About to go through my second-ever read through of my most recent script which is titled "Rhythm of the Road". I've got my color-coordinated highlighters ready and I am about to dive in! Was wondering if anyone had any tips when doing read throughs of a script? This is my first draft of the script and hoping to clean it up as much as possible. Thanks!
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Imagine being a butcher holding your filleting knife while looking at a strung-up cow carcass. You got a big job ahead of you. Are you going to finely carve every corner of this thing into beautiful strips of steak, ribs, filet mignon, and ground beef, or are you just gonna rip a few pieces off and throw them on the grill?
Do the job right my friend. Do it right.
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You may already do this. This is just what I do.
Be an audience member. I never try to direct or steer performance. If someone kills a line, make note. That line may read well, but be an absolute bastard to say.
If you are just watching, you’ll see as it gets boring. I read the action lines. But that is so I can add excitement to actions lines that need it.
I try to extract myself and observe. Plus food. I am responsible for food if they are in person. Zoom has got me off the hook for that in recent times.
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With "fresh eyes," I return to the script after a time of totally purposely forgetting it. In the past if a seed idea was still raging in my head I'd cling to the passion of the vomit script but as @Craig says writers need also be an audience of their own thoughts. How does each word play out visually? Also do not treat the re write as some clinical blue print of the original, it is not a separate entity but all part of the same creative.
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Abdallah Saleh Wow, I'm both inspired and starving at the same time. Thanks for the advice!
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Debbie Croysdale I like this a lot! It's been a week or two since I've last touched it and I've even worked on another TV pilot script for a contest since then so I would consider my eyes "Fresh" at the moment. Thanks for the advice!
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Make sure your premise is rock solid and that your script follows your premise's lead.
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Hey, Jordan. I like to focus on one thing each read through (Examples: Dialogue, action lines/visual writing, A Story, B Story). Focusing on one thing makes it easier than focusing on the entire script.
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I always take 5 minutes to meditate and clear my head and then try to read a script like an audience member seeing it for the first time. Just a mental exercise but it helped me along the way. Go get ‘em!
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I've discovered as soon as I began haha, thanks! Maurice Vaughan
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You're welcome, Jordan Smith.