Thanks to everyone who has read, commented and followed my blog.
I've recently begun a new consulting service, which means a new site on Weebly and a new home for my blog.
I look forward to posting on a much more regular basis with tales from events and workshops I'm teaching as well as observations about life in general so please join me on pitch2script!
Marla
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Telling Your Own Story
The other night I was watching "Face Off" - yes, I know, it's a reality show and therefore the enemy of all writers. What can I say? It's a guilty pleasure. For the uninitiated, it's a competition show for special effects make-up artists. If you've never seen it, it is worth checking out just for grins.
Anyway, at the end of each show the best and worst make-up looks are presented to the panel of judges. The first thing the judges say is, "Tell me about what you've done." Invariably, the contestants with the best looks ALSO have the best story. For instance, in the last episode one contestant said something like, "Well, it was supposed to be an homage to the Twin Towers, so he has pieces of the buildings on his arms and legs," and on and on. The make-up was as compelling as the story, trust me. On the other hand, the contestant who had one of the top looks, said, "His name is Gritty Jim (or whatever the name really was) and he was a detective who was left for dead..." Right off the bat you find yourself more compelled by this contestant's story AND his clear, detailed backstory showed in his make-up job.
Consider this when you go in to either pitch your story. Too many times writers stick with the generics -- "it's about a woman who (fill in the blank)", "or a man looking for x. The first thing that struck me about the example above is that the make-up artist gave the character a name. Ok, I don't remember exactly what the name was, but he still had a name which automatically makes it easier to care about him. So when you tell a story, think about starting off with at least a name. "It's about Kathleen, a woman who..." is already more engaging. If you aren't already thinking of your characters in those terms, if you don't know them as well as the make-up artist did and all he had to create was a mask and a costume, then your story is in bigger trouble than your pitch.
Keep this in mind when going to meetings with producers or agents as well. There is always the inevitable, "tell us about yourself" moment. Be prepared with a story that connects with the listener on an emotional level as well. I'm not saying to create a fictional backstory, but to find a way to let them get to know you on a more personal level than just where you went to school or where you grew up. Film producer Peter Guber gave similar advice in his LinkedIn "deep thoughts" column for anyone going out for a job interview.
At a Warner Brother's Writer's Workshop meeting (the consolation prize for those of us who came close, but not cigar) the point was made that if you claim to be a storyteller, then be able to tell an engaging, interesting story about yourself. Because after all, whose story is more important than your own?
Anyway, at the end of each show the best and worst make-up looks are presented to the panel of judges. The first thing the judges say is, "Tell me about what you've done." Invariably, the contestants with the best looks ALSO have the best story. For instance, in the last episode one contestant said something like, "Well, it was supposed to be an homage to the Twin Towers, so he has pieces of the buildings on his arms and legs," and on and on. The make-up was as compelling as the story, trust me. On the other hand, the contestant who had one of the top looks, said, "His name is Gritty Jim (or whatever the name really was) and he was a detective who was left for dead..." Right off the bat you find yourself more compelled by this contestant's story AND his clear, detailed backstory showed in his make-up job.
Consider this when you go in to either pitch your story. Too many times writers stick with the generics -- "it's about a woman who (fill in the blank)", "or a man looking for x. The first thing that struck me about the example above is that the make-up artist gave the character a name. Ok, I don't remember exactly what the name was, but he still had a name which automatically makes it easier to care about him. So when you tell a story, think about starting off with at least a name. "It's about Kathleen, a woman who..." is already more engaging. If you aren't already thinking of your characters in those terms, if you don't know them as well as the make-up artist did and all he had to create was a mask and a costume, then your story is in bigger trouble than your pitch.
Keep this in mind when going to meetings with producers or agents as well. There is always the inevitable, "tell us about yourself" moment. Be prepared with a story that connects with the listener on an emotional level as well. I'm not saying to create a fictional backstory, but to find a way to let them get to know you on a more personal level than just where you went to school or where you grew up. Film producer Peter Guber gave similar advice in his LinkedIn "deep thoughts" column for anyone going out for a job interview.
At a Warner Brother's Writer's Workshop meeting (the consolation prize for those of us who came close, but not cigar) the point was made that if you claim to be a storyteller, then be able to tell an engaging, interesting story about yourself. Because after all, whose story is more important than your own?
Monday, September 3, 2012
The Art of Pitching
You have finally conquered the terrifying "Blank Screen Monster" and have come up with a really tight story. Whether it’s a book, a feature, or a TV series, you still
have yet to climb that one last uphill mile of Mt. Doom – pitching your story
to a potential buyer. After
sitting through more pitch meetings than I care to count, here’s a few brief
tips on pitfalls to avoid and power steps to take to make the most of the
meetings you get.
Have a specific idea:
Everyone wants to hear a story so if you’re lucky enough to
get in the room with an executive or agent, have a story to tell them. Nothing is more of a turn off than a vague
idea.
For instance, “I think I want my series to star a guy who
solves crimes with the help of his two buddies. There’s probably an antagonist in there, some one who isn’t
really a criminal but somehow stands in his way. I think I’d like to set it some place that’s warm, with
beaches. Maybe a car.” Not really all that engaging, is
it? You’re asking the audience
(and that’s what the exec or agent is, an audience) to fill in all the blanks
for themselves. Sorry, if you want
to be a writer you’re going to have to do some of that work for us.
A better (though far from perfect) way of pitching that idea
would be, “The series is about a p.i. named Thomas Magnum. Ex-military, Thomas’s easy-going nature
covers up some issues that will continue to haunt him throughout the
series. Just barely getting by as
a private investigator, he manages to luck into the greatest gig on earth –
head of security for wealthy, mysterious recluse Robin Masters. In fact, Thomas and the audience may
never even meet Robin, even though Thomas gets to live in the guest house of
his swanky Hawaiian estate and drive his spare car, a red Ferrari. The only glitch in the deal is Higgins,
Robin’s very British Major Domo who takes care of the estate who distrusts
Thomas, from his Hawaiian shirts down to his ragged flip flops. Despite Higgins (and sometimes with his
help), Thomas and his two war buddies, hustler Rick and straight arrow,
helicopter pilot TC, solve cases from the highest of Hawaii’s wealthy to the
lowest of the beach shack dwellers.
While primarily a “case of the week” procedural, there will be some
over-arcing, serialized elements concerning Thomas’s past. (In case you didn’t recognize it, I
just pitched “Magnum P.I.”)
See how different the two versions are? I didn’t go into details that don’t
matter – like the famous mustache, brown hair, the guard dogs, etc. That there will be sexy folks on the
beach is implied and can be emphasized as you go through more of the potential
storylines. Which leads me
too…
Know your characters
When you’re pitching a series, you don’t want to pitch the
pilot. If you notice in the
example above, I didn’t tell a specific story, but I set up a very
specific world. The story points
in the pilot will come out as you describe each character. For instance, after you set up the
world using the example above, you will launch into something like, “Our main
character is Thomas Magnum, a man with a strong sense of honor, a boyish sense
of humor and ridiculously good looking.
After getting out of the Navy, he decided to stay in Hawaii. No more life and death decisions, just
a mai tai, beautiful sunsets and even more gorgeous women. Smart, tough, although sometimes too
trusting, it was easy enough for Magnum to parlay his military experience into
a p.i. license and in the pilot he’ll show up at Robin Master’s estate,
claiming that the wealthy recluse hired him on as his security expert in
exchange for living at the house.
