FAQ – Original Screenplay Books

Our original screenplay books (in digital screenplay formats and print) allow readers to enter a different world for entertainment and/or inspiration. Whether you’re starving for an idea to shoot or just looking for a quick easy piece to build off of, Broken English Books treat screenplays as literature and encourage artists to use them to get back to creating.

We also provide more depth than your traditional screenplay does in order to offer the reader more insight into the writer’s intention. While we love traditional books and screenplays, anyone that’s familiar with both knows how different the level of detail goes depending on which you’re reading. With Broken English Books we tend to go a little deeper so that if you want to take from the material, you understand things clearly.

The screenplay has always acted as a vague blueprint for a production but the final choices hold infinite possibilities. Creators’ visions and influences will take the same line of description or dialogue and produce a wholly different image and thus we provide the starting point.

Original Screenplay Books

Tell me about Broken English Books. How does it work?
How can I use the screenplays?
How can I read them in their different formats?
Draw from and expand? Permission-wise, what does that mean?
Why should I read the properly formatted versions?

What are the limitations of creating from one of your books?
I don’t like it. I want my money back.

How does Broken English Books work?

The way Broken English Books works is that we sell original screenplays for people to read but also use as a stepping stone into filmmaking and their own development. Sometimes it’s hard to find inspiration or under-exploited source material. We provide an alternative to that.

The main driving idea behind Broken English Books (a subsidiary of Broken English Films) is trying to push the medium of film into the hands of everyone and encourage you to create how you wish. Everyone now has a very capable camera in their pocket with potentially something even greater at home. Combine this and the urge to start shooting and you’re missing one major element – a script or screenplay. That’s where we come in. The material here is to be adapted as you see fit. In any manner. Shoot a scene, shoot the whole thing, spin off something… It’s your call.

For low-budget or no-budget filmmakers a Broken English Books screenplay is an ideal starting point. We don’t mind if you add scenes, expand scenes, drop scenes or whatever you’d like. Treat this as a jump off point and hopefully something to get you moving with your art. It’s meant to inspire something in you. If it fails to, it is what is. Maybe check out a different screenplay.

You may add/remove/alter the text in any way you see fit for your story adaptation.

How can I use the screenplays from Broken English Books?

First and foremost, read them. They’re plays, they’re books, they’re art. The difference is that we don’t mind if you use the material like you would a traditional shooting script. Get together with some friends or colleagues and attempt to use the story to hone your acting or filmmaking skills. Use it to perform monologues or act out entire scenes. You are free to also draw from our screenplays and develop your own story. The screenplays you read here try to create a world which you can build upon without restrictions apart from your budget and imagination.

How can I read them in their different formats?

Simply select the format you’d prefer when purchasing. We always recommend the PDF because it is displayed in true script/screenplay format. But if you’re reading on a mobile device, choose which best suits what you’re using. ePub is best suited for non-kindle devices (Kobo, Nook, iBooks, Google Books etc.) and the mobi format is geared towards people using either an Amazon Kindle device or the app on a computer, phone or tablet.

Draw from and expand? Permission-wise, what does that mean?

Literally that. We want you to use these screenplays as a springboard. If you want to run with these characters and develop something different, great. If you want to film a scene and alter elements of the character; change the race, sex, age, add a quirk – fantastic. It’s up to you. Regard this as source material*. Treat these like producers in Hip Hop. Use it as a sample to make something, then get permission afterwards. Please though, ensure you’ve purchased a valid copy and credit the writer for their work if you do develop something from it. Tis only right.

Note: You do not own the intellectual property. It belongs to Broken English Films and the respective copyright owners. By purchasing a book through Broken English Books we’re encouraging your creativity, but like any other piece of media, purchasing a copy does not give you full rights to the original material for commercial use.

If a screenplay is optioned by an individual or company that particular title will cease to be available through any online medium. Those that have purchased the screenplay will be free to utilize what has been created prior to optioning but will be restricted from doing so from that point onwards.

Why should I read original screenplay books in their properly formatted versions?

If you’ve ever read a screenplay you know how smooth screenplay form makes the reading experience. We offer PDF versions of the screenplays for you to be able to experience that flow. Due to current alignment issues with e-readers and to allow for font resizing and customization we adapt our screenplays into play form.

What are the limitations of creating from one of your books?

We do ask that you credit both Broken English Films and the author of that particular screenplay if you use or draw from any of our writing. If you are intending on generating a profit (outside of YouTube views) with what you’ve been inspired by here, we also would appreciate some form of notification of what you’re doing and potential negotiation (if you feel being helped or inspired somewhere requires thanks). However, once you’ve purchased one of our screenplays, unless we expressly revoke the rights to draw from the material it’s yours to run with.

I don’t like it. I don’t care about your original screenplay books or that you’ve worked on it potentially for many years, I want my money back. Now.

7-day money back policy on digital products. If you’ve purchased it, you can read it quite quickly. If you insist on breaking our hearts and irrevocably wounding our writing ability confidence, that’s up to you, but as you have the item immediately, you’ll have to seek a refund at a similar speed as opposed to treating the site like a screenplay library. This policy is strictly enforced. If you’ve purchased something from Broken English Books through Amazon, Google, iTunes or another provider, they will have their own respective policies which we ask you to respect and follow as you would with any other purchase.

The download links for our original screenplay books expire 14 days from the purchase date. If you require an additional link after the 14-day window, please contact us

* Please note that although we issue permission to draw from, perform and produce projects from the material, your purchase of a Broken English Book does not signify that you own the writing’s story, copyright or intellectual property itself, that belongs to Broken English Films.