Archive for the 'Film Industry' Category

e 6 Free ebooks correlated with increased print-book sales
In books and in movies, increased sampling usually generates more sales than it costs.
e 28 On Alice in Wonderland
I’ve not written Alice in Wonderland three times. It’s a recurring motif, dating back to 1995 and the very start of my career.
e 26 Should I mention the script was optioned?
Producers and production companies aren’t necessarily going to be excited that someone else had the project before them. Yes, it validates their taste a bit, but they may worry that the script has already been burned out around town. If everyone has read it and passed, what are they going to do with it, exactly?
e 42 Are online film classes worth it?
Scott wonders if his online filmmaking classes are teaching him what he needs to know.
e 24 Writing while at a studio
Chris works as an assistant at a studio? Do they own anything he writes?
e 34 Why the Netflix/WB deal isn’t a bad thing
Netflix announced that it wouldn’t be shipping new releases from Warner Bros. until 28 days after street date.
e 18 Seven writer’s rules for survival in animation
Useful suggestions for screenwriters working on their first animated feature
e 144 How ScriptShadow hurts screenwriters
ScriptShadow reviews scripts to upcoming movies. And that hurts screenwriters more than anyone.
e 36 Startups and slippery facts
Since I was name-checked twice this interview from the top-ranked Wharton School of Business, I feel some responsibility to point out a few fallacies and follies.
e 18 WGAw screenwriter survey
WGAw screenwriters should have received an email yesterday about an online survey the Guild is conducting. Please find the email — it might get stuck in your spam filter — and click the link.
e 5 How to handle a meeting
For newcomers, I can offer a bit of a summary
e 40 Hulu is not dead to me
I have little sympathy for users outraged that Hulu is going to start charging.
e 23 Making Christian movies
Is it a good idea to focus on making a movie for Christian audiences?
e 38 What’s wrong with the business
Writers are making less money, and it’s part of a bigger shift in the industry.
e 24 Is it fair use to perform one scene?
A reader asks if a planned DVD crosses into dangerous copyright territory.
e 43 Subtitled success stories
Somewhat remarkably, the top two movies in America have subtitles. Lots and lots of subtitles.
e 62 Are studios open on Saturdays?
It’s the wrong kind of question, but you don’t know that at the start.
e 25 Setting is not story
An LA Times article about the island of Pagasa makes a great case study in the difference between an interesting setting and an actual movie idea.
e 22 Playing to the core
Brian Lowry cautions against [taking Comic-Con buzz too seriously.
e 10 Cablevision and the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal on the Cablevision case, allowing the Second Circuit Court’s decision to stand. Cablevision can begin introducing its service.
e 24 Per-screen average
Indies have high per-screen averages because they’re on so few screens, not despite it.
e 4 When is it brown-nosing?
Any sort of application, whether it’s for a grant, for college or for a job, needs to do exactly three things.
e 27 Learning story as a director
Film is a hundred different skills and disciplines, and no one person is going to be great at all of them.
e 28 The only one who has seen the movie
At a screenwriting panel last week, Robin Swicord said something that reframed the issue in a very helpful way.
e 43 What does a showrunner’s assistant do?
Jonny Sommers has a job many readers want — or at least, think they want: the assistant to a successful and busy TV showrunner.
e 20 Pixar
I flew up to Oakland yesterday for lunchtime lecture and Q&A at Pixar. And wow. It’s really nice up there.
e 83 Kurtzman and Orci on Trek and writing together
Story lessons from Star Trek, from the mouths and minds of the writers.
e 35 What does “execution dependent” mean?
What makes one high-concept idea more execution-dependent than another?
e 20 Not great news at Blockbuster
They filed with SEC, noting “substantial doubt” about their ability to continue.
e 30 Redbox, video and economics
An article about Redbox, whose kiosks rent DVDs for a dollar a day, isn’t quite the beacon of doom it’s made out to be.
e 30 Should I write a straight-to-DVD knockoff?
Don’t turn up your nose to actual paid writing for a company that makes movies.
e 34 Why do LA people suck?
Is one reader’s frustration indicative of the Hollywood culture, or specific to him? Likely both.
e 16 Cams, rips and release dates
I’ve been asking around to find more information about studios’ anti-piracy efforts.
e 14 Tony Gilroy in The New Yorker
The New Yorker has a terrific piece about screenwriter-director Tony Gilroy.
e 10 Raiders story conference
Lessons on screenwriting in action, straight from George, Steven and Larry.
e 19 What should I do in a general meeting?
