Marketability Checklist

20 Screenplay Marketability "Musts"

20 Yeses Qualify You for Round 2

1. Is the concept fresh and unique or presented in a fresh way?

2. Is there foreshadowing conflict?

3. Is there a clearly defined protagonist?

4. Does the protagonist have a clear goal or problem?

5. Is the antagonist introduced early and is he/she/it a worthy adversary?

6. Are the characters three-dimensional?

7. Is the narrative (action) concise, descriptive, visual, and does it tell the story?

8. Are the scene transitions smooth?

9. Are the speeches short? (no talking heads or numerous phone calls)

10. Does the dialogue ring true and true to the characters?

11. Is this story a page-turner?

12. Has this script been checked for typos, homophone confusion and spelling errors?

13. Is the cast of characters manageable in size?

14. Have CAMERA directions been kept to a bare minimum?

15. Has the writer written only what can be seen or heard?

16. Is the formatting up to industry standard?

17. Have these pages evoked some kind of emotion?

18. Have adverbs and words like (about, a little, a bit) been avoided

19. Is the story focused, clear-cut and logical?

20. Does the writer have an original voice or style?

20 1/2. Does the writer have a concept so compelling that we want to read more despite execution flaws?