at one still wet painted nail. Maren watches vaguely.

Desiree: Kim says, it's too orange.

Scott: Kim shows off her hand to Maren, who pulls it towards her, toward her, as if to kiss it. Sherry and Kim trade a puzzled look through the table, but when it reaches Maren's mouth, she bites Kim's finger, breaking skin. Kim tries to sit up, knocking her head on the underside of the glass. She starts to scream, punching Maren with her other hand. Maren strips the skin off her finger. Jackie vomits. Sherry pulls on Maren's legs, shouting I remember.

Desiree: I remember the scene because I can see the skin pulling off like, as she's. With her teeth.

Scott: Yeah. It was so jarring. Because you thought, oh, okay, so she obviously is into girls. She's gonna suck her fingers.

Desiree: That's what you thought.

Scott: She had to be seductive. That's because she was looking at her neck and it was like. And then she bites. And it wasn't just she bit her finger. Like, as she pulls her finger away, you watch the skin peel off and just leaves the bone. Like it was awful. And I remember we looked at each other. We're just like, what?

Desiree: What kind of movie is this? I remember that.

Scott: Yeah. Ah, so cool.


Marin's father wakes up to find blood on her mouth

Okay, so then we're outside. Marin hurries fast as she can, back down the hill under the power lines and through the weeds, dazed and terrified. Then she's outside the trailer. She doesn't bother climbing back through the window. She runs up the front steps and bangs on her locked front door. She's panicking in a neighbor's window. A Light comes on. Yeah. This is intense now.

Desiree: Doesn't care about going and secretly.

Scott: Yeah.

Desiree: Getting back in the window.

Scott: Because she. Whatever she did now, it's not. Obviously she. It can't be a secret.

Desiree: No.

Scott: Right. She's done.

Desiree: Her dad has to know.

Scott: So then inside, Marin's father, woken from a dead sleep, lets her in. When he sees the blood on Marin's mouth, he seems to know exactly what's happened. He's already moving. He says in the car, three minutes. What can you take in three minutes? Got it. That's crazy. So obviously that's why she's locked in a room. This isn't something new. This has happened before. He knows it. Right.

Desiree: So which is why there isn't any like any type of home feeling in their home.

Scott: Yeah.

Desiree: They're obviously no plants, no pets, nothing on the walls. It's very bare.

Scott: Because they've ran from the last place and now they're in this place and they're running again. So. Man, see, like that's page six. I'm like, okay, I gotta know, I gotta know. Like really, really well paced. Right. Okay, so the next page. She nods, scared, tears rolling down her face. He runs to a closet and starts grabbing things. Not stopping to hug her or ask if she's okay. She's left with nothing to do but obey. Then we're outside. Oh no. We're in her bedroom. She staggers into her room. Her father throws a duffel on her bed and disappears again. She walks up to a mirror on her closet and looks at her face. Her mouth all smeared with the blood of a schoolmate, a new friend. But she can't look away. I love that she can't look away.

Desiree: And I'm sorry, but no longer a friend.

Scott: Yeah, she's not.

Desiree: I have a feeling there's going to be some notes passed in the class. Did you hear what Marin did? Oh my gosh, yes.

Scott: And then Marin's father says, move, Marin. then we've got our title card. Opening credits, which you don't normally see in a spec script because it's shooting ever as he did that for pacing.


Marin wakes to the sound of her father banging around the kitchen

Okay, so now we are in M.D. maryland.

Desiree: House.

Scott: so now they're in Maryland.

Desiree: that's why we had. Yeah. Okay.

Scott: In, a different house. Marin walk. Marin wakes to the sound of her father banging around the kitchen. She stretches, blinks up at the window. Barred here too. It is light. It is light out. She looks at the clock, then leaps up. Title card. We're in Maryland.

Desiree: Okay.

Scott: So that's interesting. She doesn't seem that bothered. Like, it's like she doesn't seem to accept that she bit this girl's finger off.

Desiree: We're somewhere new now. This is normal. Yeah.