Taking generals: how to turn a get to know you meeting into paid work.
e 9 Movie speak
Terms that will save you some embarrassment on set, unless — writer — you start throwing them around like you know what you’re talking about.
e 67 Notes on the state of the industry
Matt gives the full report from a WGA panel about the film industry.
e 9 Script to greenlight panel
WGA hosts a panel and Q&A on studio feature development.
e 24 Nice to meet you. Again. Maybe.
The Kevin Williamson Problem, explained.
e 9 The biggest TiVo in the world
The thin line between unlimited DVR and video-on-demand.
e Comments Off No, really, everything is fine.
Hey SAG, back away from the crazy.
e 65 Cablevision and the infinite TiVo
How technology could upend the economics of filmed entertainment.
e 12 Why is joining the WGA mandatory?
If it were optional, the studio would make sure you didn’t take that option.
e 37 Charlie Brown, advertising, and whatever comes after postmodernism
What a mash-up indicates about genres and modern storytelling.
e 43 VHS, RIP
Thanks and good riddance.
e 57 Money 101 for screenwriters
Read this before you cash that first check.
e 14 Rewriting the rewriter
Sometimes there’s good reasons why original writers leave and return to their projects.
e 45 How long should it take to write a script?
Knowing the answer is part of the craft, just like a cabinetmaker promising a delivery date.
e 31 Bailing on an idea
Knowing when to cut and run.
e 5 Sending out to multiple agents
Rifle or shotgun approach to getting an agent?
e 8 Indie film, cont’d
How some are navigating distribution of indie fare.
e 12 Two from the file
Old questions, dusted off and answered.
e 45 The purpose of drama, and its relationship to Cameron Diaz’s ass
David Mamet argues that even high-minded goals like social commentary ultimately become Cameron Diaz’s swirling ass — attractive distractions that ultimately lessen a movie. And he’s got a point.
e 18 How to handle a phone meeting
A play by play of how it should go down.
e 16 Shouldn’t I get credit for the outline?
Explorations of ownership in a corporate environment.
e 5 What do you do when the buzz fades?
You made a movie. Get the most you can out of it, then get cracking on doing the next project.
e 22 Using a pseudonym
You can do it, but know the facts and consequences.
e 1 WGA Board election preview
A plug for staying involved in WGA politics.
e 20 Making unnecessary and possibly horrible changes
Making your movie. Keeping your soul.
e 47 Writers need actors
The survival of dayplayers benefits us all.
e 81 Sundance, The Nines, and the death of independent film
A long hard look at distributing independent films.
e 30 If film studios developed videogames
Why is Puzzle Farter so gassy?
e 22 Looking at the credit proposals
Challenges and fixes to the WGA arbitration process.
e 48 The triumph of product integration
The brand to content relationship has come full circle.
e 19 When friends read your script
You need good readers. Here’s how to choose and keep them.
e 26 How to Meet
Moment by moment; what to expect and how to behave in meetings.
e 5 Shot an indie pilot. What’s next?
How to expose, fund and distribute your pilot appropriately.
e 14 Test screening questionnaires
DIY audience screenings help your product and save you money. Here’s what to ask.
e 17 For Your Consideration
How some scripts get an awards push.
e 57 Should I change my name?
As a writer who legally changed his difficult-to-pronounce German name, I gotta say yes.
e 26 What to do with a mediocre short film
If there’s an idea that really is phenomenal at the heart of the short, you’re better off writing it as a script again.
e 100 Why writers get residuals
Why you don’t get residuals for old spreadsheets but you do for screenplays.
e 102 Pencils down
Why the WGA was forced to strike.
e 20 They love it and they’re passing
Capitalize on people’s affection for your script to find something that pays money.
e 4 Mom and Dad are fighting
Some families, like the WGA, just have a lot of Big Drama, and once you accept that, it’s much less uncomfortable.
e 3 Strike authorization vote
Solidarity equals leverage in negotiations.
e 58 Quitting, and the age question
A tough question. Here are some signs that you should quit or stick with it.
e 32 Moving to LA (via NYC)
Sage advice from a fresh transplant who took the plunge.
e 51 Starting out in Hollywood
First person account of the glorious drudgery of starting at the bottom in Hollywood.
