How to Write an A24 Screenplay (Writing Advice) 

1. Create an atypical protagonist 2. Make the stakes personal. 3. Write about desperate people. 4. Go to extremes. 5. Use setting as a character 6. Keep it contained. 7. Don't write for everyone. All very useful tips! DEFINITELY using these in my other projects. :D

I think it's worth noting that A24 mostly is a distributor. Lady bird, Ex Machina, The Florida Project, and a slew of their other best movies were made by other companies and producers, A24 just picked up the domestic distribution rights.

Unfortunately, studios don't trust original screenplays. That mindset is why A24 movies are kinda bringing back the "independent film" movement that was popular in the 90s. I love this distributor!!

I am an upcoming writer, and this will help me a lot .

Under the Silver Lake is riveting and holds up when watched again. The only slow scene is the holy man with his women when contrasted with the one of the pianist who owned one of Kurt Cobain's guitars. The dog subplot is also good.

A24 feels slow-burn, and well pronounced with each take. Most movies rely heavily on CGI, while A24 is more so on practical effects and more emotionally-driven plots that get you invested. The style varies, but we all know they're always stunning to look at. The best quality imaginable.

there seem to be mixed feelings about this video but i really enjoyed it and i think there was sufficient evidence to back up the steps, even if A24 is "just a distributor." nicely done!

I'll be rewatching and subscribing. Thanks for helping me out.

Thanks for the video. Great advices.

EXCELLENT VIDEO.... "BRAVO" I have written a "PLAY" for my Acting Academy (very small Acting Academy)... we do Mystery Dinner Theatre... But the Manuscript/Play/Script is more about where it is set (In New Mexico 1959) ... just as much as the characters themselves, so I appreciate you saying that the setting is as important as any character. And... if the truth be known... My Antagonist and Protagonist can be more than one person at one time... very intriguing... unexpected, and mysterious. I really liked you video... First time seeing one of your videos but surely not the last video.

I love discovering a person who will definitely be successful in their early days.

Brilliant analysis.

This was an awesome watch

Really well made video. Thanks!

Write for a specific person, this is a very good advice 👍

Fantastic stuff!

I initially thought Late Night With The Devil was an A24 production. Such is their brand recognition.

Thanks!

I'm not sure why you had to tell me all these things for me to see them, but I'm glad you did. P. S. I love Marty.

Great video! But I disagree slightly with your point about making the stakes personal. Every good film has high stakes in it, whether that's saving the world or passing your driving test. A24 films don't necessarily personalise the stakes, instead they show what high stakes are in different contexts. So very close to what you were saying, but A24 films don't depart from the rule of high stakes, they merely interpret this rule broadly!

Nice

If one should not try to make a movie for everyone, how to reconcile this statement with the existence of works like "Avatar: the last airbender", which is praised for having been made for all audiences? Which path is right? Whose footsteps should I try to follow?

this is such a surface-level understanding of screenwriting. you're applying auteur theory to a production studio; it's all about the freeflowing expression of creativity

I'm the 2000th like-er. Unless someone liked and disliked before. I'm the current recognized 2000ty like. I will now proceed to write a script that follows your prescription, that will make me moderately famous.

I'm curious to know why didn't you mention or show clips from Hereditary especially since you stated you're into horror.

a24 isn’t a “company that makes films,” it’s a distributor that distributes films. filmmakers make films

When writers say “High stakes”, they mean High stakes for the character… which does NOT mean high stakes for the world, galaxy, universe or reality.

All hail Marty

How do you send a screenplay to a24?

6:03

Saying A24 created these films is like saying the Louvre created the masterpieces it holds. Give credit to the minds of the creators and then give credit to A24 for its ability to curate an iconic catalog. Great writing advice though! It really applies more to just making a unique film in general and not one that applies to just one studio. there are many many more films outside of A24 that fit the format and some within A24 that do not.

Poor Things definitely fit into A24 movies

Nice video. More of A24's style than writing advice. Here's my writing advice: Don't write for an audience. Don't write for A24. Don't write for anyone but you. Find your voice. Only think of your characters and being authentically YOU. Don't think about money, studios, streamers, A24 or other indies, stars, fame, awards, none of it. Then, and ONLY THEN, will you succeed and attract all the attention in the world and get your stories told. Focus on your craft. Write your story, apply for development grants (there are a ton of them worldwide), build relationships, grow your network, find producing partners, get to work. Final business advice for writers: learn the BUSINESS of film & TV. Study film finance & distribution. All the resources you need are online and free. Give 'em hell.

originally

I have several scripts that fit the brand of A24.

Be original. There.😂

The problem is how to send a script to A24

I think it’s really the wrong approach to want to write “in the style of”…

It is quite fun because the majority of the stated points here applies to Latin American cinema. I am a Colombian filmmaker and believe me, the personal stakes, desperate people, contained and low budgets, set as characters and short public are the core of our cinematography. So, maybe A24 should expand their view outside the Anglo American market, and probably will found a lot of A24 style scripts, LOL.

Opening argument: big budget movies keep flopping because no one know how to make movies… Meanwhile A24 movies almost never make their budget back.

I don’t think you know what high stakes means…

Can we stop with this “how to get the a24 look” “how to write a a24 screenplay”. It’s a studio for goodness sake. I might as well just “learn how to write a Warner Bros script” yeah that makes a lot of sense

it boils down to - do something new - sheeeeeiiiit

i fucking hate A24, pretentious bunch nobody liked The Zone of Interest in the theatre horrible film

My book, I’m base of of this production