Scott: So like, does she have like. Like. I know, because, I know there's like some. There's like different conditions, right, where you just like whatever, crave certain things or you know, like that you can't control. Like there's a condition where there's some genetic anomaly that makes you want to eat yourself. What? Yeah, there's. I saw a story once about this little girl and oh, I think guys, yeah, they had to have her hands all taped up and stuff because she would try to. Your brain tells you eat yourself. That's insane. So that made me think, oh, maybe that's what's going on here. She has this maybe something in her brain that tells her to eat something.

Desiree: Eat people.

Scott: So now we're in the kitchen, during the day this time they're in a small two bedroom cottage. Maren comes into the kitchen with her father, where her father is at the sink.

Desiree: Wait, does it say how much longer? It doesn't. Just the next day?

Scott: No, no, not next day, but we're in Maryland, obviously, and they had to get a house.

Desiree: We don't know.

Scott: See, now it makes me wonder back. I'm like, well, why did they have to tell us this girl's house with a split level, right?

Desiree: Because we didn't.

Scott: It's a waste of detail.

Desiree: It is.

Scott: It'd be different if it's like. Then they showed. She had to run up the stairs.

Desiree: She tripped down, right?

Scott: But no, she was outside. So maybe in this back, maybe something changed. It's hard to say.

Desiree: Yeah, but yeah.

Scott: okay, so then, Marin's father says, pull up a chair, there'll be hat. There will be hash browns in a minute.

Desiree: Marin says, dad, it's a school day.

Scott: And then he says, it's also your birthday. I told them you've got strap.

Desiree: What? Won't they know when I show up tomorrow looking fine?

Scott: Marin's father says, then take a week off. I guess I took off too. I'm taking you to a bookstore. Then to whatever place in this town has the best lasagna.

Desiree: She says, you're kidding.

Scott: He says, never kid a kid about a birthday. Don't you know that?

Desiree: Weird.

Scott: Great line.

Desiree: Hey, never kid a kid about a birthday. But it's weird because it's like nothing has happened previously. It's just let's carry on.

Scott: Yeah. He's not mad at her. Right.

Desiree: It's not like she went and snuck out. It's like she snuck out, came home with blood on her mouth because she ate someone's finger.

Scott: Yeah.

Desiree: And he's just like, let's have a birthday party.

Scott: Right. Which tells me. It tells you a lot about this guy.

Desiree: This is his daughter, and he would do anything for.

Scott: He knows that she's got a problem, but he's willing to just pick up his life and run because he wants to protect her and care for her. And so. And now he's taking her out for her birthday. And, you know, they're not talking about what happened, so. I like this guy. Right.


Marina Borno is 17 and preparing for college planning

Okay, then. We are in restaurant. In a restaurant, at night, big creamy dessert is brought to Marin by a server singing through half disguised boredom.

Desiree: Oh, Scott, how do you say this?

Scott: Buon cumpiano. Eti boncompiano. E Karen. Karen. It's Marin Borno.

Desiree: Okay, whatever. You really struggle through that, Mar.

Scott: I don't speak Spanish. Mar's dad, sighs when they botch her name. But she's.

Desiree: Oh, they did botch. Okay.

Scott: Yeah, but she's happy when the waitress leaves. She continues the conversation.

Desiree: She's happy though, Scott, because she saw the waitress's finger and she wants to go and eat the finger in the bathroom. Maybe that's her birthday gift to herself.

Scott: Yeah, good. She treats herself. Then Marin says, they said all the.

Desiree: Bunk houses have five counselors, so, you know, I'll, I'd never be alone with anyone.

Scott: Oh, so she wants to go to camp. She wants to live her life, I think, Right. That's telling us. She wants to live her life and she's smart about it. She knows she won't be alone. She can't do things. Her, dad just looks away at her and slowly shakes his head.

Desiree: She says, they already asked me why I don't have extracurriculars.

Scott: He says, who did?

Desiree: Mr. Laker, the guidance counselor. They do one on ones at the school. College planning, which I guess it's time to start thinking about.

Scott: And he says, just stay at this table with me tonight. The rest can wait.

Desiree: She says, are we ever going to talk about what I did?