e 56 The big Fox deal
The key ingredient is mutual benefit. Both sides have a lot to gain from making it work.
e 23 Selling novel rights
Steps a publisher can take to offer up properties to moviemakers.
e 2 Filmmaking, permitted
Update on New York City’s struggle with what to charge productions.
e 5 Student Films Across America
Apologies and congratulations to the filmmakers, I had to bolt.
e 11 Permitted filmmaking
If it’s you and a buddy with a tiny camera, should you really have to register with a governmental agency? I say no.
e 29 Look out! He is a Spider-Pig
MPAA carries water for The Simpsons movie.
e 5 Economics of Screenwriting
Who gets paid what, when and how. Broken down.
e 14 My role in Transformers
Why I can’t say definitively that I’m not in Transformers.
e 75 Her least favorite mistake
An episode of Grey’s Anatomy might have the same title as your spec. That’s not even close to being plagiarism.
e 23 Should I direct my spec?
How to avoid being talked out of your dreams.
e 7 I talk with my hands
Video links explaining how film and television writers should approach promoting themselves and their work through the media.
e 12 An intern with a script
Every intern has a script. So tread lightly.
e 25 Giving credit where it’s due
In a collaboration, how to identify contributions and distinguish contributors.
e 14 Screenwriters’ dinner
A read-out from the first WGAw Screenwriters’ Dinner.
e 31 Hello, Residuals
How I earned $86.50 a second.
e 20 What is a script doctor?
There’s no shortcut around becoming a “screenwriter” to becoming a “script doctor.”
e 21 Being typecast as a writer
Your (excellent) suspenseful thriller spec will find a receptive readership no matter what your ethnicity.
e 28 How do you become successful?
Ground your notion of Hollywood. While it seems glamorous and lucrative, if you’re coming to the film industry looking to get rich, you’re wasting your time.
e 22 Writer/Directors and Co-Ops
When writers direct and a screenwriters’ co-op, discussed.
e 11 Publicity 101
It would be nice if the general public had some sense that movies are actually written, and that the actors aren’t making up their dialogue.
e 31 Writing for the very small screen
The iPod and mobile phone media will demand their own unique ways of telling a story.
e 5 What if my agent doesn’t like my idea?
Knowing the market isn’t the same thing as taste, and everyone’s taste is different.
e 19 What is independent film?
Should the independently financed Star Wars prequels count?
e 11 The Queen on a silver platter
The 2007 Oscar screeners.
e 7 Ands and Ampersands
The decision about which writers’ names are listed in the credits, and what the conjunctions mean between them.
e 15 Little Children, a little late
2007 Screeners update.
e 7 For My Consideration
Coming across the accidental debris of celebrities — or better yet, quasi-celebrities — is strangely fascinating.
e 33 Is Scriptblaster worth trying?
Your money would be better spent elsewhere. Such as Vegas.
e 1 Should I worry about a competing project?
When to sell and when to hold.
e 4 Because nothing says quality like a cow
No studio push for an Academy Award for your film? David Lynch inspires to get creative.
e 5 Follow up: What job should I beg for?
A blog reader helps steer another reader towards his dream job.
e 98 Clive Cussler really, really dislikes Sahara
An author rails against his Hollywood adaptation.
e 11 When should I panic?
How to deal with the waiting cycle. The good/bad news: no screenwriter, at any level, is immune.
e 5 When do you walk away?
Often, the only power a screenwriter has is to walk away, and the decision whether to do it is almost never straightforward.
e 15 Is the Slamdance script competition a bad idea?
No. But getting a movie made is worth a lot more than any award.
e 22 In defense of script supervisors
Scripty is often the last defense against our scripts being mangled.
e 17 What job should I beg for?
Access leads to learning which is everything.
e 6 Do screenwriters get a chunk of foreign TV money?
When writers do and don’t get paid residuals.
e 26 Two thoughts on the future of video
Fuck Wal-Mart, seriously.
e 35 Agency wants me to pay their “editor”
Is your agent asking for money up front? Run away.
e 89 Test screening The Movie
Test screening is important but potentially dangerous in the internet age.
e 34 Crisis of Infinite Celebrities
The Tabloids would do well by following the example of DC comics.
e 32 J.J. Abrams got a $55+ million deal
I feel exhausted just thinking about it.
e 22 Spec, or write it for the producer?
