Idea - new to screenwriting

[hidden bay]

Now you can post additional messages in here

[fair mason]

The person behind the game wants to find stylists/designers who are not dependent on money, but purely on talent.

Why is it being organized? The organizer believes that the fashion world is becoming too "silly" with ridiculous and overly expensive designer clothing coming onto the market. So they are looking for real talent (funding the winner's own clothing company - restoring the fashion world with a company)?

Example round: create an outfit using only items found on the street within 1 hour. You are not allowed to spend money or ask others for help. (Ex of special hard round??) - simple example: make a streatwear outfit. (Not planning on using -> just an example)

For people without money, this is their only chance. "All or nothing."

Who is the person behind the game? - A former fashion icon who was pushed aside by the industry and now wants to restore "true fashion." (- faked his death to invent the underground game and search for a truly talented stylist/designer. ?)

Rounds become increasingly difficult and challenging. (- e.g. They have to sneak into fashion shows and walk the catwalk.)

Everyone has their own backstory.

They can't talk about the contest with anyone -> if they do - punishment.

[vernal mason]

Updating because I missed that there were more things in the comments.

Also, just a word of advice, a feature film is ambitious when you are starting out (that is how I got into this as well). I started working on a feature and got overwhelmed. I switched to working on shorts that got longer and longer. Now I’m back to working on my feature length, in stages, and it’s much easier, less overwhelming, and I’m doing better writing so I won’t have to revise as much.

Starting with shorts could be a good way for you to learn and stretch your wings before diving into a full feature

The idea seems good, but I would definitely want to know more about what happens if they fail a challenge. What are the stakes. Is this life and death, something else?

What makes us care about the outcome?

[fair mason]

Yeah thats the problem. I dont want to kill them because maybe that would look too much like squid game, but i dont know what kind of punishment i could give them. Everything sounds so lame... I dont even know if my story looking like squid game is a problem?? And also youre right about the feature film, i probably should start with short films. I just kinda wanted to write this just to practice and maybe come back to it in the future. Should i put this aside for now or what do you think?

[hidden bay]

Battle Royale, The Hunger Games, Escape Room, The Hunt, and The Most Dangerous Game all existed before Squid Game

Weeds existed before Breaking Bad

I think you should try distilling this down to the basics and then build off that

[vernal mason]

I don’t think you need to junk drawer it, keep thinking on it, forming an idea, you can always have it as a side item while working in some smaller screenplays as well. I have about 6 shorts in various stages of completion. When the mood strikes I work on one, when I get blocked I move to another and give my mind a rest. And then periodically I do work on my feature. Since I don’t have any timelines, I keep many options open at once.

Like right now I’ve been super focused on Gift from the Moon, and doing revisions and getting feedback, and it has been my main focus, but I do little bits of work on the other screenplays.

Then again, that’s what works for my brain. There is no right or wrong way to approach this, just find what works for you.

[fair mason]

Thats right but then i also gotta think of "why?". Why would they kill them. Any suggestions bc i might start writing with that in my head. And if i dont like it i could always change it. Lmk.