FREE CLASS – Indie vs. Studio and Where You Fit In

Title: FREE CLASS – Indie vs. Studio and Where You Fit In
Location: Writers Junction 1001 Colorado Ave Santa Monica, CA 90401
Link out: Click here
Description: Is your film the next Iron Man or the next Little Miss Sunshine?

In the ever-changing worlds of studio and independent film, sometimes it becomes unclear where your project fits best. This class will cover: How to know if your project is better suited for studios or indies; The different types of companies and the differences between them; What studios are (and aren’t) looking for; Financing options and how indies and studios differ; Packaging– the best way to get your work noticed and differences between packaging for indies and studios; Indie story archetypes; Option vs. Attachment Agreements; Getting your indie script noticed; Q&A

Daniel Manus has a multi-faceted understanding of the film industry, and here’s a chance to get a glimpse of it for FREE!

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR DETAILS AND TO RSVP!
SPACE IS LIMITED, CLASS WILL FILL UP!

About Daniel Manus:

Daniel Manus is an in-demand script consultant and founder of No BullScript Consulting. In 2010, he was ranked Top 15 “Cream of the Crop” Consultants by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. He’s been a development executive in Hollywood for several years for companies including Clifford Werber Prods and Sandstorm Films. He is the author of “No BS for Screenwriters: Advice from the Executive Perspective,” a columnist for The Business of Show Institute and teaches seminars across the country.

Start Time: 07:00 PM
Date: 2011-03-02
End Time: 9:00 PM

How Amazon is Trying to F*ck You

I will try to put together a more cohesive and expansive blog on why the new Amazon Studios deal is the worst deal out there for writers that I’ve heard in a long time. But for now, since it’s a hot topic, I thought I’d just quickly weigh in.

I understand the temptation to upload your script to Amazon and hope that you grab that 20K prize or even better- that your script gets the most votes and gets sent and made by Warner Bros, with whom they have a first look deal. But here’s the thing…it’s not going to happen. And if it does, it’s not going to open any doors for you. Why? Because you’re not guaranteed to even get writing credit on YOUR script. It’s not guaranteed that any OTHER producers or agents will see it. No one except other clueless writers is voting on which scripts are worthy. And the second you upload your script to Amazon, YOU LOSE ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO YOUR SCRIPT. FOREVER.

It’s an 18 month FREE option, which isn’t a bad thing, except after those 18 months are over, they own your idea FOREVER. You cannot get it back unless you’ve got some really good lawyers. You can’t sell it, you can’t option it elsewhere, you can’t even rewrite it. I just saw that over 1000 scripts have been uploaded already…that means 1000 scripts are now dead and those writers just wasted every second they spent writing them.

Why? The Amazon Studios deal allows for ANYONE – any fucking po-dunk town idiot who has never even SEEN a movie, much less written one, to REWRITE YOUR SCRIPT. And you can’t do anything about it. Let’s say your protagonist is a 40 year old black man who is looking for love. Joe Schmo can change your character to a 13 year old Asian girl looking for a unicorn. And you can’t do anything about it. And if enough of your script changes, you won’t even get credit for it if it sells (except a “based on a screenplay by” credit). You won’t get into the guild, you won’t get any residuals or benefits – even if your script IS made and makes $50 Million (which it won’t) – you won’t see another dime except the $200K they pay you.

Now, I know – $200K sounds like a lot of money. And it is. But not nearly what you would make if you got your movie made in Hollywood any other way. And I know, your spec script is just sitting there anyway and you don’t have any Hollywood contacts or referrals and you don’t know how to break in. So, what’s the harm, right? That’s exactly what Amazon is betting on – your utter desperation and lack of knowledge! This is a company that is praying on the desperate, the uneducated, and the downright ignorant.

Once you hit the upload button, you can’t enter that script into other contests, you can’t send it to other producers. It’s OVER. Forever. And if Amazon never ever makes the movie – now no one else can either. You are throwing away your script for nothing.

For more info on the downsides of Amazon Studios, you can read John August’s blog or Craig Mazin’s website article (www.artfulwriter.com). I don’t often agree with Craig, but he’s spot on about this one. Studios, writers, producers and consultants all agree – this new Amazon Studios deal is NOT GOOD FOR WRITERS. So, do your homework and read the very very small fine print before you sign away your script!

The Keys to Query Letters That Work

By Daniel Manus

The query letter is often a writer’s first impression – an all-too-important introduction of one’s writing ability and personality to an executive or representative. And much like when trying to get a first date, the point of a query letter is to entice whomever is reading it, to want more.

After pouring 110 pages of heart and soul onto a blank screen, a half page query letter should be a breeze, right? …So how come writers keep screwing it up?

Between snail mail queries, online query sites, the spec market, pitchfests, websites, consulting clients and general submissions, I have probably read about 2,500 query letters and over 25,000 loglines.  So you can imagine how impressive your logline and query letter has to be to not only grab an executive’s attention, but keep it, and impress them to the point where they want to read more!

Your query letter could be the thing that’s keeping your great script from getting read. If you find that you have sent out 100 queries and gotten no reads, you need to rework it. So, I want to give you a simple, straight forward and darn-near foolproof plan for writing successful query letters.

Let’s go back to the dating analogy. Approach your query letter like you’re approaching the opposite sex, trying to impress them. Be descriptive, honest, informative, appropriate, and seductive. You wouldn’t walk up to someone at a bar and start with a cheesy cliché pickup line question like “Haven’t we met before?” or “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” So, don’t start your query letters with a silly rhetorical question either – it’s not like whomever’s reading it can answer you.

Don’t start with something insanely personal or embarrassing. You want the person to WANT to get to know you and work with you. You want to come off as professional, but much like with dating, you want to seem like you have a personality and there’s something special about you too. 

As for format, your query letter should be about a half page, and never more than ¾ of a page. And while there are different ways to structure your letter, I recommend the following:

The greeting; your title; then a 2 sentence introduction to you which should include anything that is special about you that pertains to your story, writing, or the film business in general that will set you apart. 

