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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

The Rouge Wave is Moving!

Good morning, Wavers! Well, it's the dawn of a new day, and the Rouge Wave is moving to a new URL as of today at 2pm. Any Wavers who have RSS feeds on TRW should change the URL to: http://www.justeffing.com as of NOW if you want to continue to be alerted of blog updates.

The Rouge Wave is also changing its name to Just F-ng Entertain Me - or just, you know, Julie Gray's blog. It's a new look, a new location but the same good ol' advice and information you've come to expect. Hell, I also hope to get back to blogging with (almost) the same frequency I used to! I think I spoiled you Wavers for a long time with daily updates! No worries, the Rouge Wave archives will still be available for your reading pleasure and the good news is that the archive is being condensed, compressed, converted and somewhat re-imagined into a screenwriting book which should hit bookshelves sometime in the latter half of 2010.

I hope all my loyal Rouge Wavers are just as pleased with the new blog - again, don't forget to update your RSS feed so you don't miss a thing. And remember - the mailbox is always open so I look forward to receiving scintillating questions you may have vis a vis the entertainment industry, personal hygiene, recipes or mechanics.

So head on over to www.justeffing.com and check out the new digs!


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Monday, August 31, 2009

Silver Screenwriting Semi-Finalists

Hi Wavers - here is the list of the semi-finalists in the Silver Screenwriting Competition. These writers represent the top 4% of all entrants which is something to be very proud of! Now, somewhere in this list, there are the top ten finalists and somewhere in that list - is the winner. So it's really fun. Congratulations to the top 4%!

BET ON BLOOD by Patrick Barb (horror)

CHIMANA by Paiman Kalayeh (romantic drama)

ENDOWMENT by Ian Samplin (drama)

EVERLASTING by Brent Spencer and Jonis Agee (drama)

FERTILE ATTRACTION by Mariah Wilson (rom-com)

HAIR TODAY by Dennis Douda (comedy/family)

HERO QUEST by Joel Dorland (action/comedy)

HORROR COMIC by Stephen Hoover (thriller)

HUNTING PICASSO by Marlene Shikegawa (thriller)

INUGAMI by Rich Figel (thriller)

LIFE AMONG THE RUINS by Anthony Fisher (heist thriller)

MEADOWLANDZ by Moon Molson (drama)

MECHANICSVILLE by Jason Thornton and Chris Thornton (drama)

MY BROTHER MICK by Kim Nunley (drama/thriller)

OFFRAMPS by Patrick O'Riley (comedy)

ONE NIGHT STAND by Ian Coyne (horror)

PLUS SIZE by Jacob Roman (comedy)

RAEFORD'S GRILL by David Meyer (drama)

SHIFT by Kodjo Akeseh Tsakpo (thriller)

THE BASEMENT by Scott Shackleford (drama)

THE COOL KIDS by Cliff Zimonowski (thriller)

THE GREAT AMERICAN LOSER by Jess DiGiacinto (dramedy)

THE HAPPINESS EXPERIMENT by Alex Darrow (dramedy)

THE WARRIORS OF WESTGATE by Michael Harriel (drama)

UPGRADE by Louis Rosenberg (sci-fi)

WAY TO THE CAGE by Richard Michael Lucas (drama)

WHEN IN LIMBO by Adam King (thriller)


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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

From the Mailbag: TV Spec Writing



I am writing a television spec and am perplexed about a few things.

First, how long should a show have been aired before writing a spec for it?

Second, I heard I should wait until the show is in its third season, but then I find that the third season will be its last. So, how fast should I be churning these specs out? Maybe I am writing too slowly? I come up with ideas and then read in the trades that the show is being cancelled. I try to cut myself some slack since I am still learning (as a newbie, not to be confused with the pros and the continued learning curve).

At this rate, I fear I will have no current episodes by the time I get there.

-Perplexed in Pennsylvania



ANSWER:

This is a great question. Having current samples as TV writer is a constantly moving target.
Yes, a spec of an existing show should be the first place to start. Especially if you are new to TV, you should attempt to spec a current show first to help you understand TV pacing and structure, as well as voice.

An ideal spec script will be in a genre similar to a show you'd like to write on, in a tone similar to a voice you can write well. The old adage is true, never spec a show you want to write for; those showrunners will RARELY (mainly NEVER) look upon your idea of their show with warmth and open arms.

So, if I want to write for "The Mentalist," having a solid "CSI" or even "Medium" as a spec will help me. If I want to write for "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia," having a good "Weeds" or "South Park" come in handy.

Because shows aren't around as long anymore, it's safe to say that if you choose to spec a show it should have had a successful first season, and at LEAST a second season order. The trick here is just to write something that executives and showrunners are likely to have seen. An obscure show does you no good.

