As I tell all my clients, success in Hollywood is a team effort. Everyone has to work together to get anything done.

Now I am working on throwing a party in New York for a client. There is no budget and we are trying to get everything sponsored.

As we work through our connections, I suddenly get an email from the client saying, “Hey, do you want me to call my cousin who owns a TON of hotels, bars and restaurants all over the country?”

I felt like slapping my head — or the client’s head.

Think of it this way. It’s like me calling a first-time director for a screenplay by my client, and then afterwards my client telling me his cousin is Steven Spielberg.

As a young writer, your job is to help me help you! If you have a great connection, tell me about it!

Part of your job as a young writer is to network and make connections. But if you don’t tell me what these connections are, then I can’t use them to your benefit.

The moral of the story is go out and make connections.  But always tell your representative or producer about these connections!

Post from: Show Me The Screenplay

Use Your Entertainment Industry Connections to Help Me Help You

Jason Scoggins is a partner at Protocol, a literary management and production company; founder of www.itsonthegrid.com, a database of feature film development information; and author of The Scoggins Report, a terribly unscientific analysis of the feature film development business.  Past editions of The Scoggins Report can be found on his personal website:  http://www.lifeonthebubble.com.

My wife is a fan of competition cooking TV shows like BBC America’s “Last Restaurant Standing,” and as I watched the final episode of the most recent season with her recently I noticed it was illustrating something about the restaurant business that is just as applicable to being a professional screenwriter:  Talent is simply not enough.

Consider the combination of skills and knowledge it takes to run a successful restaurant:  The ability to attract and retain a great team; excellent salesmanship, in the dining room as well as in front of your financial partners; outstanding customer service; knowing a great location when you see one; knowing exactly what your customers expect when they walk in the door and delivering it to them consistently; plus the capacity to handle all of the mundane but crucial day-to-day business decisions.  It’s all as important (perhaps more important, in the aggregate) as what happens in the kitchen.  You can’t make it without being (or partnering with) a talented chef, but if that’s all you’ve got going for you you’re destined for failure, if you can even get off the ground in the first place.  And there are plenty of well-run, successful restaurants that have mediocre food.

Forgive me for beating the analogy to death, but the same is true of professional screenwriting.  A MacBook Pro filled with fantastic material is great, but if you haven’t networked your way into getting it in the hands of someone who can do something with it, it literally doesn’t matter how good you are. If you can’t convince producers and execs that you know exactly how to fix their broken scripts, or if you can’t pitch your own idea in a way that gets people excited, opportunities to be paid to write will quickly disappear.  As they will if you don’t develop the self-discipline to deliver material on time, or an attitude that makes people want to keep working with you for years.

And then there’s my own preoccupation:  Overall and in-depth knowledge of the film development business in general.  If you don’t know who’s where and what their tastes are, you’re going to waste a lot of people’s time, including your own, and lose opportunities down the road.  If you don’t know what’s in development where, and by whom, you’re at a total disadvantage to everyone who does.  Which is to say, the thousands of other professional writers vying for the same jobs you are.  In Hollywood, the person with the best information along with the best relationships almost always comes out on top.

The bottom line is this:  Being a working screenwriter means being as much a student of the business as of the craft.  If you don’t take the business side of things seriously, you’re not a pro (or future pro), you’re a talented hobbyist.  And talent is simply not enough.

Post from: Show Me The Screenplay

Talent is Not Enough By Jason Scoggins

In a fun twist of irony, I have been trying to learn how to snowboard right as the Olympics has started.

Now I truly love the Olympics (everything except curling … I still don’t understand how that is a sport).  And I especially love all the Olympic stories of adversity.

(The 19-year-old Brazilian ice skater who was abandoned in Brazil and then adopted by a French couple and discovered in a public ice skating rink at the age of 4. Or the gold-winning ski jumper whose brother has cerebral palsy. Or the Chinese couple who came out of retirement to win the gold in ice skating.)

But back to me snowboarding, or as I call it, snow “falling” (because, honestly, the majority of the time I am falling, not even remotely close to staying on the board).  And as I have now been to the ski patrol hospital twice in three weeks I can say with certainty that this sport is really hard.

Which led me to realize –  being the best at something takes a lot of really, really hard work. And, yes, there is a certain amount of natural ability that you have to have/

But to be the absolute best — it takes years of dedication, practice, sacrifice, and a strong support group of people around you who are encouraging you even when you are at your lowest (just ask Lindsey Vonn).

It takes believing in yourself no matter what — when everyone tells you that you can’t or you are not good enough or you should give up.  To win gold, you have to passion, talent, drive, and the stamina to work really really really hard for something.

