Good Critics Are Hard to Find

Soon after I started this blog I let a few friends know about it. A few of them checked it out, gave me kudos. That was nice. Then a particular friend - let's just call him "Tim the Tool Man" to protect his identity - pointed out a couple tiny errors in one of my posts. One was an error in grammar, a misuse of quotation marks. The other was the context in which I referenced Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 11 (I was writing about attributes of successful original screenplays and mentioned Ocean's as possessing those attributes. Though Ocean's did illustrate the point I was making, technically it was an adaptation of existing material, not an "original" screenplay by Ted Griffin).

Small transgressions. But I am a writer, and everything I write represents me to others, including people who can hire me. Small mistakes here and there add up, suddenly I come  off as sloppy and unprofessional, and real pros don't work with people like that. Christian Bale knows where I'm coming from.

So in everything you write, it is crucially important that you remember EVERYTHING MATTERS - spelling, punctuation, proper grammar, syntax, tenses, etc.  If you don't know or are unsure of a particular rule of grammar - look it up, learn it and then learn more. You're a writer, fer Christssake!

You never know who could be looking at any random message or post you may put online or anywhere else. Could be the person who could give you that first "big break" you've been hoping and dreaming for. If that person isn't impressed because they're a stickler for proper grammar, syntax and punctuation and you're all over the place... there goes your "big break".

Small mistakes are too easy for most friends and family to overlook and forgive (they're just happy you managed to accomplish anything at all). But a good friend and critic - someone like Tim the Tool Man - will be detail oriented, blunt and honest. They will test your theories and pick your story apart like Perry Mason cross examining O.J. Simpson, and as a writer, you need that. That person is not being "picky", they are being helpful. They are holding you to the standards professionals will. In short, put your best foot forward, always. Then seek out honest, detailed feedback and be grateful for it, because people like Tim the Tool Man are indeed rare.

Oscar Thought for Writers

Concerning the nominees for Best Original and Adapted screenplays and Best Picture, I was trying to look for some pattern in these categories that may be of some help to us aspiring screenwriters. My question was, regardless of their individual merits or shortcomings, what was it specifically about these individual and vastly differing projects that got them to the pinnacle of the Hollywood game? What do they all have in common that directly contributed to their success?

The answer is a two-parter:

1. Excellent Writing - writing that got readers (agents, producers, studio execs, directors, stars, etc.) excited.

2. A Champion - someone like a producer or director who were so excited by the material that they fought for it and protected it the whole way through, from gestation to finished product.

Put those two together and my conclusion is for any writer - beginner or otherwise - to get their screenplay not just bought (if a sale is your end-game, you'll be playing one very short game) but actually seen in a real, live movie theater, the writing must be so engaging as to gain not one or two, but a literal army of Champions - all the people a film requires who will do the hard work of transferring your blueprint sketch into a complete, living, breathing work of art (or at least, cinema).

So when you're considering your next writing project, and during the actual writing, always remember that many very smart, powerful and talented individuals MUST respond to your material in such a way that they dedicate 2 or 3 years of their very lives, perhaps even more, to seeing it through to fruition in as accurate an interpretation as possible (a real Champion is one who not  just gets behind, but also protects the material).

Everyone's different though, so what key ingredients will make all these different people with different agendas come together to champion your screenplay?

I believe the answer is a combination of superlative, unique storytelling coupled with a clear, distinctive marketing concept. There, the "M" word, I said it.

Now, you may not think of films like Doubt, Frozen River or Slumdog Millionaire as obviously marketable. But if you examine their loglines or overall concepts, I think they are all clearly distinctive from other films out there, and also share universal stories. "Distinctive" is a good place to be in any market, and in marketing terms "universality" translates to wide audience appeal. 

Why am I focusing on marketability? Because in the end, you need to sell your work, and agents, creative execs and producers are basically all just salespeople. They need product, plain and simple, and in order to sell the most product that product must be familiar to the buyer yet also stand out as unique in the marketplace, an attribute I'm calling "original familiarity". Think about it, these players want to take risks, but not if it means losing their jobs or industry clout. So they like different. But they need familiar. And that's the trick in crafting your screenplay.