Have it your way first, then compromise if need be.
e 45 Are you somebody?
Awkward dances with public recognition.
e 19 Does the editor even read the script?
Almost certainly once, before she signs on for the job. After that, it’s hard to say. And that’s not all bad.
e 11 Why most scripts never become movies
As the screenwriter, there are hundreds of variables I can’t control. So I consider it a minor miracle any time a movie gets made.
e 11 Virtual Sundance
Can’t make it to Sundance? Here’s what you’re missing (or not).
e 5 Interview with me at DVguru
Link to an interview on the blog and the state of digital arts in 2005.
e 1 Set lingo for the clueless writer
Good to know before you walk onto a set.
e 6 Avoiding AD mistakes
Entering production, introduce yourself to the AD (if possible) and stay on top of the schedule.
e 9 Which side of the pond should I choose?
Depends on your sensibility.
e 49 The sky is not falling
Debunking the so called “crisis” at the box office.
e 40 Being a reader
Detailed account of the lifestyle of a professional reader.
e 20 Curse of the Pop-In
More from inside the meeting room.
e 10 Someone actually wants to read my script
Not the time to play it cool. Don’t waste a day and risk her forgetting who you are.
e 19 Which agent should I choose?
Important questions to ask the clients of prospective agents.
e 12 When should a writer become a corporation?
When why and how to incorporate.
e 28 Read lots of bad scripts
It’s just as important to read bad writing as good.
e 33 Good advice from agents
The single most asked question (How do I get an agent?) answered directly by the source and amended by me.
e 2 Glossary: Manuscript and Tentpole
Two new terms for the glossary.
e 11 Good interviews about Father Knows Less
The step by step process of making a Hollywood movie.
e 7 Good article on Shane Black
Including the best explanation for how to keep a pitch engaging. Two words: “But then..!”
e 3 Taking a meeting without an agent or manager
If you can set something up without an agent, go for it. But don’t do it without a lawyer.
e 9 LA Times story on DVD sales
DVD revenue is often bigger than theatrical. No wonder some studios hide their numbers.
e Comments Off Whether to pitch or to spec
For working writers, Craig Mazin says to pitch.
e 2 Whether or not to American-ize
Not from these parts? Don’t try to sublimate your natural writing style to match some mythical American standard.
e 19 What does a writer’s assistant do?
I outsourced this question to my former assistant, Rawson Thurber.
e 16 Rewriting bad movies
You don’t want to make a career of it. But sometimes, rewriting a bad movie can be liberating, because you know that almost anything you do will improve it.
e 10 Screenwriter makes, saves a million dollars
Why it’s important for screenwriters to stay active throughout production.
e 12 Good discussion on end credits
Is it reasonable that a writer who’s spent several months working on a given film may find her name is nowhere on the final product?
e 2 Are four scripts better than one?
You’re much better off with one good screenplay than four noble intentions.
e Comments Off Pay-for-mentoring, part two
Scam warning for so called “mentor” programs.
e 11 His name is my name too
What to do if you share a name with other screenwriters. In this case, me.
e 1 How wide to take your spec script
The downside of going wide is that if your script doesn’t receive a great reception, it’s over pretty quickly.
e 3 Big Green Envelopes
The WGA tracks down money owed, even for my failures.
e 21 Producer credits and what they mean
The nomenclature’s different for both TV and films. Here’s a way to match titles with functions.
e 4 Writers Guild agreement reached
2004 WGA agreement reached. Here’s the good, bad and ugly therein.
e 11 How do I find out who represents a given actor?
Unless you’re calling to offer him gainful employment, an agent is not the one to help you. But here’s where to find out.
e 7 Can you be just a screenwriter anymore?
On whether making films or writing them is an easier way in. My writing is what makes me hirable, but it’s sociableness that gets me hired.
e 12 Short films and writer’s assistants
Short answers to two questions: How do I get exposure for my (un-screenable) short. Can you make enough as a writers assistant to survive?
e 12 The not-so-well-dressed screenwriter
Why the writer should always be the worst-dressed person in the room.
e 13 Why agents send out terrible scripts
Do agents submit anything their clients write, or do they ever tell clients that they need to work on something a little longer before they’ll send it out?
e 23 Getting a reader job
Where to find the jobs. Warning: you may have to start at slave wages.
e 3 Do screenwriters make anything from video rentals?