For example, if you are represented (or were), if you’ve ever been produced, optioned or published (yes, even books), if you won (or were a finalist in) any prestigious contests – even if it was for another script, if your script is “based on a true story,” if it is an adaptation to a successful comic book or novel or webisode series that you own the rights to, etc. Anything that is going to set you apart from the stack of others. However, it needs to pertain to the business. Execs don’t care if you were raised on a farm with 3 cows, 2 goats and a chicken named Ted. If you can’t think of anything to say, or there’s nothing to connect you to the business at all, then leave it out.

If you were a quarter-finalist, that’s usually not good enough to mention on a query letter UNLESS it was for Nicholls. That’s the only contest where being a quarterfinalist still means something. And if you’ve won the Po-Dunk Town Regional Screenwriting Contest – no one cares. It’s not worth mentioning and only tells the executive that you are that much removed from Hollywood.

Back to format. Next, comes your logline. The logline should be 35 words or less and contain no more than 2 commas. It needs to make clear the genre, the major conflict, and what makes your script different – basically, it’s hook. It needs to contain action words, not just passive, descriptive words (for example, “chooses” is passive, “is forced to choose” is active). It should tell us a bit of the set up or starting point, who the main character(s) is, and then whatever the main story is about. It doesn’t need to say your main characters’ name, but it can. Not easy to do in 30 words, is it?

Often writers use a tagline on a query letter instead of a logline. Don’t do that. A tagline is much different – it’s the 6-7 words on a poster that intrigue you about the story. The logline tells us what the story actually is and makes us picture the movie in one line.

Then, 1-3 short (!) paragraphs about your story, your main characters, what happens, etc. I always like it when one paragraph is a bit more descriptive and places the script in context by using comparison movies. It’s “this” meets “that.” Or “it’s in the vein of THIS and THAT.” Just make sure to use movies that are similar in genre and tone and that did WELL at the box office! Don’t use a movie just because it starred the same actor you want for your project!

These short paragraphs need to convey your story, its’ stakes, and the visual, emotional elements in an impossibly small amount of words.  It should be more stylized than your synopsis, which means your voice as a writer should shine through! It needs some detail, but don’t get bogged down in minutia – there’s not enough room.

 In 6-10 lines, you needs to give the BROAD STROKES of your story which should show us you have three acts and (inherently) answer the three major questions an executive asks – ‘Can I sell this? Who can I sell it to? When can I sell it?’ And the most important question for a query letter to answer – ‘Do I want to read more?’

And there better not be ONE typo or grammatical mistake. If you can’t write half a page without typos, I could only imagine what your script looks like. Don’t give execs a reason to pass that is totally in your control.  Then close with a gracious and engaging closing and include your contact information, including email (even if they have it already). And you’re done.

Here is a sample query letter using this format for a project I made up. Obviously, the things in parentheses are for you and would not be in the actual letter:

To Whom It May Concern:

Title: “Untitled Cop Thriller Screenplay”

My name is Your Name Here and I’m a former police officer turned optioned screenwriter and Nicholls Fellowship (or whatever prestigious contest) semi-finalist and I’ve written an exciting new action thriller based on a true story (if it is) titled “Untitled Action Thriller Screenplay.”

Logline: When a rookie cop in South Central LA gets paired with a grizzled detective secretly running a drug operation, he is forced to decide which side of the law he’s on before it’s too late. (sets up main characters, conflict, setting and that action is imminent)

In the vein of Training Day and Boyz in the Hood, “Untitled” is a gritty, explosive story about vengeance and redemption (or whatever your big exciting themes are) that follows ROOKIE COP NAME, who has been pushed around his whole life. Now that he has his badge, he thinks he can finally command the respect he’s been seeking, while just maybe making the world a better place. But when he’s partnered with the hard-nosed veteran DETECTIVE NAME, he realizes getting respect on the streets needs to be earned.

When a drive-by shooting kills a respected gang leader, it’s up to the new partners to investigate and keep the peace, any way possible. But Rookie begins to suspect there is more to the murder than meets the eye.

As a city-wide gang war escalates, Rookie uncovers that Detective is secretly running an underground drug ring and is in business with the very gangs he is supposed to be arresting. Not knowing whom he can trust, and with his own family caught in the middle, Rookie must decide what’s more important – his badge, or his soul.

If you’d like to read “Untitled Action Thriller Screenplay,” please contact me at ___________. Thanks for taking the time to consider my script, and I look forward to hearing from you.

That’s basically all you need. You can mix it up a bit and make sure your own voice comes through, but that’s about it.

The funny thing about query letters is that unlike loglines, treatments and synopses, query letters are a tool only used by unrepresented writers or those trying to break into Hollywood.  A good agent or manager doesn’t send out general query letters on behalf of their clients. If they need to, they don’t have the contacts necessary to be an agent or manager. Once you have relationships around town, query letters are unnecessary.

Queries, and the way they are sent, have changed over time. It used to be that if you didn’t have connections in Hollywood, sending a query letter through the mail and hoping someone read it and liked it, was the best way to break in. Now, snail mail query letters have become bird cage lining. I honestly don’t know why writers keep sending them. MAYBE an intern opens them, but in the last 5 years, I haven’t heard of more than ONE success story coming from this method of querying.

So what are your other options? Well, there are online query letter services. There are sites like Virtual Pitchfest, InkTip and PitchQ. Yes, they are more expensive than a stamp, but at least you know someone is seeing what you’re sending.

No matter how you send them, execs can tell if someone can write by their query letter! And much like with dating, these first impressions could be the difference between you getting lucky, or you going home alone.

New TWO-READER Service Launches! Meet New Analyst Naomi Beaty!!

What’s better than getting professional, constructive feedback from an executive? That’s right – getting it from TWO! So I am thrilled to announce that No BullScript Consulting is now offering a Two-Reader Conference Call Service. And I’d like to introduce and welcome Naomi Beaty to the No Bull Family!