Scott: So they mean talked about it. Interesting. And she, It's interesting because she's 17, right. So now, like, your brain changes, right? You're like, you're becoming an adult. You start to understand more about responsibility, things like that. So now she's interesting. So then he says, talk no that's never going to happen. Missing period. Looks like my script. He glances around before drilling Marin with a look. He says it's your birthday. I've been looking forward to this day for a long time. Because now she'd be 18.

Scott: Because she was 17 right when we met her.

Desiree: I wouldn't be looking Forward to your 18 because then you're illegal.

Scott: But what does that mean though?

Desiree: Then she's out of the house.

Scott: Maybe he doesn't have to take care of her now.

Desiree: Right. Then she's gone. Baby.

Scott: Okay. Interesting. Interesting twist.


Her dad says don't leave your books in the car

All right. So now we're back at the house in the driveway. They pull into the driveway. They're no longer driving the wagon. Now it's an old sedan. Yeah. Her dad turns off the engine and he says don't leave your books in the car. He says this not unkindly, and gets out. After a moment she follows with a full bag. From a bookstore. It's a windy night.

Desiree: What's the point of that?

Scott: Point of what? The books?

Desiree: Yeah.

Scott: I don't know.

Desiree: Even mentioning bring your books in.

Scott: Maybe he's. Maybe he is sending her on her own and.

Desiree: But does. Because the thing is. Is it's just common sense that when you come in you collect what you had in the vehicle.

Scott: Yeah. But maybe he's maybe leaving. So then Eve doesn't. You know, he's don't leave your stuff in the car.

Desiree: Does he leave?

Scott: I don't know.

Desiree: We watch them.

Scott: I don't remember though.

Desiree: Okay.

Scott: Okay.

Desiree: It was. It was a traumatic movie. I don't really want to watch it again to tell you the truth.

Scott: Because it was Timothy Chalamet. He's so good. Okay.


So Marin wakes up slowly, coming up from a dream

So Karen wakes up. Sorry. Marin wakes up slowly. This isn't obviously the next morning. It's day. In her bedroom. So Marin wakes up slowly, coming up from a dream. It takes a few moments for her to realize how dead silent is the house. Is the house. I would say the house is interesting. Then in the hallway, she opens her door and comes out into the hall. She passes her father's room. Door open. Bed not even slept in. Aha. Then she's in the kitchen. She comes into the kitchen. An envelope sits on the table held down by a cassette tape. In the envelope is cash and a piece of paper reading Certificate of live Birth. She races to the window. Now the driveway is empty.

Desiree: That's why the books.

Scott: She intuits what this means immediately, her composure starting to collapse inward. Then in his room.

Desiree: Wait. So he's Been looking forward to this birthday for a lot of reasons.

Scott: So this guy's a big D. Like.

Desiree: No, he's not.

Scott: He. She turned 18. He left her. Which means he doesn't want anything to do with her.

Desiree: Would you like Scott?

Scott: That what I'm saying. It. What I'm saying is it set it up to make me think this guy is willing to do anything to take care.

Desiree: I know. You said I really like this.

Scott: Yeah. Because now he's just left his kid there without even a goodbye. That's a big D move. Right? Like, oh, I'm, But I think I'm going for cigarettes. And then never.

Desiree: He knows she's gonna convince. Try to convince him to stay. And she'll be better. I'll be better, Dad. I promise M. I won't ever bite anybody's finger.

Scott: Or he's just been counting down because he's. Maybe she just disgusts him or scares him or who else? Right.

Desiree: Exhausting.

Scott: So, okay, well, let's see what this letter says.

Desiree: You have to always be on the run.

Scott: Yeah. So as the tape begins to play. Oh, it's a tape.

Desiree: Yeah. They said.

Scott: Right. Right. Marin stands in front of her father's closet. It is half empty. He's taken only what he needed. Manny was out of there fast. Right. His canvas work jacket hangs there. Also left behind his voice. I've got things to say. And then I want you to make sure this tape is good and destroyed. Don't keep it because it's got my voice on it. Then we go into a flashback as we hear his voice. And it's interesting. We're in the flashback hearing his voice, but it's not listed as being in voiceover. Normally you would have it.