Higgins, Robin’s right hand man, is apoplectic at the idea but gets a
call from Robin himself proving Magnum’s claims. Throughout the series, Magnum and Higgins will have an
adversarial relationship with an undercurrent of mutual respect and eventually
friendship.
Thomas’s best friends in the world are TC and Rick. Back in the war, TC was the chopper
pilot who…”
And so on, for each major character. It’s good to say what, if any,
character arc your main characters are going to have. In the case of Magnum, like most procedurals, the arc wasn’t
initially very important so it didn’t need to be part of the pitch.
Have potential episodes in mind
After describing the characters, you want to talk about the potential
episodes in general terms, not so much “at the end of act one x happens, act
two opens with y”. BUT you DO want
to have specific storylines in mind that you can tell if the person you’re
pitching is interested.
It goes like this; once you paint the world you want the
series to be and describe the characters, you either just launch into some
episode ideas or ask, “would you like to hear some potential storylines?” Usually you can tell from their body
language if the person you’re pitching is interested, in which case just plow
ahead. If you’re not sure,
ask. Most people won’t be rude
enough to interrupt and say, “thanks, don’t call us, we’ll call you” but you
also don’t want to put people in that position of wishing they could.
Be ready to give some brief examples of what a typical
episode of your show would be about.
If you’re pitching a comedy – MAKE SURE THE STORIES YOU TELL ARE
FUNNY. If it’s a drama or a
mystery, make sure the stories seem like they have enough fuel to last an
hour.
*Can’t stress this enough: KNOW THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR
SHOW! Comedies, both single &
multi cam, typically have an A & B story, and often (though not always)
there’s a small runner or C story.
Be ready to talk about your episodes in those terms! For instance, be
able to say, “A typical A story is the daughter trying to find a date to the
prom” and then say the funny things that keep her from doing so. “The B story might be the son going on
a field trip and getting lost” with the funny details of that. “A possible runner might be the mom constantly
losing her car keys”. Ok, none of
that is really hysterical but you get the picture. Don’t just come in and say, “A typical episode is the
daughter can’t get a date to the prom.”
No matter how much funny stuff happens, it’s not enough to sustain 20
minutes of show. The same goes for
a one hour as well; there’s typically an A and B story. Usually the A is the
case of the week in an episodic show (medical, legal or cop procedural case)
and the B story is some personal event that one of the main characters is
dealing with.
Practice Makes Perfect… but so does paper or iPad
The key to a really professional pitch is that you delivery
is smoothly, as effortlessly as talking to your friends about a movie you saw
last weekend.
Granted, a pitch for either a comedy or a drama should take
about 30 minutes. Nobody, and I
mean nobody, expects you to memorize that much material. For some folks, like stand-up comics
turned writers, it’s just another performance and, with a lot of practice, is
easy to do. For most writers,
however, relating a detailed concept and flushed out stories is no mean
feat. Use cards, paper, iPad –
whatever you need to do to feel comfortable delivering your pitch. I just recently went to some network
pitches and everyone from the studio executive to the agent to the network exec
all agreed that they don’t mind at all if a writer uses notes. Now, that said, I wouldn’t recommend
just reading it straight off the page – eye contact is important for you to
pull them in as well as being able to judge if you need to speed things up,
slow things down, ask questions, etc.
Even with notes, don’t fool yourself into thinking you can
do this off the cuff, no problem.
Just like the way to Carnegie Hall, a great pitch requires practice,
practice, practice. Honestly, I’ll
never turn down a pitch because I didn’t like the last idea the writer pitched,
but I will think twice if the writer came in unprepared and lifeless. You’re only going to get one shot at
this so take the time to practice with every friend and family member who can’t
out run you.
The Toughest Part of All…
Have fun. I
know, easier said than done, but nothing makes an audience want to hear more
about a story than the passion of the person telling it. I’ve fallen in the same trap – you want
to be uber cool and professional, ice water is running through your veins
THAT’S how good you are. But you
know what? Unless you are one of
the remaining Bourne co-workers, that’s probably not who you really are. Let your love for your story and your
characters shine through. You
don’t have to be comfortable with people or the life of the party, just let how
excited you are to be talking about this project and the possibility of seeing
it come to life drive you.
I was recently at a Women In Film breakfast where
actress/producer Felicia Day was speaking and she said something that will
always stick with me. She was
terrified of auditions to the point of going catatonic. Then, the tables were turned and she
was the producer auditioning other actresses and the view from the other side
of the table was startling. She
realized that producers want you to
be good, they want this to be the
best pitch (or audition) ever because that means they have a winner on their
hands they can sell. No one but
the most insecure or mean spirited (and I’ll grant you, there are plenty of
those out there but screw them) wants you to fail.
Since everyone in the room is with you, what can go wrong?
Monday, November 7, 2011
Don't Play Telephone with Your Career
Remember playing the game "Telephone" when you were a kid? That's the one where everyone sits in a circle and someone starts off whispering a message in the ear of the person next to them. The fun of it is seeing what the message morphs into by the time it gets all the way around the circle. Usually it doesn't even closely resemble the original message.
Hysterical, right?
Sure, unless you're talking about the series or movie pitch that you've spent weeks or months developing. But that's exactly what can happen if you don't follow up a meeting with a written version of your pitch.
Frankly, I have NEVER understood a writer coming in to pitch a project without having something down in writing. Hello! At the end of the day, we're hiring you to write a project, not verbally tell a story. Unless you've got a list of credits as long as your arm (and frankly, if you did you probably aren't reading this blog), you're going to have to prove you can write the characters and situations you've described at some point. Allegedly writing is what you love to do and what you do better than anything else so why not show it? But I digress...
So you meet with the producer, development executive or agent. You tell the best story ever, with characters that jump to life and a line or two of really smart dialog. Guess what happens next? The person you pitched it to has to pitch it to the next person up the food chain. Always. There's always a bigger fish who has to weigh in on whether or not to pursue your project. Seriously, I don't care who you've pitched to, they have to sell it up the ladder to the producer, the studio, the network, the talent. Sometimes all of the above. Are you willing to bet your project that they get every nuance of the story and character right as they orally pitch this from one desk to the next?
Even with the best of intentions, often times the spirit and tone of the piece can get mangled. Everyone has days when they're in a crappy mood or hate their job or got dumped by their girl or took a decongestant... whatever the cause, no one pitches every story perfectly every time. Hedge your bets and help the person who is trying to help you by giving them a written form of your pitch.
WHEN AND WHAT TO LEAVE BEHIND:
Generally speaking, it's best NOT to leave behind pages or a synopsis at the end of the meeting because you'll want to tailor your idea based on any questions or concerns that came up in the meeting. At the very least, pretend you are going to do that.
Before you leave, without being pushy or rude try to get the executive's e-mail or their assistant's so you can follow up the meeting with a BRIEF synopsis of what you pitched to them directly. And I do mean brief. Something that can easily be passed along in an e-mail is best, so try limiting it to a page or page and a half. Giving them a catchy, memorable logline to boot is icing on your cake.
Someday, after you've pitched your idea but no one sees the genius of it all, it may be necessary to spec the script out. That means writing it on the speculation that someone will buy it once they see the idea on the page. A lot of movies and series have gotten set up that way lately, even from newbie writers so don't dismiss the idea as ridiculous. Again, you love to write, you want to sell this... maybe I'm a dolt, but I don't see the problem.