Naomi Beaty was a development executive for Madonna and Guy Oseary’s Maverick Films working on numerous projects, most notably Twilight. Before that, she worked for producer/manager Craig Baumgarten (Hook, Shattered Glass).  Naomi has covered material for Ice Cube, Ray Liotta and Madonna and was also a script analyst for The Script Department. Naomi worked closely with the late Blake Snyder on his 2nd best-selling book in the Save the Cat series and has taken pitches at pitchfests across the country. But now, I’m thrilled that out of all the consulting companies she could work with, she’s decided to join No BullScript!

The Two-Reader Conference Call Service works like this – you submit your script and both Naomi and I will read it, make our notes, discuss your script, and will then have a 60-90 minute conference call with you to discuss them! We’ll go through all the important elements of your script that need fixing and even some page by page notes! Get the full “development notes call” experience just like you would with a studio!

Please note: the service does not include written notes.

We both look forward to working with you!!

TV Whoredom Premiere Week Recap: Wednesday

Welcome back to your TV Premiere Week recap. Well, Hump Day proved to really screw a couple networks! Here we go…

CBS –

SURVIVOR – New day, new timeslot, but still a ratings juggernaut. It’s holding strong in its 214^th season and crushed the competition with 12.5M viewers. And for fans of the show, the tribal council was pretty friggin sweet. It’s nice to see a whole team crumble so painfully in the 2^nd week. Seems CBS made a very smart timeslot switch here! Guaranteed Jeff  Probst will be stuck in a jungle for years to come.

CRIMINAL MINDS – Like NCIS, I’ve never watched an episode and I don’t plan on starting now. It premiered slightly down from last year (and had a lot of contract negotiation/cast drama over the summer), but still held pretty steady. If you’ve never seen an episode (like me), well – don’t start now. You’ll only encourage them. But if you like this show…be happy, it will stick around at least one more season if not 2 or 3.

THE DEFENDERS – Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell in a legal dramedy. Well, fly-over states – you asked for it – so here you go…Stupidity on a shiny silver platter. The ratings were down from CSI NY’s in the same timeslot last season, and it lost badly to SVU, but chances are it will stick around a while longer. People love Belushi. However, O’Connell has had 4 cancelled series in 5 years – maybe because he seems like a douche? Or maybe because he will literally attach his name to anything that pays. This is an actor who clearly doesn’t care about good material. And it shows. Now, he and Belushi have some charm, I’ll give them that, and Belushi can be funny, but this isn’t a show I’m tuning into! Why? Because at 10pm, I like to have to use at least 1% of my brain while watching TV. Now at 8pm, no brain cells necessary. But at 10, I want to think a little bit while watching. It’s just too mindless and blue collar for me.  I’m a TV Whore, but I’m also sometimes a TV snob.

NBC –

UNDERCOVERS – Disappointment.  Not just for me, but for NBC. It premiered even lower than last season’s MERCY. I’m not sure WHY it didn’t premiere bigger (though Survivor and Hell’s Kitchen had a lot to do with it), but this expensive J.J. Abrams-produced Alias-type show didn’t do nearly as well as NBC was hoping.  Perhaps people actually WANT reality TV at 8pm – look at every big-performing 8pm show on any night and most of it is reality (Dancing with Stars, American Idol, Survivor, Hell’s Kitchen, etc.) And ok…I’ll say it…I think it’s also because most of America unfortunately still doesn’t want to watch a show with two no-name black actors in the lead. Even though they are ridiculously good looking and charming. The show was OK, had some cute moments and nice action, but I think everyone knows it was just a twist on Mr. & Mrs. Smith – and these two actors are no Angelina and Brad! NBC has a big commitment to this show, so it’s sticking around for a while, but don’t get too connected. Unless it improves big from this week, this show will only last til midseason.

LAW & ORDER SVU – Oh Mariska, how I’ve missed you! You too, Stabler…you big dumb hunk of a man. Ice-T and your pseudo-hood repartee. And Munch with your weekly 4 lines of dialogue and dry delivery. And lest I forget you B.D. Wong, most overpaid unnecessary actor on a TV series. But I digress…SVU is back! And these were two really good episodes! Joan Cusack was amazing and Henry Ian Cusick (from LOST, and spelled differently and no relation to Joan) was really good. But the standout performance for me was from the 10 year old child actor Bailee Madison, who had an amazing performance on House 2 seasons ago (the little girl who strokes out) and is known for movies like Bridge to Terabithia. This girl is phenomenal! What expressions! And she knew how to react at every turn! The show was worth watching just for her. Anyway, it premiered NICELY at 9pm, though not GREAT. But the second hour at 10PM, crushed the competition and was number 1 in the timeslot. Unfortunately, it’s regular slot is 9pm. But, it’s great to have comfort TV like this back on. Benson and Stabler are worth every bloated penny NBC pays them!

LAW & ORDER LOS ANGELES – While it didn’t premiere this week – it will start next week in that 10pm slot – I’d like to say that even though people say it’s really good, I’m an old school L&O enthusiast – a HUGE fan – and L&O belongs in NY! I don’t like the look of the show and when compared to shows like SOUTHLAND, which feels like REAL gritty LA cops – this new L&O is going to pale in comparison for me. It’s bright and shiny and everything law and order isn’t! Plus, Terrence Howard is one of the worst actors out there. I’m sorry – I love Alfred Molina and Regina Hall and even Skeet Ulrich I think could be good, but Terrence Howard is the biggest over-actor I’ve ever seen on screen. Personally, I’m not rooting for this show. But as SVU’s 10pm ratings indicated, people will tune in at 10pm for L&O and the ratings for this should be huge next week!

