26.8.09

Be Rough as You'd Like, It's My First Time

So, in the interest of putting my money (which I really have none) where my mouth is (which I possibly have too much of), following is the first page of a spec screenplay I'm getting ready to market.

By "getting ready" I mean the spec is complete and polished and I'm currently researching and targeting buyers (managers, talent, prodcos, agents, in that order).
Once I finish the spec I'm currently in the middle of writing, I'll start approaching those buyers, entering contests, etc with both.

Sorry @ the terrible formatting, I haven't been able to figure out how to properly format screenplay excerpts for this blog yet. If anyone knows how, please enlighten.

Any feedback - even the snarky kind - will be received with great appreciation. But I'd really like to know if you think the following accomplishes what a first page should: set tone, time and place, establish character, hook you into wanting - HAVING - to turn the page, read as its own "mini-story", etc. So without further adieu...


Dark Rum Chronicles: The Adventures of Nick Drama
by
Alain Dominic


FADE IN:

INT. PRIVATE AIRPLANE HANGER - DAY

A FIST connects with NICK DRAMA’S jaw, sending him reeling the opposite direction into -- another fist.

Late 30’s. Scruffy. Hawaiian shirt. Cargo shorts. Nick resembles a ranch hand turned surfer, like he should be on vacation sipping a drink with a pink umbrella. Yet --

ANOTHER FIST. Looks like that drink’ll have to wait.

See, Nick’s a little preoccupied with the FOUR BLACK-CLAD MERCENARIES gleefully tenderizing him.

Another vicious blow and Nick’s legs give out.

NICK in mid-fall, semiconscious.

NICK (V.O.)
Drama. I don’t like it. Unfortunately, its my last name.

NICK’S HEAD smacks the concrete floor with a dull thud, bouncing slightly.

NICK (V.O.)
That’s me. Nick Drama. The handsome feller getting his eggs scrambled right there.

A swiftly moving combat boot swallows Nick’s vision. Another kick flips him on his back.

NICK (V.O.)
And if you’re wondering how an average Joe like me gets himself into a jam like this, well brother you ain’t flying solo,‘cause right about now old Nick finds himself pondering that very same question.

A HAND roots a dusty beer bottle from the floor. Smashes the end off. Angles the jagged edge toward Nick.
A TATTOO OF A WATER SNAKE winding its way across the knuckles distinguishes this hand from the other Mercenaries. This bastard’s clearly their LEADER.

End pg. 1.
Ok, let me have it!

16.8.09

Screenwriting is Easy!

It's just a constant process of figuring out how to precisely say what you need to say without really saying it.

13.8.09

The Importance of Diversification

So, career-wise, I have a Grand Plan. Part of that plan entails writing specs and assignments for feature films. I'm not that interested at the moment in t.v., indies, webisodes, etc. I'm talking big budget, studio films. The most difficult market to breach. So how will I do it?

I do have choices, one of which is to follow everyone else pursuing the traditional methods (queries, pitchfests, contests etc.) to secure representation. Then both of us knocking on doors and pounding pavement until someone bites.

Or I could think out of the box.

I'm choosing to do both.

Though I've written a few, I now have ONE solid feature spec in my arsenal (by solid I mean a well written, marketable concept, polished and ready to shop). But so frakkin' what? I'm gonna need a lot more ammo than that to win this war. So I am currently working on another I have just as much confidence in, and won't pursue representation until it's completed.
Once it is ready to show, I'll still waiting to approach reps, because I have a slate of future projects that I'm building pitches for, so when someone says "Good work, but what else do you have?", I have projects that I can properly pitch. And I want to be well underway on my 3rd spec. Once all that is in place (as well as some contest wins/placements, hopefully), I'll start looking for reps. So that's my plan on the traditional front.
If anyone has any ideas on how I can enhance/maximize this plan, please, share.

Now for my "out of the box" approach:

Studios are now owned by corporate conglomerates. They don't make "passion projects". They don't take risks on new writers or out of the box projects. They are, in fact, in the risk aversion business. If they do do something risky, hiring an unproven writer or taking on a quirky story, you can bet it's because those writers/projects have already proven themselves marketable commodities in other forms (comics, old t.v. shows, video games, BOARD games now!).
That's the only way you're going to get some of the crazier movies out there now (if/when there are any). It's called "pre-awareness", and even if it only extends to 5000 comics sold or 10,000 hits on your website, it's a heluvalot better than zero. In an exec's eyes, no matter how unfounded, it proves there's an audience out there for it, and that can only enhance your project's appeal in their eyes.