BOTTOM LINE:
Seriously, you want to be a writer so prove it by writing. Whoever tells you not to write a word until someone pays you for it isn't doing you any favors at all.
Hysterical, right?
Sure, unless you're talking about the series or movie pitch that you've spent weeks or months developing. But that's exactly what can happen if you don't follow up a meeting with a written version of your pitch.
Frankly, I have NEVER understood a writer coming in to pitch a project without having something down in writing. Hello! At the end of the day, we're hiring you to write a project, not verbally tell a story. Unless you've got a list of credits as long as your arm (and frankly, if you did you probably aren't reading this blog), you're going to have to prove you can write the characters and situations you've described at some point. Allegedly writing is what you love to do and what you do better than anything else so why not show it? But I digress...
So you meet with the producer, development executive or agent. You tell the best story ever, with characters that jump to life and a line or two of really smart dialog. Guess what happens next? The person you pitched it to has to pitch it to the next person up the food chain. Always. There's always a bigger fish who has to weigh in on whether or not to pursue your project. Seriously, I don't care who you've pitched to, they have to sell it up the ladder to the producer, the studio, the network, the talent. Sometimes all of the above. Are you willing to bet your project that they get every nuance of the story and character right as they orally pitch this from one desk to the next?
Even with the best of intentions, often times the spirit and tone of the piece can get mangled. Everyone has days when they're in a crappy mood or hate their job or got dumped by their girl or took a decongestant... whatever the cause, no one pitches every story perfectly every time. Hedge your bets and help the person who is trying to help you by giving them a written form of your pitch.
WHEN AND WHAT TO LEAVE BEHIND:
Generally speaking, it's best NOT to leave behind pages or a synopsis at the end of the meeting because you'll want to tailor your idea based on any questions or concerns that came up in the meeting. At the very least, pretend you are going to do that.
Before you leave, without being pushy or rude try to get the executive's e-mail or their assistant's so you can follow up the meeting with a BRIEF synopsis of what you pitched to them directly. And I do mean brief. Something that can easily be passed along in an e-mail is best, so try limiting it to a page or page and a half. Giving them a catchy, memorable logline to boot is icing on your cake.
ETIQUETTE TIP: Get an e-mail or an address of everyone you meet so you
can follow up EVERY meeting with a polite "thank you for your time, it
was wonderful meeting you" note. It makes a difference.
Someday, after you've pitched your idea but no one sees the genius of it all, it may be necessary to spec the script out. That means writing it on the speculation that someone will buy it once they see the idea on the page. A lot of movies and series have gotten set up that way lately, even from newbie writers so don't dismiss the idea as ridiculous. Again, you love to write, you want to sell this... maybe I'm a dolt, but I don't see the problem.
BOTTOM LINE:
Seriously, you want to be a writer so prove it by writing. Whoever tells you not to write a word until someone pays you for it isn't doing you any favors at all.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Get It Right the First Time (ish)
Over the weekend, I participated in a horse show (don't worry, this will be relevant in a minute). Like nearly every one who rides or participates in any sport of any kind, I left the ring feeling like, "that was ok, but I could have done so much better." It's a pretty common feeling -- I should have thrown the ball farther, or I could have played that poker hand just a little bit smarter, etc. That's all fine and good in certain aspects of your life, but writing isn't one of them.
Don't get me wrong; there is a time for rough drafts and "Hail Mary" takes on an idea or a script. The adage about writing being mostly re-writing is as about as true as any saying can be. Heck, I've already re-written this blog post 5 times and I'm not even close to being done. Try out a version, give it to your writing group to get some feedback, play with the characters to see what feels grounded and real.
However, the script/pages/pitch that you hand in to a producer, agent or whoever that final destination for it might be, better be the best darn version you have in you. Period. End of story. If you need to take a couple more days to feel like this is the best version you can give, do it. Because the odds that you'll get a second read out of someone are slim to none.
The only exception to that rule is if the person/studio/network you're giving the project to has a vested interest in reading it and giving you notes until they think it's right. Guess what? If they feel like the draft you gave them was anything less than the best you can give, they're going to be peeved. Even if you're doing work on an if/come basis for someone, what they are investing is their valuable time and they will be equally peeved if it feels like you're wasting it with half-baked plots or undeveloped characters.
What CAN happen is that you turn your draft in, a draft you've sweated blood over, and the recipient responds with notes. Maybe a ton of notes. They liked your general concept, but the specific plot doesn't work. As the writer, you can discuss it with them, listen to their concerns and engage in a dialog about how to fix it. What you CAN'T do is say, "I hear you, let me try to make that better".
I know, it sounds like a good thing to say, right? You think you're telling them, "I'll do a better version of that story or character now that I know what you want." But you're really saying (whether you know it or not) is, "I didn't give you my best work because I wasn't sure you'd like that idea. Now that I hear that you don't like it, I'll do a better job of writing that exact same thing, certain that when I give it 100% you'll see that I was right and love this as much as I do."
BZZZZ! Sorry, wrong answer. You had your shot before you turned in that first draft. If there were things you weren't certain about, call the people you're working with. Really listen to them, don't do that half-listen thing you do when you ask someone a question to be polite and really don't care what the answer is. Once you've turned it in and the person tells you an idea, plot or character isn't working, don't keep hammering at it with the idea that if you write it better they'll get it. Right or wrong, for better or worse, not only will they not get it, they may very well get pissed that the very thing they didn't like it back on the page in front of them again.
Be bold, be daring, go for the high fences as you write and rewrite, but be sure that whatever you give to the network or studio is the absolutely best you can deliver. If they don't like it, file it away in your "ideas to come back to" file and come up with something new that will work for them. Because promising to write the same idea but better next time is like promising sex will be better next time; it leaves your partner wondering what you were holding out for in the first place.
Don't get me wrong; there is a time for rough drafts and "Hail Mary" takes on an idea or a script. The adage about writing being mostly re-writing is as about as true as any saying can be. Heck, I've already re-written this blog post 5 times and I'm not even close to being done. Try out a version, give it to your writing group to get some feedback, play with the characters to see what feels grounded and real.
However, the script/pages/pitch that you hand in to a producer, agent or whoever that final destination for it might be, better be the best darn version you have in you. Period. End of story. If you need to take a couple more days to feel like this is the best version you can give, do it. Because the odds that you'll get a second read out of someone are slim to none.
The only exception to that rule is if the person/studio/network you're giving the project to has a vested interest in reading it and giving you notes until they think it's right. Guess what? If they feel like the draft you gave them was anything less than the best you can give, they're going to be peeved. Even if you're doing work on an if/come basis for someone, what they are investing is their valuable time and they will be equally peeved if it feels like you're wasting it with half-baked plots or undeveloped characters.
What CAN happen is that you turn your draft in, a draft you've sweated blood over, and the recipient responds with notes. Maybe a ton of notes. They liked your general concept, but the specific plot doesn't work. As the writer, you can discuss it with them, listen to their concerns and engage in a dialog about how to fix it. What you CAN'T do is say, "I hear you, let me try to make that better".