The classic actioner Lethal Weapon has ridiculously familiar plot - two cops team up to bring down a ruthless drug cartel. How many times have we seen that before, right? But it was the writer's specific take on the details of the story - mainly the interaction and relationships of the main characters - that gave Lethal Weapon its uniqueness. It was the telling of the story that made it seem like an original. Try the original/familiar approach when looking at the concepts & premises behind 99.9% of "successful" films, I bet they're all originally familiar.

Too Funny...

Not the greatest video, but funny, and most importantly for our purposes, instructional. A few days ago no one knew who these assistants were, they were nameless and faceless to the rest of the industry. But by creating this video, they have created "buzz" around themselves. I'm sure by week's end they'll at least have an agent, if not a production deal! All because they thought out of the box and created their own project instead of waiting around for someone to hand them one. A good lesson for writers - why not shoot what you write? Make a web video, webisodes, a short film, whatever. Lesson  being, don't wait for anyone to give you permission - go out and make your own breaks. I have a tendency to write big and expensively, but I'm trying to focus on smaller fare too, the kind I can shoot on the cheap. Also looking into graphic novels, so if your best bud happens to be an aspiring comic artist searching for unsucky material, let me know.

Also, on a mechanics of writing level, think how much better this video would be if it were about 2 minutes shorter - less is always more! Think of this when you're editing your scenes - the shorter they are, the more powerful they will be. Always leave them wanting more...
Hollywood ASST from Back of the Class on Vimeo.

Anatomy of a Logline

Loglines have two main purposes: 

1. To communicate your story clearly and concisely

2. To "hook" your reader/listener into wanting to know more.

I read a very good article somewhere (sorry, can't remember or I'd lead you to it) that basically said the anatomy of a logline should always include:

1. The Protagonist

2. The Antagonist

3. A Goal

4. An Obstacle

5. An Action.

Not easy to do in one sentence, which is why I think so many loglines fail to serve their purpose. If you go on imdb, TV guide or even look at the back of your DVD boxes, you'll find most good loglines have all 5 attributes (of course, this is not the only way to design a logline - you can simplify this template, phrase your logline as a "what if" question, etc.).

Loglines look easy - which is why I think so many writers don't spend enough time developing theirs - but in truth they are deceptively difficult. I literally wrote 20/30 different variations of my logline for my current screenplay, trying to distill the entire story to its essence, and I still have about 4 different takes I fluctuate with. I was developing my logline throughout the writing process, and even into the marketing phase. I took a lot of time and thought, trial and error to come up with a simple sentence that describes my story, is easy to say and understand, and that hooks the listener/reader into wanting to know more.

It may take you some time, but distilling your story down to a one sentence logline that can be said easily and clearly understood will be well worth it once you have a one-liner that rolls off your tongue when people ask you what your story is about!

Connections vs Friends

It's not what you know, it's who you know, right? So everyone runs around Hollywood trying to build CONNECTIONS. I think we need a little more than "connections". I don't like the word and am trying to get it out of my head. For me the connotation is of trying to build a relationship with a person in order to use them. I don't like using people, or being used, and neither should you.

You probably don't, and I think this is a big reason why writers don't like to talk. They feel the pressure of the subtext of the conversation with any industry professional - you have something I want/need, please, please like me so you'll give it to me!! This kind of mindset smacks of desperation and manipulation. It's a relationship built under a false pretext, and no one wants to be seen as desperate, manipulative and false. So how do you build "connections" and stay true to yourself (and others)?

Easy - forget "connections". Make FRIENDS. No, I'm not saying run out and buddy up to anyone and everyone in the biz. I'm not saying invite them home to meet the family, crash their birthday party or offer to pick their kids up from school (you'll soon turn into a "friend with restraining order").

What I am saying is, if you meet someone and can hit it off on a personal level - WITHOUT careers being in the conversation, chances are, you'll be looking at that person as someone who's company you enjoy. Someone you can connect with on a personal level, a level of honesty, not just a business opportunity.

If you genuinely don't like or respect someone but you think they can help you with your career, stay away. This is not a friend. It is a connection, and connections come and go depending on if you have something they want, or not. They're not dependable, and sooner or later you'll be let down. Is that the best use of your time and energy?

