ASK MARK: How to tell you're reading a bad script.
Adam Zwar: Dear Mark, what are the top five indicators you’re reading a bad script?
Mark O’Toole: Great question Adam! The hardest thing about this one was keeping it to five, so I didn’t.
1. It reads like whoever wrote it hasn’t actually read it. Trust me, this happens. You get asked to read something that is so full of spelling mistakes, formatting errors and weird inconsistencies that you know the writer couldn’t possibly have read it. If you can't be bothered reading it yourself or asking a friend, relative, or someone in your employ to read it, don’t ask me to. Bin.
2. It’s too heavy, or too light. I once got asked to read a 100 page script - for a sitcom pilot. When I pointed out to the writing team that it was at least 65 pages too long they informed that that was okay - I could just tell them which bits I think they should take out. Um, no. Similarly, too short - what, you ran out of ideas/words/printer cartridge 18 pages in? No. Bin.
3. It’s full of characters explaining things to other characters who then go on to explain those same things to other characters who then go on to re-explain and then reiterate those same things to the original characters. Enough explaining already, I get it, or rather, I don't want to. Bin.
4. All of the characters sound the same. No we don’t! Yes you do! No we don’t! Yes, you do! Bin.
5. If your characters are constantly telling me what the film all is about. It’s bad enough when the person sitting next to me in the cinema does that - but having the characters do it as well? Nuh. Bin.
6. The characters speak in sentences constructed from words ordered in ways, and with cadences, that no human being would ever use and no actor could ever say. Please, read your dialogue out loud to yourself before you hit ‘send'. Bin.