It might seem a proclamation of the obvious to state that a quality screenplay is, in turn, one of the most important components of a quality film. Despite this, poor writing has crippled innumerable projects that should otherwise have succeeded. One must look no further than HBO's billion dollar Game of Thrones franchise – which, despite the 300 million dollar budget of its final season and world-class talent helming the cast, fell from being a juggernaut of a cultural icon to near irrelevancy overnight thanks largely to massive consumer backlash against the decline of quality writing in its final season. Audiences crave spectacle, this is true – and certainly something the producers of Thrones understood – but audiences also crave characters they can relate to and a cathartic story that makes viewers feel rewarded and even respected for having committed to a narrative in the first place.

 

In the 2020 age of media saturation, where streaming services offer innumerable choices to the consumer, “spectacle” is rarely enough. Netflix, for example, offers a whopping four thousand unique films to its audience for just $8.99 a month – the same price as a single Star Wars action figure. The most profitable contemporary entertainment ventures are aware of this trend – and further aware that profit often appears where production ends and merchandising begins. A good story or lovable character will stay with a viewer for a long time to come – and this staying power is what might then drive said viewer to go out and purchase that T-shirt with the memorable line printed on it or that licensed toy. Explosions without substance may be enjoyable in the moment, but are quickly forgotten; it is genuine depth that carries a product.

 

There is a reason that Iron Man collectibles are flying off of the shelves more than a decade after the first film's release, but even the most competitively priced Predator merchandise – which received a franchise reboot in 2018 to the tune of 88 million dollars – gathers dust in shopping mall bargain bins, despite more than doubling its budget from the series' previous iteration and being spearheaded by Hollywood darling Olivia Munn and dark horse Game of Thrones alum Alfie Allen.

 

There is a reason that 2014's John Wick, a seemingly innocuous film with a surprisingly compelling narrative and genuine breath-of-fresh-air world-building, returned a 300% net profit to its investors from the box office alone. Compare this to 2016's Batman vs Superman – which by all rights should have been one of the most profitable films of all time, yet struggled to achieve the same profit margin through box office, merchandise, and home video sales combined after it was lambasted by critics and consumers alike for its lackluster plot and uninspired depiction of the titular heroes.

 

There is a reason that of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, we're still selling Casablanca posters at the neighborhood Target. But when it comes to recounting even a single line or character from The Predator? Well, in the words of Clark Gable, circa 1939 – frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

 

All of this goes to say that before a production ever begins, and long after it ends, the screenplay is the heart and soul of a film. Invested in and tended to, it will see a production thrive, welcomed by audiences with open arms; neglected and overlooked, a production will emerge cold and lifeless – and entirely forgettable.

 

Like those savvy investors mentioned above, this phenomenon is something A41 also understands. It's why we offer a robust selection of professional industry writers with experience developing multimedia projects from screen to stage to page, and why we pride ourselves on not just being a one-stop-shop for production needs, but for building productions from the ground up, all for one and one for all – and it begins at a41studios.com.