ABC –

THE MIDDLE – The little kid on this show is hilarious, and I like Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton, but show is NOT greater than the sum of its parts. It premiered well – 24% up from last season, so it looks like it’s sticking around again for the whole season. But, I just don’t love this show. It’s not on my Must-See List. Check it out once and see if you agree. You’ll probably have a laugh or two, but you won’t care if you see it again.

BETTER WITH YOU- I didn’t watch it. Sorry. I honestly don’t know anything about this one except that it was produced by one of my best friends’ old bosses, the producer of Friends. And while it premiered pretty decently, it’s got a plum spot before Modern Family. Probably wouldn’t have done well without that timeslot. So, this one looks to be sticking around for at least a few weeks – but the next 2-3 weeks will decide its fate. Sorry, but there’s just too much good TV on Wednesday for me to care about this one…

MODERN FAMILY – Back with a vengeance! The Emmy winning Best Comedy kicked some ass last night and premiered huge! I’m not going to waste time talking about it – if you’re not watching it, you should be. Personally, I Hulu it because I’d rather watch SVU, but this show is staying around for a LONG, LONG time!

COUGAR TOWN – Poor Courtney Cox. I really love her…but…eh. Now, give her credit because at least she was able to get a second season (unlike Matt LeBlanc’s Joey and the upcoming Matthew Perry show Mr. Sunshine which I’ll cover when it premieres), but it seems that much like with her FX show “DIRT” – which was actually REALLY good – Cougartown will only last 2 seasons. Even with Jennifer Aniston guest starring (and there’s no better TV get than Aniston and a Friends reunion!), the show premiered way down from last season and lost 34% of the Modern Family audience. So, it will stick around probably til April, but then another Friend will ride off into the sunset.

THE WHOLE TRUTH – My mother calls Maura Tierney my girlfriend. Yes, I’ve had a ridiculous crush on her since Newsradio and got to meet her ever-so-briefly on the set of ER (her first season) while taking a tour, and loved her on ER and the movies she’s done (not just Liar, Liar but also this great little thriller called Oxygen with Adrien Brody – soooo good!). And she was supposed to play Lauren Graham’s role on Parenthood (would have made the show soo much better), but she got Cancer and had to pull out. Wouldn’t have minded watching her on The Big C instead of Linney, either. But she’s here opposite Rob Morrow. For those who didn’t know, she took over the role from Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) who bowed out after the pilot. Tierney is an even bigger and better TV name, but she’s the only good thing about this show. It’s just not original enough and I’m sorry, but I don’t really get Rob Morrow’s charm. He’s SO vanilla. The show BOMBED – only SLIGHTLY better than Lone Star, so I’m guessing after another 2 weeks, it will be moved to Saturday for the next 6 weeks and then cut for good. Sorry Maura, I still love you! Watch it for Maura, but don’t get invested! You’ll only get hurt.

FOX –

HELL’S KITCHEN – I don’t know why I keep watching this, but I do. I don’t care – it’s fun, it’s funny and I like cooking shows. This season’s cast look insane – like, shouldn’t even be allowed in a kitchen around knives crazy. But hey, it’s Fox reality TV. It premiered OK, dead even with last season, and it isn’t going anywhere as Gordon Ramsey is now only the 3^rd man with 3 TV shows on the air – along with Seth McFarlane and Chuck Lorre.

TOP CHEF JUST DESSERTS – I’m not really including cable in these posts, but can I just say that as a HUGE Top Chef fan, this Just Desserts show is truly painful to watch. The contestants are whiny, crying, flamingly homosexual (and not in the usually really funny Bravo way), and they’re making a fucking cupcake. I mean…really? Who cares! I’m sorry Gail Simmons- I really do like you. But this show is not even in the same stratosphere as Top Chef! When Andy Cohen calls a show “the gayest show Bravo has ever had” – shouldn’t that say something? Utensils down, gag reflex up!

WHEW! Only 2 days left! I’ll be back tomorrow with more. Til then, stay tuned.

How to Get a Recommend from a Script Consultant

By Danny Manus

In case any of you read Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s recent survey and analysis of the best Script Consultants out there, you may have noticed two things. One, I was named one of the Top 15 “Cream of the Crop” Script Consultants. And two, there are well over 100 script consultants out there, and each has their own point of view and experience and opinions on what deserves a recommend. 

Writers always want to know how they can get this elusive “recommend.” But even more than that, writers wonder what they should expect from a script consultant, how to find the right one for them and if the whole industry isn’t just a bunch of scam artists.

As for the last question, the answer is No. Are there less than credible consultants out there giving less than adequate or constructive notes? Absolutely. Are there people who charge far too much and deliver far too little? Absolutely. Personally, I think your script should never cost as much as your car. And I don’t suggest writers use anonymous services where you don’t know who is actually giving you notes. But as a whole, I have found that script consultants are writers/producers/executives/ teachers/managers, etc., that truly care and want to help writers improve and succeed. And they bring their experience and knowledge to those who need it.

I bring the executive perspective to my notes and I think that’s a valuable, different voice than many other consultants out there. I’m not putting down any other consultants, but many companies give you notes from another writer’s perspective (granted, a more established successful writer than yourself that probably has good insight), but when your script is ready to go out, you’re not going to be sending it to other writers – you’ll be sending it to executives!

I liken consultants to the American Idol judges (see my Mission Statement on my home page).  Simon’s not a singer, he’s not a songwriter, he’s not a performer – and yet he’s the one people trust because he’s the one that songwriters and singers GO TO and submit their stuff to – he’s the one that actually evaluates talent.

I say a good script consultant’s job is two-fold.  

1. To improve your writing abilities and open your eyes about your own script, giving you insight into your story (and the many story elements) that you perhaps did not see before, giving you a fresh set of eyes on your material and constructive feedback.  And…
2. Help make an uncommercial script more commercial so it has a better chance to sell or do well in a contest or garner you attention.

