Scott Myers on Rating to Target Your Screenplay
Sunday, May 13, 2012

Go into the story by Scott Myers had once again published one of those uplifting articles pointing out the value of putting the story first, and market second.

This article is about writing a script for PG-13 or R.

Scott writes:
"You have to balance two key criteria when determining what rating to be mindful of when you write a script: (1) Be smart. (2) Tell the story you want to tell."

He then continues:
"If the story you want to tell has characters who drop a lot of F-bombs, or for that matter engage in graphic sex, violence, and drug use, just accept the fact you are writing an R-rated movie. The other option is to end up with a watered-down movie."

He has some beautiful examples which rated the movie which they were in as R. In the same time he points out what would have happened if they were chipped and polished to fig PG-13.

What he do advice against is to write an otherwise PG-13 script with that just a little foul language or nudity or graphic violence, which the movie could do without. Don't put it there unless it is needed to tell the story.