Use the Olympics as inspiration and never give up!

Post from: Show Me The Screenplay

The Olympics and Me Or What Challenges Teach Us

Everyone knows the old saying that there are no new stories under the sun.  And trust me, as someone who reads over 15 scripts a week, that saying is certainly true.

In fact, I personally have read over 10 pilots about the first drug task forces in the U.S. And most of these pilots are written well. But none of those scripts excited me enough to make me want to sign the writer.

What does this mean?

There was nothing new in the style, story or characters that I haven’t seen before.

For example, there had always been cowboy movies since the dawn of Hollywood, but in UNFORGIVEN Clint Eastwood told the story of a bad cowboy trying to set things right in such an interesting and exciting way that the movie ended up winning four Oscars.

If you, the writer, know you are writing about a subject that is very popular, and even if you know that your material is well-written, you have to find a way to tell your story in a way that is engaging, exciting, and unique! I can’t stress this enough.

You should assume that I have read every idea under the sun.  Therefore, you should do everything you can to make what you have written the best and most interesting script ever!

Because for me to get excited about taking on a new client, the material has to be something really really special — something I haven’t seen ever before!

Post from: Show Me The Screenplay

If There Are No New Stories What’s a Writer to Do?

A friend recommended a writer to me and, since I love the friend, I agreed to read the writer’s work.

I read it and, unfortunately, it wasn’t that good. When I emailed the writer to tell her this, she said, “Oh, I wish I had sent you my script on the Blacklist.”  (The Blacklist is yearly list of the best scripts in Hollywood, voted on by production executives.)

The question is: Why didn’t she?

Because by the time she offered this second script to me to read, I didn’t want to because I had read another script of hers that wasn’t great.

If you have a script that is fantastic and is on the Blacklist as opposed to one that you know might not be as good, then ALWAYS, ALWAYS send the great one! I can’t stress this enough!

Because if something is fantastic, I am much more likely to read the second one than if I read something that is bad and am asked to read a second sample.

Producers, execs, agents, managers and everyone else are going to judge you on the first thing they read.  Not many will give you a second chance.  Make sure you always put your best foot forward!

Post from: Show Me The Screenplay

Putting Your Best Foot Forward With Your Screenplays

If you are following the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week you will have noticed that much of the hullabaloo is about 3D.

Read any announcement from CES and you will see many of the products are concerning 3D — TV sets, laptops, home theaters galore. It’s all about how we can bring 3D to the masses quickly and affordable.

And, unless you live on the moon (and even then I bet you would have heard), you couldn’t miss the success Avatar has been having — especially in 3D. Clearly, 3D is here to stay.

However, not everything can or should be in 3D. (I mean, do you really want to see Precious in 3D your living room?)

As a writer, if you are thinking about writing a script for the 3D market, you must first consider if 3D is organic to your story. In other words, if you are going to take people into the world of 3D there must be a reason for it.

Also, you must really study 3D and see how you can use the technology to enhance your story. Don’t just use it to make thing pop out of the audience. Use it to make the audience experience greater than it would be in traditional 2D.

What I mean by this is that you should incorporate story elements that can use the technology of 3D to make the story more rewarding. For example, perhaps you create a sequence that scares the heroes of your story in a total 360 degree way. Or, perhaps, if you are doing a shot from the main character’s POV, you see something revealed in 3D that you never would have in 2D.

As any new technology, 3D is a fascinating tool that will have many great uses. Yet you as a writer must decide if it is the best tool for your story, and, if you do decide to use it, how 3D can truly maximize your story.

Post from: Show Me The Screenplay

Writers: Beware When 3D Takes Over the World!

I just read a great article on Lady Gaga that applies to every writer.  The major takeaway from Lady Gaga is that, in today’s crowded marketplace, to really be successful you must have two things:

1) a brand

2) articulate that brand every chance you get

As a writer, you should have a brand as well. It is not just for super stars!

Are you the funny comedy writer? Are you the thriller writer? Does your writing support that message? Your brand should be clear, distinct, easy to articulate, and everything that you do should express that brand message.

In other words, everything you write — emails, submission letters, Twitter updates, etc. — should support that brand.

If you are a comedy writer, your emails should be funny! If you are a thriller writer you should be tweeting about weird happenings in the world. Get your brand across every way you can.

Often we will get submissions from writers who say they have 11 scripts — each in a different genre.  Now when I read a letter like that I have no idea what type of writer that person is.   Is he/she a comedy writer? Drama writer? Thriller writer?  What is his/her brand and how does it come across?