So while writing and pursuing traditional methods of breaking in, I'm trying to adapt as many of my screenplays/future screenplays as I can to other forms of media - comic books, webisodes, independent shorts and features, etc. Wait a minute - didn't I just say I'm not too interested in those things? Yes. But in today's marketplace, if I want to succeed, I need to be.
And here's a trick - I need to be passionate about these platforms. If I'm not, I can't add anything original or write sincerely. And if you don't write from a place of sincerity - especially in the comic book world - you'll be easily sniffed out by the audience as a fake, and they don't buy your stuff, literally and figurative. But if you do write with originality and passion, I believe you will be noticed by your audience.

If I liked romance novels (don't, FYI), I'd adapt some of my stories to romance novels. If I was a tech freak and liked short films, I'd consider shooting my own shorts and distributing them on the net, to festivals, etc. Point being, I'm going after the other mediums I AM interested in, knowing it's all in service of the larger goal of being a pro studio writer.

Aside from comics, because I also want to direct (surprised?) I'm also planning on shooting a few indie shorts, and eventually my own indie feature.

Each of these markets are unique, and each involves a lot of research in order to maximize my investment of time. Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting huge chunks of time researching these when I should be writing. But I need as much knowledge as I can to make informed choices and business decisions. There's no way around that, so the time spent is necessary, and I'm betting the knowledge gained will serve me well in the future.

In any case, the goal of writing films is a lofty one - I'd say one of the most difficult to achieve of any profession (if I wanted to become a neuro-physicist at least I'd know how long it would take, and the specific hurdles I'd have to jump through. By comparison building a career in screenwriting is like trying to catch a unicorn before God blinks). So you have to maximize your odds.

Therefore, if you're an upstart writer like me in today's climate and you truly want to succeed, I think we have no choice but to DIVERSIFY. Do whatever it takes to get our work out there. There are more opportunities out there now more than ever before to get our work shot, published, drawn or performed, and SEEN. We'd be stacking the deck even further against ourselves if we didn't take advantage of these opportunities. How smart or competitive would that be? If people like me (your competition) are taking advantage of these strategies, can you really afford not to?

If Hollywood ain't buyin' right now keep selling, but don't shrift yourself - and your stories - of the opportunity to find a different audience. DIVERSIFICATION. Sooner or later, Hollywood will be filling your voice mail with messages asking why you didn't contact them sooner.

Beating Writer's Block

3 methods of overcoming "writer's block" that work for me:

1. Take time off - sometimes you're just written out, or uninspired. You need to recharge, and that means reconnecting with the outside world. Re-focus on whatever hobby you're in to. Start a new hobby. Read a book totally unrelated to what you're writing, work out, watch a few movies, play Xbox, whatever.
The important attributes of the activities you choose, though, should be 1. something that only takes a few hours at a time, and 2., an activity that can be repeated as many times as necessary to get you going, whether that be a few hours respite, or a couple weeks of comic book geekdom. Just be sure not to go past 2/3 weeks. If you feel you've been away too long, maybe quit this method and try one of the others?
A great side-effect to this approach is you usually end up learning something new while you were away. You're now recharged and have more ammo in your writing arsenal to draw from.

2. Jump to another writing project - knowing you'll get back to the one that stumped you after a short amount of time. Sometimes just switching creative tracks for a while can be refreshing and give me a new perspective on my existing project.
Just be careful you set a time limit for working with the different project, or you run the risk of getting sidetracked. You must get back to the original project, or no matter how much work you accomplish, you'll never finish anything.
The obvious benefit to this approach is I'm filling in the details of future projects while working on my current one. When the time comes to write those other stories I won't be starting from scratch. I'll already have material to work from, and have already consciously and subconsciously been swimming in those waters.

3. Write shit - as stated in a previous post, simply acknowledge the fact that you're going to re-write the damn thing anywhere from five to a hundred more times, and just be willing to write poorly. No one but you is ever going to see it, and you're going to change it all anyway, so don't sweat it.
When you look over your crappy, ill-conceived scenes, you'll eventually have an idea on how to make something better. How can you not? One good idea leads to another and so on.
The nice thing about this approach is it keeps me writing and focused on the project at hand (instead of jumping ship for a while). And as a bonus, I'll usually find a gem of an idea in all that crap I had to fix that helps either with the section I'm currently working on, sheds light or fixes a problem in another section.