I know, it sounds like a good thing to say, right? You think you're telling them, "I'll do a better version of that story or character now that I know what you want." But you're really saying (whether you know it or not) is, "I didn't give you my best work because I wasn't sure you'd like that idea. Now that I hear that you don't like it, I'll do a better job of writing that exact same thing, certain that when I give it 100% you'll see that I was right and love this as much as I do."
BZZZZ! Sorry, wrong answer. You had your shot before you turned in that first draft. If there were things you weren't certain about, call the people you're working with. Really listen to them, don't do that half-listen thing you do when you ask someone a question to be polite and really don't care what the answer is. Once you've turned it in and the person tells you an idea, plot or character isn't working, don't keep hammering at it with the idea that if you write it better they'll get it. Right or wrong, for better or worse, not only will they not get it, they may very well get pissed that the very thing they didn't like it back on the page in front of them again.
Be bold, be daring, go for the high fences as you write and rewrite, but be sure that whatever you give to the network or studio is the absolutely best you can deliver. If they don't like it, file it away in your "ideas to come back to" file and come up with something new that will work for them. Because promising to write the same idea but better next time is like promising sex will be better next time; it leaves your partner wondering what you were holding out for in the first place.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Multi-Camera Or Single Camera, That Is The Question
Despite what Shakespeare (or whoever was writing his plays) said, the real question these days in TV sitcoms isn’t to be or not to be – the success this year of several shows prove that comedy is back in style. These days, when you’re pitching your half-hour comedy idea, the question that you will invariably be asked is, “it is a single or multi-cam?” Answering that it can be either one can show a certain amount of flexibility on your part, but consider carefully whether your idea really is better suited for a multi cam or single cam environment.
There are a few things you should keep in mind before deciding the format of your show. Type of humor, casting, and style are all key elements that should influence your choice. Knowing the difference between the two is vital to picking the right format. (While there are a few successful hybrids out there, most comedies are strictly one or the other.)
MULTI-CAMERA SHOWS
Multi-cams are shows that are shot in front of a live audience with multiple cameras shooting the scene all at once (hence the name). They usually air with a laugh track that is (hopefully) made from the actual live audience’s reaction, often sweetened and edited to make the show appear as funny as possible to the viewing audience at home. Typically they take place in limited locations (home, office, café, etc.) that are easily created on a sound stage.
The common industry belief is that multi cam shows tend to play to a broader audience. The pacing of the show tends to be a bit more set up & joke, set up & joke than a single cam. Staff writers aren’t sitting around the table writing sophisticated jokes to make each other laugh; they’re writing jokes for the tourist from Peoria who will eagerly file in to be part of a studio audience.
Because they are shot in front of a live audience, shooting time is limited to just one day, although the day can go for as long as it takes to get every single shot. Some talent will be attracted to that schedule (for instance, an actress who wants to spend time with her family) while others will either like or dislike the idea of performing in front of a live audience. It’s not a huge factor in deciding the format for your show, but being aware of it can help you avoid some pitfalls like not getting that perfect piece of casting that you wrote the entire show around.
In the past few years, multi cams were considered old-fashioned and out of style. They appeared predominantly on CBS, while “hipper” networks like Fox and NBC preferred the slicker look and feel of a single cam. This fall, however, has proven to be the come back of the multi cam. The ratings success of new shows like “Whitney” on NBC and “2 Broke Girls” on CBS may have networks rethinking their preferences.
SINGLE CAM
Single camera shows are shot more like dramas. There is no live audience so typically they air without laugh tracks. They can go to multiple locations and have a greater flexibility as far as lighting, camera use, etc.
The comedy of a single cam show is believed to be a bit more sophisticated. The humor can take its time to develop; there aren’t any pauses for the studio audience laughter to die down so the rhythm and pacing of the show is completely up to the writer and director.
The shooting schedule can span over a number of days, can take place outdoors or indoors, and although ideally it will stick to a set schedule can still be grueling on talent and crew alike. Again, when casting a single cam you want to be careful to choose actors who don’t require the energy of a live studio audience to play off of in order to be funny.
In the past, single cams like “Community,” “The Office” and “Parks and Rec” had been the domain of NBC, but hits like “Modern Family” and “The Middle” on ABC and this season’s first proclaimed hit, “New Girl” on Fox have shown that there is an audience for this kind of humor across the boards.
SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE YOU SPEC OUT YOUR SCRIPT…
Before you sit down to your computer and bravely spec out your comedy script, keep in mind that the two different styles have completely different script formats. Multi-cams have the dialog in 1 ½ line spacing, and often the description is written in all caps. Their page length (because of the spacing) tends to be longer, around 50 pages or so. Single cams are written in regular feature format and tend to run around 35 pages. Programs like Final Draft have templates to choose from that will clarify and simplify your options.
Resources:
Thefutoncritic.com has a pretty comprehensive list of the comedies on the air and what type they are, as well as the new comedies that have been put in development.
Writeisright.com has excellent samples of various script formats.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Elance Blog: How to Use Visualization to Achieve Your Freelance Goals
Here's an interesting article that might be helpful for you writers out there struggling to make the leap to professional PAID writer...
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Jimmy Wofford at Eventful Acres: Friday
Jimmy Wofford Clinic: Day 1 by Dr. Nahmi Jones
I usually think of gymnastics as simple, straight forward exercises. A couple of innocent standards set up as a chute. The instructor sneaks the rails up. The next thing you know, you are jumping a challenging question without realizing what's been built up.
For the Jimmy Wofford clinic at Eventful Acres last weekend things were a little different. Rod Hisken's huge jumping arena was full of freshly painted white rails and standards, laid out everywhere like an albino logging disaster.
As I rode in I thought: "Uh oh Simon, you and I are going to have to do a lot of thinking today. There's nothing simple about what Jimmy has in store for us today."
I knew that at least Simon would get the benefit of the doubt from the 3xOlympian from his comments at our early morning lecture/ introduction. Jimmy's amazing enthusiasm for our sport and our equine partners was summed up in his response to a question about selecting a young event prospect. "I'm automatically going to like it if its a horse".
Jimmy's message for day one, in fact the message for the whole weekend was to teach us to be intelligent passengers.
The goal of his gymnastic exercises was to allow the horse to jump in a way that simulated his natural balanced jumping style unencumbered by the rider.
Through the wide and low oxer/ bounce line Simon had to reach out to stretch and compress his body horizontally. Though the double bounce/ hogsback line he got to reach up vertically to stretch through his bascule.
I was encouraged to ride with a longer rein. Did I lose Simon out the front door this way? You betcha. Jimmy's solution to keep a steady rhythm, to take my lower leg off to prevent driving.
I struggled to keep my position over fences by stabilizing my body with only my upper leg and without using my hands as a crutch. I was thrilled to find Simon responding to my efforts to find the happy balance between a lighter hand and a lighter leg, by jumping with more freedom through his neck and back in a happy relaxed rhythm.
I usually think of gymnastics as simple, straight forward exercises. A couple of innocent standards set up as a chute. The instructor sneaks the rails up. The next thing you know, you are jumping a challenging question without realizing what's been built up.
For the Jimmy Wofford clinic at Eventful Acres last weekend things were a little different. Rod Hisken's huge jumping arena was full of freshly painted white rails and standards, laid out everywhere like an albino logging disaster.
As I rode in I thought: "Uh oh Simon, you and I are going to have to do a lot of thinking today. There's nothing simple about what Jimmy has in store for us today."