Also, I'm a big believer in taking a risk and trying to write a spec BEFORE something is a massive hit, because then everyone has a spec of that show. From what I've heard, executives are sick of "Gray's Anatomy" and "The Office," - and now's the time to bury that "My Name Is Earl" spec, while you're at it. Right now the market is also flooded with "The Mentalist," "Mad Men," and "30 Rock specs.

I wrote a spec of "Gossip Girl" early in the first season of the show, knowing and hoping that it would change some of the tides in terms of tone and genre of CW programming. I got lucky. I could have just as easily been wrong, in which case I would have learned a valuable lesson and maybe that's about it. That's the nature of spec writing. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you don't. It happens to everyone.

You should be updating your spec pile every year. If working writers think an old "Friends" or "Alias" spec is going to help them, they're probably not working on a show right now. Keep current. Which shows are coming up the pipeline? May is when the majority of orders happen for new serieses; a majority of those will fail in the fall. But, quietly over the summer, both "Nurse Jackie" and "True Blood" got picked up for another season - two for "True Blood." Read the trades and learn which shows are getting good ratings, good reviews, awards nominations, etc. Understanding the business will help you get better at predicting the turning of the tides. Choosing a spec should involve finding a good creative match for you in a relevant show.

Also - and not to add any stress to a confusing situation - the emphasis these days is more on original material than spec scripts. Don't get me wrong, you have to have a spec script or three in your back pocket. You never know what will come in handy when. They are a necessary evil in TV. Also, don't quote me on this, but the majority of TV fellowships require a spec script as an entry for their programs. So mastering a solid spec is absolutely necessary.

But once that's done, the real work begins. Lately, you can't get an agent anymore on a spec script. Actually, from what I've seen with my circle of up-and-coming writer friends, getting staffed FIRST is the only real way to get an agent. But don't worry about that yet.

What you've got to do is write an original pilot. Again, write in a genre that you'd like to write in in the future. Don't write a procedural murder show if you really want to write half-hour comedy. The point of the pilot is to distinguish yourself from the pack. Show that you understand the form and structure of TV at its basic level, and then use the platform of the pilot to make your voice shine.

What's a personal story to you? A world that you have great access to? What's different/special about your voice, your take on things? All of that should come through in your pilot. Showrunners want to hire VOICES in their rooms. Executives want to find new TALENT. Audiences want to see a WORLD they've never seen before. They can't tell all of that from a spec of "Criminal Minds," so help them out. Write a pilot that makes it undeniable what a gem you are.

If that feels too daunting at first, try your hand at a one-act play. I've gotten more than my fair share of mileage from a one-act I wrote. It's a simple way to get your feet wet in the land of original writing. Keep it simple, and let your characters and their voices shine. Again, another opportunity to show who YOU are.

Yes, it's a lot to take in. Being a current TV writer requires an arsenal of projects and getting that built up is not easy. But if you think that's hard, try writing a 60-page script in a week, because that's the job you're signing up for.

Happy writing!

Margaux Froley

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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Are Studios Open on Saturdays?

This great post is from our friend John August, who always hits the nail on the head. First, here's the question:

When trying to sell a screenplay, does it have to be accompanied by a logline and/or a synopsis? Or will just handing someone a script suffice?

And I would also like to know the general work hours of movie studios. I want to maybe personally hand my work to someone at a studio since I am uncertain of whether or not they read unsolicited work; however, I have a very unflexible work schedule, and I usually get off late. Are studios open on Saturdays?

– Evelyn
New York City

...and click here to see John's response. It's good stuff.




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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Hollywood Calendar 2009/2010


Like the millions of school children buying Pee-Chee folders at Walmart, like the leaves beginning to turn, like the fog moving under the Golden Gate Bridge and the gray whales migrating to Mexico for the winter, we are shifting into a new Hollywood season.

That's a long way of saying that this is the beginning of the Hollywood school year - when it comes to writers. Here is the latest Hollywood Calendar for 2009/2010, which my intrepid assistant arduously compiled for your writing benefit. These are the events, festivals and holidays that I think you should be aware of.

Make sure you pay yourself first and set aside some family monies so you can attend the CS Expo this year - it is honestly one of the best annual events for screenwriters out there. Besides, I'll be teaching a class this year so yowza that. Many of you will notice the Expo is one day shorter this year, which is probably a good thing. Jam all of that intensity into a shorter time span.

Some items you may ask why I am specifically noting the Jewish High Holidays. That's because a fair number of people in Los Angeles and in Hollywood (including me) observe these holidays; it's respectful to be informed of a holiday - especially one that means some will not be doing business during this time.

