Lesson 2: The 10 Components of Marketability

[Brian Bull]

BRIAN BULL – Marketable Components

VISION!!!
My ultimate goal is to get my scripts from my hands to the SILVER SCREEN!!

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…
This lesson is providing me with great information on the selling points of my script and the areas I need to focus on to pitch my script.

The ONE THAT GOT AWAY – A Fisherman’s Tale
A fisherman is determined to catch the fish he blames for his younger brother’s death, however, in the end, it turns out the fisherman is the one who had gotten away.

ASSIGNMENT

Pick one or two components and tell us how your script already fulfills them AND how you might highlight these two in order to elevate the pitch.
1. Tell us your current logline.
2. Look through the 10 Components of Marketability and pick a few that have the most potential for selling this script.
A. Unique. Fishing movie about fishing.

B. Great Title. Fisherman’s Cliche’ – The ONE THAT GOT AWAY

C. True. N/A

D. Timely. N/A

E. It’s a first. There some fishing movies but i don’t think there is one quite like this one.

F. Ultimate. This has the potential be to a cult classic – why? Because it touches on everything fishing with a surprise ending!

G. Wide audience appeal. There are MILLIONS of people who love fishing!

H. Adapted from a popular book. N/A

I. Similarity to a box-office success. The Sixth Sense – surprise ending – IRONY!

J. A great role for a bankable actor. N/A

3. Do a quick brainstorm session about ways to elevate the components you chose for this script and tell us how you might pitch the script through those components.
Example: If you say your script has a great role, in one or two sentences, tell us how you can emphasize that role as you pitch your concept.

This is a fishing movie all about fishing. It touches on so many things that are universal to all fisherman; the serenity of fishing, learning how to fish from your Dad, teaching fishing to someone else, the bait in the refrigerator, fishing with chicken, folklore of an Indian catching so many catfish he could feed a village but they starve because they never learned how to fish, fish jokes, the cliche’ “the one that got away” with the surprise/ironic ending.

[Lloyd Shellenberger]

Lloyd Shellenberger – Marketable Components

Vision:

Working hard every day to become the best writer I can be and as a result I do become the best writer in Hollywood.

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…
I am now learning how to write an effective pitch.

Left behind. Letters from Baghdad
While working for the US military, an Iraqi interpreter is murdered, SFC Clark and his unit must risk their lives and their careers to save the widow and her children from certain death at the hands of a vengeful terrorist.

ASSIGNMENT

Pick one or two components and tell us how your script already fulfills them AND how you might highlight these two in order to elevate the pitch.
1. Tell us your current logline. After the murder of an Iraqi interpreter, SFC Miles Clark and his crew must risk thier lives and careers to save the widow and her children from certain death.
2. Look through the 10 Components of Marketability and pick a few that have the most potential for selling this script.
A. Unique. This is a movie about doint the right thing in the face of overwhelming odds and danger.

B. Great Title. Left Behind. Letters from Baghdad. I had to combine both. My alternate title is The road to Madinat Al Salam (City of peace)

C. True. This is inspired by true events but because of the sensitive nature of the story, names and dates were changed to protect the family. I covered this story as a journalist.

D. Timely. Unfortunately, with the world in as state of chaos this story fits the current times perfectly.

E. It’s a first. Covenant, Hurt Locker, Sniper, Green Zone, all had endings that were happy and uplifting. This story is designed to educate the public on what out nation did those who stepped up to help us. The locals in Iraq and Afghanistan who helped us are facing death daily.

F. Ultimate. This may be the best and most accurate Iraqi war film ever.

G. Wide audience appeal. Thye emotional arc of the lead protagonist makes this a powerful role any actor would love to play. Audiences would embark on a wild emotional ride as they root for the lead characters.

H. Adapted from a popular book. The Road to Madanat Al- Salam comes out in April or May 2024

I. Similarity to a box-office success. The Covenant, Green Zone American Sniper

J. A great role for a bankable actor. This story takes an actor all the way through the emotional arc from A to Z. SFC Miles Clark is a strong and capable protagonist.

3. Do a quick brainstorm session about ways to elevate the components you chose for this script and tell us how you might pitch the script through those components.
Example: If you say your script has a great role, in one or two sentences, tell us how you can emphasize that role as you pitch your concept.

This is a movie about war-torn Baghdad during 2004 and a soldiers journey to redemption. Audiences will also witness the physical and emotional toll on the soldiers, local nationals, and the contractors, as they deal with the daily death and destruction. Many of the stories we have been told in the press don’t do it justice as to what really happened. SSG Lloyd Shellenberger spent time on the front lines chronicling the mass graves, Codel visits, and other AFN stories as they occurred. This is a chance to get a front row seat to Baghdad like it has never been seen before and gain insight into the hearts and minds of the brave men and women who served.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Lloyd Shellenberger.

[Margaret]

Margaret’s Marketable components

What I learned: I needed to change my concept to make it more marketable. The elements were in the script, just need to be heightened.

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