When it comes to watching a film, or writing a script, most writers want to make their script great. The real question is "What makes a film great?" Film is subjective and everyone has a different opinion about a movie they've seen or read. As a script consultant and film fanatic, there are so many elements of what makes a film great! When I provide full coverage, I go over the story, characters, pacing, strengths, and weaknesses of the script overall. But the main important elements that make a film great usually follow under the story, characters, and pacing categories.
Story
Every story written has to be original and different from something that has already been made. When you're writing your script, you don't want to have a script that's unoriginal or something that's been made many times before because it can be a bit boring for a viewer to watch. I've had many film ideas in my head, but usually toss those ideas away mainly because those film ideas have already been made. If you're a writer and you have an idea for a film that's already been made, and you're really passionate about the story, you could easily put a spin on the story.
When it comes to telling a story, you need to make sure each scene has conflict and serves a purpose. Without conflict, viewers can get easily bored and stop paying attention to the film. Somewhere in the first 10 pages of your script, you have to reel in your audience and get them hooked as soon as possible. Once you get your audience hooked, it's going to be important to make sure they stay hooked throughout the film.
Characters
Another important element of what makes a film great is having characters that are easily relatable. What is it they want? What do they need to achieve their goal? Who are they as a person? What's their flaw? Those questions need to be answered before the inciting incident. If you don't have characters that people can't relate to, the audience won't have a reason to root for them in the film.
If you're a writer in need of feedback or have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via e-mail: david@davidschwartzconsulting.com I look forward to working with you!