Watch the Screenplay Reading:

Title: Boby’s Burgers: Word to the Pennywise

After Louise trades 1000 Pennies for a $10 bill, she discovers that rare pennies can be very valuable. She enlists Gene and Tina to hunt down her traded pennies, but finds something more valuable than money. Meanwhile Bob and Teddy challenge the notion “you are what you wear.”

Get to know the writer Bethany Yoder:

1. What is your screenplay about?
Word to the Pennywise is a spec script set in the Bob’s Burgers’ Universe. The episode largely follows Louise, Gene, and Tina as they run around Wonder Wharf trying to find “Mr. Penny Man,” someone that Louise believes is in possession of a very rare penny. During this episode, Bob and Teddy also start questioning their clothing (and ultimately life) choices.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
It would fall under comedy / family / and animation.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Oh gosh, fun question. Being any part of the Bob’s Burger’s Universe would be amazing. This is a TV episode spec, but I think it does a good job of capturing the voices of the characters and placing them in situations that fit the kind of chaos that the Belchers go through on a weekly basis. Kate and I are big fans of Bob’s Burgers’, and I think we were able to capture actions and events in an episode that other Bob’s Burgers’ fans would enjoy.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Endearing Mayhem

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Probably either Die Hard (1988) or Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941). I do like those movies, though neither of them are my favorite. I just happened to have seen them a lot.

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
A couple of weeks.

7. How many stories have you written?
About 10 short stories, a short screenplay, two spec scripts, and I’m working on finishing two TV pilots.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Is it weird that I have to check my playlists for this? I think, maybe I have favorites depending on what I’m doing or what mood I’m in. I guess one I always go back to is the Allegretto from Beethoven’s 7th symphony (which is featured in my favorite movie 🙂 – The Fall (2006)).

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Well, this was my first TV spec script, and I don’t have a formal education or background in film. I spent a lot of time trying to educate myself on standards, and reading a few scripts and, of course, watching a lot of film / tv. But actually trying to make sure everything was formatted correctly, and told a story that made sense, but wasn’t like a procedural manual was at times frustrating.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I do love all things film / cinema. I write posts on Vocal that analyze what I call “the Shot of the Movie,” which is basically asking the question, can a film have imagery that lasts well beyond the film, itself. I’m a big linguaphile and enjoy learning languages and reading (usually older literature, or at least that’s the kick I’m on right now). Games or trivia that involve movies – I’m also there.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
You know, I really like FilmFreeway, but I’m still updating things or getting used to all the features they can provide. It’s been great being able to write your own logline and summaries, enter contests, and see in real time where you sit with competitions. Also the email notifications are nice.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I’m a new screenwriter, so I’m always looking for opportunities to 1) practice, 2) get feedback, and 3) potentially get exposure or network. I was scrolling along on FilmFreeway and came across this contest. I thought it was so cool how we could take an existing show and try to write for that world. I really love creating stories, but I think it’s a great opportunity to practice writing spec scripts where you already have the full world, you just have to see if you can write in it. Since I’m not formally educated in screenwriting, I was really excited about the ability to get feedback. I thought the feedback was really helpful. I really appreciated all the compliments and the critiques allowed me to go back and analyze where I could make my writing stronger.