Data analysts are creating an equation for Hollywood blockbusters.
Those hoping to write the next Hollywood blockbuster may want to study math instead of screenwriting.
According to Vinny Bruzzese, success all comes down to the numbers, and he’s started a business doling out advice based on his calculations.
He’s already advised studios that summoned demons are ultimately less lucrative than those who just show up and that bowling in general doesn’t do much for box office success.
How does he come up with his information? He and his analysts compare drafts of a script with similar stories that have already been released. They also access a database of focus group results and poll potential moviegoers.
Bruzzese has already advised on about 100 scripts including “Oz the Great and Powerful” and “The Lincoln Lawyer”.
There have been mixed responses among the writers themselves. One called it “the enemy of creativity” while another said the experience was much better than he thought it would be.
Overall, a story’s journey from a writer’s mind to the big screen is an arduous one with incredibly steep odds. An unproduced screenplay has about a .3 percent chance of being made into a motion picture.
