#Screenwriting #Business Screenplay Coverage by David Santo      Join me now as we travel to a bachelor party in a Detroit home that has run off the rails and there are naked people everywhere. I find the sight a bit disturbing; not because of the nudity but to get completely naked you have to take your guns off and there’s loaded weapons lying all over the place. But I know this scene will end up in my current script so I stay put and secretly jot down notes. Later, I transcribe these events (with the obligatory exaggeration) into Final Draft and I’m certain this is the missing penultimate piece of the puzzle for my current low-brow raunch-com.      Flash-forward a few months and my screenplay is complete. My endless rewrites are finally finished. But I’ve been screenwriting for a long time and experience has taught me a few things; I may feel like a great writer but I know my script is a hot mess. I just can’t see it. So I’m faced with sending my intellectually deformed and embarrassingly crude screenplay (or as I like to think of it - pure genius) off to a consultant to get covered.      Now for those of you who don’t know what coverage is - it’s a brief industry report that summarizes your script and you get one of three grades: pass, consider, recommend. It’s done for the benefit of important people with money who don’t have time to read. The report is brutal and you always fail. But as a screenwriter you pay for this information because you want to know how your script is going to be received: good, bad, where the logic gaps are, etc. This way you can fix it prior to submission for the best possible chance of success.      Now the person who reads your script - a professional script reader - will wax poetically about how they long to read a great screenplay if they could just find one. This is a lie. YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH      A professional reader is convinced the creative cupboards are bare and all the scripts they receive are garbage. It helps them feel superior to the subject matter and the writer so the reward - however meager - is they get to hand down their “tough love” wisdom and guidance. In other words - they get to feel smart. There’s also a huge dis-incentive to give a script high marks. Most movies don’t make money. If you were the reader that recommended a script that just died in development or lost money at the box office you might get fired. It’s easier and safer to fail every script and protect your job.      And readers are a handful when it comes to their personalities, too. Here’s an excerpt from the website of a professional reader who is proud to advertise…      “I’m that guy you need to get past at the agencies and production companies; the first one in the office to read the script. I am the Gatekeeper. But you can call me Zuul, or just ‘The Bitter Script Reader.’ Please NO requests to read your material. All such queries will be ignored and deleted unread. I do NOT have a notes service so please don’t send me an email asking about rates. And in case it wasn’t clear the first time - DO NOT ASK ME TO READ YOUR SCRIPT!”      Now in all fairness readers do get a ton of scripts that are complete crap. Then they get paid worse than crap to put that filth into their dome. Then they must spit out their best interpretation of the miserable dreck they just read and create a cohesive report. And to top it all off they get treated like they’re a nickel whore and everybody they meet has a quarter to spend. So I don’t envy them or their task.      And at this point a few of you might be shaking your head in disagreement at my bleak assessment because you’ve either given positive coverage as a reader or you’ve received positive notes as a writer. Let’s say you’re a writer and you got the all mighty “recommend”. I can explain this discrepancy in five simple words. You write better than me.      But the vast majority of screenplays and screenwriters receive a “pass” and some pretty nasty comments to go with it. So you must find a reader independent of the studio system that can, and will, say something nice if they feel like it, with no other consequence to their actions. And you want to spend the least amount of money possible to get this information because failure is guaranteed. WHO YOU GONNA CALL http://brokenlightentertainment.com And I quote from their home page… “Broken Light Entertainment is a screenplay and production consulting service offered by Steve Emmerson. At its heart, it is a service to provide filmmakers and other media professionals with creative guidance in the execution of their stories.” I recently chitchatted with Steve via email… Your services are the cheapest I’ve ever seen. How can you read scripts for such a low low price? You could ask the same of a business who offers discounts through Groupon. We’ve done very well accumulating a healthy volume of business from repeat customers. Writers who appreciate the quality of our service submit new drafts of work they’ve had me read before as well as new work. Our overhead is not as high as other script services, so we can afford to charge less. Most services charge high fees based on the resumes of people featured on their website, and then farm the work out to outside readers, paying those readers about what we’re charging. All of our reading is done internally so what we’re doing is cutting out the middleman. Also, we charge on an a la carte basis. A writer can purchase only analytical notes on their screenplay or only a breakdown of their characters detailing ways they could be stronger. To round things out, we even offer to craft budgets and profit projection for your screenplay that helps when pitching it to a producer. How do you think your low cost coverage compares to higher cost services? I would say that my services are superior for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that you know exactly who is reading your script. If a producer with a few credits is running a script consultation service, you can bet that your script will be farmed out to a freelance reader, intern, USC film student, or whatever, who will write the analysis for a small fraction of whatever you paid as a fee. And lots of other services only provide lists of production companies for which they have read, without actually providing their names of their readers or their specific backgrounds. With Broken Light, what you see is literally what you get. I do all of the reading, and if I bring in another reader or readers, those individuals’ names and qualifications will be on the website for customers to evaluate. Broken Light Entertainment operates with the philosophy that any screenplay can be turned into a successful story on screen if sufficiently polished and taken to a high enough level. On this basis, I provide constructive analysis of your script, focused on how I would execute certain elements if it were my name on the title page. How did you get started as a script reader? Anyone trying to build a career in script development in Los Angeles ends up reading hundreds if not thousands of scripts for various producers and agents who don’t have the time or inclination to do the reading themselves. In my case, I’ve done this and also read for foreign film distributors in countries such as Germany and Japan. I would evaluate screenplays of projects in various stages of development in terms of how successful these projects would be based on each country’s cultural sensibilities. It becomes an issue when you get into territories like the Middle East where they have censorship boards. Having read scripts for services that charge hundreds of dollars, it seemed like someone should be providing writers with analysis at a price they could afford. What’s the first thing that tips you off a script is going to be good? Lots of readers have their own “hook” for what starts a script. For me, it’s a combination of many factors. Is the very first image engaging when visualized? Is there an excess of dialogue that is either overly expository, tries too hard to be clever, or is just unnecessary? Do the descriptions contain more of the writer’s attitude than the actual story? The thing to remember is that a screenplay is a description of what an audience is seeing and hearing. When a writer gets too far away from that, the story gets lost. A screenplay is a tool to be used and interpreted by a director, actors, a cinematographer, and various other technical professionals to create a visual narrative. So professionalism itself is key. What’s the first thing that tips you off a script is going to be bad? I once read a script that was written as an epic poem, two-hundred-and-fifty pages long. Another script opened with a character monologue that ran one-and-a-half pages without any description of the scene or what was going. And another one used began with a letter from the writer to potential producers about all the money this script could make. Extraneous elements that have little to nothing to do with the story tell the reader and the audience that you have no value for their time. When you’re dealing with a reader who skims—not reads, skims—a dozen or more scripts a day, you have to stick to what is critical. Do you believe the first 10 pages are the most important? Absolutely. Those are the pages that establish your main characters and their overall circumstances, even if you don’t get to the first major turning point of the story until page 25 or 30. You want to hook the audience in the theater. From the perspective of the readers, it’s the chance to introduce your quality and style of writing, and determines the amount of concentration they will give to the rest of your script. Does a writer need to live in Hollywood to succeed? No. Writers outside of Los Angeles break in every year. And it’s important to realize that the entertainment industry is becoming more and more decentralized all the time. This is the age of email, instant messaging, and Skype. There are social networking sites devoted specifically to the entertainment industry. You can pitch to a producer or agent from across a table at Starbucks or across a few time zones. If your idea is strong and you push it enough, you will inevitably meet the right people face-to-face. Writers who are also lawyers, accountants, and teachers are selling their script or find independent producers more local to them. Writers can shoot their ideas with a camera from Best Buy on a shoestring budget and submit it to a festival where it could win a few awards and get them noticed. With a lot of drive and a little luck, a writer can succeed no matter where they are from. Your website is clean and easy to navigate. Did you make that yourself? I conceived the layout of the sight and the overall page design, the order of the pages, and details like that. A friend of mine designed the light-bulb logo. A web designer named Katherine King refined the aesthetics and provided the automated email form in the Contact section. Katherine operates a media design company called Hidden Design (http://www.hiddendesign.com) and I highly recommend her services. What are 3 things you wish writers would do before they send in their scripts? And you can’t say “use spell check”.  1. Outline your script before and after each draft is written, going scene-by-scene, determining what each scene accomplishes, if and how it could be tighter, and whether it is necessary. 2. Watch or read the scripts of 3-5 of the movies that inspired your concept or are at least similar in theme. Then, ask yourself what makes these movies work, what are their shortcomings, and determine if your script has any of the same elements working for and against it. 3. Take the time to really play the script as a movie in your head. Use your imagination as the forty-foot high screen where you want your story to eventually be projected. And scrutinize it for faults the same way as you do when you’re watching a movie at the cineplex. LOUIE, I THINK THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP As the curtain closes a few final words from Steve Emmerson… Read lots and lots of scripts of multiple genres, both of produced movies and spec scripts to hone your understanding of what works and what does not.  Outlining and planning your story before you actually write the script is every bit as important as the writing itself. You wouldn’t drive from New York to Los Angeles without mapping your route, and crafting a screenplay is every bit as perilous a journey. Organize all of your drafts, outlines, and various notes to make them easy to find as you’re writing each draft. Use features like the Scriptnotes feature in Final Draft that lets you put little digital Post-Its at various points in your script. —————————— Catch up with David Santo || www.ScreenwriterDave.com —————————— Read more TLL articles on the business of Screenwriting
View Separately