Get out your red pens and your blank calendars out and jot this stuff down:

Fall/Winter 2009:

Toronto Film Festival
September 10-19, 2009

Rosh Hashana
September 18-20

Emmy Awards
September 20

Yom Kippur
September 27-28

Creative Screenwriting Expo
October 16-18

Austin Film Festival
October 22-29

2010

Sundance
January 21-31

Academy Awards
March 7

Tribeca Film Festival
May

Silver Screenwriting Competition
May

BlueCat Screenwriting Competition
May

Cannes Film Festival
May 12-23

Disney/ABC Television Writing Fellowship deadline
May

Great American Pitch Fest
June

Nicholl Fellowship deadline
tbd

Warner Bros Television Writers' Workshop
July

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Monday, August 17, 2009

Mad Men: Dirty Martinis and Ant Farms



So how many of you watched the "Mad Men" season premiere? Go ahead--raise your hand. I’m counting. Nice. I think your Facebook statuses indicated this and I am happy to report that you’re not alone out there, my 1960s slick suit wearing, brandy in the office sloshing and non-filtered Marlboro loving friends.

Most of my fellow entertainment brethren agree that the writing, acting and art direction of the show is beyond stunning. Many shows try to layer in all the most important aspects of storytelling, but few succeed like "Mad Men." No detail is left behind. But within all the layers of storytelling comes something I usually rarely find in worthwhile television...

Symbolism.

How many of you noticed the hidden (or not so hidden) symbolism that the writers and directors use to convey theme and emotion as an integral part of the show? Yes. You in the back--from Dubuque, Iowa. You noticed? Bravo! Julie, go ahead and call Sprinkles stat! Dubuque gets a cupcake.

Images provide the audience with something I love about storytelling: Show, don’t tell. The subtext that is not only visual, but also visceral. And of course, sometimes a cigar is just a big ole fat...well, cigar.

Sure we see symbols in great movies. They can be conventional (fire, water, wind, the puppets in BEING JOHN MALKOVITCH). Or unconventional (the briefcase in PULP FICTION, the blue box in MULHOLLAND DRIVE, the loons in ON GOLDEN POND). But symbols are often left unexplored on most airing TV shows.

"Mad Men"’s premiere offered many eye-catching, provocative symbols. Season three starts with birth. Don is at the stove, boiling something that he then leaves unattended while reflecting on birth. And that something boils over, which gives us the sense that something ELSE will boil over this season. What could it be?

And when Sal engages in a kiss with the male bellhop - who somes up to check the overly warm (boiling) temperature in his hotel room - his pen explodes, leaving his starched white shirt pocket dripping with oozing ink. Sal’s tension fueled by a deep desire to be with another man bursts phalically and symbolically forth onto the screen.

And then there is the more nuanced symbol of Cooper’s ant farm. Did anybody else tune into that? It sits in the old Head of Accounts' office; when the new British boss (Pryce) and his underling (Hooker) meet, one of them comments, “This place is a giantocracy.” Hooker and his British boss will watch their ant farm of an ad agency from upon high. Then, they’ll command their little worker ants to grow their new empire with a fiery controlled chaos they surely will delve up by the truckload this season. Just like how they have already begun to pit Pete and Ken against each other as the new co-heads of Accounts.

It’s very simple, but, if interwoven well, symbols can really help reinforce your stories and premises throughout each and every scene.

How do you know it’s done on purpose in "Mad Men," Mr. Mike? Well, the frequency an object or character is mentioned is uber vital. I think "Mad Men" is subtler in its approach. But, if it is mentioned often, it is probably important. Another way to find or write about a symbol is to look at how much detail is used in describing it. Do your characters talk extensively about the object? These two methods give clues that the writer wants you to infer something about a particular object. You should do the same!

Please, writers (especially TV writers) – watch for this as you scribe your specs and future cable or network hit pilots. It enriches the world in which your characters play and thrive. And ask yourself, “Is there something more I can do to include symbols, images and icons to heighten my story and better convey emotion, theme and conflict?”

Now punch up that DVR and watch the season premiere again. Then, whip out your stogies, dirty martinis, underwire bras, skinny ties and enjoy those subtle as well as not so subtle symbols all over again...

Michael Perri is a writer/producer/comedian/techno-geek and partner with Yes No Maybe Productions in Los Angeles. Mike has produced and written plays, content for game shows, short movies, features and some scribbling on bathroom walls as a small child. He successfully helped create and launch some of the most critically acclaimed web series online including Citizen Kate and the latest smash hit - Weed Shop. Mike is currently developing original film and animated content that will soon hit the net and airwaves this year.

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Friday, August 14, 2009

Whitest Kids U Know

Morning, Wavers! If you haven't caught any of the WKUK (Whitest Kids U Know) videos on Fuse or You Tube, you're missing out on some great sketch comedy. This one is particularly relevant and hilarious. Enjoy!