I knew that at least Simon would get the benefit of the doubt from the 3xOlympian from his comments at our early morning lecture/ introduction. Jimmy's amazing enthusiasm for our sport and our equine partners was summed up in his response to a question about selecting a young event prospect. "I'm automatically going to like it if its a horse".
Jimmy's message for day one, in fact the message for the whole weekend was to teach us to be intelligent passengers.
The goal of his gymnastic exercises was to allow the horse to jump in a way that simulated his natural balanced jumping style unencumbered by the rider.
Through the wide and low oxer/ bounce line Simon had to reach out to stretch and compress his body horizontally. Though the double bounce/ hogsback line he got to reach up vertically to stretch through his bascule.
I was encouraged to ride with a longer rein. Did I lose Simon out the front door this way? You betcha. Jimmy's solution to keep a steady rhythm, to take my lower leg off to prevent driving.
I struggled to keep my position over fences by stabilizing my body with only my upper leg and without using my hands as a crutch. I was thrilled to find Simon responding to my efforts to find the happy balance between a lighter hand and a lighter leg, by jumping with more freedom through his neck and back in a happy relaxed rhythm.
Best Story About Life in the TV Jungle Ever!
Thought I'd share an incredibly funny blog post from an amazing writer. WARNING: You will laugh until you cry!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Star power: How NOT to describe your characters
A lot of scripts that I've been reading lately have included character descriptions that go something like this:
JOHN DOE, think a Bruce Willis type of guy, approaches a woman who looks a lot like Diane Lane. In fact, let's call her DIANE.
I get the temptation to do this, considering the old axiom of "show, don't tell" but this isn't exactly what that means. There are several reasons NOT to do this, but here's the three main ones I can think of:
#3 -- Hollywood is a very small town. If you're lucky and someone high enough up the food chain is reading your script, they may actually know Bruce Willis. They might be his neighbor. They might think he's an asshole and, unable to get that image out of their head, will pass on the script just because of it. (Sorry Bruce, I'm sure you're a sweetheart, this is just a hypothetical.) Or the actor you choose as your role model was just in a stinker of a movie and the idea that this will do as poorly is hard for the reader to forget. Remember, the execs, agents and producers reading your script are HUMANS, with all the same foibles and flaws as the rest of us. Sure, they may LOVE Bruce Willis (who doesn't) and immediately want to keep reading but are you really ready to roll the dice like that on your script's future? If so, you should be living in Vegas.
#2 -- The reality is you don't really want people to THINK while reading your script, you want them to FEEL. Putting a name that they may not even know as a description just pulls the reader out of the script when all you want from page one is to pull them in. Directives like, "think a young Danny Kaye" are distracting unless you are a fairly AWESOME writer and can really slide that in there without it sounding klunky. Again, if you're willing to bet that you are that effen' good while still pitching your first or second script, you might want to rethink your career. Vegas baby, that's the place for you.
And the #1 reason NOT to use an actor as a character description?
It's perceived by many to be lazy writing. If you don't have the imagination or the vocabulary to describe your character in a way that a reader can instantly picture them, then the odds are heavily in favor of the script lacking an interesting character arc or storyline. It's not impossible, but it starts the reader thinking in that direction and it won't take much for them to give up on your script altogether. Studios want to know what character you're selling, not a vague generalization. What does a Bruce Willis type mean anyway? Fast talking from "Moonlighting" days, bigger than life action hero from "Die Hard" or creepy killer from "Day of the Jackal"?
The one exception: If you're writing a comedy and you want to use a comparison, like "JOHN DOE is so smoking hot he makes Edward the vampire look like Edward Scissorhands" or "DIANE is so blonde she makes Tori Spelling look like a brain surgeon". As long as it's true to the rest of the tone of your script, that's the one time name dropping can work in your favor.
It's fine for YOU to have Bruce Willis from "Die Hard" in mind as you write the scenes and dialog, but pull out the thesaurus and come up with a concise, vivid description to show everyone else your character's true identity.
JOHN DOE, think a Bruce Willis type of guy, approaches a woman who looks a lot like Diane Lane. In fact, let's call her DIANE.
I get the temptation to do this, considering the old axiom of "show, don't tell" but this isn't exactly what that means. There are several reasons NOT to do this, but here's the three main ones I can think of:
#3 -- Hollywood is a very small town. If you're lucky and someone high enough up the food chain is reading your script, they may actually know Bruce Willis. They might be his neighbor. They might think he's an asshole and, unable to get that image out of their head, will pass on the script just because of it. (Sorry Bruce, I'm sure you're a sweetheart, this is just a hypothetical.) Or the actor you choose as your role model was just in a stinker of a movie and the idea that this will do as poorly is hard for the reader to forget. Remember, the execs, agents and producers reading your script are HUMANS, with all the same foibles and flaws as the rest of us. Sure, they may LOVE Bruce Willis (who doesn't) and immediately want to keep reading but are you really ready to roll the dice like that on your script's future? If so, you should be living in Vegas.
#2 -- The reality is you don't really want people to THINK while reading your script, you want them to FEEL. Putting a name that they may not even know as a description just pulls the reader out of the script when all you want from page one is to pull them in. Directives like, "think a young Danny Kaye" are distracting unless you are a fairly AWESOME writer and can really slide that in there without it sounding klunky. Again, if you're willing to bet that you are that effen' good while still pitching your first or second script, you might want to rethink your career. Vegas baby, that's the place for you.
And the #1 reason NOT to use an actor as a character description?
It's perceived by many to be lazy writing. If you don't have the imagination or the vocabulary to describe your character in a way that a reader can instantly picture them, then the odds are heavily in favor of the script lacking an interesting character arc or storyline. It's not impossible, but it starts the reader thinking in that direction and it won't take much for them to give up on your script altogether. Studios want to know what character you're selling, not a vague generalization. What does a Bruce Willis type mean anyway? Fast talking from "Moonlighting" days, bigger than life action hero from "Die Hard" or creepy killer from "Day of the Jackal"?
The one exception: If you're writing a comedy and you want to use a comparison, like "JOHN DOE is so smoking hot he makes Edward the vampire look like Edward Scissorhands" or "DIANE is so blonde she makes Tori Spelling look like a brain surgeon". As long as it's true to the rest of the tone of your script, that's the one time name dropping can work in your favor.
It's fine for YOU to have Bruce Willis from "Die Hard" in mind as you write the scenes and dialog, but pull out the thesaurus and come up with a concise, vivid description to show everyone else your character's true identity.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
How to Write a TV Pilot
Since the excitement of upfronts is over and the new series for the next season have (mostly) been picked, it seemed like a good time to talk about writing a TV pilot.
The one thing every aspiring writer needs to know about writing a TV pilot is that it will not get made. Not yet, anyway. Embrace that fact and make it your friend because the reason to write one if you’re still trying to get your first break in Hollywood is as a calling card. Proof to agents and producers that you get what it takes to write an episode, get characters, and create dialog. Since you don’t have to worry so much about being commercial (it’s anyone’s guess what that really means anyway), let your creative juices run wild. The sky really is the limit, but there are a few rules to be aware of.
Formatting: The format of a TV pilot is pretty much the same format you use for features. Oh, some networks like the description to be all in capital letters (my personal pet peeve) while others double space everything so it’s a little more flexible but it’s still your basic format.