#Screenwriting #Business

Screenplay Coverage

by David Santo

     Join me now as we travel to a bachelor party in a Detroit home that has run off the rails and there are naked people everywhere. I find the sight a bit disturbing; not because of the nudity but to get completely naked you have to take your guns off and there’s loaded weapons lying all over the place. But I know this scene will end up in my current script so I stay put and secretly jot down notes. Later, I transcribe these events (with the obligatory exaggeration) into Final Draft and I’m certain this is the missing penultimate piece of the puzzle for my current low-brow raunch-com.

     Flash-forward a few months and my screenplay is complete. My endless rewrites are finally finished. But I’ve been screenwriting for a long time and experience has taught me a few things; I may feel like a great writer but I know my script is a hot mess. I just can’t see it. So I’m faced with sending my intellectually deformed and embarrassingly crude screenplay (or as I like to think of it - pure genius) off to a consultant to get covered.

     Now for those of you who don’t know what coverage is - it’s a brief industry report that summarizes your script and you get one of three grades: pass, consider, recommend. It’s done for the benefit of important people with money who don’t have time to read. The report is brutal and you always fail. But as a screenwriter you pay for this information because you want to know how your script is going to be received: good, bad, where the logic gaps are, etc. This way you can fix it prior to submission for the best possible chance of success.

     Now the person who reads your script - a professional script reader - will wax poetically about how they long to read a great screenplay if they could just find one. This is a lie.

YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH

     A professional reader is convinced the creative cupboards are bare and all the scripts they receive are garbage. It helps them feel superior to the subject matter and the writer so the reward - however meager - is they get to hand down their “tough love” wisdom and guidance. In other words - they get to feel smart. There’s also a huge dis-incentive to give a script high marks. Most movies don’t make money. If you were the reader that recommended a script that just died in development or lost money at the box office you might get fired. It’s easier and safer to fail every script and protect your job.

