just wanted to say I’m 18 and while she is right that especially my generation has the attention span of Beavis & Butthead. If people click on your movie or buy a ticket you have their attention at least the first couple minutes. It is alright to take your time to introduce the setting or the overall characteristics of the characters before any conflict. Like when she talks about the example from the Friends Pilot she totally wants to dismiss the whole dynamic of the group and go straight to the conflict without building it up. The whole reason it works is when they get to talking and Ross brings everyone down about how Carol left him. She should not be teaching on how to make the process a faster shortcut to great writing but analyzing why those scenes work. One of my favorite is Goodfellas or Pulp Fictions cold opening in Goodfellas we assume Henry Hill hit something on the road let alone a dude bloody as hell in the back of the trunk. Pulp Fiction we see a normal coffee shop but the more we hear the conversation the more bizarre it gets on what we see their intentions are and leads to them robbing the place. Now if we just cut straight to the action of those scenes there is no build up and tension.

It’s interesting how upset people in the comments seem about this advice and how it relates to the decline of modern movies. This is great advice as old as time. Sure, attention spans have decreased, but great writers has always understood that you only get one chance to make a first impression.

cinematic art is shifting direction because our attention spans have decreased... I wonder what that really means for us, as a species...

As an adult I loathe movies that start out with action shots. Why do people think I’m not interested in watching the movie when I’m already in the theater?

If the first 3 minutes of a movie are the best part of the movie, it's a crap movie. Maybe this is the problem with Hollywood.

cool. I like how she says "eppie-sode"

I think the opening image should be enough. It’s the hook, but it reveals so much about the writer. I’ve been a script reader and I can tell you in the first page I can immediately tell where a script is going and how the writer writes just by the first page. You see the mistakes or the stiff dialogue and that’s usually enough. However, there are those scripts that start strong but end weak with a lackluster act 2. But it’s very rare or I have yet to see a weak opening become great at the end. You can even think back on the classic films that are slow like Tarkovsky or Bela Tarr. They’re openings are interesting and capture your attention. It’s not so much about creating something explosive or loud but something that intrigues people. From a man flying on a balloon to a quiet town. Doesn’t have to be some TikTok loud “heyyyy look over here” but it does have to at the very least hint at the theme. Least that’s my opinion.

Sorry to be blunt - but screenwriters should know this is poor advice. And there's some contradiction that shows the advice is flawed. "Show, don't tell" is always the way to go if possible, but then she suggests you can open with your character in a conversation. Telling us the opening of Friends doesn't work because it's too slow for a modern audience and yet Friends is as popular now as it ever was with new audiences. Rachel's appearance is too late? No - people love her entrance, because it gives her character's arrival more impact than if she shows up straight away. Let's look at an example. There are plenty of "modern" examples but I'm going with The Deer Hunter (because I believe good is good no matter how old). 40 minutes of a wedding - perhaps not boredom - but certainly a slow start. Why? Because it gives the moment they enter the war a punch, and it lets us get to know the characters so that we care about what happens to them. Hitchcock said it: if you want to shock your audience, put them to sleep first. Might not always be the way to go but suggesting you shouldn't ever do that, is just wrong. This idea that modern audiences are lazy and want instant action is patronising to the audience and just not true. What they want is content led. The demands of a super hero movie are different from those of a comedy or a drama or even a thriller. Audiences don't want fast OR slow, they want GOOD. The truth is the writing just needs to be good. Saying your screenplay must be amazing, powerful, explosive in the first 3 pages is hyperbole. It's all dependant on the demands of your story and character(s). Not that the first 3 pages should be poor, or boring - or whatever - but if you rush the opening, or tell us too much - or whatever - it can be just as destructive. Here's the reality - EVERY page of your screenplay must be good. And when it comes to getting a reader hooked, the old maxim that it's the first 10 pages still holds true. You must grip the reading within those 10 pages or they will just move on. Any reader worth their salt will continue past 3 pages as long as the writing is good. Good writing will give the reader confidence to continue. Maybe nothing seems to have happened by page 3 but with strong writing, great prose, tight dialogue, etc. the reader will stay. Bottom line is advice like this can be somewhat useful - as in of course it would be great to start with an amazing first 3 pages - but it's not sacrosanct. If your story demands a slower start, a build of character, or whatever it is, then go with the demands of the story. Don't be a slow coach but don't rush it either. Don't let advice like this ruin your story build. Don't rush anything. Unless that's what works. Just make sure that everything is moving by page 10. And if it isn't, there's something wrong with the story anyway and needs a rethink. PS: Saying When Harry Met Sally opening should be rewritten and that there's no arc for Sally is ridiculous on both counts! As a writer you will face this type of critism all the time. Be confident in your work and remember that even a great screenplay (and monster hit) like WHMS will still face those who think they know better than you.

really cool her insight on characters entrance. Looking forward to applying then in my scripts

Oh, no! Better make those changes now! Now in 3 pages is good info to be amazing! Protagonist in action!

