Disaster! A complete disaster! Not that it matters.... but the origins of this word derive from 16th century Italian and it literally means: under a bad star. It also describes the first, second and third draft of my debut writer’s statement. Only, I couldn’t blame the stars for my lack of direction. Without a bright north star to guide me I was lost but that wasn’t so much the problem. I simply didn’t have a clue about what went into the statement or what makes one better than the other. So I went on a quest to find out and I endeavoured to make a star map of my own based on the best statements I could find.
Should you submit it, a wide variety of professionals will read your writer’s statement and each of them will be looking for different things. This document will allow you to get the unique vision you have of your project across and it’s an opportunity to dazzle them that should not be missed. Whether it is a public funding body, potential DOP or lead actor reading your script for the first time, they will need to be enthralled, intrigued and seduced by what you have to say.
For this reason, your writing needs to transmit the passion that you have for this project, it might come from describing the moment you were drawn to this unique story or something you stumbled upon along the way which changed the direction you were taking. It is a technical document but it should never be boring. Indeed, if you can’t write an interesting one page statement it doesn’t really promise much for the main script.
So start by providing some background, tell them why you are the only person who could tell the story this way. Tell them why your protagonist is so special, where they come from and what makes them the only ones who could go on that journey. Mention why you are telling this story, who influenced you and what it was they did that inspired you so much.
Do you already envisage how you film should look or feel? Do you imagine sound design or music? The statement is the only place where this will be possible to mention so include as much relevant detail as you can. Paint a complete picture for the the reader so that they will be able to visualise the scenes and feel the atmosphere around them.
How is the story constructed? What story arcs are important and how do you present them. Are there things going on underneath the surface, have you hidden morals or messages in the subtext? Now would be the time to mention that. Identify the main themes and lay them out clearly for the reader. Is there something in your story that will teach, make people aware of an issue or help them understand something about themselves? Don’t leave that out.
To sum up, your writer’s statement should be compelling and fluid and mention the following: background, reasons why you wrote it, what makes it special and what its about. Tell the reader the themes, the look and feel you envisage and why they might be relevant to the viewing public. Make it personal and remember that you are selling yourself as much as the script you wrote.
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