Every aspiring screenwriter is looking for one script that they can use to open those Hollywood doors. It's true that industry insiders like development executives, producers, managers, and agents love screenwriters who have a stacked deck of three to five excellent scripts that collectively serve as proof-of-talent resumes. However, it usually takes a single script to turn heads and get Hollywood's attention.
The struggle is that there are so many spec scripts out there in the spec script market that screenwriters really need screenplays that stand above the rest. Sometimes that means screenwriters need scripts that organically fall under the umbrella of a current trend. Other times it means that a script needs to be something familiar but different — concepts that offer a different take on what has proven to be a popular and successful draw in the past.
But sometimes, even that isn't enough. Sometimes screenwriters need to take a swing for the fences by writing a stunt script.
What Is a Stunt Script?
A stunt script isn't about writing a high-concept script that captures the attention of Hollywood and starts a bidding war. That's a different (and wonderful) beast.
A stunt script is a screenplay that showcases your ingenuity and talents as a writer, but likely isn't necessarily an easy sell for Hollywood.
Stunt scripts are written specifically to get people talking about you as a writer. These types of screenplays aren't intended to be sold and produced. The sole intention for writing a stunt script is to showcase your voice, creativity, talents, strengths, and abilities as a screenwriter while doing so in a way that draws a lot of attention and gets people talking.
The goal isn't to simply write a good script — it's to write a screenplay that gets everyone in town talking. Your goal for writing a stunt script isn't even about trying to get a movie made out of it — it's to write a calling card script that gets you in the door with enthusiasm and excitement waiting to greet you as you walk in. But the truth of it is that a script that might seem for all intents and purposes a stunt script can in fact succeed in getting made.
Examples of Successful Stunt Scripts
Hollywood history is full of screenplays built entirely around a high-concept gimmick that successfully launched or revitalized the careers of successful screenwriters.
Being John Malkovich (1999)
Written by Charlie Kaufman, the script was, needless to say, a unique and original concept about a character who finds a portal into the mind of the legendary actor John Malkovich. Most people in Hollywood would scoff at such a concept. However, the script made the rounds and eventually made Kaufman one of the hottest screenwriters in the industry after the indie version was produced and released. The writing was so brilliant that it made Kaufman an overnight screenwriting icon.
Click Here to Read Being John Malkovich!
The Beaver (2010)
A 2008 Black List script by Kyle Killen about a man dealing with depression by communicating solely through a beaver hand puppet. It was made into a film directed by Jodie Foster and starred Mel Gibson. Killen was a USC graduate who moved to Texas and worked construction while writing. He had some minor success publishing short fiction, but then decided to take a swing at writing The Beaver. The script made its rounds in Hollywood and topped the Black List that year, leading to representation and a long, successful career for Killen.
Click Here to Read The Beaver!
How to Write a Great Stunt Script
There's no secret formula to writing a great stunt script. In fact, if there was, the formula wouldn't be much of a stunt anymore. Conceptualizing, developing, and writing a stunt script is all about creative exercises and exploring your passions, talents, and storytelling ingenuity. With that said, here are some general guidelines to follow.
Industry-Standard Screenplay Format Still Applies
Readability is vital. The purpose of writing stunt scripts is to get the script to make as many rounds in Hollywood as possible. While stunt scripts are meant to challenge the status quo and stand out as unique and original, none of that should come at the expense of screenwriting format.
Industry-standard screenwriting format exists for a reason — to create a universal format that all can understand and read with ease. Stunt scripts are not about creating a new kind of experimental format. Keep the formatting standard and simple for industry insiders to read.
An Instantly Intriguing Premise
Before Hollywood will read your script, they're going to be reading your logline for it. The logline is the one- or two-sentence description of your screenplay's concept.
The premise of your stunt script is the first key to unlocking Hollywood doors for you and your writing. And for stunt scripts, these concepts need to pop off the screen for anyone reading them. Here are some stunt script prompts (not loglines) to get your imagination going:
- God and the Devil go on a road trip together across the United States to go to Disney World.
- Someone's answer to "Who would you have dinner with, dead or alive?" comes true as they find themselves dining with Jesus Christ, Adolph Hitler, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, and Richard Pryor.
- The roles of humans and dogs are flipped, leaving humans as the pets and dogs as the owners.
But it doesn't have to all be about comedy or crazy hijinks. You can embrace any genre tropes. You can mash up intellectual properties (Marvel Superheroes vs. DC Superheroes). The sky is the limit. But remember: the script still needs to be written amazingly well.
Have a Distinct Voice
The best stunt scripts immediately establish a unique personality on the page. Your original voice comes through in your dialogue and scene description prose, how you craft a scene, how you structure the story of the script, and what risks you take as a screenwriter.
What a Stunt Script Is NOT
It's very important to understand what a stunt script is not.
- It isn't a screenplay that is weird simply to be weird.
- It isn't a screenplay that is experimental simply to be experimental.
- It isn't a screenplay that works as an excuse to ignore structure, character development, pacing, etc.
The fundamentals of screenwriting still matter and still need to be embraced. A brilliant concept wrapped around a poorly executed screenplay won't open any doors for you. Readers still need to care about the characters, be intrigued by the concept, and walk away with empathy and catharsis after reading the script.
Don't Write Stunt Scripts Instead of Producible Ones
A stunt script is nice to have in your stacked deck of scripts. But you should still do your best to prove that you can handle any type of script, especially straightforward ones in any genre. It's great to stand out by showcasing uniqueness and originality. But you also want to showcase a body of work that is mainstream, for both the purposes of being considered for writing assignments and of having screenplays that are desirable and producible for studios, production companies, streamers, and networks to buy.
Writing a stunt script is certainly worth the time when you're ready. It's fun. It's exciting. And it's a welcome break from what can turn into a monotonous process of trying to sell the spec scripts you have.
Swing big. Take chances. Get weird. That's what the stunt script is all about.