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Producer's Framework

The Character Spine

The 5-question stress test I run on every script before it goes to studios. And how to run it on yours.

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Mike Blutstein
Film & TV Executive / Producer
Dopesick / Dexter / Manhunt / MacGruber
12 min read
Introduction

Why Most Scripts Fail (And It's Not the Writing)

I've read thousands of scripts over the course of my career. The ones that don't move forward almost never fail because of bad dialogue or weak action lines. They fail because the character doesn't hold up under pressure.

Here's what I mean: in a pitch meeting, nobody is thinking about your clever scene transitions. The question in the room is always the same. Do I believe this character's journey?

Studios, streamers, financiers. They're all doing the same math. They want to know if an audience will follow this person for two hours. If the answer isn't immediately obvious, your script gets a pass.

Mike BlutsteinExecutive / Producer
MIKE BLUTSTEIN - Writer. Producer. Creator.