I recently ventured into the so-called "Christmas film fair" to see how the market's doing, especially since I’ve written two scripts with a festive theme. Let me tell you—big mistake. I was not prepared for the wave of disappointment that awaited me. Watching the Christmas movies from the last two or three years, especially this year, left me thoroughly shocked.
The issue isn’t that they’re too sweet (a little sugar is fine) or that they rely heavily on the usual clichés—Christmas trees, Jingle Bells, and those unavoidable holiday sweaters. Honestly, that stuff’s mandatory. The real problem? These films are a perfect storm of primitive and soulless. Think of dialogue so vapid it makes elevator music sound profound, and action so monotonous you wonder if anyone remembered Christmas is supposed to be magical.
It’s non-stop chatter, too, as if the scriptwriters are terrified that a single pause will dissolve the Christmas spirit entirely. Oh, and let’s talk about the dialogues. They’re an odd mix of copy-pasted Wikipedia tidbits about traditions and meaningless small talk. Riveting, right?
Another head-scratcher is the casting. The leads often look so mismatched you can almost hear the audience thinking, Really? These two? And then there’s the obligatory "diversity checklist." Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for inclusion. But when every movie forcefully squeezes in a representative of every race and ethnicity, it stops feeling authentic and starts looking like someone’s checking boxes on a spreadsheet. It’s unnatural, overdone, and—let’s be honest—distracting.
Meanwhile, my delightful, modern scripts—A Road for the Christmas Tree and The Christmas Pizza—sit here, brimming with life, warmth, and actual storytelling. So, here’s my question to producers and companies: What on earth are the criteria for buying these bland, lifeless scripts? Because someone shelled out serious cash for them, wasted our time, and actively chipped away at our collective taste.
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I think anyone who writes and has sat through a bad movie can relate to this. But we keep quiet as we don't want to bag a writer who has actually had something made which is a step ahead of most of us. Also, what's written and what's made don't always marry up.
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they don't only ''marry up'', they divorced, devided their propety and live separately ))
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Ella Asvar I agree. It's so frustrating! As a writer, you go through all these rewrites and everyone has their thoughts on what will make it better and "air tight." There is no such thing as a perfect script, but we're made to think that if our script is perfect, it'll sell. And then you see the crap that does get made! It can make you crazy. And you're right, GJ, sometimes they'll take a perfectly good script and ruin it. One thing I can say from working closely with the development departments at studios is that the development execs are generally not creative people. They didn't go to film school, they went to law school. They don't necessarily know a good script from a bad script. They just make what's safe - even if it's crap.
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The screenwriter is the producer's support staff. Producers buy what they like and what they believe in. You cannot give a person more than he is willing to accept. The screenwriter either writes for the producer or participates in competitions and hopes that his work will be noticed, appreciated and bought. Talking about someone else's bad taste will not lead to a good result.
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Hi, Ella Asvar. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know I moved your post from the Screenwriting Lounge to the Producing Lounge since you're asking producers and companies the question. Hope this helps you get answers. Let me know if you have any questions about me moving your post.
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Arthur CHarpentier but it is bad. Let's call the name as itself ) And you know it too but you write strategically. And you can't absolutely change the script. It's what it is just with some addaption. Kstati, privet. Ti iz Moskvi? Ya toje govoryu po-russki )) And we found each on other on this platform. İnteresting, huh? )
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Ella Asvar
Yes, I know. But this is the business strategy of the producers and they will tick as many boxes as the owners of TV channels require them to sell their film and earn hundreds of percent of the profit. And the screenwriter either gives the producers what they want in the hope of getting money or flatters himself with illusions.
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Hello, Ella Asvar! I am very glad to meet you and your creativity. Thank you so much for connecting me to your network.
It's nice to meet a person who speaks Russian. I am glad that you came to this site, there is a kind and positive atmosphere here. I hope you can find like-minded people and producers who will appreciate your talent.
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Thank you, Arthur..i spasibo, drug )) Nadeyus, chto drug. You know, it's just a common word to address good people )