Posted on April 6, 2012 in General Screenwriting, Selling Your Script | No Comments
Gavin Polone, producer of Zombieland, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the Gilmore Girls, talks about who really controls the future of aspiring screenwriters.
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Posted on February 15, 2012 in General Screenwriting, Selling Your Script | No Comments
Before he got the sweat heart deal from FX for his show “Louie” (where they gave him 200K to make whatever he wanted), Louis CK was a working writer in the TV netwok’s pilot season machinery. In a UseNET rant, Louis CK regales his experiences trying to get a pilot launched.
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Posted on November 16, 2011 in Selling Your Script | 2 Comments
I was going to include this memorable Harlan Ellison rant in our article about No Pay Craigslist Jobs, but I thought it needed its own post. It is from the feature documentary on Ellison, “Dreams With Sharp Teeth.”
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Posted on July 29, 2011 in Producing, Selling Your Script | 1 Comment
Michael Weise Director of Hardware Wars offers you some pointers on how to pitch your film to studio executives.
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Posted on July 27, 2011 in General Screenwriting, Selling Your Script | No Comments
Kevin Slavin argues that we’re living in a world designed for and increasingly controlled by algorithms. In this riveting talk from TEDGlobal, he shows how these complex computer programs determine: espionage tactics, stock prices, movie scripts, and architecture. And he warns that we are writing code we can’t understand, with implications we can’t control.
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Posted on April 21, 2011 in General Screenwriting, Selling Your Script | No Comments
Nina Rosenblum, acclaimed documentary film director, guides you through the basics of how to make a documentary film treatment.
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Posted on February 22, 2011 in Producing, Selling Your Script | 1 Comment
Peter Chiarelli the writer of “The Proposal” on his personal experiences working as a Studio Executive and Producer.
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Posted on February 8, 2011 in General Screenwriting, Selling Your Script | No Comments
Screenwriter Richard Walter shares business and film strategies, news, and success stories. His students have written more than 10 projects for Steven Spielberg, plus blockbusters and indie productions, including Milk and Sideways. A storytelling guru, movie industry expert and chair of UCLA’s graduate program in screenwriting, Walter knows everyone in the business -– and all the side businesses.
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Posted on February 7, 2011 in Selling Your Script | 2 Comments
There’s a common misconception among new or ‘unrepresented’ screenwriters that only agents, managers, and producers can open Hollywood’s gates, and that without at least one of the three, it’s virtually impossible to sell a script or sidestep Hollywood’s frustrating barriers to entry.
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Posted on November 24, 2010 in Selling Your Script | 2 Comments
It’s the most often-asked question I get at classes and conferences around the country and from my clients. And honestly, I hate this question. There is no ONE answer. Everyone has a different “breaking in” story and everyone gets in a different way. And of course some don’t get in at all. It’s hard to break in – but here are some keys to finding your way.
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Posted on November 9, 2010 in Selling Your Script | 2 Comments
When you write your first screenplay, the path to glory seems clear—find an agent who will get you a six-figure deal. A hundred and fifty query letters later, you’re languishing at Hollywood’s front gate. You’ve received a lot of encouragement, but, as Pauline Kael put it, “Hollywood’s the only town where you can die of encouragement.” Maybe it’s time to try another approach.
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Posted on October 23, 2010 in General Screenwriting, Selling Your Script | 2 Comments
This is a rejection notice from Essanay Film Manufacturing Company (1907-1925). It is remembered for a series of silent Charlie Chaplin films.
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Posted on October 13, 2010 in Selling Your Script, Story | 3 Comments
Lack of real, empathetic characters is the leading reason why agents and production executives pass on scripts. In today’s competitive market, it is imperative to create the kind of full-bodied characters that mesmerize gatekeepers and bump your script up to the next level.
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Posted on October 12, 2010 in Selling Your Script | 1 Comment
The best secret I can teach you about writing a great query letter is that less is more. Writers feel the need to cram their letters with information, to widen the margins, lengthen the page, even take several pages. They go on about their plot, their biography, they become personal, start up a one way conversation. It is a huge mistake.
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Posted on September 1, 2010 in Selling Your Script | 1 Comment
You’re a hot writer! Already you can see your name on the front page of Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. But to make the magic work, you need an agent.
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