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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Readers Don't "Get" Comedy: Truth or Myth?


I received a disappointed email from a writer a few weeks back; he was upset that once again, his comedy script received low marks from a reader. Readers just don't get comedy, he postulated. I'm not sure one can make a sweeping statement like that, but at the same time, comedy IS pretty subjective. What if a reader reviews your script and as it turns out, he or she has a totally different sense of humor and gives you low marks because of that subjectivity? What is a writer to do? I asked my friend Peter Russell, a long time reader at some of the most illustrious production companies in town and a teacher of story analysis at UCLA, to chime in:

*****

The writer who complains bitterly that readers don't 'get' comedy, especially low comedy, is half right.

Readers who don't have a sense of humour will not get comedy. Readers who love drama are legion, and they probably do have a harder time with lowbrow comedy than they do straight drama, in the same way comedies get fewer Oscars and less respect -- comedy is considered, by such readers, as a 'lower' form, and that probably does leach into their ratings.

But a good reader with a sense of humour will get comedy thoroughly and perspicaciously, and can judge a comic script, low or high, with accuracy.

That's the rub. How many good readers have a good sense of humour? An anecdotal guess would be less than half, if you define sense of humour as the ability (and I mean this sincerely) to judge the merits of a fart joke. And there are merits to a fart joke. Many.

Anecdotally, more men than women are puerile, and being puerile is a huge advantage when it comes to judging low comedy (whether it's Seneca, Plautus, or Apatow.) Of course there are exceptions. One of the foulest, most hilariously scatological writers/readers I know is a female.

So, yes, low comedy gets short shrift from script readers without senses of (puerile) humour. But a lot of readers do have a sense of humour, and an astute story editor at a studio can often guide the script to the right reader.

Half the time the writer will get a fair shake.

In Hollywood, those are good odds for a writer. If it's a good script, and it goes out enough, it probably will be noticed.

That's all any writer ever gets in this town.

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Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus


I am what you might refer to as a totally omnivorous cinefile. An equal opportunity movie lover.


I love Lasse Hallstrom as much as I love Fellini, Woody Allen and John Waters. I love action movies, drama, adaptations, science fiction (Danny Boyle's SUNSHINE was the last sci-fi movie that really rocked my world although I'm quite excited to see DISTRICT 9), rom-com and...and...you name it. I love the movies. Passionately.

And I love a good B-movie as well. Why? Well, because I love to see what filmmakers do with a limited budget and a wild imagination. I love the stilted action, the hilarious FX and the whoopsy daisy continuity problems. I love the wink and the nod that is a B-movie. Click here to read up on the history and definition of B-movies. Suffice it to say that like cockroaches, strong martinis and hot nights, B-movies are a long and lively tradition in Hollywood. The indisputable king of the B-movie is of course Roger Corman, who gave many an accomplished filmmaker a start in his movie-making boot camp. And by accomplished film maker I of course mean people such as Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme, Francis Ford Coppola and the like.

One of my favorite B-movie makers is The Asylum, producers of movies like MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS, 100 MILLION BC, TRANSMORPHERS, and SNAKES ON A TRAIN (yes, you read that right).

MEGA SHARK is among the most entertaining B-movies I have seen lately (although SHARK SWARM still holds a place in my heart), featuring a shark so mega that once he is released from a glacier, where he was locked in battle with a giant octopus, and is free to roam the modern day ocean, he leaps 30,000 feet into the air and bites an airliner in half. IN HALF, people. That's one bad-ass shark. If you think the entertainment ends with bad-ass sea monsters from the Ice Age, think again. It also stars Debbie Gibson and Lorenzo Lamas. Rent MEGA SHARK, invite over several friends as I did, make blue cocktails, make plenty of popcorn and enjoy.

One day recently, I decided to write a fan email to one of the principals of The Asylum, David Latt, and find out if the Mini-W and I might be able to take a field trip over to their offices and pay them a visit. Little did I know what a treat we were in for. Latt agreed readily, and when my daughter and I arrived at his mini-studio lot in Burbank, he greeted us on roller blades. Apologizing because he was in the beginning stages of a cold, Latt nonetheless took my daughter and me on a tour of Asylum's new digs.

The company, co-founded by Latt, has been in business since the '80s; they start production on a new film every four weeks. Every. Four weeks. Most everything is done onsite. Pre-production, post-production and principal photography. The commissary is a microwave and some folding chairs. A dinosaur leg and part of a whale carcass lie stacked in a corner.

I had so many questions for Latt about his business model, how he got into making B-movies, if he found the term offensive (No, that's a compliment. Our movies have been called Z-movies, he said with a laugh), where he gets the ideas, who writes the scripts, what his movies cost to make, etc. And this is what I learned:

Most films produced by The Asylum have a core budget of $150K. MEGA SHARK cost $250K in part due to the cost of casting. Why that particular film became a viral online phenom, Latt is not sure. Netflix rentals were 70% higher on that title than in general but due to their business model, no more copies or profit were made.

