How long does it take for a producer to read a script?

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Great question — and congrats! You managed to get your option ready and accomplished what many screenwriters hope to achieve at the start of their career: a legit producer to take a look at your screenplay.

So, will you hear from that producer or will there be crickets? Of course, if you utilize a platform like WoAccelerator or blacklist, you’ll definitely get responses as both platforms are designed to handle and streamline the script development process.

It’s your precious material and possibly the fate of your career in someone else’s hands as they decide whether to option or purchase your material.

THE ACTUAL READ

Generally speaking, an average full-length screenplay script can be read in an hour and a half to two hours. Now, this does not take into account script notes, financial considerations, and who is likely to distribute your film.

Which brings us to….

THE RIGHT TYPE OF PRODUCER

When you are looking to get your script read, it is important that you submit a script with the right producer in mind.

There are many different producers with various qualifications and experience levels. Some of these producers could be better suited for your project than others. Some producers only do low-budget, some are studio contracts only, and others are indie with a specific genre. The producer may have the right relationships in order to get a bankable script on the fast track to production. This is especially true if the script is production-ready.

Let’s assume a producer has read your material on our platform, enough to want to option the material. Once that is done, they’ll either contact you about their thoughts on the project or you won’t hear from them again once you have been paid your option fee.

Neither one is a bad situation — after all, you’re in this business to sell many scripts for the long haul and achieve the dream of becoming a consistently working, bankable writer right?

PRACTICAL PRODUCER CONSIDERATIONS

Assuming your script is optioned, all good producers ask themselves the following questions:

• Is a studio or production house looking to produce this material tomorrow?
• Can we get a TV pilot or streaming movie deal with this idea?
• Approximately how long will this take to get into production?
• Where does the budget allow us to shoot this?

Alternatively, if the producer belongs to a production company

• Does this script work within the remaining development budget?
• Does this script earn a place at the bottom or top of the queue compared to other scripts I just acquired?
• Can this attract the support of my boss or executive?

MARKETPLACE TIMING

Is there a clear market for it?

With the rush of streaming services, the need for content has only continued to increase. This also means that concepts do not always stand the test of time and the same material that was marketable last year may no longer find a receptive audience.

Your script needs to be able to sell into the market at the right place and time. The best producers know what they can sell and have an obligation to deliver material that studios and production houses want to produce. Writers who can put themselves in the mindset of a producer have an immense competitive advantage.

“Who can I sell this to?” is always on the producer’s mind. A writer who avails themself to the market opportunities and crafts content based what sells will always be in demand (a.k.a an employable writer)

Can We Shoot this on Planet Earth?

Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” was amazing, but it also had an amazing budget. Don’t expect your movie to get approved for that budget.

Logistical shootability is the key phrase here. Writers are some of the most creative people in the world, inspiring millions of people with their words and stories. Producers want to tell these stories, but writers need to meet producers halfway.

Scripts that have characters visiting planets, solar systems, rainstorms indicate the writer has never tried to shoot something in the middle of the night with limited capabilities. The same thing can be said with trained rabbits, foxes, or anything nature-related.

Your script should call for things that are shootable and in your control. It does not mean you need to do a one-room horror “Saw” type of setup. But it does mean that you need to be cognizant of what producers think about when they read your script.

So, while producers may only take 90 minutes to read your script, the best thing you could do as a writer is to make that 90 minutes as enjoyable as possible.