Probably the best chance you have of selling your screenplay or raising funds for your indie project is to create lead characters that attract top talent, or, if not well-known actors, the best talented actors available. So how do you do that? For starters, take 10 minutes to view this excellent ScreenwritingU.com video, which provides 7 recommendations that are based on interviews with 30 actors’ production companies — that is, production companies formed by actors who are actively seeking material to produce.
As William M Akers notes in his fantastic book, “Your Screenplay Sucks!: 100 Ways to Make It Great,” what you are writing is “actor bait,” therefore the characters and story you create must stand out among the thousands of screenplays that are circulating around Hollywood vying for everyone’s attention.
Another thing you can do is study screenplays with great character introductions, such as Shane Black’s “Lethal Weapon.” Take note of not only how the characters are introduced, but also how much of their character traits are revealed in what they say and do.