Desiree: We're actually seeing the flashback in the attic. It says though.

Scott: Yeah, but I'm saying is that his. Her. His voice is playing voiceover Anyways. That's what normally be there.


Mark Rylance stars as Marin's father in the new film

okay, so we're in the attic. Marin's father sits up in the low ceilinged attic of the rental house. There's no room to stand, but it's contained up here. Maybe making it easier to do what he's doing. Oh, did he kill himself? Okay.

Desiree: No, it's a flashback.

Scott: Yeah, but just like. I think it's his flashback of what he just like the night before as he before just after he made the tape.

Desiree: Oh, maybe.

Scott: Maybe trigger warning here. So, okay, so then he says. You aren't going to see me again. I can't help you anymore. I can't do anything else. Either go to the cops or whatever somebody might do in my place. So I've got to leave you to figure it out for yourself. You know what I mean? Now then, Maren lies in bed, shaking. Her life has turned painfully. She's alone now and awake to how daint and dangerous this is. She gets up and goes into her father's room. She burrows herself under his work jacket to try to sleep there. Instead his voice comes on. I don't know how much of what I'm about to say you remember. Maybe you honestly don't. I've never been sure. Some of it goes way back. But just in case, I'm gonna say everything I know. Then we're in the kitchen. She has her headphones on. So she's listening to it obviously once already. And she's listening again.

Scott: And then his father's voice. Her father's voice. First time when you were three.

Desiree: Three.

Scott: She stops the tape.

Desiree: Three.

Scott: Just like we just did. Three. She started hurting people when she was three. She takes off the headphones. Not ready for this. Okay, so she hasn't listened to the whole thing. Okay. Then later, she picks up her birth certificate off the table. Close on it reads Wisconsin Department of Health, Certificate of live birth. And lists her information. Marin, yearly, female, 20 inches long, seven and a half. Seven pounds, 12 and a half ounces. Her father's name is there. Franklin Yearly. And his place of birth, Edgartown, Pennsylvania. But so is her mother's name. Janelle Kearns. That tells me that she doesn't know it. Right. She looks at her mother's name for a long time. Tries to smooth the crease out of it. It's the first time she's ever seen it.

Desiree: Now tell me you don't want to know what happened.

Scott: I gotta know her story. Because I'm like, he's gonna tell her the story. Are we gonna hear it? Is it gonna give us the information? What the hell's going on? That's a good first 10 pages. That Ah, is really good. I gotta know. I gotta know. So I. I mean, you guys, if you're listening to this guys and gals, you have the. The entire script, right? That's what's posted. Not just the first ten pages. I would encourage you to read this entire script and then go and watch the movie. It is so good.

Desiree: It is so good.

Scott: There's this character that they come. I'm not going to spoil anything for you. I don't want to, It's an interesting. But there's Mark Rylance is in it and his. It's one of the best performances I've seen. He creeped me out more than I've been creeped out by just a regular person in most movies.


There's more white space than text on this script. And people sometimes don't understand what that means

M. Anyways, this is a perfect example of how you write a script. Like if you look at the pages, they're so. And people sometimes don't understand what it means when there should be plenty of white space on your pages. Right. A balance. More white space than text. Right. And so sorry, I'm just slipping through some pages. But more. There's more white space than text there. It's a very vertical read, meaning it pulls the reader's eye down the page. Yes. We pointed out some details that maybe we didn't need. Right. But it's not like it's filled with a ton.

Desiree: No. And that didn't stop us. We didn't like get out of the script by any means. Means.

Scott: No.

Desiree: Although that being said, there were a couple little spelling mistakes, a period missing here and there. Yeah, that. Imagine seeing that on every page. That would get to you.

Scott: That's why you want to always do proof, proofing people to prove for you you can't always check your own, you know, find your own mistakes. But yeah, like, man, like bottom page 10. I guarantee anyone who read the script would. Would keep going because you just want to know. It's so compelling, it's unique, it's original. I've never seen anything like this. Even just the small choices like being under the coffee table. Because, you know, we watched that. We watched her bite her finger off through the top of the coffee table. Right. Because it was a glass coffee table. So I remember that. And then her friend yanking this girl off and then cut to her running and like just really cool. But again, some of the details, I don't know if they needed to be there. Like even like the crickets chirping and the buzz of the power lines. Was that really important? Like it didn't become something? Right. Like it didn't tell us.