At No BullScript (did I mention we were recently ranked as one of the Top 15 “Cream of the Crop” consultants by CS Magazine?), I use a 20-point grading grid of elements to judge a script – including story, structure, concept, characters, commerciality, tone, dialogue, transitions, format and spelling, pacing, stakes, climax, originality, international appeal, etc. But then there’s the X factor. And for me, the X Factor is – does it read like a first time or amateur writer wrote it? That’s really the last and ultimate question I ask myself. Does this feel like it was written in 3 days? Does it feel like this is a first script? And if so, then it’s not ready and it doesn’t get a recommend.

But I ask myself these three questions before deciding on a grade:

1. Could I sell this? Is this something that could do well in the marketplace?
2. Could this script be a contest winner? Is the voice, writing and story strong enough to do well in screenwriting contests?
3. Even if it couldn’t sell and wouldn’t win a contest, would this script be a nice writing sample for the writer that could score him or her meetings?

If it’s a NO to all 3 questions, then it doesn’t get a recommend. At the end of the day, I put my executive hat back on and ask myself – would I pass this on to my boss to read? Would I be willing to put my name on this? And if the answer is no, then I can’t recommend it even if the basics are there. I would be doing you a disservice. And my reputation is more important to me than repeat business.

Too many companies out there hand out recommends because they want repeat business. I find that repeat business comes when you give good notes and specific, constructive things to work on. And I will say that almost all of my clients come back with a second script.

If your script has great potential but it isn’t there yet, I will give it a ‘Consider’. But if I can answer at least ONE of those questions above with a resounding yes, then your script has a good shot at getting a recommend.

Good luck and keep writing!

The Eternal Carrot

The whole entertainment industry is based on a Bugs Bunny Cartoon. That silly wabbit was constantly being led around by a carrot on a stick placed strategically just out of reach, though it seemed so close. This is the very essence of Hollywood and why thousands of people – from the homecoming queens to the techie geeks – swarm to Los Angeles every year. And it’s why people who have been in Los Angeles for 5, 10 or 15 years, stick around, even if they have yet to find success, money, or fame.

Everyone – actors, writers, directors, producers, etc – come out to LA with five year plans. But when five years comes and goes in what seems like a blink of an eye and you’re nowhere near where you thought you’d be…you have to find something that keeps you going.

Enter, the Carrot.

The lure of Hollywood is the fact that one month, you can be living on Ramen noodles and doing menial tasks 12 hours a day and the next month, you could be making a 6-digit salary and getting invites to the Oscars…And most of it is all due to luck and timing. I have a friend who, when he stepped off the proverbial boat, signed up with a temp agency and the first job he got through that agency was as Tom Cruise’s personal assistant. Seriously.

And we’ve all read the pieces in Variety about the boy from the Midwest who graduates college, moves out to LA one week, sends his first script (which he wrote in two weeks) to his old roommates’ friends’ brother who happens to be an assistant at an agency, who loves it, brings it to his boss, who also loves it, who gives it to a junior exec at Imagine or Bruckheimer or some studio and one week later, BAM – that lucky fresh off the boat sonuvabitch is eating so many carrots his face turns a lovely shade of orange.

But for most, it’s a much longer chase.

A solid 50 people from my graduating class moved out to Los Angeles around the same time. Bright-eyed and excited about our new paths in life, we’d all hang out and help each other, rooting for each other’s success. By the five year mark, probably 50 percent of them had left the business or moved back East. And since then, probably another 20% have joined them. By year ten, probably another 10% will have bitten the dust. And it’s not because they couldn’t hack it – it was because they stopped caring about the carrot.

They stopped visualizing it. Some just stopped enjoying the chase.  And others realized it wasn’t the right carrot for them. For some, their carrot became family, babies, and buying a house instead of isolation, long hours and eternally renting. I don’t blame them.

And while I miss some of them, part of me is happy they are gone because it means there’s one less person chasing that damn vegetable, so perhaps my odds (and yours) just got a bit better.

The limitless possibility for success is what separates Hollywood from other professions. It’s also the reason that entry level wages in Hollywood are insanely lower than almost every other profession – certainly lower than any profession for which you need a college degree. Teachers start at around 45k, Cops around 42k, Doctors and Lawyers around 150k. An entry level assistant in Hollywood starts around 20-25k. In Los Angeles, that’s barely livable wages. It’s all part of the test – to make sure you really want to be here. To make sure that you’re willing to sacrifice for your success. But it’s not really a question of “if” you’re willing to sacrifice, it’s “for how long?”

Because you just don’t know when or where or how you are going to get that big break – but it’s coming. Maybe it’s this next project you find, or write, or direct. Maybe it’s this little indie project you acted in for free. Maybe it’s this new assistant job for a bigwig studio exec. You just never know. And everyone thinks it will happen to them.

And just when you start realizing it might not…your best friend signs a multi-picture deal at a studio or her pilot spec gets bought or he books a role in a studio movie…and then you’re faced with an even bigger problem – trying not to hate your friend.  But that’s a whole different story.

You have to be optimistic. Keep writing, keep working, and keep planning. And keep telling yourself that you’re not giving up until you get a taste of that delicious carrot.

Vancouver Pitchmarket Review – Updated!!

This year for the Oscars, I was in Vancouver for the first annual Pitchmarket 2010, a screenwriting conference run by FTX West, where I was invited to teach a couple classes and take pitches. Now I had been to Vancouver a few years ago for a pitchfest event and one of the same people were running this event. So I was really looking forward to returning to Vancouver! I love the city of Vancouver – it’s like NY but cleaner, nicer and smaller. And everyone says ‘sorry’ when they bump into you on the street.

Now, the Olympics had just ended a week prior to my arrival, but the spirit was still in the air – as was much of the signage and posters, which was cool with me. The cab drivers and business owners seemed much more relaxed however.

I always look forward to these conferences – especially when they are outside of Los Angeles. It’s nice to get away, and Canada is sadly about as far as I get to travel to (seriously, doesn’t anyone in Europe need some screenwriting help?). I landed Friday afternoon after a delayed flight and as I was landing, my popping ears made me realize – oh yeah, I’m getting sick. And flying hurts. Good times.