The scripts all come from ideas that are then assigned to a small stable of non-guild writers. The ideas are inspired by what is renting well at video outlets like Blockbuster. If 10,000 BC is renting well at Blockbuster, Asylum sets up 100,000 BC. It takes about four months from the inception of an idea to the movie hitting the shelves.

Marketing is nonexistent. Asylum films are sold directly to Netflix, Blockbuster, Hollywood Video and some foreign distributors. Zero marketing costs mean predictable profit. Latt has never lost money on a film made by Asylum. In fact, every film has made a profit - which makes The Asylum more successful, per project, than Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros and Universal combined.

Many more questions were asked and answered; I didn't record the interview because it wasn't as formal as that. One question I wish I had asked is if Asylum had ever been threatened with lawsuits by the makers of the mainstream movies that they riff on if not...dare I say it...rip off. Eek. The answer would appear to be no, since one such lawsuit would bury Asylum but good and with permanence. And yet they just upgraded to newer, larger facilities. I'm not sure what the writers are paid, or if their pay scale is in keeping with the usual WGA 3% rule.

Latt is, in many ways, living the dream. He makes movies. A lot of movies. Quickly. And he sells them predictably and he pockets enough profit to keep Asylum in production mode at all times and to float his personal life as well. He knows the films made by Asylum are not great art and he doesn't care. He is good humored and realistic and has a great generosity of spirit. He may be looking for some fresh writers down the line, so we exchanged business cards.

If you have a sense of humor and appreciation for ingenuity, stop by your local Blockbuster or Hollywood Video or go online and rent some of The Asylum's titles and enjoy.

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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Natalie Portman's Online Resource

Wow, this is a really neat resource, Wavers. I know, I know, you have a lot of stuff to do today. But check out Making Of!



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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

No, Seriously, Just F*ng Entertain Me

Good afternoon, everybody! And now...bite those fingernails...the quarterfinalists have been narrowed down significantly to the contenders for the top spots. I just had the scripts printed and labeled and took them to my office. So now I gaze upon the pile of scripts in which I will find my winner.

The title, writer's name and genre are written on each. Who will it be? This is the fun part, this is the part I love. I know of the hundreds of scripts received that these are the cream of the crop. Is the grand prize winner the script with the hilarious title that I can't wait to read? Or is it the script with a very unassuming title? Which genre will it be? I'm like a kid in the candy store; I love the anticipation. I wonder what the writer's like? I wonder if this will kick off a career?

Amidst all of this, life continues to roll on. As I mentioned a couple of weeks back, I went on vacation in Key West and Miami for a few days. While on that trip, I met a young, aspiring writer who took my business card. A few days ago, he emailed me a few pages of his novel, wondering why he cannot get any interest in a read from editors or agents. I'm too busy for this, I thought! Gah! I have a competition to run! But - I'm in a good mood so I read the few pages he sent.* And because I don't want to leave you Wavers hanging for entertaining distractions to read today, the slightly modified (for privacy and entertainment) email I sent the writer is below. I figured there's a kernel in here for everyone, screenwriter, novelist or short fiction writer though you may be:

*What is the lesson there? If your email is polite, not too ass-kissy but with just the right amount of flattery, the recipient might just be in a good mood, have a free five minutes and read what you sent. You never know, right? I get emails like this all the time -requests that are rude, blunt or demanding go straight to the deleted folder. If you've ever sent me a question or some pages and you never heard back it's because I'm busy up to my eyeballs and your email did not move my spirit to stop what I was doing and read your unsolicited question, script or manuscript. Hint: I like flattery and cupcakes.

*********

Hey Young Writer X - wish I could look at this material much more in depth, alas, I am way too swamped with the competition right now. I did read over it very quickly though and my very surface comments would be that the premise - where this is all going - is unclear as heck and the main character is not very likable or relatable. That's all fine; many fine main characters in fiction have been less than charismatic but that said, a reader needs something they can hang onto - something they can relate to, and some reason they would want to read on.

Now, you know that I primarily work in entertainment, i.e, film scripts, but in my travels I was also frequently hired to read novels for possible adaptation. I have a book coming out this spring called Just F*ng Entertain Me and the main tenet is that material needs to be fundamentally engaging and entertaining. While literature has a lot more room for wheelie-popping, character development and reflective musings, at the end of the day, as attention spans are growing shorter and shorter and the demands on our time have become crowded with things like Twitter, You Tube, gaming, television and movies, you have to be particularly adept at grabbing your reader immediately and keeping them reading your pages. And for that, your premise must unfold and present itself fairly quickly and the main character, even a dissolute anti-hero as yours, must be relatable in some way.

