• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
San Francisco Writers Conference

San Francisco Writers Conference

A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community

  • Home
  • Classes
  • Events
    • SF Writers Conference
      • Register
        • Travel Tips
        • What to Bring
        • 2020 Event Flyer
        • 2020 Schedule
    • Writing for Change
  • Contests & Scholarships
    • Support the Scholarship with Donations
      • 2020 Scholarships
    • Enter the Writing Contest
      • 2021 Writing Contest Overview
      • 2021 Contest Rules
      • 2021 Contest Entry Form
    • Charity Auction
  • Sponsor or Exhibit
    • Sponsor or Exhibit at the Conference
    • Advertise in Conference Print & Digital Materials
    • Foundation Sponsorships, Scholarships, and Charity Auctions
    • 2020 Sponsors
  • Store
    • Purchase Conference MP3s
    • Purchase Swag
  • Blog & Podcast
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
  • About
    • Staff
    • Media Fact Sheet
    • Media Press Release
    • Newsletter
      • Newsletter Sign Up
      • Newsletter Archive
    • Speed Dating
    • Testimonials
    • Donate!
  • 2021 Podcast Renaming Contest

10 Things Hollywood Looks For in Your Book (Part 1 of 2)

November 16, 2010 By Barbara Santos, Marketing/Sales/Communications Director

We’re delighted to have an excellent two-part blog by  John Robert Marlow, a novelist, screenwriter, editor and script consultant.

When deciding which books to option or adapt, Hollywood studios and the production companies that team with them look for very specific things. To maximize your project’s appeal, incorporate these elements into your book or adapted screenplay…

A CINEMATIC CONCEPT that can be communicated in ten seconds, via something called a logline. Sound impossible? Try this: A fugitive doctor wrongly convicted of killing his wife struggles to prove his innocence while pursued by a relentless U.S. Marshal. (The Fugitive.)

A RELATABLE HERO that a large segment of the moviegoing public can relate to, root for, sympathize or empathize with.

STRONG VISUAL POTENTIAL. Simply put, film is less flexible than print. Film is a visual medium, and interesting things must pass before the camera, because all of the details are on the screen. Two people standing still and talking doesn’t cut it.

A THREE-ACT STRUCTURE. The vast majority of commercially successful films are “classically structured” into three acts. Even those with additional acts (like Star Wars) have only three major acts; the others fall within that framework.

A TWO-HOUR LIMIT, of sorts. If a story cannot be told in two hours or less (one hundred twenty script pages), it may be too costly to shoot. Industry veterans with proven track records warrant exceptions; newcomers do not. This is more a challenge for the screenwriter who adapts your book–but if it just can’t be done, that’s a problem.

To be continued…

This article is a condensation of  “What Hollywood Wants: 10 Things Studios Like to See in Adapted (and Original) Scripts.” John also writes the Self Editing Blog http://selfeditingblog.com.

The content of this article is copyright © 2010 by John Robert Marlow.

The Eighth San Francisco Writers Conference / A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community / February 18th-20th, 2011 / Mark Hopkins InterContinental Hotel on Nob Hill / Keynoters: Dorothy Allison & David Morrell / Pitch your book to agents and editors from both coasts / More than 50 breakout sessions / 100 presenters / www.sfwriters.org  / blog: https://sfwriters.org/blog / free MP3s at www.sfwriters.info / Also available: a day of in-depth classes on Monday, Febraury 21st

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michael Larsen says

    January 27, 2014 at 11:23 am

    Please do. Good luck.

Footer

About Us

The San Francisco Writers Conference (“SFWC”) enjoys a rich literary culture. Over the course of four days in mid-February, over 500 attendees and renowned keynote authors, presenters, editors, and agents, attend SFWC, combining the best of both the traditional publishing industry with the latest technology to empower authors to publish anywhere. Situated just north of Silicon Valley, the SFWC is truly a one-of-a-kind celebration of craft, commerce, and community.

More About Us
Contact Us

Help Support SFWC

Thank you for your decision to support the San Francisco Writers Conference. Your donation will help us provide free programs and scholarships. The San Francisco Writers Conference, a non-profit charity 501(c)(3).

Connect With Us

Address: San Francisco Writers Conference, P.O. Box 326, Oakley, CA 94561
Phone: 1-925-420-6223
Email: [email protected]
Contact Form

Our Newsletter

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Top | Contact Us | San Francisco Writers Conference | Privacy & Security | Terms of Use
© 2004 - 2020 SF Writers Conferences, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.
site by Askmepc-Webdesign
COMODO AUTHENIC SECURE SITE