The staggering success of BACKROOMS, OBSESSION, and IRON LUNG have created a rare path for independent creators within the biz. But what are the lessons Hollywood is actually learning, and will any of this benefit emerging screenwriters? Wagons are being circled. Numbers are being crunched. Hard questions asked. And the answer – “Wait, you mean all this amazing IP…
The feature spec market ain’t what it used to be. How do agents and managers play the spec game today? “You might get lucky (going out with a ‘naked’ script,) but more often than not, the response is going to be, hey, that’s really cool; come back to us with a package.” — Zach Cox,…
Signing up for a career as a screenwriter? Brace yourself, because for every little victory, there will likely be 100 crushing defeats. Why do we subject ourselves to this? Because we must. 1001 Ways to Get Screwed as a Screenwriter I recently read Jim Agnew’s book “To Live and Write in LA – A Street-Level Guide…
How do you deal with the gut punches? We’ve all been there. You spend months writing and rewriting a script. Then you send it into a contest… and it doesn’t even make the quarterfinals. You finally get your foot in the door: an introduction to a coveted manager. He reads your spec… and says “not…
We had a chat with two veteran contest readers/judges/coordinators to get their perspective on how to ace the major screenwriting competitions We’ve all been there. You spend real money submitting your script to screenwriting contests, only to wind up with nothing for your efforts except the thrill of being eliminated in round one. If you’re…
Taking notes and making adjustments is a non-negotiable skill for a working screenwriter You’ve probably gotten notes before–in your screenwriting class, your writers’ group, from contests or coverage services. And, be honest, how many times have you blown them off or just changed/added a couple of lines in response to several pages worth of notes?…
A 12-week working lab for filmmakers ready to build a clear path to festivals, impact, distribution, and funding Jon Fitzgerald is a writer, producer, director, festival and distribution consultant probably best known for co-founding Slamdance (watch our interview with him). On May 1st his company Cause Pictures launches a new Impact Lab based on the work he’s been developing around new models of…
Supporting Characters Samwise from LORD OF THE RINGS, Janis from MEAN GIRLS, Luna Lovegood from HARRY POTTER, Lisa from GIRL, INTERRUPTED–they all have something in common. They are supporting characters. Angelina Jolie won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for the latter. What else do they have in common? They are all three-dimensional, fascinating…
How do you strengthen your ANTAGONIST? Annie Wilkes in MISERY–she goes from fawning fan to your worst nightmare. She’s delusional, unstable, and sad. She’s also a capable nurse and an enthusiastic reader. Alonzo Harris in TRAINING DAY–smart, cunning, charming and convincing when he needs to be as well as completely ruthless. Terence Fletcher in WHIPLASH–he’s…
Your protagonist needs to be the driving force of your story. They can’t be a bystander. They can’t be reactive. They can’t have low stakes in the outcome. Yet all too often we find protagonists that exist in the story, even get quite a bit of screen time, but don’t carry the movie. How can…