Now, a story about an anti-hero who gets sick to death of it all and hatches some plan or other is not a new premise. What do you bring to the table that is fresh? The beginning pages (including prologue) do not yet highlight or showcase why I should read on. Read the first 10pages of The Lovely Bones and tell me you're not completely hooked. Hell, the first two sentences of the book hooked me: My name was Salmon; like the fish, first name, Susie. I was 14 when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. This is brilliance, just FYI. She was murdered at age 14?? Then - who's narrating the book?! Hooked solid.

Put yourself in the shoes of an editor who receives piles of manuscripts each week. Read the first few pages of several authors whom you admire. Reread your first few pages. Why should I read on? What am I going to learn from a bitter, dissolute character that I haven't already read before? Your job as a writer is to ENTERTAIN your audience - writing a novel is not an exercise in gazing at your navel and picking the literary lint out of it while showing me what pretty words you know - your job is to entertain me. It's bread and circus. Thumbs up or thumbs down.


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Monday, August 10, 2009

Nurses on the Battlefield of Life


So over the weekend I had to review the notes and files for every single entrant for the Silver Screenwriting Competition - I'm talking about hundreds and hundreds of loglines, Wavers. As the loglines and scripts flew by, I found myself smiling. It was like a scene from A BEAUTIFUL MIND: the loglines flying by with a soundtrack of clicking and clacking keyboards and murmured voices...Look at all these writers. Look at all these ideas. Some were crazy and ridiculous, some were profound and serious and some were everything in-between. The collective energy that led so many writers to work so hard for weeks and months to write a script swept over me and I really got a bit choked up.

How wonderful it is that we write. How beautiful and awesome the energy that compels us to make stuff up and in doing so entertain others and provide catharsis for ourselves. Thank you, writers everywhere, for writing. You sit alone, in cafes, at home, in the car in your driveway (as Raymond Carver did) and you bravely face the blank page. You put your heart and soul onto paper knowing the odds are terrible, knowing there may be no payback or payoff or even any encouragement. But you do it anyway.

You make me laugh, you scare me, you make me cry, you make me think and your sheer creative energy renews my faith in the human spirit. I don't care if you advanced to the next round or didn't - you're all rock stars in my world. Thank you. You make my life richer just because you are out there, you crazy writers. Never stop. Do it for me. No, do it for every person who needs a laugh, a scare, a new point of view or just a distraction on a Friday night when their own lives are too overwhelming. Like nurses on the battlefield, you writers administer hope, candy and distraction from the toils and troubles of life.

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Saturday, August 8, 2009

The Special Project

Script readers tend to use other films as examples to illustrate a point. Makes sense, right? I can only speak for myself when I say that I found that I was using the same examples over and over again. So I asked one of my readers, Gideon Cross, to do a special project for me. I asked him to list out the inciting incident, first plot point, midpoint, second plot point and battle scene of 10 movies. I wanted him to draw from the classics as well as much more current films. When Gideon was done, I distributed his list to all of our readers as a refresher and a reference point so we can be sure to be using current examples and/or examples that change up the tried and true. It took Gideon a few weeks and a whole lot of video rentals but he did it. I asked him to write about the experience and he has done so here today:

*************

In my experience as a screenplay analyst, I’ve found that structure is by far the most common “trouble” area in screenplays. Luckily, these mistakes are generally fixable, and structure is quite learnable. Sometimes a screenplay just isn’t very well written, or there’s no heart in it, or the dialogue doesn’t sound real – problems that are difficult to correct. I won’t say these aspects of writing are not learnable, but they can be very difficult to learn. Structure’s not like that. It’s pretty straightforward...yet, more writers mess it up than any other category.

I recently re-watched a number of classic and successful modern movies to create a reference sheet of key structural points for The Script Department. The experience reaffirmed for me how much of a formula structure really is. I know creative people generally don’t like the word “formula,” but think of it this way: The formula creates a framework that will support all of the exceptional, original, creative content that is going to fit inside. In CRASH, which seems on the surface as if it has a sort-of unorthodox free-flowing multi-story structure, I was a bit surprised to find all of the standard structural points not only arriving on cue, but arriving en masse.

You see, CRASH follows about 67 storylines (a rough estimate), and when these plot points hit, they hit in story after story. For example at the midpoint, there’s a reversal for every character: John (Matt Dillon’s racist cop) apologizes to Shaniqua, Graham and Ria (Don Cheadle and Jennifer Esposito) discover a break in their case that leads them in a new direction, Tom (Ryan Phillippe) gets reassigned, etc. Woody Allen’s WHATEVER WORKS, which I saw in the theater recently, also hits all of the standard plot points, sometimes with real in-your-face oomph. In that movie, lead character Boris (Larry David) is fervently against marriage and commitment, often ranting about what a horrible idea it would be for him to marry female lead Melody (Evan Rachel Wood). Guess what Boris does at the midpoint? If you guessed something other than “He marries Melody,” stop, take a deep breath, and re-read up to this point.