Desiree: No, but it gave you a feeling that you were supposed to give us.

Scott: A tone of where we were. Right. Very isolated, like. Yeah.

Desiree: And everything else is quiet. Right. If it's so quiet everywhere there.

Scott: Yeah.

Desiree: Except for the buzzing. So it's obviously not a busy population.

Scott: That's probably why they chose it. Right. But anyway. And anyways. But I like, I want to know.


The first 10 pages of this movie really hook you. And this is why you should read screenplays

Okay, well, what's going on with the father? I think he killed himself in. In the attic.

Scott: Because he couldn't live with himself anymore, knowing his daughter's like this. So he took an easy way out. But this was just so interesting. Like, anyways, I just remember after this movie, we sat in the theater and just, like, just sitting there processing it, being like, what the hell, man? Like, it was so cool. Anyways, that's a great first 10 pages.

Desiree: It hooks you.

Scott: Yeah. And this is why you should read screenplays, and you should read them kind of like we just did, where you're not just reading it like a book.

Desiree: Where you're just analyzing it.

Scott: Yeah. you're stopping going, oh, okay, I like that detail. Why is that detail there? And then you can look at your own stuff and be like, do I plant enough little details? Do I set stuff up? Help make people wonder, create questions, not answer everything. You got to keep that mystery. You got a surprise. So, anyways, great example. I want to go watch this whole movie again, but I won't because I remember it physically made me sick. Sick. Like, my stomach.

Desiree: I know.

Scott: It's so bad.

Desiree: Uh-huh.

Scott: It was so. But anyways, still good movie. So, anyways, yeah.


Is what you're writing worth reading or do something worth writing

Desiree: That's interesting, though, because today, what came up on my motivation app that I have here, this is what it says for today, which I thought was very fitting doing that, being that we're doing podcasting. either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

Scott: That's great. That's great.

Desiree: So either write. Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

Scott: There you go. Anyway, so, like. Yeah. Is what you're writing worth reading? Is there.

Desiree: That's what it was. So I felt. I felt that with this script, really. Hey, we are going to go on to questions.

Scott: We got a couple questions, right.

Desiree: If you guys like us doing page reads like this, shoot us a, email and tell us if you like it. If you don't like it, we'd love to get your feedback on that. If it's something you'd like us to do maybe once every two months.

Scott: Yeah. Or like, hey, you really like going over the pages? Do more of that. That's. That's what we heard about the first pages podcast we did, so that's why we've done another one. So, yeah, feedback, comments. That's what helps us make sure we're giving you what you want.

Desiree: Exactly.


What makes a script too racy? Yeah, that's a good question. Scott: Nothing. Nothing. So the question we have that's

So the question we have that's come in is, with so many movies pitching envelopes, I think that was not.

Scott: Envelopes should be pushing. Pushing envelopes, like, pushing the envelope, crossing the line, working too hard, I think.

Desiree: Who made the spelling Mistake.

Scott: Scott, did you, you write, you always write these up funny.

Desiree: With so many people, with so many movies pushing the envelope.

Scott: Yes.

Desiree: What makes a script too racy?

Scott: Yeah, that's a good question.

Desiree: Nothing.

Scott: I don't think anything, I don't, I don't think anything does.

Desiree: I don't know, I like racy stuff.

Scott: Personal and especially in a spec script. If it makes sense, do it. Like I always call back to my buddy, Phil's Christmas movie because it's like it pushes the envelope so far. It's so vulgar, it's so over the top, but it makes people pay attention. But then as it's moving through development, they're like, okay, we need, we can't have this happen in the first 10 minutes, so we gotta do something less over the top. Right. So things are gonna change over time, but you wanna just make sure that whatever you're writing fits the tone, fits the genre. So. Yeah, I don't think there's anything too racy. But do not get into extreme, extreme detail. Especially with like sex scenes and like bodily fluids and. Yeah, like, come on, it's never going to be on screen. It turns off a reader. Just don't do it. Yeah, don't like sex scenes and stuff. Don't need minute by minute details.