But friends stick around. Friends are willing to help when they think they can or are inspired to do so. They contact you just to say "hi", wish you well, happy birthday, go out for drinks, whatever. But if they're someone you genuinely like and the feelings are reciprocated, you'll soon find yourself surrounded by steady, dependable relationships based on more than just opportunism and business. That's personally fulfilling, isn't it? Life enriching. And career enhancing. And it takes all the fear and intimidation out of those quasi social/business relationships. So stop cultivating connections. Start making friends.

PS - look at the personal/business relationships of all the filmmakers you admire - you'll soon see a pattern: people work with the same people over and over again. Why? Because not only do these professionals enjoy relationships with others who are proficient in their fields, but they also happen to be people they genuinely like being around and share similar mindsets. 

 

Writing Resources

As beginning writers, we're always looking for advice. Where do you go to get it? Some very good resources:

Podcasts - there are many film comment podcasts that review and analyze recent and past films. Listening to film criticism will enhance your understanding of film and the things you notice within them - techniques, structures, casting choices, why something works or doesn't, the list is endless. There are also a handful of podcasts out there that interview professional, working writers at various stages in their careers. There's no one better to learn from than them, especially if you don't live in Los Angeles and don't regularly bump into Oscar winning screenwriters at your local Starbuck's. Simply go to itunes and look up tv/film podcasts, you will find a host of podcasts to peruse, some will be helpful, some, not so much. But podcasts are a terrific FREE resource for studying and understanding all aspects of filmmaking. Some of my favorite & most trusted weekly podcasts:
Creative Screenwriting Magazine
On The Page
Script Magazine
The Hollywood Saloon
/Film
KCRW's The Business
KCRW's The Treatment w/Elvis Mitchell

Now on to Professional Writer's Websites - do you frequent any? You should be! There are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of screenwriters out there who have their own websites and blogs, and you'd be wiser for surveying them. Many of these guys & girls are just a rung or three above you on the career ladder, and have valuable insights on navigating the business of writing. Among my favorites:

Wordplayer.com - read every article on this vast site at least twice!

Aspiringtvwriter.blogspot.com

Complicationsensue.blogspot.com

Kfmonkey.blogspot.com

Sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com
Gointothestory.com
Johnaugust.com
Mysteryman.org
Unknownscreenwriter.com

And a hundred others I have bookmarked! The real value for me in these sites is not only do you receive street-tested knowledge from other writers, but you have an opportunity to converse with these writers (at least online), get some one-on-one advice and build relationships. Again, if you don't live in Los Angeles, a very useful way to learn the art, the business, and cultivate those all important "connections". 

A word of caution though - show some professional courtesy when contacting these people! Use tact, be polite, concise and to the point. Don't ramble on and don't EXPECT anything in return - you're already getting great advice for free, don't wear out your welcome by being too pushy, asking too many questions, "depending" on anyone to solve your story problems or give you the golden keys to the kingdom. These people are much too busy to entertain endless correspondence from an army of unemployed writers!

Just read what they have to offer, glean what you can, correspond when necessary, and thank them for their valuable time and insights. Remember, no one is forced to start a website, they do this in hopes that beginning screenwriters will learn something and maybe not be so green or make the same mistakes they did. Don't let them - or yourself - down!

There are many other film/TV related websites and publications you should always be checking - Variety.com, boxofficemojo.com, Done Deal Pro, Hollywood Reporter, etc. should all be a daily stop for you. The value in these sites is to know what's going on in the business TODAY - who's doing what, who's selling what, who's buying what, etc. And funny as it may sound, TAKE NOTES! Are any of the people/companies mentioned in the articles working with new writers? Are the kinds of projects they produce/want to produce up your alley? This research and your notes will come in handy once it's time to market your own screenplay - you'll already have a rough list of production companies, producers, agents, managers etc. to query!

Another very important aspect of your web toolkit are screenplay contests and writing communities. If you're a writer with no credits yet, placing in a recognized contest can be used to beef up your queries, build connections, or give some form of credibility/vetting to entice those who are too busy to read your screenplay.

And join a writing community - somewhere online or off - gives you a safe environment in which you can discuss your work with other writers, get feedback, put your script on its feet, etc. And let's not forget - connections. Maybe your comedy writing buddy has a relationship with a producer that doesn't do comedy, but may be very interested in your summer action script!