If anyone else has any tips, let me know. I'm always looking.

12.8.09

A Swiftly Tilting Industry - or, What Will OUR Paychecks Look Like?

The following was a response I posted to a very interesting article concerning the current climate and future of writers in Hollywood. You can find the article posted on The Artful Writer website at http://artfulwriter.com/?p=870
(There are 2 ways of looking at this: 1., things look pretty bleak, especially for someone like me just trying to break in to the studio system. Or 2., there are more opportunities than ever before out there for upstarts like myself to take their careers into their own hands, get their works produced and seen, and make money. These opportunities can be seen as stepping stones to studio work.
)

At this point I'm a relative neophyte when it comes to understanding the rules and functions of the WGA, so this post may be moot. But I do understand the WGA ostensibly exists to protect writers and make sure we get fair deals. Regardless of where the fault lies, they don't seem to be doing this very effectively.

The business is changing fundamentally, we all know that. But buyers seem to be trying to deal with the change, in fact dictate the change, while the WGA sticks its head in the proverbial sand.
Sure, we just struck for better deals concerning new platforms, etc., but the WGA seems by and large to be fighting by the current rule book, while buyers are busy drafting an entirely new manifesto. So -- why don't we take initiative and create that new paradigm/business model before they do?

Instead of bargaining from our historic position of weakness, what's to stop US from leading the current paradigm change and start bargaining from a position of strength? After all, it is OUR content that fuels the industry, until we sell it to someone else and let THEM craft/dictate the terms of the deal.

As stated, I'm not well educated on the specific boundaries imposed on our dealmaking options by the WGA, but here's a "what if" question that I think could change the story in our favor (though I know it's a HUGE "what if"), or at least inspire some out-of-the-box dialogue in that direction:

In the spirit of writers negotiating from a position of strength, what if independent prodcos and talent reps pre-packaged projects with writers, directors and talent, then approached studios from the angle of "This is the package, these are everyone's quotes, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT" (don't stop reading, hear me out). The quote would be as sweet as we want it to be, we'd ask for what we think is "fair".
Oh yeah, part of the contract would be "the original writer stays on the pic unless the DIRECTOR or producer says otherwise - the studio has no say. They paid for a package designed a certain way, and our part of the bargain is we deliver exactly that".
So drastic script changes, studio notes and general outside meddling will be greatly minimized.

I'm well aware this sounds audacious and impracticable. Of course when given a simple "take it or leave it" option, they're going to leave it. But as we all know, great change is never easy and always comes at a steep price. So initially the price we pay will be lots of execs laughing us off the lot, not working and going (further) into debt while other projects are picked up and developed instead of ours. But so what - isn't that pretty much where things stand right now?

But what if ALL the key element top earners - writers, directors, stars, etc. - were to adopt this policy (being attached to a project at an unwavering price)?
Studios may refuse us for a while, but it seems to me that eventually, from not hiring top-tier talent in possession of top-tier material, b.o. receipts would inevitably start to drop.
B team talent just won't be up to the task of pulling off the spectacular successes A talents are capable of achieving, and once B listers ARE capable of it, they'll BE "A talent" and will want the same deals A talent is holding out for.

Basically, we will have effectively boxed the studios in to a certain way of doing business: spending much more $$ in production costs and everything taking even longer and being more complicated because they're now relegated to working with B talent or less, or they pay the quotes and abide by the rules set by top tier talent.

Though there'll be strong resistance at first, this type of business model can actually be a money SAVING proposition for studios, because instead of wasting all that pre-production time/money/resources, very little change will occur to the project because the creatives have already agreed upon and set the project parameters, which means minimal unforseen expenditures, and shorter production time as a whole.

While all the A talent is working outside of the studio system, some indie prodcos are bound to have great financial successes with A talent working in smaller films (talent would have to understand that until our "embargo" is pushed through, they'll simply have to work for less, which again, they're already being forced to do).

These b.o. successes will eventually force some studio somewhere to break the embargo for sheer economic reasons (once they've seen the stellar receipts from projects THEY passed on because of not wanting to accept our new dealmaking standard) and accept a package deal based on the terms we've set.

Again, because this is A list talent, they're more likely to deliver a commercial hit. Once a studio makes money off such a hit they will of course want to continue to do so. We've effectively started the ball rolling, and sooner or later the new business model WE'VE created could be the new standard way of doing business and packaging projects. We the creatives now dictate the terms of the deal, and if the studios want access to OUR content, they must come over to OUR house and play in OUR sandbox. AND pay for the privilege.