     And readers are a handful when it comes to their personalities, too. Here’s an excerpt from the website of a professional reader who is proud to advertise…

     “I’m that guy you need to get past at the agencies and production companies; the first one in the office to read the script. I am the Gatekeeper. But you can call me Zuul, or just ‘The Bitter Script Reader.’ Please NO requests to read your material. All such queries will be ignored and deleted unread. I do NOT have a notes service so please don’t send me an email asking about rates. And in case it wasn’t clear the first time - DO NOT ASK ME TO READ YOUR SCRIPT!”

     Now in all fairness readers do get a ton of scripts that are complete crap. Then they get paid worse than crap to put that filth into their dome. Then they must spit out their best interpretation of the miserable dreck they just read and create a cohesive report. And to top it all off they get treated like they’re a nickel whore and everybody they meet has a quarter to spend. So I don’t envy them or their task.

     And at this point a few of you might be shaking your head in disagreement at my bleak assessment because you’ve either given positive coverage as a reader or you’ve received positive notes as a writer. Let’s say you’re a writer and you got the all mighty “recommend”. I can explain this discrepancy in five simple words. You write better than me.

     But the vast majority of screenplays and screenwriters receive a “pass” and some pretty nasty comments to go with it. So you must find a reader independent of the studio system that can, and will, say something nice if they feel like it, with no other consequence to their actions. And you want to spend the least amount of money possible to get this information because failure is guaranteed.

WHO YOU GONNA CALL

http://brokenlightentertainment.com

And I quote from their home page…

“Broken Light Entertainment is a screenplay and production consulting service offered by Steve Emmerson. At its heart, it is a service to provide filmmakers and other media professionals with creative guidance in the execution of their stories.”

I recently chitchatted with Steve via email…

Your services are the cheapest I’ve ever seen. How can you read scripts for such a low low price?

You could ask the same of a business who offers discounts through Groupon. We’ve done very well accumulating a healthy volume of business from repeat customers. Writers who appreciate the quality of our service submit new drafts of work they’ve had me read before as well as new work. Our overhead is not as high as other script services, so we can afford to charge less. Most services charge high fees based on the resumes of people featured on their website, and then farm the work out to outside readers, paying those readers about what we’re charging. All of our reading is done internally so what we’re doing is cutting out the middleman. Also, we charge on an a la carte basis. A writer can purchase only analytical notes on their screenplay or only a breakdown of their characters detailing ways they could be stronger. To round things out, we even offer to craft budgets and profit projection for your screenplay that helps when pitching it to a producer.

How do you think your low cost coverage compares to higher cost services?

I would say that my services are superior for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that you know exactly who is reading your script. If a producer with a few credits is running a script consultation service, you can bet that your script will be farmed out to a freelance reader, intern, USC film student, or whatever, who will write the analysis for a small fraction of whatever you paid as a fee. And lots of other services only provide lists of production companies for which they have read, without actually providing their names of their readers or their specific backgrounds. With Broken Light, what you see is literally what you get. I do all of the reading, and if I bring in another reader or readers, those individuals’ names and qualifications will be on the website for customers to evaluate.

Broken Light Entertainment operates with the philosophy that any screenplay can be turned into a successful story on screen if sufficiently polished and taken to a high enough level. On this basis, I provide constructive analysis of your script, focused on how I would execute certain elements if it were my name on the title page.

How did you get started as a script reader?

Anyone trying to build a career in script development in Los Angeles ends up reading hundreds if not thousands of scripts for various producers and agents who don’t have the time or inclination to do the reading themselves. In my case, I’ve done this and also read for foreign film distributors in countries such as Germany and Japan. I would evaluate screenplays of projects in various stages of development in terms of how successful these projects would be based on each country’s cultural sensibilities. It becomes an issue when you get into territories like the Middle East where they have censorship boards. Having read scripts for services that charge hundreds of dollars, it seemed like someone should be providing writers with analysis at a price they could afford.

What’s the first thing that tips you off a script is going to be good?

Lots of readers have their own “hook” for what starts a script. For me, it’s a combination of many factors. Is the very first image engaging when visualized? Is there an excess of dialogue that is either overly expository, tries too hard to be clever, or is just unnecessary? Do the descriptions contain more of the writer’s attitude than the actual story?

The thing to remember is that a screenplay is a description of what an audience is seeing and hearing. When a writer gets too far away from that, the story gets lost. A screenplay is a tool to be used and interpreted by a director, actors, a cinematographer, and various other technical professionals to create a visual narrative. So professionalism itself is key.

What’s the first thing that tips you off a script is going to be bad?

I once read a script that was written as an epic poem, two-hundred-and-fifty pages long. Another script opened with a character monologue that ran one-and-a-half pages without any description of the scene or what was going. And another one used began with a letter from the writer to potential producers about all the money this script could make.

Extraneous elements that have little to nothing to do with the story tell the reader and the audience that you have no value for their time. When you’re dealing with a reader who skims—not reads, skims—a dozen or more scripts a day, you have to stick to what is critical.

Do you believe the first 10 pages are the most important?

Absolutely. Those are the pages that establish your main characters and their overall circumstances, even if you don’t get to the first major turning point of the story until page 25 or 30. You want to hook the audience in the theater. From the perspective of the readers, it’s the chance to introduce your quality and style of writing, and determines the amount of concentration they will give to the rest of your script.

Does a writer need to live in Hollywood to succeed?

No. Writers outside of Los Angeles break in every year. And it’s important to realize that the entertainment industry is becoming more and more decentralized all the time. This is the age of email, instant messaging, and Skype. There are social networking sites devoted specifically to the entertainment industry. You can pitch to a producer or agent from across a table at Starbucks or across a few time zones. If your idea is strong and you push it enough, you will inevitably meet the right people face-to-face. Writers who are also lawyers, accountants, and teachers are selling their script or find independent producers more local to them. Writers can shoot their ideas with a camera from Best Buy on a shoestring budget and submit it to a festival where it could win a few awards and get them noticed. With a lot of drive and a little luck, a writer can succeed no matter where they are from.