Once I landed, I was taken to my hotel which was…not what I expected. It was more like a residential living facility. Now the rooms were very nice and had beautiful views of all of Downtown Vancouver and the Mountains. But the Worldmark “Hotel” did lack a few things – air conditioning, wifi internet, toiletries and maid service. Thank God for Blackberries or else the other executives probably would have demanded another hotel. I don’t want to make it seem like LA Execs are prima donnas – but we are sometimes. I’m a really easy person to please – but when you’re sick, in another Country and you have a million things to do, little hotel perks go a long way.

Anywho, I taught my classes Saturday morning – How to be Your Own Development Exec and No BS Guide to Pitchfests. They both were very well attended and I thought they went great (I will hopefully post some pictures soon!). The writers really seemed to respond to my No BullShit approach and they all seemed to take away something from the seminars. I was really impressed with the writers there, who all had some great questions and seemed really interested! Or maybe they were just placating me haha!  And I had brought some of my E-Books, which also sold pretty well. I can always tell even from looking at writers in my class, which ones are going to do well in their pitches. It’s like a 6^th sense but without dead people.

Saturday afternoon I had all to myself to play in Vancouver. I love days like this. And despite being increasingly under the weather, I was not going to let a cold ruin a beautiful day. So, I took a long walk down to the water and caught a SeaTrain over to North Vancouver and explored a bit. Then came back and walked all the way back to the hotel. That night, we had a lovely dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant and I was finally able to socialize and meet some of the other execs attending (they arrived later than I did so I hadn’t seen them yet). A couple of agents, a couple managers, and me. There weren’t that many execs from LA brought to the conference but we had a nice little group. I won’t dare repeat the items discussed at the dinner table, but a good time was had by all.

That night, a group of the LA execs went out and partied. I probably shouldn’t have, but I can’t turn down a good time. One of the agents knew an actress in town who knew some club promoters and we all got into a couple fun hotspots. But it had been a LOOONG day with no nap time, so most of us were back to the hotel by 1am, a pretty mild night considering.

Sunday was pitch day, but I woke up in Hell. I normally really enjoy the constant pitching, but my ears, nose, throat and body hurt. I had been taking cold pills since Saturday morning but they weren’t working. So I got MORE pills. And I could barely speak (teaching for 4 hours and screaming over music in the bars probably didn’t help). I will admit I became a bit of a diva and had someone get me tea and cold pills as the pitching began. THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped me out!

I was actually pleasantly surprised – the pitches weren’t bad at all. I probably heard about 30-40 pitches in 10 minute increments. And only a couple were really bad. Most had taken my class the day before and knew what I wanted to hear. And the ones that didn’t…well…it was obvious. Only one man sat down and said, “This isn’t my best work…you’re going to hate it…I don’t even know why I’m pitching this…” before he even told me his title. Never lose before you even play the game. You need to be confident and sell yourself and your project even if you’re unsure.

And one other gentleman sat down and said he wanted to do a reality TV series on a very general topic, which I won’t mention, but didn’t have any idea on an angle, hook or premise. And when I politely told him that we don’t do reality TV – he just kept pushing. There was nothing I could do for him, so when I realized he was going to sit there for the whole 10 minutes instead of letting me sneeze and breathe in peace, I had to tell him that he needed to go back to the drawing board.

If you just have an idea for something but no hook, angle, premise, concept, or story – guess what – you don’t have enough! You need to be specific and educated on the topic. I actually thought his broad concept could be an interesting half hour sports special, but it wasn’t not a series. And even if it WAS – I don’t do reality TV! Pitching me harder isn’t going to make me become a reality TV producer!

I think the most common note I gave was that the writers’ story wasn’t going in the best direction possible or the set up wasn’t as good as it could be. Sometimes a writer has such a good idea but you can see the minute where it just went off-track and you want so badly to pull it back on the road and set them straight. That’s what I tried to do in my pitches.

Out of the 30-40 pitches I heard, I asked for about 5 or 6 scripts, which is about an average number for these events. So who knows…maybe one of these will totally blow me away. I got a few pitches that really sounded great and I’m hoping the scripts live up to the hype!!

Sunday night was our Oscar Party and while it was perfectly nice and fun and the food was pretty darn tasty (not to mention the free vodka!), I was full blown sick. I felt like crap. I was coughing and sneezing and worried about the plane ride home I’d be taking in 24 hours. So, once Avatar lost and Sandra Bullock won, I decided to forgo the late-night festivities and actually went back to the hotel, got all kinds of fuzzy on cold pills, and passed out before midnight. When I woke up, I only felt slightly better but the cough had gotten worse as had my ears. I was afraid my ear drums would literally rupture on the plane, but I was going to have to brave that chance.

I bought ear-planes – the earplugs for planes that have been tested by like the Navy – so I figured those would help. And thankfully, I found a wonderful plane-buddy in Ellen Sandler, one of the other speakers at the conference and an Emmy-nominated exec producer and writer for “Everybody Loves Raymond.” She by chance had changed her seat and was now stuck sitting next to me. But we chatted the whole way about the business and writing and she even read my E-Book and loved it, which I took as a great compliment as her book is fantastic and quite successful.

She was even nice enough to drive me home….awwww….I was thrilled to have gotten to know her on this trip and hopefully we will work together soon. I finally landed – with only minimal ear pain upon landing – but I was half deaf with totally clogged ears. Small price to pay I suppose for a fun and productive weekend in Vancouver!

I want to send a big thank you to all the volunteers, helpers, sponsors, etc that helped put on a great event and chauferred my sick butt around! But most of all, I’d like to thank Danika Dinsmore who did a great job with the classes and pitchfest, Marcy Schacter, who put together a great event and kept it moving, and Joan MacBeth for suggesting that I attend!

