What should I do in a general meeting?
I’m a new writer: I have an agent, I have a manager, I have a spec that’s a good sample but will never sell, I have a spec that might sell and that my reps are trying to attach elements to. For a month or two, I’ve been going on general meetings off of my sample spec as they wait for things to align before sending out my new one. In my meetings, people talk about how much they love my sample (but of course aren’t going to buy it), how much they want to read my new spec, and how much they like the ideas for future projects I talk about. That’s all great.
But — and, being very new at this, this may be a stupid question — now what? What should or could I be doing to help make myself/my projects easier to sell, either when my new spec goes out, or in the future? I trust my reps completely, but I’d love to do anything I can to make their jobs a bit easier.
I have this nagging feeling that I should somehow be trying to turn my general meetings into possible work down the line, but I’m not sure if that’s true, or if it is, how I would go about it. I just don’t want to look back a year from now and realize that I squandered what heat I had, if that makes sense.
– E.
You’re at the phase in your career in which you’re “taking generals.”
General meetings are the hey-it’s-nice-to-meet-you part of a screenwriting career, and while you do fewer of them once you have more credits to your name, they’re always an important part of the job. This is how you meet the junior executives who will later become senior executives, and get them thinking about you as the kind of person they would like to hire.
I had a ton of general meetings off my first script (Here and Now), which never sold. When I say ton, I mean fifteen or twenty, at least three a week for a while. Mostly, my agent was sending me out there so I could practice being in a room without making a fool of myself. After the first dozen or so, I learned How to Meet, and stopped worrying about being the worst-dressed person in the room.
Your goal in a general meeting is to figure out what they might be able to hire you to write. At a certain point, they’ll talk about the kinds of projects they have in development, and the things they’re looking for. If anything sparks, pursue it. Talk about it in the room, then follow up the next day, and the next week. You’ll be chasing a lot of half-baked projects, most of which will never come to be. But one or two might. And that’s what you need.
Your advantage at this point is that you’re cheap and available. A producer could likely hire you with discretionary funds to rewrite a mediocre project she has sitting on the shelf. And if that opportunity comes up, take it. Do an amazing job, then let your reps spin that in your next assignment. And your next.
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March 4th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Another great post. Thanks John!
Screenwriting instructors should scrap most of the books on their syllabi and direct students to this site. Seriously.
March 4th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Sometimes, being cheap and available is a good thing…
How did the dude above get an agent, anyway? I feel like all available agents are sitting on top of an impossible mountain and no matter what I try to do I can’t reach them.
March 4th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Here’s a really dorky question… Should a writer take notes at a general? Or is bringing pen and paper the equivalent of showing up in a bow tie and suspenders?
March 4th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
John;
So your advice is to go into these meetings and try and talk to the execs about their stalled projects not to talk about your new projects?
You mention that you went to 15 – 20 of these meetings, how many of them resulted in work and what was the actual work?
Ashley
March 4th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
@Eric:
I agree. The information on this side is invaluable, presented on a silver platter. I’m expecting somebody to shut down this site any day now, because it’s just too good to be true.
March 4th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
My advice is to quickly move onto writing the next script. It can get hugely distracting to watch the teapot of script sales bubble. Having a fresh script waiting at bat, keep em coming and switch them up; finish that 30 minute pilot or send your short stories out. Keep those plates spinning and let the agents do what they do.
March 4th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Hey, J, if you seriously want to break in then be entering local, regional and national screenwriting contests and fellowships. I live in the middle of nowhere and there are cool regional script, prose and playwriting fellowships right in town. Placing or winning at a respected contest goes a long way to finding an agent. Google the writers you admire and you’ll be sure to find articles on how they broke in.
March 4th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
John–
Thank you so much for answering my question. This is really helpful!
I agree with an above commenter that really your website is the only written resource one needs to figure this stuff out. Thank you so much for sharing your brain with us. You must have terrific karma. :)
E.
March 4th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
i really enjoy reading your blog …..RESPECT
March 4th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
@Shiny – there was an entry here recently that said contests (apart from the Nicholl) were a waste of time. That was according to producers, not agents. I wonder if they hold more sway with agents. I would hope so!
March 4th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
@ J:
My guess? Wrote a great spec.
March 4th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
John,
Great advice, and a good way to help people keep their eye on the prize. Always comforting to here from someone who’s been through it before and knows what the experience is like.
March 5th, 2009 at 1:14 am
I used to be on the other side as an exec meeting writers for generals.
Whenever I had to put together lists for our open writing assignments I always remembered the writers I really hit it off with who were right for the material.
True some generals can be a waste of time but a good agent/manager wants you to be in a room that’s helpful. After all, the time you spend running around meeting is time spent not writing.
March 5th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
To echo John, some of my biggest allies now are people I met in generals, and in one case, the assistant of a Producer I met in a general (who is now a producer himself — with a studio deal).
I also got generals with some fairly big hitters (Academy Award winning producers and other successful produces — though in that case they had some interest in buying my script, though they did not).
I’d add that it’s also a good opportunity to pitch. Nothing may come of it, but you never know and it’s good practice. Also, I’d specifically ask about “open writing assignments” and if one catches your fancy, ask if you can come back and pitch your angle.
@J: Best way to get an agent is through a referral. Producers can be especially helpful as they’re often quite willing to read you. Other writers and any execs you may know are also a good idea. If you don’t know anyone, ask everyone you’ve ever known from anywhere if they do and also approach producers at panel discussions if you live in a city where there are events (e.g. in New York, at the Virginia Film Festival — anywhere where real producers might be). If someone responds to your work, ask for an agent referral. By the way, my first contact was an extras casting director who grew up with my roommate from college. She passed my first script to a producer she was working with who liked my writing a lot and introduced me to my first agent, so remember that connections can come from unexpected places. You may already be six degrees of separation from a useful connection and not even know it.
March 5th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Great question and great answer.
Just one thing to add. When I was “taking generals” last year, one of the execs had a better name for it: THE WATER BOTTLE TOUR.
Still makes me laugh out loud.
March 6th, 2009 at 10:43 am
I used to take the waters with me… very awkward, especially when it comes to shaking hands good-bye. Then you don’t want to just chuck it into the next bin because what if the exec is watching you from a window (they do!). So you end up taking the damn bottle into the car. Of course you don’t leave it there when you get home because it’s so hot the water would turn undrinkable. After a week of meetings I had a dozen half finished bottles of water sitting in my fridge. My advice – leave the bottle behind!
March 9th, 2009 at 6:43 am
John-
Would you mind posting Here and Now? It would be fascinating to see your first effort. I’ve done some scratching around but haven’t found it, apologies if it’s right in front of my face.
March 14th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Great advice here specifically and a great blog overall – I’m a long-time lurker; many thanks for solid reads on a generally fickle industry.
Somewhat off-topic: I hope to pick your brain or those of your readers (too ghoulish?) as regards non-traditional negotiating tactics.
That is, I’m essentially an academic (philosopher/Joycean) without any real experience in negotiating contracts (I do have experience in writing/producing web content, TV, etc).
I now find myself discussing various projects (and developing several) for a well-known LA studio (with the partner/head of development… past the slush pile).
I have no current representation, though I suppose that I could secure it.
Without representation, and WGA accreditation, how do I broach the subject of remuneration? When should I ask for $$ and – given that it won’t necessarily fall within the guidelines of the WGA fee schedule – how much $$ should I seek?
Many thanks.
March 14th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
whoops… P6 should read ‘without/or’