Your website is clean and easy to navigate. Did you make that yourself?

I conceived the layout of the sight and the overall page design, the order of the pages, and details like that. A friend of mine designed the light-bulb logo. A web designer named Katherine King refined the aesthetics and provided the automated email form in the Contact section. Katherine operates a media design company called Hidden Design (http://www.hiddendesign.com) and I highly recommend her services.

What are 3 things you wish writers would do before they send in their scripts? And you can’t say “use spell check”. 

1. Outline your script before and after each draft is written, going scene-by-scene, determining what each scene accomplishes, if and how it could be tighter, and whether it is necessary.

2. Watch or read the scripts of 3-5 of the movies that inspired your concept or are at least similar in theme. Then, ask yourself what makes these movies work, what are their shortcomings, and determine if your script has any of the same elements working for and against it.

3. Take the time to really play the script as a movie in your head. Use your imagination as the forty-foot high screen where you want your story to eventually be projected. And scrutinize it for faults the same way as you do when you’re watching a movie at the cineplex.

LOUIE, I THINK THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP

As the curtain closes a few final words from Steve Emmerson…

Read lots and lots of scripts of multiple genres, both of produced movies and spec scripts to hone your understanding of what works and what does not. 

Outlining and planning your story before you actually write the script is every bit as important as the writing itself. You wouldn’t drive from New York to Los Angeles without mapping your route, and crafting a screenplay is every bit as perilous a journey.

Organize all of your drafts, outlines, and various notes to make them easy to find as you’re writing each draft. Use features like the Scriptnotes feature in Final Draft that lets you put little digital Post-Its at various points in your script.

——————————

Catch up with David Santo || www.ScreenwriterDave.com

——————————

Read more TLL articles on the business of Screenwriting

#Screenwriting #Business Debunking Screenwriting Myths, Part 6: The Query Letter by Geno Scala      Over the past few months, I’ve had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to assist several name directors and producers in searching for screenplays of specific genre or topic. With my vast network of screenwriters at my disposal, I though it incumbent on me to reach out and help fellow writers, new and experienced alike, to help them reach their professional goal of attaining a sale or option deal.      When the word went out about a particular script search, the resulting storm of emails with accompanying scripts, bios, resumes and links was indeed satisfying. It was nice to know that so many of my contacts actually READ my emails or posts, but more importantly, that I was perhaps making a difference in their lives.      Then, I began to read the emails…the bios…and the resumes and links. Ugh!      So here is a brief list of some things one SHOULDN’T do when responding to a script request: You shouldn’t IGNORE the specifics of the scripts that are being requested. If the genre requested is science fiction, you shouldn’t submit a story about a baby whale and the handicapped child trying to raise it, unless, of course, the whale can fly and the child is from Jupiter. If the request is for screenplays with a Japanese-American theme, don’t submit a screenplay about a Chinese family, then add “It’s close”! Makes you sound like an idiot, at best, and racist, at worst. You shouldn’t “cut and paste” your pre-written query letter into an email, and address the recipient as “Dear (blank)”. When you cut and paste, sometimes the fonts are different, and it appears very unprofessional. You shouldn’t BOMBARD the recipient with every screenplay you’ve ever written, or hope to write or thought about writing. I cannot tell you how many writers submitted one query letter with more than five different loglines and synopses. No one is going to read it. Trust me. You shouldn’t IGNORE spelling or grammatical errors- not in the query (not anywhere, if possible). I have actually seen writers misspell their own titles. You shouldn’t make DEMANDS of the person requesting the script, such as “DO NOT FORWARD TO ANYONE WITHOUT MY EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT!” Who would want to work with YOU? You shouldn’t accompany your query letter with a request to “help raise funds for sick children” or to “stop socialism in America”, or to “support your local LGBT office”, even if it directly relates to the theme of your screenplay. You shouldn’t take the query letter as an opportunity to apply for a job as a script reader, a production assistant, a grip or an actor You shouldn’t forget your title. Trust me- seen it done many times. You shouldn’t forget your contact information. See #9      Writing a query letter is an art in and of itself, and there are definite “do’s and don’ts” when writing one.      If you are responding to a request for a certain type of script, first thing you should do is ONLY respond if your script fits in what they are looking for. If it does, makes sure this fact is highlighted in the first sentence: “I am responding to your request for Japanese/American-themed scripts, and I’d like submit my comedy/drama “Life at The Tea House”, a Japanese/American story of love, redemption and ninja zombies.”      You need to highlight your “hook” right away (this is why it’s called a “hook”). This “hook” is the reason why your story is different from every other story of the same genre and theme.      Write a brief synopsis of your story, to include and beginning, middle and an end. Three short paragraphs, less than a page total.      Then end the query with a brief bio. Do not include useless information as to where you went to school or every contest you’ve ever entered. Two lines that tell the reader a little about you, your writing, and a mention or two about prestigious awards, if any. Quarter-finalist in the Bombay Theatre Writing Contest doesn’t qualify for space in the prime real estate of the query letter.      Make sure everything is spellchecked and grammatically correct, and do not forget your contact information. You have but one shot at making a good impression, so don’t blow it. —————————— Geno Scala has been writing for over twenty years, and was one of the Executive Directors for the 1999-2000 Academy Awards presentation. He is an optioned screenwriter with nine screenplays to his credit, and is an alumnus of ScreenwritingU. He maintains a business in Hollywood, and resides in beautiful Huntsville, Alabama with his rocket-scientist wife, a daughter in grad school, another daughter in college in CA, and two teen-aged sons. Catch up with Geno || twitter: @Sharkeatingman & @thescriptmentor || facebook: Shark-Eating Man Productions & The Script Mentor  —————————— Read more TLL articles on the business of Screenwriting
View Separately

#Screenwriting #Business

Debunking Screenwriting Myths, Part 6: The Query Letter

by Geno Scala

     Over the past few months, I’ve had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to assist several name directors and producers in searching for screenplays of specific genre or topic. With my vast network of screenwriters at my disposal, I though it incumbent on me to reach out and help fellow writers, new and experienced alike, to help them reach their professional goal of attaining a sale or option deal.