For those wondering, I’m hoping to be back in Vancouver before the end of the year to do a weekend of classes with Biz Books and Capilano University. I’ll keep ya posted! And if you know of a conference or group in YOUR town that is looking for a speaker, please, let me know. And hopefully I’ll see you all soon!

The Birth of Screenwriting

By Alecia Smith

In reference to my script titled, “The Performers” analyzed by Daniel Manus

So, analyze this! A script doesn’t become a script until it has been conceived with thoughts and ideas, and a back and forth motion of words and thoughts are released. These words, ideas and thoughts, known as the premise, travel to the paper where a burst of brainstorm hits and conception has begun.  A seed has been planted and now that seed must grow. We help nurture the little seed by feeding it with food such as characters, plots, sub-plots, and moments of “Damn this is good!” However, is it really good? Listen, if you have nine months to get this baby together before it is born, you have to prepare, stocking up on all the things you will need. 

So, let the birthing process begin.

How do you birth a really good screenplay?

This process is not as easy as it seems for many screenwriters, including myself. We all think we have a really good story. And I have to be honest, I was hit on the head by a hammer when I hired and started working with Daniel Manus of No BullScript Consulting. He has help me realized just how critical certain elements of screenwriting are like plot development and having three-dimensional characters. The process is painstakingly hard, and I’ve had a true moment of, “Is it all worth it?” I had to learn first hand just how to push the limits of writing a really great screenplay, let alone tell a story in industry standards of 120 pages (a 2 hr movie).

Three months ago, I had hired Daniel to complete studio coverage on “The Performers”, a romantic love story that was adapted from a previous script titled, “Something to Remember.” Daniel completed the coverage and I was excited and couldn’t wait to hear all the good news he would have for me. However, it wasn’t good news. The coverage stated that it was a sweetly played love story but with no real punch! He said the characters were superficially drawn and not three-dimensional and my second act just fell apart. The person he thought was the antagonist turned out to be a really good person. WTF?

Daniel said, “It’s great for a romantic novel, but not for film!” Of course, I’d taken this information as a slap in the face and I was really hurt. I really thought I had a pretty damn good story. I had many readings and people who were very excited about the story and then it hit me; everyone was not Daniel Manus. No one else was looking at it from an executive perspective. The story was just that – a good story. He pointed out what I did very well, and what I really needed to work on. I had a pretty solid premise, but the story was lacking the punch it needed to move it forward. There was confusion whether it was a romantic comedy or a drama. There were really funny lines, but not enough for it to be a comedy, and there really wasn’t enough ‘drama’ for it to be a drama. So, what is the genre? Daniel stated, “I needed to create the “OH MY GOD effect!” Things that may your jaw drop. It doesn’t have to be big budget, it can be small enough and still make you say wow!” So, I was given a challenge to go back and complete a re-write.  Daniel advised me that the story would be better told as a drama as opposed to a romantic comedy, because of its commercial appeal. It was up to me to take this advice or leave it. Should I re-write this story based on what someone else says, or should I just give up writing for good?

Wink …I took the challenge and decided to move forward with Daniel’s notes. He’s the birthing coach and I’m the pregnant lady that’s trying to give birth to a stubborn child.  I wasn’t feeding her right. I was using the wrong formula, which would explain why I was so sick when I heard the bad news.  I needed to help my baby grow by feeding her the right formula. It was really that simple, but the hard part was finding the right formula, so she could grow in order to be born. The formula was Daniel’s advice.

I’d gone to Office Depot and stocked up on paper, pens, highlighters and ink for my laser jet; I was ready. I sat and pondered the story; I didn’t want to change the story and I struggled immensely hard. “I don’t want to change my story!” Then, I realized I needed to find a way to make it punch and the only way to do that was to indeed change the story. It wasn’t easy, because I really loved the original, which was like a sweetly played Cinderella kind of theme. But I also knew that the Cinderella aspect would have to go if I really wanted to make this baby kick. After a few weeks of pondering, I told my self that I have the opportunity to tell a really great story, and deliver a powerful message. So, if I do this, I’ll have to go hard, really HARD!

So, I used the formula Daniel had given me and started forming a new treatment with all of my ideas from the original story and created something more dynamic. After weeks of writing the treatment, it was finished and I was scared all over again. It’s like going to the doctor for a check-up and you’re waiting to see if you’re going to have a healthy baby or not. So, I sent the treatment to Daniel to review it, to make sure I was heading in the right direction with the new developments.

Daniel read the treatment and we had our conference call to talk about what I’d done and the new direction. I didn’t know what to expect. Honestly, I felt Daniel was going to slice it with an ax from some bloody horror movie like he did my first script. I was expecting it. I’d prepared for it.  The first thing he said was, “Damn, you created a whole new story!” I chuckled a bit, because it was a whole new story – same characters and premise, just a new direction. Then he said in a subtle, yet timid voice, “Hmm, I read your formula and I was a little worried there for a minute. I didn’t know how this could be pulled off!”  Of course my face fell again, and I casually said, “Oh no!” falling into the slumps again. I was devastated! But he quickly continued, saying, “But you totally pulled it off! This is totally sellable in the market, providing you execute the screenplay well! Very good, Alecia!”

My face lit up like fireworks on the 4^th of July.  I was ecstatic, goober-excited to hear those words, “Very good!” and it was from an executive perspective. I apparently had followed the formula. We talked for two hours going over everything: the theme, the premise, the pace, the characters, the plots, and sub-plots. Daniel said that everything was there for a really sexy drama to unfold and my characters now seemed very three-dimensional. He gave me kudos for a really good treatment format too, excluding the grammatical errors (it was for his eyes only). Now the hard work was turning that treatment into a sellable screenplay. Daniel had only one problem with the treatment – I had so much going on, he wasn’t sure if I could fit it all in a 120-page script.