All this to say, in today's world there are more resources available to aspiring writers than ever before to learn your craft and learn the business. Take advantage of these opportunities, or others will, and you will be left in the proverbial dust. Good hunting!

PS - let me know of any sites you find exceptionally informative!

Good Storytelling

No matter what you do, all your work should have a definable beginning, middle, and end.

The Bionic Man opener brings back great childhood memories for me, so excuse the indulgence, but it also illustrates how to tell a complete story in a very short amount of time - a minute and a half, in this case.

Every scene you write should read like its own short story, with a definable beginning, middle and end. Every sequence should have a beginning, middle and end. Every act? A beginning, middle and end. Stories within stories.

Do your scenes/sequences/acts/stories have solid beginnings, middles and endings? If not, you're not really telling a story!

Writing and Parenting

Being a full time parent while trying to write is certainly tough. But even when you're not writing, you can still be writing. A few ways I've found to take care of my little one while staying creative:

Every kid has their movies they want to watch over & over again, which can be terribly annoying on many levels, especially when you're trying to work while the background shrill of the same songs & dialogue echo through the house day after day. I suggest a change in perspective. Remember that these big budget animated movies are put together to appeal to not only to kids, but to a mass audience. These films are huge investments and it's very important these companies make their money back. Therefore the storytelling structure they use are usually very traditional and very tight. They usually follow the Hero's Journey format very closely, all characters serve specific functions and purposes (usually all archetypal), character arcs are well defined and specific, and there's very little fat in the way of dialogue and purpose. So if you're watching Beauty and the Beast for the 101st time, try watching it with your writer's eyes and ears: what's the subtext of every scene/what are they REALLY saying in storytelling terminology? Notice the scene transitions, the "buttons" on the end of every scene; What does each character want and how do they go about getting it? What are the archetypes behind every main character? What is the anatomy of an individual scene? What are its beats? Can you identify basic structural elements such as the inciting incident, the call/refusal to action, the first and second turning points, the midpoint where everything should shift - how does it shift? There are a million more questions you could ask yourself, all of which will enhance or inform your own writing in some way. The point is if you have the right frame of mind, instead of trying to block out these films as an unwanted annoyance, you can instead watch them over and over again with your little one and be just as fascinated, engaged and interested as they are on repeated viewings.

Bedtime I find is another good opportunity to be a good parent and also flex your creative muscles. Instead of reading a book, take some of your little one's favorite characters and make up a story on the spot - akin to freewriting. You'll immediately find you're inadvertently painting yourself into creative corners, and in order to keep the story going you'll have to improvise, and quickly. The real value of this instead of mulling a story point over and over in your head before committing to it, as we tend too often to do, you'll have to silence your inner critic in order to forge ahead. You may find you have an innate knack for 3 act structure. You may discover you have a gift for thinking out of the box, for connecting seemingly unrelated story elements, for dialogue, relationships, character or you may discover you need serious help in one or many of these areas. Again, the real value in this exercise is it exposes your strengths, your weaknesses, and most importantly, get that inner critic out of the way of your storytelling process.

More often than not as soon as your little one has drifted into dreamland, you'll leap to your computer inspired and on fire. Or maybe you'll just sit on the couch and watch T.V. In either case, you have stretched and worked that storytelling muscle while taking care of your "real world" responsibilities. And if you're a parent you know well enough the importance of multitasking!

Never Give Your Script to Anyone Hot Off the Press!

As writers work endless hours in solitude, the deeper we delve, the more we tend lose objectivity on the quality and coherence of our projects. Once we feel we're "done", by any stretch of the word, we're always anxious to get immediate feedback on whether we've achieved our goals or fallen short. So we take our creation hot off the press, and put it in a reader's hands.

Then, moments later, we make an adjustment. Or realize something isn't quite right. We fix here, tinker there, rewrite a little, then, making the same mistake a second time, immediately send our revised copy to our trusted reader who has already begun - if not finished - the original draft. Usually this is accompanied with an apologetic email sounding something like "really sorry if you've started my first draft already, I made some revisions, and now the structure is better, I've eliminated/combined some characters, and put a whole new twist on the ending! The new draft is absolute genius, so trash that first one and check this baby out!".

