I've been asked this by people when I'm asked to read their script and while there is no way to tell if a film is going to be good (to many variables), I have used some concepts to figure out if a script is actually worth filming...keep in mind I make films, I am not out to sell my scripts, I want to produce films and as a result, I am approached by other people to film theres ... so these are really the questions I would ask a writer over lunch and a beer BEFORE I read the script ... I have my own considerations for scripts (budget, location, etc.) but all studios will ... so take these simply as someone who is interested in filming other people's scripts opinion and thoughts and nothing more, cause as William Goldman said "nobody in this business knows anything"
- What's the history of the script?
When did you write it? Why did you write it? What draft am I reading?
If they say first draft, I'll read the first ten pages and the last ten pages. Maybe.
- Do you have a synopsis, treatment ...
... character development, scene breakdown? Do you need any of these to knock out 120 pages? No, of course not. But do they help you get to a quality 120 pages faster. Yes. Less re-writing and more quality writing.
- Your treatment, does it sell?
When someone reads your treatment, do they want to see your film? Does it make them think "damn, that would be good?"
- Your synopsis/pitch, does it sell?
If you have the time it takes to go to Level 1 at Fox Studios to Level 2 in Fox studios via the elevator, and Chris Carter was in there with you, could you deliver an intriguing pitch in that time that would make him say "call my PA and make an appointment? Does a good pitch/synopsis make for a good script? No guarantee, but does it indicate you have all the elements that SHOULD make for a good script? Yes.
- Would you film it, if you could?
If there answer is "yes", great! If it's "no", then consider why anyone else would want to film it.
- If you had to think of why the script could be a success ...
... could you list five reasons? Does it have a cinematic history? Are there other films of this genre that have been successful? Is it a genre film with a built in audience that you can market to?
- Could you see your story as a plot/sub-plot of any Shakespaearan play?
this is one that I love to work with
Consider that his plays are hundreds of years old and still be screened today, and that he exploited the 8 genres/themes/basic stories (7 common + 1 uncommon) to the hilt, you should be able to identify a single similar theme in your film.
- Can you knock out your film in one sentence?
With "this is a story about who wants to to get [...] ".
- Have you focused your three act structure?
... to the point of being able to see them?
- Have you identified your hero's desires, wants and needs?
- What universal question is being asked in your script? (Joseph Campbell)
- Have you considered the positive/negative balance of your sequences? (Robert McKee)