Months later, it’s January 2010 – a brand new year, and the screenplay is complete. It’s ready to be sent over to Daniel for coverage again. Fingers crossed. But little does Daniel know; there have been some new plot twists and developments that came from the powers of the universe. Totally unbelievable (in a good way) and the birthing process to writing a really good screenplay has begun. I totally look forward to Daniel’s response and feedback. I hope that I’ve executed a great screenplay and a really solid and powerful story. So to answer the question, “How do you birth a really good screenplay?”

1. You get advice from a screenwriting coach who knows what they are talking about.
2. You take that criticism and use it, even if it’s negative. Don’t throw it away. That’s valuable advice.
3. Learn how to take those mistakes and learn from them, by taking your time and pulling back. Reconsider all options. Remember you’re feeding your baby the wrong formula.
4. You follow the instructions (the formula) your coach has given to you.
5. Follow your gut and go for it! If it speaks to you, your baby is telling you something. Even if it’s not the original direction you wanted. Take the risk and go for it. It may just pay off.
6. Read books and other screenplays by writers whose scripts have been produced and turned into film. They are a great reference tool.
7. You execute the formula correctly and you will have a really good and healthy baby (screenplay). Don’t give up. Keep writing.

Writing a great screenplay is about executing the formula. Making sure you have a solid premise, theme, plots, twist and great characters to move your story forward.  For more information on writing great screenplays, read Robert McKee’s “Story,” an amazing book. It’s available for purchase at Barnes and Noble and the audio version on iTunes.

If you are an aspiring screenwriter who has friends that keep telling you that your story is the greatest, then have Daniel Manus take a look at it and get a professional, executive’s perspective on it – you will be amazed. His notes are exactly as advertised – “NO BULLSHIT!” It may hurt, but wouldn’t you want someone to tell you that you’re making mistakes and give you the opportunity to correct them and let your work shine! Or would you prefer to rely on your friends and be set up for failure, because they won’t be honest with you, because they know how much it means to you and don’t want to hurt your feelings. The choice is yours.

Daniel is as honest as it gets and I highly recommend him. Just like his tagline says, “Hate me today …Love me in your acceptance speech!” I know I will and that’s why he’s my professional reader! Please visit Daniel Manus and No BullScript Consulting at www.nobullscript.net

Wish me success!

Alecia Smith, Screenwriter of “Elysian Fields & Love Stronger than Pride”

Brainstorming…When it Rains it Pours

Have you ever gotten stuck? Ever know that there’s an answer out there that will bring your whole script together but you just…can’t…find it? Or perhaps you’ve got a great logline and concept but you just don’t know where to take the story that will make it commercial and complex? What do you do? Well I suggest it’s time for a brainstorming session. And I suggest you don’t do it alone.

Around the end of the year, it’s easy to put things in a drawer and just wait until January to start something new. But that just means December is the perfect time for brainstorming.  It’s often helpful to make a list or speak out loud – you might just come up with the answer you’re looking for, but if you’re doing this by yourself, you might not realize it. Stream of Conscious sessions can be great to stir up ideas but I think they are even more productive if there’s someone weathering the brain-storm with you who knows what they are talking about and can say, “Yes! That’s it! Try that idea!”

Writers at every level use this technique to fix a story problem, flesh out their stories or come up with new ones. It’s a service that some script consultants offer, including myself. It’s basically like having your own development executive by your side to help you realize what’s working, what isn’t, and why. I highly recommend it and have found that many of my clients at No BullScript have come to love it. Some writers want someone there through the whole process – like a mentor – from fleshing out the idea through the writing of the first or second draft to make sure you stay on track, story-wise. Others just want a professional stamp of approval and suggestions on an idea or storyline before they write it because they are worried they might be wasting their time. It’s certainly better to use a consultant at this point rather than wait for the pitchfest and use the executive as a barometer on your story. You only get one chance with them!

I feel like two heads are often better than one. I had two recent clients that found the answers they were searching for after a brainstorming session. The first just couldn’t come up with a third act turning point – a catalyst that was sufficient enough to bring her characters together. Her current one was too dark and just didn’t fit the story, and she had dismissed others because they didn’t seem original or important enough. And it was through just brainstorming during a phone consultation – listing all the things that could happen to this character – that we figured out the one that fit. 

Another client of mine had a million ideas and loglines but no sufficient storylines fleshed out and he didn’t know where to begin and was worried about taking them in the wrong direction. So what did we do? He sent me 10 ideas (a logline and whatever thoughts or bits of information he had already worked out) and I brainstormed possible storylines for all the ones I thought worked, creating some characters, some storylines, and basically giving him options on ways the story could go that matched what he wanted. And when I sent the ideas back, he had all these options to choose from that reinforced his belief that he had some great concepts to work with and he couldn’t wait to start writing.

In general, this is a great exercise for writers. Come up with 10 loglines – they don’t all have to be winners – and then take the 5 you like best and spend 15-30 minutes on each,  brainstorming storylines or characters or plot points that could flesh out the story and write them all down. You don’t have to be too specific, but sometimes a certain scene or line will pop into your brain – write ‘em down! You may not like any of them, or you might find a trend or theme that could help you with other projects. Or maybe – you will create a story you fall in love with. Being able to plot out a general story in a short amount of time will really help you down the line.

As an executive, I used to do this all the time, but the days where a company will just work on a pitch from scratch with a writer (especially an unproduced or first time writer) are over. Nowadays, you not only need a completed script but preferably a package. But you can still do this on your own, or with a consultant.

Brainstorming with a consultant isn’t about telling a writer what they should write – it’s about giving that creative rock the first nudge down the hill and helping set up different ways for it to fall — and then letting the writer take over. Sometimes a writer just needs someone to talk to – to flesh out ideas out loud. Or create a list of every possible option and eliminate from there. Talking to your buddy or family member or dog is great but isn’t going to give you the constructive feedback you need to make this list productive or make you see the bigger, sellable picture.

If you are interested in a brainstorming or story conception/direction session, or are looking for professional feedback on your ideas, please contact me at Daniel@nobullscript.net. And in the meantime, keep thinking, and keep writing!