Page length: One hour dramas this year ranged anywhere from the high 50’s to 67 pages long. Now, I wouldn’t recommend you write 67 pages unless it’s freakin’ awesome, but there is a little wiggle room beyond the standard one page = one minute of screen time. For half-hour comedies, most are around the low 30’s – 35 in regular formatting pretty much topping it out.
Acts: Every pilot needs to be broken out in to acts. For one hours, the number ranges from 4 to 6, depending on the type of show you want to write. Half-hours usually have some kind of opening teaser and then divide into 2 acts, although some go for 3. Some of the pilots for the comedies letter the scenes as well. My advice would be to skip that for now
How do you choose how many acts to use? Watch the kind of show you want your pilot to be, note down how it’s structured, and try to emulate that.
Give your series legs: Always remember that you’re writing a PILOT, the first of hopefully 100 or more episodes of a successful television SERIES. Make sure that it’s clear from the pilot that there are a limitless number of story possibilities in this series. For instance, if it’s set in an office full of whacky characters, it’s easy to see that there’s no end to the stories. If, on the other hand, it’s set in a political campaign, you might have some problems convincing a network executive that you can keep the same tension involved in a campaign up show after show for a number of years. Eventually the candidate has to win or lose, right? This is why cop, lawyer and medical shows are always going to be around. There’s almost no end to the stories that can come from those settings. The trick is to find a new and different spin on those workhorse ideas.
Have characters with… character: Make sure that each character in you pilot (and therefore the series) has a clear and distinct voice. Their dialog is the only way they have of setting themselves apart so make it sharp and unique. It really defines their roles in the series, whether it’s a drama or a comedy, so don’t make it too vague. Great characters that jump off the page are what will make executives want to buy the series. Think about how many police procedurals are on TV; now think about what sets them apart. “Psych” and “The Mentalist” are basically the same idea but with completely different characters.
Set the right tone: Make sure it’s clear from the very first scene what the tone of the show is going to be. Is it dark comedy? Is it warm and fuzzy? Is it cold and analytical or action filled? The tone of the pilot is just as vital as the characters in letting the network know that you have original ideas and know how to execute them.
There are no new series ideas that have never been done before. It’s about the life you bring to it through the setting, characters and tone that will make your pilot stand out as a sample of the kind of work you can do. Make it bold enough AND professional, and it could be the ticket to getting your first writing job.
The one thing every aspiring writer needs to know about writing a TV pilot is that it will not get made. Not yet, anyway. Embrace that fact and make it your friend because the reason to write one if you’re still trying to get your first break in Hollywood is as a calling card. Proof to agents and producers that you get what it takes to write an episode, get characters, and create dialog. Since you don’t have to worry so much about being commercial (it’s anyone’s guess what that really means anyway), let your creative juices run wild. The sky really is the limit, but there are a few rules to be aware of.
Formatting: The format of a TV pilot is pretty much the same format you use for features. Oh, some networks like the description to be all in capital letters (my personal pet peeve) while others double space everything so it’s a little more flexible but it’s still your basic format.
Page length: One hour dramas this year ranged anywhere from the high 50’s to 67 pages long. Now, I wouldn’t recommend you write 67 pages unless it’s freakin’ awesome, but there is a little wiggle room beyond the standard one page = one minute of screen time. For half-hour comedies, most are around the low 30’s – 35 in regular formatting pretty much topping it out.
Acts: Every pilot needs to be broken out in to acts. For one hours, the number ranges from 4 to 6, depending on the type of show you want to write. Half-hours usually have some kind of opening teaser and then divide into 2 acts, although some go for 3. Some of the pilots for the comedies letter the scenes as well. My advice would be to skip that for now
How do you choose how many acts to use? Watch the kind of show you want your pilot to be, note down how it’s structured, and try to emulate that.
Give your series legs: Always remember that you’re writing a PILOT, the first of hopefully 100 or more episodes of a successful television SERIES. Make sure that it’s clear from the pilot that there are a limitless number of story possibilities in this series. For instance, if it’s set in an office full of whacky characters, it’s easy to see that there’s no end to the stories. If, on the other hand, it’s set in a political campaign, you might have some problems convincing a network executive that you can keep the same tension involved in a campaign up show after show for a number of years. Eventually the candidate has to win or lose, right? This is why cop, lawyer and medical shows are always going to be around. There’s almost no end to the stories that can come from those settings. The trick is to find a new and different spin on those workhorse ideas.
Have characters with… character: Make sure that each character in you pilot (and therefore the series) has a clear and distinct voice. Their dialog is the only way they have of setting themselves apart so make it sharp and unique. It really defines their roles in the series, whether it’s a drama or a comedy, so don’t make it too vague. Great characters that jump off the page are what will make executives want to buy the series. Think about how many police procedurals are on TV; now think about what sets them apart. “Psych” and “The Mentalist” are basically the same idea but with completely different characters.
Set the right tone: Make sure it’s clear from the very first scene what the tone of the show is going to be. Is it dark comedy? Is it warm and fuzzy? Is it cold and analytical or action filled? The tone of the pilot is just as vital as the characters in letting the network know that you have original ideas and know how to execute them.
There are no new series ideas that have never been done before. It’s about the life you bring to it through the setting, characters and tone that will make your pilot stand out as a sample of the kind of work you can do. Make it bold enough AND professional, and it could be the ticket to getting your first writing job.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Biggest Upfront In Broadcast Biz History?
This is great news for the television business in general. Hopefully it means more work for writers out there as well!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Old School Rules
Recently, I was corrected for correcting a script's format because the writer didn't put (CONT'D) next to a character's name when their dialog was split by action or description instead of another character's dialog. For instance (and forgive the poor alignment but you get the drift),
TOM
It was the best of times.
An arrow flies through the window and thunks into the door near Tom's head.
TOM (CONT'D)
It was the worst of times.
Apparently, it's old school now to include the (CONT'D). Ok, fashions change, times change, whatever. Here's the thing: the reason to put (CONT'D) is so that the director, the producer, the actors and the readers know that it's the same person talking without interruption. It's an easy way to be sure that you haven't skipped a line of dialog somewhere by accident. It also confirms that the writer hasn't made a mistake and accidentally mislabeled a line of dialog meant for someone else. The down side? It forces the writer to type 8 more characters. Wait, that's not exactly right. Most script writing programs do it automatically. In fact, to turn it off is an extra step so the argument that it's more work falls short.
Virtually all of the good pilot scripts that I've read this year include the (CONT'D). As a part of the script format, it makes sense, it helps the production crew and it doesn't cost the writer anything. If there's a reason NOT to do it, please respond and let me know, I'm dying to hear it.
Bottom line, if it's good enough for Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, it's good enough for me.
TOM
It was the best of times.
An arrow flies through the window and thunks into the door near Tom's head.
TOM (CONT'D)
It was the worst of times.
Apparently, it's old school now to include the (CONT'D). Ok, fashions change, times change, whatever. Here's the thing: the reason to put (CONT'D) is so that the director, the producer, the actors and the readers know that it's the same person talking without interruption. It's an easy way to be sure that you haven't skipped a line of dialog somewhere by accident. It also confirms that the writer hasn't made a mistake and accidentally mislabeled a line of dialog meant for someone else. The down side? It forces the writer to type 8 more characters. Wait, that's not exactly right. Most script writing programs do it automatically. In fact, to turn it off is an extra step so the argument that it's more work falls short.