I’ve heard writers say, “I know all those big Hollywood movies hit the same structural points, but I want to do something independent and more personal and meaningful…more like (fill in the blank with Jarmusch, Allen, Altman, Stillman, Soderbergh, etc.).” Well, Woody Allen hits those same structural points! My guess is that Allen has no idea that there’s technically “supposed” to be a midpoint reversal, or what “plot point two” is, or that the “inciting incident” should occur within the first 10 pages (maybe 12-15 if you really need that extra set-up time). However, WHATEVER WORKS and VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA - which I also mapped out for this project - hit all of those points.

That’s because these are organic storytelling elements:

A significant event or occurrence changes the hero’s world (inciting incident); the hero sets out on his or her mission (end of first act/point of attack/plot point one); the hero reaches a point of no turning back (midpoint/reversal/point of no return); all seems lost (end of second act/low point/plot point two); the hero recommits to his or her goal; the hero fights his/her climactic battle; and finally, the hero achieves resolution.

Doesn’t that seem completely natural? It does to me. Just start telling stories. Any stories you can think of – from a novel, a movie, a fairy tale…you’re going to find that formula. I think most writers know that if they want to write the next THE HANGOVER or TRANSFORMERS they should follow standard structural guidelines. What many fail to understand is that if they want to write the next MANHATTAN or TRAFFIC, they should still follow standard structural guidelines. Now, if you want to write the next LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD, that might be a whole ‘nother article.

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Friday, August 7, 2009

Announcing Quarterfinalists

...so we're fixin to announce who did and did not advance in the Silver Screenwriting Competition this weekend. Some entrants have actually already received word. Notifications will continue through tomorrow.

This year we did something different - we gave a little bit (and I emphasize a little bit) of feedback so that entrants would have some sense of why they did (or didn't) advance in the competition. We have already received our first I HATE YOU email response from someone who didn't advance. Ahhhhh. I love being on the receiving end of bitter disappointment.

It has been a very long past couple of months, with judging quietly going on in the background of everything else. I did not judge this round; we had about four judges working day and night to weed out the first round, which was massive. I wanted the quarterfinalists to represent about 10% of the total entrants. The finalists will be the top 12 - 15% of the quarterfinalists and then we'll have the grand prize winner, 2nd and 3rd places.

Starting now, I am judging, along with Margaux Froley and Andrew Zinnes. We will be finding the finalists within the quarterfinalists and then finding the winner in that pile. It's fun for me to scan the lists of those moving up in the competition, looking for clients and scripts I am familiar with. I haven't seen any that I know personally yet, to be honest. What we did last year when we were in final judging rounds is if we knew a writer, we'd pass the script to someone else so we could judge as objectively as possible. Believe me, you do NOT want to know the writer when you're judging. You so badly want a friend to do well but...you have to judge honestly as well. So you get out of the situation fast and swap scripts.

How did the judges decide who was moving onward and upward and who was not? The usual list of criteria: formatting issues (Wavers, there were entrants who'd literally never before seen a script) originality, voice, character and primarily, the title of my upcoming book: JUST F*NG ENTERTAIN ME. You know how I feel about that. If we're not entertained and fast, you're not advancing. Because this is not about that time you lost your first pet, this is a movie script that is, in theory, a piece of entertainment. So the very first round of judging, which is the most massive, time-consuming one, is one in which we find out who can fundamentally write a fairly good script and who needs to go back to the drawing board.*

*before that pisses you off, go to the section below, about subjectivity

The next round of judging will tighten the noose quite a bit as we look for writers who are not just in the general realm of pretty good execution or a pretty original idea but writers who nailed the execution, theme, originality, premise, character and dialogue. The qualities we are looking for in the very top spots are writers who have a legitimate shot at breaking in, getting repped and maybe even making a sale. Now, I know the spec market is tough right now, so whoever the winner is probably can't plan on defying those odds, but we want our winner to be on par with other repped writers whose work is going out on the marketplace.

I haven't said much about the judging and administrative activities that have been going on with the Silver Screenwriting Competition this year because I know that among the I HATE YOU people, my every word will be cross-examined. I had a conversation with one of my judges the other day about a script he was unsure of. He laughed and remarked how ironic it is that he can see how hard I work to make sure every entrant gets his or her due but it won't matter because there will be the sour grape-types anyway, who handle rejection by FLIPPING OUT and complaining that there was a grammatical error in their notes therefore how on earth can we judge their script??