     When the word went out about a particular script search, the resulting storm of emails with accompanying scripts, bios, resumes and links was indeed satisfying. It was nice to know that so many of my contacts actually READ my emails or posts, but more importantly, that I was perhaps making a difference in their lives.

     Then, I began to read the emails…the bios…and the resumes and links. Ugh!

     So here is a brief list of some things one SHOULDN’T do when responding to a script request:

  1. You shouldn’t IGNORE the specifics of the scripts that are being requested. If the genre requested is science fiction, you shouldn’t submit a story about a baby whale and the handicapped child trying to raise it, unless, of course, the whale can fly and the child is from Jupiter.

  2. If the request is for screenplays with a Japanese-American theme, don’t submit a screenplay about a Chinese family, then add “It’s close”! Makes you sound like an idiot, at best, and racist, at worst.

  3. You shouldn’t “cut and paste” your pre-written query letter into an email, and address the recipient as “Dear (blank)”. When you cut and paste, sometimes the fonts are different, and it appears very unprofessional.

  4. You shouldn’t BOMBARD the recipient with every screenplay you’ve ever written, or hope to write or thought about writing. I cannot tell you how many writers submitted one query letter with more than five different loglines and synopses. No one is going to read it. Trust me.

  5. You shouldn’t IGNORE spelling or grammatical errors- not in the query (not anywhere, if possible). I have actually seen writers misspell their own titles.

  6. You shouldn’t make DEMANDS of the person requesting the script, such as “DO NOT FORWARD TO ANYONE WITHOUT MY EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT!” Who would want to work with YOU?

  7. You shouldn’t accompany your query letter with a request to “help raise funds for sick children” or to “stop socialism in America”, or to “support your local LGBT office”, even if it directly relates to the theme of your screenplay.

  8. You shouldn’t take the query letter as an opportunity to apply for a job as a script reader, a production assistant, a grip or an actor

  9. You shouldn’t forget your title. Trust me- seen it done many times.

  10. You shouldn’t forget your contact information. See #9

     Writing a query letter is an art in and of itself, and there are definite “do’s and don’ts” when writing one.

     If you are responding to a request for a certain type of script, first thing you should do is ONLY respond if your script fits in what they are looking for. If it does, makes sure this fact is highlighted in the first sentence: “I am responding to your request for Japanese/American-themed scripts, and I’d like submit my comedy/drama “Life at The Tea House”, a Japanese/American story of love, redemption and ninja zombies.”

     You need to highlight your “hook” right away (this is why it’s called a “hook”). This “hook” is the reason why your story is different from every other story of the same genre and theme.

     Write a brief synopsis of your story, to include and beginning, middle and an end. Three short paragraphs, less than a page total.

     Then end the query with a brief bio. Do not include useless information as to where you went to school or every contest you’ve ever entered. Two lines that tell the reader a little about you, your writing, and a mention or two about prestigious awards, if any. Quarter-finalist in the Bombay Theatre Writing Contest doesn’t qualify for space in the prime real estate of the query letter.

     Make sure everything is spellchecked and grammatically correct, and do not forget your contact information. You have but one shot at making a good impression, so don’t blow it.

——————————

Geno Scala has been writing for over twenty years, and was one of the Executive Directors for the 1999-2000 Academy Awards presentation. He is an optioned screenwriter with nine screenplays to his credit, and is an alumnus of ScreenwritingU. He maintains a business in Hollywood, and resides in beautiful Huntsville, Alabama with his rocket-scientist wife, a daughter in grad school, another daughter in college in CA, and two teen-aged sons.

Catch up with Geno || twitter: @Sharkeatingman & @thescriptmentor || facebook: Shark-Eating Man Productions & The Script Mentor 