Virtually all of the good pilot scripts that I've read this year include the (CONT'D). As a part of the script format, it makes sense, it helps the production crew and it doesn't cost the writer anything. If there's a reason NOT to do it, please respond and let me know, I'm dying to hear it.
Bottom line, if it's good enough for Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, it's good enough for me.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Is Harry Potter Afraid of a few Vampires?
Just saw the new Harry Potter movie last night and I enjoyed it. Who could complain? An evening sitting down with old friends, catching up on what's new at Hogwarts and of course, confronting new evils.
The problem is that now, in hindsight, Harry seems like a good Chinese dinner. I enjoyed it at the time but two and a half hours later I was left feeling hungry and empty.
I intentionally didn't re-read the book before seeing the movie. If Steve Kloves can't tell a good story with the script alone then I'm kind of screwed anyway, right?
Only this time it felt like Mr. Kloves got the order to make this "Twilight" like, up to and including hormonal adolescent growing pains. Yes, I do remember that's what ONE of the stories of the book was but in the movie it was the main driving force. There was "snogging" everywhere, even in the background of what should have been a tense, suspenseful, danger-filled moment.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against a good snog on a frequent basis but the story should have and could have been about so much more. While this was nowhere nearly as lame as "Twilight," I can help but wonder if the producer of this aging behemoth of a series is feeling the hot - or in this case very cold - breath of the new rock star in town.
Thoughts??
The problem is that now, in hindsight, Harry seems like a good Chinese dinner. I enjoyed it at the time but two and a half hours later I was left feeling hungry and empty.
I intentionally didn't re-read the book before seeing the movie. If Steve Kloves can't tell a good story with the script alone then I'm kind of screwed anyway, right?
Only this time it felt like Mr. Kloves got the order to make this "Twilight" like, up to and including hormonal adolescent growing pains. Yes, I do remember that's what ONE of the stories of the book was but in the movie it was the main driving force. There was "snogging" everywhere, even in the background of what should have been a tense, suspenseful, danger-filled moment.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against a good snog on a frequent basis but the story should have and could have been about so much more. While this was nowhere nearly as lame as "Twilight," I can help but wonder if the producer of this aging behemoth of a series is feeling the hot - or in this case very cold - breath of the new rock star in town.
Thoughts??
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Special Speaker Event: "Respecting the Antagonist"
The latest entry in the Scriptwriters Network's Speaker Series sounds like an interesting one to attend for any LA based writers. Given by writer/producer/mentor Bill Boyle, it's called "Respecting the Antagonist". Here's the info:
The event takes place on Saturday, May 16th from 1 - 3pm at CBS Studio Center in Studio City.
For more information and to RSVP (which you must do to attend) contact the Scriptwriters Network. You can also call them at (888) 796-9673 (1-888-SWN–WORD)
Hey, besides getting great info you might also win Movie Magic Screenwriter Software
or a subscription to Creative Screnwriting Magazine so it's a win-win all around!
"The essence of true character conflict is not derived from the protagonist being right and the antagonist being wrong, but from both characters being right – carried to an inevitable conclusion. Villains and unsympathetic characters don't consider themselves evil.
Everyone including your antagonist is doing the very best he can given his fears, needs, knowledge, skills, pain, and personal history.
The hero offers us the journey and the objective of the story, but it is the antagonist that creates the drama.
A great antagonist makes us squirm not because of the opposition he represents, but because there is a truth behind his position that makes us uncomfortable. It is the antagonist that forces both the hero, as well as us, to confront our shadow side.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Bill Boyle is a veteran screenwriter who has been involved in the film industry in both Canada and the U.S. for over 25 years as a writer, director, agent, producer, story editor, and mentor.
Mr. Boyle devotes a significant amount of his time mentoring younger screenwriters through his Screenwriting Workshops and Script Coaching. He is presently teaching screenwriting at UCLA Extensions."
The event takes place on Saturday, May 16th from 1 - 3pm at CBS Studio Center in Studio City.
For more information and to RSVP (which you must do to attend) contact the Scriptwriters Network. You can also call them at (888) 796-9673 (1-888-SWN–WORD)
Hey, besides getting great info you might also win Movie Magic Screenwriter Software
or a subscription to Creative Screnwriting Magazine so it's a win-win all around!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Book recommendation to get your writing in gear
Everyone who writes needs a kick in the pants once in a while to remind them that what they truly loved about writing in the first place. Recently, a friend loaned me a book that I highly recommend as that motivation that we all need once in a while. Oddly enough, it’s written by horror demi-god Stephen King. “On Writing: A Memoir” offers insights from the master of suspense that pertain to any kind of writing. Whether you’re writing a script or a book, comedy or horror, you need to read this guide to writing from one of the most successful names in the book and movie world.
If you care about your writing as a craft and not just a way to pleasure yourself at the keyboard this is a must read.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Free Classic Film Scripts from the Writers Store
This from Jeffrey Gund of the Infolist.com. Good news for those of you in the LA area!
FREE SCREENPLAYS FROM TOP HOLLYWOOD FILMS!
COURTESY OF THE WRITERS STORE
The Writers Store is giving away FREE screenplays from top Hollywood films!
First come, first served. Only ONE script per person!
The store is open from 10am-6pm, and it's first come, first served with a limit of ONE script per person.
For most scripts, we have only one or two copies, so be sure to get there early so you can get the one you want!
If you choose to purchase anything else while you're there, mention INFOLIST.com and get 10% OFF anything in the store! However, you don't have to buy anything to get the free screenplay!
Thursday, April 9th, 2009
10am - 6pm
The Writers Store
2040 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(800) 272-8927
Here are the script titles to choose from:
8 MM
15 minutes
48 Hours
1942 Conquest of Paradise
2001: a Space Odessy
Above the Law
The Abyss
Ace Ventura
The Adams Family
Agnes of God
Alien 3
Alien Resurrection
Almost Famous
Anchormen
The Anniversary Party
Antz
The Apartment
Apollo 13
Apt Pupil
Army of Darkness
As Good As It Gets
Bad Santa
Barry Lyndon
Barton Fink
Batman 2
Batman Forever
Beauty and the Beast
Big
Big Lebowski
Braveheart
Bruce Almighty
Crash
Departed, The
Ed Wood
The Elephant Man
Elizabeth 1
Excaliber
First Blood 2
Five Easy Pieces
Fletch
Frankenstein
The French Connection
Frequency
Freddy's Dead: Final Nightmare
Four Rooms
Freddy vs Jason
The Frequency
Friday the 13th 3
Gattaca
Get Shorty
The Ghost and the Darkness
Go
Gods and Monsters
Godzilla
Gone in 60 Seconds
The Green Mile
The Grifters
Grosse Point Blank
Groundhog Day
Hackers
Halloween H2O
Hand the Rocks the Cradle
Hard Day's Night
Hard To Kill
Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone
Heathers
Heavy Metal
Hellraiser
History of Violence, A
Hollow Man
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Horse whisperer
Hotel Rwanda
House on Haunted Hill
Independence Day
The Iron Giant
Incredibles, The
Interview With the Vampire
Invaders From Mars
Jason X
The King Of Comedy
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Labybrinth
Law and Order
Leaving Las Vegas
Legally Blonde
Legends of the Fall
Lethal Weapon
Little Monsters
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Made
Mad Max 2
Man on the Moon
Marathon Men
Married to Bob
Metropolis
The Messenger
Midnight Express
Midnight Run
Mississippi Burning
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mimic
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
The Mummy
My Own Private Idaho
Nashville
A Night at the Roxbury
Nightmare on Elm Street
Notting Hill
Ocean's 11
Office Space
Pirates of the Carribean
Pretty Woman
Ratatouille
Sphere
Star Trek The Motion Picture
Star Trek 3, 4, 5 & 6
Star Trek: Generations
Star Trek: Nemesis
Star Trek: First Contact
Starship Troopers
Strange Days
Suburbia
Superman 2
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Terminator 2
Terms of Endearment
Texas Chainsaw 2
Titanic
Topsy Turvy
Tron
The Truman Show
True Lies
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Unforgiven
Unbreakable
Usual Suspects, The
Verdict, The
Vertigo
Wag the Dog
War Games
Wedding Crashers, The
What Lies Beneath
White Christmas
Wild Things
Willow
The Witches of Eastwick
The Wizard Of Oz
The Women
X-Men
You've Got Mail
The Writers Store® is the world's foremost resource for software, seminars and workshops, books and reference materials dedicated to writers and filmmakers.