In varying degrees I have committed this sin, as have friends of mine, as I'm sure have you.

It may seem a small sin, but I don't think there's any such thing as a small sin in the Business - they're all large, egregious sins, because they can affect your career not in just one, but in many different ways.

For example, we all know the importance of connections and the value of a true, "trusted reader", a friend or acquaintance who will give you honest and specific feedback, no smoke, no bull. But any trusted reader is going to get tired of re-starting your towering work of staggering genius every time you feel another adjustment needs to be made. People have better things to do. It also gives the impression you are unorganized, amateurish and flaky. There is so much competition in this business, and so many flakes and wannabe's that most professionals will zero in on the tiniest, most insignificant piece of information about a potential writer and characterize said writer based entirely on their mistake. If that seems unfair or illogical, consider the sheer volume of material out there producers, agents, readers, execs and directors have to slog through each day just to find the two or three unproven writers or new projects they may say "yes" to this year. Fifty thousand original scripts registered with the WGA each year, of which less than 50 will even get optioned (remember, I said "original" works. Most projects bought now days are almost exclusively based on pre-existing works). Think of a prospector who has to sift through an entire mountain to find a half-ounce of gold flecks. You think he's going to closely examine every stone comprising the mountain for their individual merits? To say these people are busy is a gross understatement, that's why the Business is a lifestyle, not just another occupation out can clock out from on Friday.

So by jumping the gun before your material is ready, not only have you distanced a valuable resource, you've also painted in their minds a picture of someone who's "not ready yet". That's not where you want to be. Also, I doubt your trusted reader will be waiting on pins and needles to read your next project when they know they'll have to read at least 3 drafts of basically the same story. No one is going to have the same passion or tolerance for your project as you do, don't test what little they do have. If, however, you turn in your projects with i's dotted, t's crossed and such, your reader will look upon you as someone they don't mind spending their time on, because you appear serious about your work. There are other side effects too, which are self evident if you consider the topic a moment, but since I passed brevity about three paragraphs ago, I'll stop detailing the problem and consequences here.

Now it's time to talk about solutions, which should also be pretty obvious: once you're "done" with your project, SHOW IT TO NO ONE. Throw it in a drawer. Close the drawer. Nail it shut Wyle E. Coyote style and don't go near that drawer for at least two or three weeks -- at least (I recommend a month). What you need right now is to get your mind off your project -- literally to forget about it. Start another screenplay, read some books, ply your hobby, whatever, just forget about what's sitting in that drawer for a while.

Then, one day when you don't feel like it, pull the nails out, open the drawer, go to a quiet place for at least 2 hours with a pen, a highlighter, a pencil and your script. Then read. Take notes. Make changes. Do what you need to do. You'll be surprised -- shocked, actually -- at the many errors that litter your script. Don't worry, that's expected, you've been staring at this document for hours on end for months, of course you're not going to see things that will scream out to other, more objective readers. Then go to your computer and plug in those changes and guess what? Entomb it in another drawer for another week or two. Rinse, repeat.

Then, after two touch up/rewrites, maybe, just maybe, your work of staggering genius will be ready to be seen by foreign eyes.

The Who, the What and the Why

Welcome. My name is Alain Dominic, and this blog was created to connect and share the highs and lows, insights and outsider perspectives of just another poor schlub trying to break into the Biz. Well, maybe not "just another" schlub, because although I am a relative beginner, I happen to take this pretty seriously (the job, not myself).

I'm dedicated to my craft in every way, from living the life of a writer to developing the mind of a writer to paying attention to the busine$$ of writing. It's not a job or a dream but a lifestyle, and so far, not a very glamourous one. But if you truly embrace the journey, every step - every - step - becomes rewarding. Every moment of your life becomes richer and more intense than the bland seconds, days and years other mere mortals let slip through their fingers.

I have written six scripts. I have yet to sell one. I am about to start submitting my first spec that is solidly commercial and I feel is ready for the market. If you're curious to see what happens next, keep checking in. I'll try to update at least every couple of days. If however, you're pretty sure you'll never visit this site again, then in the well crafted poetics of the first girl I ever asked out -- beat it, freak.