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How many screenplays have you read?
I don't mean your own or those of your friends. I mean screenplays of movies that have been made. But I don't mean the published versions of movies that have been made. I mean the manuscripts of screenplays that were made.
These are a very important tools. When you read the published editions of your favorite movies you're usually reading the shooting script. Or a further refined version of the shooting script.
I think it's more interest (and more fun) to read an early draft. If you're lucky, the first draft. Or at least the version of a screenplay that was sold. You will benefit from seeing the imperfections of the script. The things that didn't work. The dull character or boring scene or odd plot turn that never make it into the movie. It makes you feel less insecure when you realize that even the hottest or most respected of screenwriters wrote a draft that wasn't as good as the final product.
Maybe he or she did five or ten or twenty more drafts reflecting the notes of the director and producers. Or maybe he or she kept digging and digging and finding new stuff to make the script better.
If you live in New York or Los Angeles it's easier to get your hands on screenplays. Or if you have friends in the industry who will pass them on to you.
How do you get your hands on these scripts if you don't live in New York or LA? You can search the Internet and find sites that will sell you scripts. But these are usually scripts that have already been made.
The challenge is to find scripts that have been bought and are in various stages of pre-production.
Getting your hands on these scripts is pretty much a "who you know" deal. Acquaintances and friends working at a studio or agency or production company are the key. If they like you and if they have access to a certain script maybe they'll make you a copy.
If you just don't have the access to these people, the next best thing is to find the web sites that have screenplays available either for free downloading or for sale and go there.
But whatever you do, start reading manuscripts. Avoid the published versions. All the kinks have been taken out. You will learn more by seeing the kinks.
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