The writer doesn’t get residuals on rentals, except for whatever Blockbuster paid for each videotape or DVD it bought it from the studio.
e 1 Sending a script to an actor
If you’ve written a role that’s “perfect for Tom Cruise,” you have almost zero chance of getting it to him. But the more specialized the actor you’re targeting, the more reasonable it is to try.
e 3 Franchises and the original writer
Initial contracts are what keep you from being booted off the gravy train of a franchise.
e 14 Good day jobs for writers and others
In finding a day job, ask yourself what other people always say you’re good at. Then do it. But never stop paying attention to your real career: the one you’re not getting paid for yet.
e 14 Will digital ever replace film?
Weighing the future of celluloid.
e Comments Off First rewrite
So does the WGA absolutely guaranteed the first rewrite on your spec script? No.
e Comments Off Movie quotes
Those great movie lines, bringing infamy to those who deliver them, are actually written by writers.
e Comments Off Film censorship
Is picking a fight with the MPAA a good way to market your film?
e Comments Off More LA relocating
Should you move to Los Angeles? Only if you’re really serious about making it as a writer.
e Comments Off Writer’s strikes
Baby-writer protocol. If you’re not yet in the WGA, can you sell during a strike?
e 2 Scripts sold
There are resources for finding out what scripts sold for what, but verifying the truth is another story.
e Comments Off Does a Brit have a chance?
When or whether to cross the pond.
e 4 Moving to Hollywood
If it’s big movies you’re talking about, big movies require big money, which pretty much means LA.
e Comments Off Male vs. Female lead
The awful truth: having a female lead in an action script will cap the budget at a lower level than the male equivalent.
e 2 Writing a biography
Trouble writing a biography? Feeling like you’ve done nothing as a young screenwriter? Here, I wrote one for you. Fill in the blanks.
e 1 The problem of multiple screenwriters
The mechanics of multiple writers jumping in and out of a single project.
e 5 Nominated screenplays
Screenplay awards are handed out based on the final movie. Would it be better or more fair if they were based on the actual script?
e Comments Off Being rewritten
Even the most experienced writers with multiple credits find themselves rewritten badly at times. When should you take your name off a movie?
e Comments Off Good writing vs. the idea
Well-written is rarely good enough. The idea must be compelling and marketable.
e Comments Off Shooting shorts
Making a good short film is an incredible amount of work, but it’s absolutely worthwhile if you have directing ambitions.
e Comments Off Determining credit
Screen credits are a huge, sticky mess that pits writers against writers.
e Comments Off Agency papers
When you sign with an agent, know what you’re signing and how to protect yourself.
e 4 Sold a script, next stop: agency
Finding the right agency means doing your homework and consulting with others.
e Comments Off Finding assistant gigs
Advice on finding those hard to come by writers assistant jobs.
e 1 Writer on-set
What few writers understand before visting a set is just how boring they are. For my money, a writer’s time is better spent in the editing room.
e Comments Off To live and die in LA
Boy does this question come up a lot. If your life’s dream is to become a giant Hollywood screenwriter, then you need to live in Hollywood.
e Comments Off MPAA numbers
Way down on the list of MPAA responsibilities is the job of keeping track of its members’ movies. That’s all the numbers are for.
e Comments Off Do i show my scripts or my short?
Not many agents are apt to pop in a videotape to check out a low-budget movie from someone they’ve never heard of. The odds of suckage are just too high.
e 1 Naomi Foner on How I Got My Agent
RUNNING ON EMPTY screenwriter on going from Sesame Street to Hollywood.
e 4 Tom Smith on How I Got My Agent
A case of paid script analysis paying off for an aspiring writer.
e 1 David Steinberg on How I Got My Agent
Someone (anyone) else saying your script is great is infinitely better than you doing it yourself.
e 1 Howard Rodman on How I Got My Agent
Thai noodles led a baby writer to a baby agent. This is more likely to happen in LA.
e Comments Off Derick Martini on How I Got My Agent
Using a short to lure agents to your script.
e Comments Off James LaRosa on How I Got My Agent
A good example of why impressing assistants matters.
e 6 Doug McGrath on How I Got My Agent
Oscar nominee for BULLETS OVER BROADWAY tells his story.
e 1 How I Got My Agent
My personal answer to the most asked question of young writers.
e 5 Craft service
The differences between craft services and catering and who to go to when one isn’t up to par.

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