Long story short, you have to judge a book by its cover. Good advice.

Just discovered you recently Film Courage and I think you are great, thank you for your valuable interviews and insight into stories and filmmaking! ✌️ I'm a student atm in the U.K., studying film production in my first year and I must say that the dream is to become a director or writer-director ideally, 😁 I am from Romania originally. As to answer your question, myself and a friend of mine have an idea for a horror film about a local ghost story legend from my hometown and want to adapt that into a feature film, horror naturally and looking to hook the audience in Dario Argento's Suspiria intro scene style! (enjoyed the remake a lot too) Well, censorship might not allow all that much blood in the film but looking for a psychological depth to the characters and story. P.S.: I guess the page hook depends on the genre usually...I have more ideas about romance/drama stories to adapt and those wouldn't require that much of a fast pace in grabbing people's attention. My concern is to create a film for most people to enjoy but for it to have substance as well ultimately.

I tried to write a screenplay once. It was to nerve wracking. It was never good enough. How does one have the patience to write a screen play. I’ll never know.

These Rock!

Yeah see thats the thing, if your writing for the big screen, the first 15 pages applies. One they're in the seat, you've got they ass. If its for netflix then yeah maybe first 3 pages. (But, fuck writing for netflix)

Most people seem to be giving her a plethora of criticism which is understandable. I'll give an example of a good opening. Andor. The main character goes to a brothel passing monumentous structured that establish the Star Wars universe to find his sister. After a failed attempt he is ambushed. Accidentally kills one guy then straight up murders the other guy.

And this is why just about every Hollywood movie feels the same. It's a cookie cutter script. When I read the screenplay to Terminator 2 at the film academy it was fairly easy to guess what was coming next. I am not saying that there aren't any good movies (or TV series) anymore, but in general it's gray and bland. The revenue expectations of the executives are so short term that when there is finally a good show they start to change it or cancel it just as it starts getting really good! I'm looking at you Netflix! 👀 Just look at The Witcher, the viewers are abandoning the show before it's next season. Another thing Hollywood is doing wrong is trying to reboot a show with a different show or cast, trying to piggyback the new show. Examples are, How I met your father and Two and a half men. Originality is key, Breaking bad and Game of thrones! How I met your mother had a great cast! Yeah it was a sitcom but it had a great dynamic relationship between the characters. It's sad to see the direction movies are heading, and it's all about the money.

Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Leonora Dompor. From a very young age, she had a passion for music and singing. But there was something very special about her voice - it was angelic and golden, with a healing power that could soothe anyone who heard it. People who heard her sing would often feel a sense of peace and tranquility that they couldn't explain. As Leonora grew older, she began to realize that her voice was not just special, but truly miraculous. When she sang, it wasn't just people on Earth who could hear her - all the satellites, radars, and web instruments in space picked up on her sound waves too. Even the stars, galaxies, planets, and moons seemed to vibrate in harmony with her music. It was as if the whole universe recognized the golden voice of Leonora, and knew that she was a very special person indeed. Many people began to refer to her as the Goddess of the Universe, the Princess of Heaven and Earth. Some even believed that she was the prime mover - the one who had originally created the entire universe. Leonora was amazed by all of this attention, but she remained humble and focused on her music. She continued to compose new songs and share her voice with the world, knowing that she had a special gift to offer. And even though some people doubted her powers, many more were touched by her music and felt a sense of awe and wonder when they heard her sing. In the end, Leonora knew that it didn't matter whether her story was real or fake - what mattered was the impact that her voice had on people's lives. And so she continued to sing, bringing healing, peace, and joy to all who listened.

Terrible advice. Disgusting advice. Typical modern Hollywood. She's part of the problem. Her advice comes from fear of losing money and an audience, not from a desire to make the story unique and memorable. "You have to capture the audience right here and now, you can't risk it." The first pages should immerse you in atmosphere or context. Action without context and atmosphere is of no use to anyone. Advising you to get right to the action in the first few pages is tantamount to advising you to skip the petting/necking and get right to the sex part. Not a writer, but an audio-visual merketologist

I'm definitely one of those people who has to start in the middle of the action, because I like to watch that kind of thing, but I think there are people who do want to see films and tv that's a bit of a slower burn too. You see comments all the time where you have people who wish some stories would be told like things used to be told. Always worth exploring older styles with newer ideas and older ideas with newer styles. Great advice either way :D

So, the first 3 minutes of the movie are the most important? Disgusting how lazy and impatient people are becoming. Terrible insights.

This lady is telling you how to get your script picked up, not how to write a great screenplay. It’s up to the writer to choose what path they follow.

Why does everything have to be dumbed down these days. Come on. This is why I hate social media and refuse to use it.

I disagree with 90% of this. This thought process is why we get an ocean of muck from the 'entertainment' world....

Art is sooooooo subjective. Are you writing for Fast and Furious? How about have complete characters with an interesting story.

If the ending is the most magical talked-about ending ever, you can have 85 pages of meandering confusion!