——————————

Read more TLL articles on the business of Screenwriting

#Screenwriting #Business Debunking Screenwriting Myths, Part 4: Networking & Marketing by Geno Scala      I was recently involved in a discussion with several screenwriters regarding the importance of networking and marketing one’s projects and/or themselves. One of the screenwriters debated the effectiveness- or, in his opinion, ineffectiveness- of a networking and marketing strategy. I couldn’t develop the right words fast enough to respond, and even if I could have, I wouldn’t have been able to utter them due to my lower jaw slamming against the floor. He followed this mind-numbing point of view with the comment “I just work on my script. A great story always finds its way to the screen!”      Oh, really?      I realized then that there is yet another myth about screenwriting- the myth that all one needs is a great screenplay. Now, having an excellent screenplay is a great goal, and should be the number one goal of the screenwriter. But, it’s still only number one. There have to be goals to set and goals to reach. One of these goals has to include the development of both a networking strategy and marketing strategy. What you do AFTER writing that wonderful screenplay is EQUALLY important to writing that screenplay. Let this sink in for a second- marketing your screenplay properly, with an effective, well-conceived plan, is EQUALLY as important as writing a great screenplay. Recently, one of my student/clients reached out to me asking this very question- “Where do I go from here?” I provided her a ten-step marketing process that is really the basis of a 40-50 point, full-scale marketing and network plan. STEP #1: Understand that your script is NOT ready to be marketed.     Once you accept that, you’ll breathe a bit easier. The reason is simple- you have but one chance to make a first impression. One of the reasons there are so few “new” success stories is usually due to violating this very rule. Ninety nine percent of the hundreds of thousands of writers blow their first opportunity by rushing it. However, for the process of developing the rest of the steps, we will just ASSUME the following is true: You’ve written this screenplay the best it can possibly be, and your family and friends love it! (your cheerleaders, or “CHEERS” for short!) You’ve received a number of extremely positive feedbacks from your PEERS those other writers whom you respect and whose opinions and advice you treasure. You have entered and won, or placed well, in several screenwriting contests, including several of the most respected, highly regarded contests. You’ve received one (preferably more) “recommend” from a highly-regarded script coverage service, script doctor, consultant or mentor (your “ROCKETEERS”) STEP #2: Enhance your networking opportunities. By now, it is assumed you have hundreds of business-related connections, to include fellow screenwriters, filmmakers, script readers, executives, producers, marketers and almost anybody affiliated with the entertainment business. These connections are often made through the Internet at Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and a host of different sites. Work on spending at least one hour a day at these sites, cultivating relationships through discussions, and inquiries. Avoid getting political or too personal. Comment on a photo, ask what their latest project is, and learn about their likes and dislikes before jumping in and talking about yourself.      The worst thing you can do is turn a personal, comfortable relationship into an obvious means to a stepping-stone to get introduced somewhere else or TO someone else. Btw, if you are NOT on these mediums, you are far behind the rest of us! STEP #3: Post your script. Sites like Moviebytes (www.moviebytes.com), Talentville (www.talentville.com), Triggerstreet (www.triggerstreet.com) and Ink Tip (www.inktip.com), allow you to post your script for marketing purposes, while others may give additional feedbacks, in exchange for script reads. STEP #4: Determine which movies are like yours in genre and/or subject matter, and research them. This is a great technique that many writers fail doing correctly. If your high concept movie is similar to “Star Wars”, you’ll want to research Star Wars through IMdbPro, and find all of the key players from the movie- the screenwriter, director, producer, the talent, etc. Through IMdbPro, you can then find out what other movies they’ve worked on, and create a talent tree. You will find that some of the same talent usually work with each other picture after picture; this is especially true with Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, and Judd Apatow films. In IMdbPro, you can trace back all the way to their representatives, including managers and agents. Again, it is not unusual for an agent representing Daniel Craig (James Bond) to also rep other “action” stars. Therefore, if you have an action script, you would want to target those who are probably most interested in that genre. STEP #5: Prepare you query letter. This letter is quite different from most other business or marketing letters. Much like your logline, it is designed to develop a “taste”, some intrigue, some interest in your project. STEP #6: Create a Facebook “like” page, Twitter account and other networking pages for your projects. This keeps the name out there, and also keeps your supporters up-to-date on any happenings involving you or the script. STEP #7: Attend any and all “pitch fests” and conventions possible. Include film festivals, producer conventions, director conventions, etc. If you are not in LA schedule a future visit and center it near these important events. Through networking, you may develop an opportunity to stay with a fellow writer for a period of time, in exchange for them piggy-backing to a producer’s lunch or meeting with you. It will help defray the travel cost, and the lunch bill when it comes time to “pick up the tab”. STEP #8: Sign up for Skype. You may be able to schedule face-to-face meetings through Skype without having to make the trip. STEP #9: Have multiple projects prepared when the meeting is scheduled. Most producers will ask to see or hear additional projects that you might have, so be prepared to at least discuss the logline and/or a synopsis with them. They want to see if you are in this for the duration, and not just a one-trick pony. They’ll get an immediate feel as to the way you and your creative mind works. STEP #10: Be someone everyone would want to work with. Don’t be argumentative, picayune, difficult, demanding, overly sensitive, overly shy, embarrassed, overly humble, not humble enough, outrageous, outlandish, over-the-top, unprofessional, or boring. Be perfect- just be yourself. —————————— Geno Scala has been writing for over twenty years, and was one of the Executive Directors for the 1999-2000 Academy Awards presentation. He is an optioned screenwriter with nine screenplays to his credit, and is an alumnus of ScreenwritingU. He maintains a business in Hollywood, and resides in beautiful Huntsville, Alabama with his rocket-scientist wife, a daughter in grad school, another daughter in college in CA, and two teen-aged sons. Catch up with Geno || twitter: @Sharkeatingman & @thescriptmentor || facebook: Shark-Eating Man Productions & The Script Mentor  —————————— Read more TLL articles on the business of Screenwriting
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#Screenwriting #Business

Debunking Screenwriting Myths, Part 4: Networking & Marketing

by Geno Scala

     I was recently involved in a discussion with several screenwriters regarding the importance of networking and marketing one’s projects and/or themselves. One of the screenwriters debated the effectiveness- or, in his opinion, ineffectiveness- of a networking and marketing strategy. I couldn’t develop the right words fast enough to respond, and even if I could have, I wouldn’t have been able to utter them due to my lower jaw slamming against the floor. He followed this mind-numbing point of view with the comment “I just work on my script. A great story always finds its way to the screen!”

     Oh, really?

     I realized then that there is yet another myth about screenwriting- the myth that all one needs is a great screenplay. Now, having an excellent screenplay is a great goal, and should be the number one goal of the screenwriter. But, it’s still only number one. There have to be goals to set and goals to reach. One of these goals has to include the development of both a networking strategy and marketing strategy. What you do AFTER writing that wonderful screenplay is EQUALLY important to writing that screenplay. Let this sink in for a second- marketing your screenplay properly, with an effective, well-conceived plan, is EQUALLY as important as writing a great screenplay. Recently, one of my student/clients reached out to me asking this very question- “Where do I go from here?” I provided her a ten-step marketing process that is really the basis of a 40-50 point, full-scale marketing and network plan.

