The title of your screenplay can make or break your chances of catching the attention of a producer who will agree to read (and hopefully produce) your script.
At first glance, a title has to be catchy, memorable, repeatable and should sum up the essence of the storyline premise. Quite often, the shorter the title, the better.
Can you imagine a producer passing on your fabulous literary material because the title doesn't grab him/her, or because it sounds stupid?
What a shame, right!
Did you know 'That 70s Show' wasn't the original title of the successful television series? In fact, they went through several titles trying to capture the essence of the show before finally landing on the iconic show title 'That 70s Show'.
It's an interesting story, check it out here.
Don't hit a wall because you can't come up with a great title.
Stephanie Palmer, former MGM executive tells us a quick way to remember what the title needs in order to be successful is within the acronym: SMART.
S: short (keep it short, the fewer the words the better)
M: memorable (the title should stand out or have an element of intrigue)
A: accurate (correctly represent the story's premise)
R: repeatable (sounds catchy when people say it out loud)
T: tonally appropriate (in accordance with the genre of the script)
Most of these are fairly straightforward, but tonally appropriate may warrant some explanation.
Tone refers to a feeling that's awakened, a subtle quality or essence.
Based on a movie's title, you can usually tell whether it is a comedy or drama and whether its for adults or for kids. The title creates expectations as to what the genre will be.
If a movie title doesn't hit the right tone, it can mislead the intended audience. A great example is the movie Cinderella Man starring Russel Crowe and Renee Zellweger. This film flopped at the box office during opening weekend, mainly because the title didn't express to the intended audience what the film was about.
This critically-well regarded film was based on a true story about a boxer making a big comeback in the ring and in life & love. But with the word "Cinderella" in the title, it easily could have been a story about a guy who goes to a royal ball and leaves a slipper behind. Although the title was accurate, it wasn't tonally appropriate.
Definitely an oversight on the part of their marketing team or development executives. The film, over time, earned enough profit in Box Office sales to recoup the budget, but not much more. And certainly, the title was a huge reason why.
This same principle applies when you create a title for any literary property. If the tone is off, you may never attract the potential producers, directors, investors, etc., nor audience for your project.
SMART describes an extraordinarily high standard that not every title will meet, but as you go through the process of creating a title, remember that a great title is a work in progress. You may start with only two or three of the recommended elements, but hopefully, you will eventually end up with all five!
Still stumped?
Don't worry, if I am representing your script and the title seems off, we can work together to develop it and come up with the perfect, catchy title. And don't worry, if a filmmaker picks up your property, often changes to the title will be made at the producer or director's discretion - depending how much creative control you sign over to them.
For more tips on how to get your script title up to par, drop me a line or comment here!
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