A great example of a writer with a brand is our client Spencer Walker and his book “Cook to Bang” (cooktobang.com). The book comes out May 11th from St Martin’s Press. Everything that Spencer does – whether it is his website, tweet updates, Facebook group or emails — supports his brand.

Understanding who you are and what is your brand are vital to being successful in today’s marketplace.

Read the Lady Gaga article.

Post from: Show Me The Screenplay

What Lady Gaga Can Teach Writers — It’s More Than You Think!

Paramount has just announced that it will fund between 10 and 20 projects in development with each individual film budget $100,000 or less.

Paramount Film Group President Adam Goodman came up with the idea after the huge success of”Paranormal Activity,” which was made for $15,000 and has grossed more than $100 million domestically.

You can read the article here:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118012597.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&query=paramount+%24100%2C000

However, my problem with this idea is that, if you do create a successful movie, you will be cut out from a lot of the upside of having made the picture yourself and then selling it to a studio.

Because why can’t you raise $15,000 to go and make your movie? Or the $5,000 that it cost to make “Blair Witch” or even the $100,000 for “Open Water”?

These writers and producers who made their own movie, as did the filmmakers of “Paranormal Activity,” and THEN sold their film to a studio got a much better deal than if Paramount had financed the film from the beginning.  And since the budgets are so small — why can’t you go out and find the money rather than rely on a studio?

In today’s times you do not need to rely on anyone to give you the money to make your movie — especially if it is a small budget film. Go out and find the funds yourself!

Post from: Show Me The Screenplay

Movie Studio Spending $1 Million Annually to Develop 10 to 20 Films

We just held a reading for a new project that we are working on and the results were amazing! First, it was fantastic to actually hear how the script sounded.  Second, it also opened our eyes to some of the issues of the script and what could be improved upon.

Now you might ask: How do you get actors to do your reading!

Here is a secret most people don’t know about: Many actors, even established ones, love to do readings.

Why?

It’s a chance for them to make a more favorable and lasting impression on the writer, director, and producers than in a simple audition.  Also, it’s a chance for them to meet other actors.

Additionally, if they are interested in a specific part of the screenplay, it’s a chance for them to give their feedback on the character so the role can be shaped to their liking. And finally, there is no pressure on them for a commitment (which actors love not having).

Also, don’t feel like you can only hold one reading.  The more readings the better!  For our last movie we did eight readings.  The advantage of doing multiple readings is that you can really see how the script progresses.  Plus you can also mix and match the actors and see who is really working thanks to a format way more conclusive than a simple audition and with less pressure.

Finally, after the reading, open up the floor for a notes discussion. The feedback you get from the actors and audience members will be invaluable and will really improve your script!

Here are some tips on how to get the most out of a reading:

Record It! Grab a video camera or even a tape recorder so you can go back over any scenes for which you want to listen to more closely.  Also, make sure to also record the discussion after your reading because it will be impossible to jot everything down when everyone is speaking at once.

Invite Lay People as Your Audience! Don’t just invite your friends or people who work in the entertainment industry. Try to get people outside the business to come, listen and give their feedback.  It will be invaluable to have an outside audience perspective.

Pay Attention to the Casting! Don’t just ask anyone to read parts. Really try to cast it correctly and find people who fit the part. Also, try to practice with them before the reading. The more you work with the actors, the more they will be “in character” and the more valuable the experience will be for you.

Post from: Show Me The Screenplay

Why a Reading Is an Invaluable Tool for Improving Your Screenplay

It’s the Monday before Thanksgiving and all through the industry nothing is stirring — not even a mouse!

All bad puns aside, from today till about January 10th — nothing in Hollywood happens. For one thing, all the studios have run out of money. And  for another thing, everyone has mentally checked out for vacation so no one wants to be reading scripts.

Where does this leave you?

I tell my clients now is the perfect time to WRITE WRITE WRITE.

Because right after the holidays it is a perfect time to sell your projects! People are rested, relaxed, have money and ready to buy!

And why shouldn’t you have something to sell then instead of starting to write in January and already being behind the curve?

Seriously, when you are stuck at your wife’s/parent’s/friend’s place over the holidays and bored to tears, sneak out and find a quiet room to write.  (You can even pretend it is for an important project that is due right after the holiday.) And I am sure the family dynamics that always comes up during the holidays will give you lots of material to write about.

Do yourself a favor and write your heart out over the break so you have something to sell in the new year!

Post from: Show Me The Screenplay

If You’re a Screenwriter Now Is the Time to Get Ahead of the Curve