STEP #1: Understand that your script is NOT ready to be marketed.

    Once you accept that, you’ll breathe a bit easier. The reason is simple- you have but one chance to make a first impression. One of the reasons there are so few “new” success stories is usually due to violating this very rule. Ninety nine percent of the hundreds of thousands of writers blow their first opportunity by rushing it. However, for the process of developing the rest of the steps, we will just ASSUME the following is true:

  1. You’ve written this screenplay the best it can possibly be, and your family and friends love it! (your cheerleaders, or “CHEERS” for short!)

  1. You’ve received a number of extremely positive feedbacks from your PEERS those other writers whom you respect and whose opinions and advice you treasure.

  1. You have entered and won, or placed well, in several screenwriting contests, including several of the most respected, highly regarded contests.

  1. You’ve received one (preferably more) “recommend” from a highly-regarded script coverage service, script doctor, consultant or mentor (your “ROCKETEERS”)

STEP #2: Enhance your networking opportunities. By now, it is assumed you have hundreds of business-related connections, to include fellow screenwriters, filmmakers, script readers, executives, producers, marketers and almost anybody affiliated with the entertainment business. These connections are often made through the Internet at Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and a host of different sites. Work on spending at least one hour a day at these sites, cultivating relationships through discussions, and inquiries. Avoid getting political or too personal. Comment on a photo, ask what their latest project is, and learn about their likes and dislikes before jumping in and talking about yourself.

     The worst thing you can do is turn a personal, comfortable relationship into an obvious means to a stepping-stone to get introduced somewhere else or TO someone else. Btw, if you are NOT on these mediums, you are far behind the rest of us!

STEP #3: Post your script. Sites like Moviebytes (www.moviebytes.com), Talentville (www.talentville.com), Triggerstreet (www.triggerstreet.com) and Ink Tip (www.inktip.com), allow you to post your script for marketing purposes, while others may give additional feedbacks, in exchange for script reads.

STEP #4: Determine which movies are like yours in genre and/or subject matter, and research them. This is a great technique that many writers fail doing correctly. If your high concept movie is similar to “Star Wars”, you’ll want to research Star Wars through IMdbPro, and find all of the key players from the movie- the screenwriter, director, producer, the talent, etc. Through IMdbPro, you can then find out what other movies they’ve worked on, and create a talent tree. You will find that some of the same talent usually work with each other picture after picture; this is especially true with Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, and Judd Apatow films. In IMdbPro, you can trace back all the way to their representatives, including managers and agents. Again, it is not unusual for an agent representing Daniel Craig (James Bond) to also rep other “action” stars. Therefore, if you have an action script, you would want to target those who are probably most interested in that genre.

STEP #5: Prepare you query letter. This letter is quite different from most other business or marketing letters. Much like your logline, it is designed to develop a “taste”, some intrigue, some interest in your project.

STEP #6: Create a Facebook “like” page, Twitter account and other networking pages for your projects. This keeps the name out there, and also keeps your supporters up-to-date on any happenings involving you or the script.

STEP #7: Attend any and all “pitch fests” and conventions possible. Include film festivals, producer conventions, director conventions, etc. If you are not in LA schedule a future visit and center it near these important events. Through networking, you may develop an opportunity to stay with a fellow writer for a period of time, in exchange for them piggy-backing to a producer’s lunch or meeting with you. It will help defray the travel cost, and the lunch bill when it comes time to “pick up the tab”.

STEP #8: Sign up for Skype. You may be able to schedule face-to-face meetings through Skype without having to make the trip.

STEP #9: Have multiple projects prepared when the meeting is scheduled. Most producers will ask to see or hear additional projects that you might have, so be prepared to at least discuss the logline and/or a synopsis with them. They want to see if you are in this for the duration, and not just a one-trick pony. They’ll get an immediate feel as to the way you and your creative mind works.

STEP #10: Be someone everyone would want to work with. Don’t be argumentative, picayune, difficult, demanding, overly sensitive, overly shy, embarrassed, overly humble, not humble enough, outrageous, outlandish, over-the-top, unprofessional, or boring.

Be perfect- just be yourself.

——————————

Geno Scala has been writing for over twenty years, and was one of the Executive Directors for the 1999-2000 Academy Awards presentation. He is an optioned screenwriter with nine screenplays to his credit, and is an alumnus of ScreenwritingU. He maintains a business in Hollywood, and resides in beautiful Huntsville, Alabama with his rocket-scientist wife, a daughter in grad school, another daughter in college in CA, and two teen-aged sons.

Catch up with Geno || twitter: @Sharkeatingman & @thescriptmentor || facebook: Shark-Eating Man Productions & The Script Mentor 

