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Regardless of type, without conflict your scenes will be flat and uninteresting. Differences in opinion, pursuits of different agendas, and tense interpersonal moments are just a few examples of interpersonal conflict.
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It means dramatic conflict, regardless of the genre. The audience wants to see conflict of some sort in every scene, not everyday events or behavior – those are boring! This does not necessarily mean conflict like screaming or fist fighting (although it often does). This is the screenwriter forgetting that we are writing (and watching) heightened life, not real life. You’d be surprised at how many screenplays lack conflict in a majority of their scenes. ACTION ITEM: Consult screenwriting screenplay format resources such as books “The Hollywood Standard,” “The Screenwriters Bible,” or “The Complete Guide to Standard Script Formats” or other resources to make sure you are following appropriate screenplay format.A few formatting mistakes or inconsistencies usually won’t kill your screenplay’s chances, but too many errors might. A half hour comedy for network television will look different from a half hour comedy for streaming or cable – you need to know all the distinctions. A screenplay for a feature film will look different than a screenplay for a half hour comedy. This format will have variations across different mediums, but there is a general standard that you should know and follow. The following are what most script readers would consider to be “red flags” in your screenplay. In other words, for some script readers if they feel you don’t have the basics covered, then they won’t bother looking at the rest.
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The irony here is that although some of these things are very basic, they can actually overshadow other, more complex aspects. If your screenplay consistently shows a lack of understanding of or a disregard for screenwriting basics, it will probably result in a “pass.” The basics are vital, and most screenwriting resources point this out. Many red flags come from screenwriting basics.
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