Specializing in story development, script formatting, production and multimedia software as well as books, classes and tapes covering all aspects of writing and selling scripts, and pre-production, the West Los Angeles-based company has an award-winning website, writersstore.com, a free bi-weekly eZine featuring articles by film industry experts, an international reputation for its user-friendly services and programs, and a long list of devoted clientele ranging from novice and weekend writers to such top screenwriters as Martin Brest, Wes Craven, William Broyles, Nora Ephron, Daniel Petrie, Nicholas Pileggi and Steve Zaillian, and many more.
For more info on The Writers Store, please visit:
www.writersstore.com
FREE SCREENPLAYS FROM TOP HOLLYWOOD FILMS!
COURTESY OF THE WRITERS STORE
The Writers Store is giving away FREE screenplays from top Hollywood films!
First come, first served. Only ONE script per person!
The store is open from 10am-6pm, and it's first come, first served with a limit of ONE script per person.
For most scripts, we have only one or two copies, so be sure to get there early so you can get the one you want!
If you choose to purchase anything else while you're there, mention INFOLIST.com and get 10% OFF anything in the store! However, you don't have to buy anything to get the free screenplay!
Thursday, April 9th, 2009
10am - 6pm
The Writers Store
2040 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(800) 272-8927
Here are the script titles to choose from:
8 MM
15 minutes
48 Hours
1942 Conquest of Paradise
2001: a Space Odessy
Above the Law
The Abyss
Ace Ventura
The Adams Family
Agnes of God
Alien 3
Alien Resurrection
Almost Famous
Anchormen
The Anniversary Party
Antz
The Apartment
Apollo 13
Apt Pupil
Army of Darkness
As Good As It Gets
Bad Santa
Barry Lyndon
Barton Fink
Batman 2
Batman Forever
Beauty and the Beast
Big
Big Lebowski
Braveheart
Bruce Almighty
Crash
Departed, The
Ed Wood
The Elephant Man
Elizabeth 1
Excaliber
First Blood 2
Five Easy Pieces
Fletch
Frankenstein
The French Connection
Frequency
Freddy's Dead: Final Nightmare
Four Rooms
Freddy vs Jason
The Frequency
Friday the 13th 3
Gattaca
Get Shorty
The Ghost and the Darkness
Go
Gods and Monsters
Godzilla
Gone in 60 Seconds
The Green Mile
The Grifters
Grosse Point Blank
Groundhog Day
Hackers
Halloween H2O
Hand the Rocks the Cradle
Hard Day's Night
Hard To Kill
Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone
Heathers
Heavy Metal
Hellraiser
History of Violence, A
Hollow Man
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Horse whisperer
Hotel Rwanda
House on Haunted Hill
Independence Day
The Iron Giant
Incredibles, The
Interview With the Vampire
Invaders From Mars
Jason X
The King Of Comedy
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Labybrinth
Law and Order
Leaving Las Vegas
Legally Blonde
Legends of the Fall
Lethal Weapon
Little Monsters
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Made
Mad Max 2
Man on the Moon
Marathon Men
Married to Bob
Metropolis
The Messenger
Midnight Express
Midnight Run
Mississippi Burning
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mimic
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
The Mummy
My Own Private Idaho
Nashville
A Night at the Roxbury
Nightmare on Elm Street
Notting Hill
Ocean's 11
Office Space
Pirates of the Carribean
Pretty Woman
Ratatouille
Sphere
Star Trek The Motion Picture
Star Trek 3, 4, 5 & 6
Star Trek: Generations
Star Trek: Nemesis
Star Trek: First Contact
Starship Troopers
Strange Days
Suburbia
Superman 2
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Terminator 2
Terms of Endearment
Texas Chainsaw 2
Titanic
Topsy Turvy
Tron
The Truman Show
True Lies
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Unforgiven
Unbreakable
Usual Suspects, The
Verdict, The
Vertigo
Wag the Dog
War Games
Wedding Crashers, The
What Lies Beneath
White Christmas
Wild Things
Willow
The Witches of Eastwick
The Wizard Of Oz
The Women
X-Men
You've Got Mail
The Writers Store® is the world's foremost resource for software, seminars and workshops, books and reference materials dedicated to writers and filmmakers.
Specializing in story development, script formatting, production and multimedia software as well as books, classes and tapes covering all aspects of writing and selling scripts, and pre-production, the West Los Angeles-based company has an award-winning website, writersstore.com, a free bi-weekly eZine featuring articles by film industry experts, an international reputation for its user-friendly services and programs, and a long list of devoted clientele ranging from novice and weekend writers to such top screenwriters as Martin Brest, Wes Craven, William Broyles, Nora Ephron, Daniel Petrie, Nicholas Pileggi and Steve Zaillian, and many more.
For more info on The Writers Store, please visit:
www.writersstore.com
Friday, March 27, 2009
What does your title say??
You’ve worked for (fill in time span here), pouring your blood, sweat and tears into your script but it’s finally done. The only thing left to do is the title page. You think about it for a few minutes and think, “aw, screw it, what’s in a title anyway?” Sound familiar? If this is how you view your script’s title, think again. In some cases, the right title can mean the difference between getting made and sitting on the slush pile for all eternity.Don’t believe me? The other night I saw Greg Kinnear on “The Graham Norton Show”. (It’s on BBC and if you’ve never seen it you are missing one of the funniest hours on TV.) He was talking about his movie X. It originally came across his desk with the dubious title “Windshield Wiper Man” and sat there for three months before he even took a look at it. It sounded to him like another goofy superhero movie and he had a hard time getting over the mental image of a man in a cape, etc. Fortunately, for whatever reason he got past it, made the movie and the rest is history but what a close call.
Similarly, I was reading a script for a client and the title smacked of a whacky comedy. I sat back waiting for the laughs to come in only to find out it was a horror movie. It’s a good script but the human brain being what it is, my expectations were let down and in general I felt disappointed with the read. I would have read it regardless but if someone was looking to make a horror movie, this script would not have leapt off the pile with a big “read me” sign in bold, dripping, blood red letters.
So take some time, do a few “test groups” with your friends, co-workers and fellow writers to see if your title evokes the genre, tone and excitement you’re looking for.
Photo from City of Centralia Illionois
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