Reader Question: What are ways to study films in the same genre as my script?

If you’re a genre writer, it’s critical you immerse yourself in that story space.

Reader Question via Twitter from @37filmsltd:

In the early stages of writing a script. Where do I find discussion of other films in the genre?

Boy, have you come to the right place! You can start your process by using this blog which has multiple relevant archives.

Deep Focus: The Go Into The Movies Project — Scripts and Screenwriting: You can go here and see lists of movies broken down into genres, a great guideline of essential films you should study. Watch each movie in your genre. Read the script. Per the latter:

How to Read a Screenplay: A 7-part series to steer you into an immersive analytical process. This will help you dissect and break down stories.

Go Into The Story Script Reading and Analysis: From (500) Days of Summer to Up in the Air, dozens of movie scripts analyzed by myself and GITS readers. Find movies in your genre and take in the commentary.

30 Days of Screenplays (2013) / 30 Days of Screenplays (2014): 60 scripts with analysis. Pick ones in your genre and have at it.

Great Characters: Hundreds of memorable movie characters with analysis. Go through the list and check out characters in your genre.

What do you do with all those resources?

• Identify commonalities between movies, scripts and stories in your genre including narrative themes, dynamics, plot elements, and tropes.
• Note elements that are different and unique, perhaps where the filmmakers played with the conventions of the genre.
• Look at character types, what roles they play, their respective narrative functions.
• Study dialogue including idioms and slang native to whatever subculture each story features.
• I would strongly recommend you do scene-by-scene breakdowns of several movies as this is the single best way to dig into the underlying structure of a story. And that’s ANOTHER resource here on the blog: Movie Script Scene-By-Scene Breakdowns, 55 of them at present (2017) with more to come next year and following.

Your instincts are spot on. I’ve interviewed a bunch of young, dynamic Hollywood screenwriters who specialize in writing action movies (for example) and each of them has studied that genre in detail. In short, they know their shit.

You are well-advised to do the same.

GITS readers, any other advice or resources? Please head to comments and share your thoughts.

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For more articles in the Go Into The Story Reader Question series, go here.