Again, I may just be uneducated on how this all works and it's a pie-in-the-sky idea. But it seems to me to be a far-fetched but workable strategy, dependent only on if A list talent would/could show some serious solidarity for a while. After all, solidarity will ultimately benefit us all, economically and creatively. Isn't that enough of a carrot?

Whether or not this is a feasible plan, I think we need to stop wondering what's going to happen and start deciding for ourselves how our new world is going to look, rather than have a bunch of ad execs and media congloms decide our future for us. What kind of a deal do you think we'll end up with if we let THEM decide how OUR deals are structured?

Regardless of what happens this paradigm shift is happening right now, and this seems to me to be the ideal moment for creatives as a whole to start dealing from a position of power, rather than weakness.

11.8.09

A Major Difference Between Professionals and Amateurs

After recently reading a very good book on pitching, and having written and re-written 30-50 loglines in order to craft the perfect one or two that distill the essence of a story I spent a year writing, it occurred to me that I'm gaining a huge leg up on most of the writers I know, not to mention those I don't. Why? Simply because I'm taking the time to do these things.

I've spent hours - days, maybe, if I add it all up - scouring the internet, researching contests, production companies, producers, managers and agents to whom it may be appropriate to submit my material (when I'm ready, which is not yet). And from what I hear, not many writers do this. It's much easier to haphazardly blast your queries to everyone in town you can find an address for.

Searching for all this stuff can seem like a waste of time, when that time could be spent actually writing. That may seem like a good, responsible excuse, but it's not. If we want to get anywhere, people must read our material. And they won't if we haven't done our homework. Rather, they'll consider us and our query a waste of time and move on to someone who took the time to check out if they should submit their genre spec based on easily obtainable evidence of the buyer's history and tastes.

When you're starting out you don't have a manager or agent, so you have to be both, in addition to your duties as a writer/editor. At their core, every manager or agent is just a salesman, so you must be too. It's nice to look at successful screenwriters and imagine they woke up one morning with inspiration shining through the window, lasering directly into their cerebrum, wrote a brilliant script in a matter of weeks, sent it out to a bunch of random reps/buyers and was immediately welcomed with open arms because of their brilliance.

But the truth is - and this should give us all some consolation - that from William Goldman, J.J. Abrams and the Rossio/Elliot team to John Grisham, J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown, every COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL writer has had to endure the process of "taking off the writer's cap and putting on the business attire". Writing the queries, withstanding the rejections, re-write after re-write, building connections and relationships, etc. They all did it and still do it today, and we must too. Unless you have an aversion to commercial success, in which case maybe we'll catch you at next year's Renaissance Fair (but I bet even Shakespeare had to do his homework on who to approach to get, say, Titus playing at the Old Vic).

Especially if you're a writer today, there's just no excuse - it is easier now than it has ever before been to find the necessary info to target our submissions to someone who has the power to move our careers forward. There are many ways to research buyers and representation, literally thousands of websites, hundreds of books and gagillions of interviews with these people spanning all forms of media. Part of the job of an aspiring writer - 50% of it in my opinion - is to seek out such information, take notes, and use said info when time comes to get an agent/manager/query prodcos, etc. If you don't target your submissions carefully, you're wasting their time, and they're going to remember that.

I think that's a big reason why MOST aspiring writers fail, drop out, or keep banging their head against what seems like an impenetrable wall for years without making a dent. Because they don't do their marketing and business research. They don't practice their pitches out loud until it becomes ingrained in their subconscious. They don't write logline after logline trying to find the most compelling sentence that showcases their stories' strengths. They don't seek out background and information that can help them build rapport with prospective buyers/reps. The movies or personal passions we may have in common with them, the places we grew up, the kinds of stories we want to tell, all this info can be found in countless interviews with professional writers, script consultants, buyers & reps, an used to engage them with US the writer, on an emotional and personal level. It seems most writers don't even take the time to analyze what their stories' strengths and weaknesses are, much less do any of the above. They think that's the job of someone else, and again, it's not.

If I can't be bothered to spend the time carefully crafting my own marketing plan to give my "baby" the best shot possible, then why should anyone else? It's our job first, and those of us lucky/smart enough to recognize that will always be miles ahead of most of the pack, and I don't mind bragging - that feels good.

6.8.09

R.I.P.

Damn, what a horrible couple days it's been for screenwriters and the industry at large -- we've lost not one or two but THREE huge talents in the past 48 measly hours.