Scott: They just don't. Right. Unless it's like extremely important to the story. Right. Or the character. But otherwise, no.


Should you always write with budget in mind when you're writing your script

Desiree: Next question is, should I always write with budget in mind?

Scott: This is a great question. And a mentorship client, Aurelia, asked me this just before this episode and I thought, oh, that's a great question. So, because she's like, you know, we're told, oh, you got to write something and make sure it's going to be low enough budget so that people can make it. but you know, how do I do that with certain stuff? And you can. So she's written this like really big fantasy type of story, right? And it's like she's like, oh, how do I lower the budget? Well, you can't. You're in like a fantasy universe with like flying creatures and stuff. Like it's gonna need a big budget and CGI and stuff. So you can't tone that down. You go, so in that case, go big. Go big. Right? Because, because you can't reduce it. But if you're gonna write something smaller and contained and stuff, it's like, you know, she's like, oh, well, someone said this one, this character has one line, so give that line to someone else so that they don't need to pay an additional actor. Is that something I'm supposed to keep in mind? I'm like, well, just write the story. But yeah, you want to. Especially with writers having to control everything now these days, you know, you want to keep. Be mindful of that because then that's just one less thing they need to worry about later. It shows that producer or manager whoever, that you are thinking developmentally, you are thinking production wise, these are the things that they're going to get rid of anyway. So why don't I get rid of them now? It makes it less. It makes it need less development. And that will get someone to pull the trigger on that and green light it faster.

Desiree: Okay.

Scott: So, yeah, so keep budget in mind when you're. When you're writing your script, but it also is dependent on what type of script.

Desiree: All right, good answer.

Scott: Good question. That's it. That's it. That's our episode. That's a good one.

Desiree: Yeah.

Scott: Ah, that was a good one. I do need to say don't eat people. Okay. But be voracious with your appetite for reading screenplay.

Desiree: Oh, wow. What was with your laugh at the end there? That was really bad.

Scott: you always make fun of me. Now there's this new thing I do and I don't know why I do it, but we'll be watching something in bed and then we're watching a movie and all of a sudden I'll be like, something. I'll find something funny or clever, but I won't like, laugh out loud. I'll just be like. And then Bez always looks at me. What do you. Stop making that noise. Stop doing that.

Desiree: It is annoying. I'm gonna be real here.

Scott: So if you enjoyed yourself today, and I hope you did and you learned something, then share our podcast. Tell your writing friends and colleagues. Subscribe and what should they do?

Desiree: Give us five star reviews, Gold stars. Because I like.

Scott: If you think it's five stars, give us five stars or star review.

Desiree: Think it's only one star. Still give us five because we. I like if it's.

Scott: If Scott only gives you one star, but desert gives you five, always just desire, I will override it. Right?

Desiree: I always override everything. Anyway. I get the last say, guys.

Scott: Exactly. And if you have any questions or comments you want to say something or ask something, want us to do an episode, just write us an email. Put, podcast in the subject line and send an email to hello at Script Reader Pro.

Desiree: I say that so much better than you.

Scott: Hello.

Desiree: It's hello at script reader pro.com Nice.

Scott: Did you have like a Riley above that that said sweetly?

Desiree: No, but I could say it sarcastically.

Scott: You could, but don't. And check out our website Script Reader Prob. we got everything you can imagine there, from basic notes to longer notes, everything, everything possible. So check us out. We're a good team. We care about writing at Script Reader Pro. That's what we're all about. Helping writers craft wonder one page at a time.

Scott: Feel like you've taken your script as far as you can on your own. We know how frustrating it can be sometimes to get the great ideas that are in your head properly on the page. But imagine having a professional screenwriter jump in and rewrite it for you to create a market ready script. Send us your script for a rewrite proposal and the pro of your choice will write up a page or so of notes on exactly how they'd approach a rewrite. Head over to www.scriptreaderpro.com rewrite and use the code Rewrite15 during checkout for the rewrite proposal to get 15% off.