——————————

Read more TLL articles on the business of Screenwriting

Spirit Of The Spec: You Put It Out There Source: @GoIntoTheStory #screenwriting #film #screenplay “I had a conversation recently with a former studio executive turned producer in which I found myself talking about the “spirit of the spec,” essentially when a person chooses to pursue a project or goal entirely on speculation with the hopes of some eventual payoff. Not everybody would make that choice. To many, with the odds so long against success, doing something on spec is not only illogical, it’s also seemingly inane. And yet almost all screenwriters, TV writers, novelists, short story writers, playwrights, and poets have as some part of their creative self the spirit of the spec. After my conversation with the producer, it occurred to me this is a subject we should discuss here at GITS because it speaks to the very core of why we’re here and what we’re about as people driven by creative impulses. So today through Friday, I will post something each day exploring what it means for a writer to have the spirit of the spec. You Put It Out There. One might think typing FADE IN, thereby signifying your commitment to writing an original screenplay, is the single act requiring the most courage in the process. But time and time again, I hear from writers who have a problem on the otherend of the spectrum: Actually doing something with the script when it’s done. Some have confessed to me they are petrified to submit a script to an agent or manager. Others have said they can’t even bring themselves to give their script to a professional reader for coverage. And there are some writers who have one or more scripts — I’m talking completed drafts — which they have never letanyone read, not even friends or family, let alone somebody in the entertainment industry. I get it. I think we all get it. As I suggested in yesterday’s post, writing a story is a scary endeavor. And yet the fact is the entire time you work on it — coming up with an idea, acting on that idea, the actual page-writing part of the process — your story only exists in theory. That is until you send your script out into the world. Only then does your story become in any meaningful sense of the word ‘real.’ No matter what fears you have to overcome to write a story, they don’t compare substantively with the type and degree of fear that can arise when you actually hand over your script to someone else to read. At that point, your story becomes their story, no longer the private experience of you and your characters, but rather your characters and the world. Talk about courage! Sure, typing FADE IN is a significant moment. But there the stakes are limited. If you don’t write a good story or don’t finish, you have disappointed nobody but yourself. However if you present your story to other people, you are taking a leap of faith they will respond favorably. And if they don’t? It’s no longer just you and those hectoring voices of negativity in your head to deal with. Now you actually have to take into account the feelings, thoughts, impressions and — get ready for it — criticisms of other people. And yet if this is a fundamental truth — “You can not sell it if you don’t write it” — here is another reality etched in stone: “You can not sell it unless you submit it.” A buyer is not going to magically read your mind, buy an airplane ticket to your home town, sneak into your house, locate the drawer in which you keep your precious script, read it, then wake you up with a check for a million dollars. No, you need to put your script out there. Indeed this is where you would do well to embrace the spirit of the spec. And the spirit of the spec provides writers with two incredibly powerful words to help them circumnavigate all their fears, thus enabling them to submit their manuscripts to people who matter. Those two words: Screw you! If you are afraid to let your spouse read your script, repeat after me: Screw you! If you are afraid to let other writers read your script, repeat after me: Screw you! If you are afraid to let a professional script reader provide coverage of your script, repeat after me: Screw you! If you are afraid to send out email inquiries to managers about your script, repeat after me: Screw you! Who is the “you” you are telling to screw? Why fear, of course. If you have any realistic chance of succeeding as a writer, you have to squash your punk-ass fears, give them a big time beat down…………..”
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Spirit Of The Spec: You Put It Out There

Source: @GoIntoTheStory

#screenwriting #film #screenplay

“I had a conversation recently with a former studio executive turned producer in which I found myself talking about the “spirit of the spec,” essentially when a person chooses to pursue a project or goal entirely on speculation with the hopes of some eventual payoff. Not everybody would make that choice. To many, with the odds so long against success, doing something on spec is not only illogical, it’s also seemingly inane.

And yet almost all screenwriters, TV writers, novelists, short story writers, playwrights, and poets have as some part of their creative self the spirit of the spec.

After my conversation with the producer, it occurred to me this is a subject we should discuss here at GITS because it speaks to the very core of why we’re here and what we’re about as people driven by creative impulses. So today through Friday, I will post something each day exploring what it means for a writer to have the spirit of the spec.

You Put It Out There.

One might think typing FADE IN, thereby signifying your commitment to writing an original screenplay, is the single act requiring the most courage in the process. But time and time again, I hear from writers who have a problem on the otherend of the spectrum: Actually doing something with the script when it’s done.

Some have confessed to me they are petrified to submit a script to an agent or manager.

Others have said they can’t even bring themselves to give their script to a professional reader for coverage.

And there are some writers who have one or more scripts — I’m talking completed drafts — which they have never letanyone read, not even friends or family, let alone somebody in the entertainment industry.

I get it. I think we all get it. As I suggested in yesterday’s post, writing a story is a scary endeavor. And yet the fact is the entire time you work on it — coming up with an idea, acting on that idea, the actual page-writing part of the process — your story only exists in theory. That is until you send your script out into the world. Only then does your story become in any meaningful sense of the word ‘real.’

No matter what fears you have to overcome to write a story, they don’t compare substantively with the type and degree of fear that can arise when you actually hand over your script to someone else to read.

At that point, your story becomes their story, no longer the private experience of you and your characters, but rather your characters and the world.

Talk about courage! Sure, typing FADE IN is a significant moment. But there the stakes are limited. If you don’t write a good story or don’t finish, you have disappointed nobody but yourself. However if you present your story to other people, you are taking a leap of faith they will respond favorably. And if they don’t? It’s no longer just you and those hectoring voices of negativity in your head to deal with. Now you actually have to take into account the feelings, thoughts, impressions and — get ready for it — criticisms of other people.

And yet if this is a fundamental truth — “You can not sell it if you don’t write it” — here is another reality etched in stone: “You can not sell it unless you submit it.”

A buyer is not going to magically read your mind, buy an airplane ticket to your home town, sneak into your house, locate the drawer in which you keep your precious script, read it, then wake you up with a check for a million dollars.

No, you need to put your script out there. Indeed this is where you would do well to embrace the spirit of the spec. And the spirit of the spec provides writers with two incredibly powerful words to help them circumnavigate all their fears, thus enabling them to submit their manuscripts to people who matter.

Those two words: Screw you!

If you are afraid to let your spouse read your script, repeat after me: Screw you!

If you are afraid to let other writers read your script, repeat after me: Screw you!

If you are afraid to let a professional script reader provide coverage of your script, repeat after me: Screw you!

If you are afraid to send out email inquiries to managers about your script, repeat after me: Screw you!

Who is the “you” you are telling to screw? Why fear, of course. If you have any realistic chance of succeeding as a writer, you have to squash your punk-ass fears, give them a big time beat down…………..”