Bud Schulberg, writer of "On the Waterfront" died last night.

I just heard Blake Snyder, screenwriting consultant & author of industry standard "Save the Cat" died on Tuesday.

I just checked out some filmmaking blogs, and after signing out was immediately informed that John Hughes (does anyone reading this NOT know who John f'ing Hughes is??) died today.

Wherever they are now, a big THANK YOU to all these folks for enriching my life, as well as millions of others.

"I'm not European. I don't plan on being European. So who gives a crap if they're socialists? They could be fascist anarchists for all I care, it still doesn't change the fact that I don't own a car."

Tales From the Script

Last night I went to a screening that should be required viewing for all aspiring screenwriters.

The film is "Tales From the Script", a fascinating documentary put together by two other aspiring screenwriters, Peter Hanson and Paul Robert Herman (take note, Paul and Peter are writers who haven't yet found traction, so took the initiative to shoot their own film. Through that decision these guys now have access to some of the best, most experienced minds in H'wood film writing, and a wonderful doc with THEIR names on it that is now showing in selected theaters!).

The doc features interviews with some of H'wood's top screenwriters -- Shane Black, William Goldman, Zak Penn, Frank Darabont, Jose Rivera, David Hayter, Billy Ray, John August, David Ward, Larry Cohen, just to name a few. The purpose was to get a picture from seasoned screenwriters about the lifestyle and challenges all screenwriters face, and how to navigate those challenges. Most of the film was horror stories about writers being treated badly, but the cumulative effect was actually quite inspiring -- against all odds, these guys did it (just like your protagonist)!!

There was a post-screening Q&A panel as well, hosted by Peter (the Director), who asked some very insightful questions. Jose Rivera, Zak Penn, Adam Rifkin and David S. Ward were among the panelists, and all shared intimate, fascinating, insightful and inspiring points of view. Truly an invaluable gift for aspiring writers like myself, so thanks, Gents.

Among the writers who made a huge impression on me was Billy Ray (writer of State of Play, Breach, Flightplan, etc.). Billy has great passion and enthusiasm for storytelling, despite all the travails he's had to endure throughout his impressive career. Billy sticks to his intent as a screenwriter against all odds, and consistently produces thoughtful, socially significant films.

For me, the most inspirational speaker was Larry Cohen. Larry's been in the business since the late 50's (!) and has been working the entire time. Aside from the impressiveness of a 40 + year career, the true inspiration Larry passed to me was when during the Q&A portion of the screening, a writer asked WHY writers don't have much power.
Larry's answer was "Bullshit"! Writers are low on the totem pole simply because they set themselves up for it! Writers tend to characterize themselves as beaten down, trod upon, disrespected and powerless, so of course, that's how we're treated. But if you stand up for yourself, stand up for your point of view, people are bound to listen -- after all, who's the story expert in the room? YOU ARE! So have some self confidence and speak up! This doesn't mean to be combative, what it does mean is simply to stand up for your ideas.

And although most insights were about the difficulties of writing for H'wood, Larry made a great argument for how wonderful the life can be, if you chose to focus on the positives instead of the negatives: you get paid large sums of money for films that more often than not don't get made, films that directors, actors etc. didn't get paid for, but YOU did; a director works maybe 2 years on a movie, shooting in the cold, on mountaintops, away from their families for months at a time, dealing with actors, producers, studios, financiers, marketers, etc, while you're sitting poolside contemplating your next story; directors can't direct whatever they want, and actors can't have whatever roles they want, but you can write whatever you want, whenever you choose; the list goes on.

There's too much to write about what a great impact hearing all these stories and points of view had on me, but I highly recommend you seek out "Tales From the Script" and watch it, repeatedly. Harper Collins is also releasing a "Tales..." book in January which features all the above interviewees, plus a bevy of others who weren't in the film but still wanted to participate.
After experiencing the film and the invaluable advice these guys are imparting to us for the low, low price of cost of admission, for me, the upcoming book is a must-have.

I have great respect for all the ladies and gentlemen who participated in the "Tales..." project in book and/or film. To take time out of their busy careers to impart their hard won wisdom to those aspiring to do what they are doing is a priceless and generous gift that can ignite careers and change lives. These folks - and certainly the filmmakers - are truly paying it forward (backward?), so a big thank you to any of them who may be reading this, and an especially large thank you to Peter and Paul for putting this all together.
If you'd like more info, just go to www.talesfromthescript.org
Happy Writing