I had a writer - long story - absolutely flip out and lose her mind because when her script was pitched on her behalf, she got no read requests. She went into full on stalking, raving, threatening mode that lasted for more than two weeks. After I recovered from being absolutely dumbfounded, I gave her some unsolicited advice: You better chill or you'll never work in this town. Ever.

Rejection is part of life, Wavers. And it is a huge part of the life of a writer. Judges strive to be objective but of course subjectivity is always present. What do I always say? Until they invent the Reader 9000, humans are reading your scripts. Of course, maybe one day they'll invent the Audience 9000 and it won't matter who watches your movie or who cares about it. For now, we have humans reading and judging your scripts, we have human executives making decisions about it and we have subjective human beings either slapping down $14 to watch your movie or walking away. Rejection hurts. Get used to it or go make home movies and show them to your friends in the basement. If you want to work in this business, you have to please the majority of people the majority of the time. And that's not possible. And it's crazy-making.

If you did not advance in the SSC this year, don't take it personally and don't let it get you down. Keep believing in your writing and in your script. In fact, I once read a line of a dialogue in a script that really stayed with me: The mettle of a cowboy is not how many times he gets knocked off the horse, but how fast he gets back up again. If you find that you didn't advance and your sentiment is RAGE and a surety that you were CHEATED, you may want to take a look at the man in the mirror and ask if writing is really the path for you. If you feel disappointed and really let down for awhile - well, that is pretty damn normal. God knows I've been there. But here's the mettle of a true writer...you shrug it off, you decide that you are a good writer who can do better next time, you pack up your laptop and go to a cafe and you sit your ass down and you get back to work on some writing.

That is all. Now get back to work.

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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Put Your Best Foot Forward


Hello, Wavers! Today I received my third phone message for The Script Department that was mumbly and incoherent with no name or phone number left. I dialed the callers back using the caller ID function in my voice mail but didn't know who to ask for. When the callers did pick up, they were as mumbly as their messages, didn't introduce themselves, didn't greet me warmly or thank me for calling back. Can you imagine how quickly I got off those calls? Do you know how much free information, advice and cheerfulness I dole out to callers who do the opposite?

While I'm on a roll, I have another beef as well - email addresses that are long, incomprehensible, hard to remember or spell and silly on top of all of that. I emailed a writer earlier this week whose email address was an approximation of this: fundaddy@whatever.com. Fundaddy? This is a writer who wishes to have a career in Hollywood? And that's his email address?

Wavers. When you communicate with someone in the industry, even if it's just to ask a question or get some advice, please, please, please be a professional. If you leave a message and have any hope of being called back, state your name and the date and time clearly. Leave your phone number behind too. Say it clearly and say it twice. Say thank you. Be polite. And if you have an email address that you use for your friends and family that is cute and funny (to you) like NorcalDanceFiend@whatever.com - DO NOT use that email address. Get a new one somewhere else. Ideally, it should be LASTNAME@whatever.com.

Don't waste my time with mumbled messages. Don't irritate me when I can't find your information on your title page, your pages aren't numbered and your email address isn't cute it's stupid. In Hollywood, everybody is in a hurry. We want upshot, we want information, we want a name, a number and a great logline. Anything you can do to streamline that for us is not only appreciated, to do less than that is apt to make me hurry on to the next person because you're not putting your best foot forward.

I know this doesn't apply to 99% of you but to the 1% it does apply to, please do better. The silly email address topic does apply to many of you and I know for a fact. So take a look at your email address today. Is it simple, clear, easy to say and to spell? Or does it contain some kind of inside joke or allusion to your marital or parenting status or a hobby of yours? Because I like people and getting to know them - but not when I'm giving your email address to a producer and trying to act like a pro when doing it.

Okay, today's hand slap is over. Don't make mama cranky.

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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

What's Your Story, Morning Glory?

I had been on the cusp of posting something on TRW yesterday about the story most central to your life when I received the news of Blake Snyder's death. Of course, like so many, I have been feeling sad and stunned ever since hearing such awful news. But then, I thought back to a conversation Blake and I once had about his philosophy of living and today I feel better. I often say to writers that if you're not having fun in the process of writing, something is wrong. Now, I know writing is not always fun, sometimes it's downright painful. But in the big picture you should be experiencing the joy of creation when you write.

Harkening back to the conversation with Blake: You should be experiencing the joy of creation in your life. Every day. When you feel down, worried, discontent or anxious, you're simply blocking the good stuff from your view because it's always there in pleasures large and small. We don't have to try hard to be happy - we GET to be happy. It's your birthright and it's the preset of your life. Imagine that. You can be happy just because you decide to be. That's what Blake did. That's the biggest example he left behind for me. Be happy. Enjoy the ride. I'll tell you for a fact, if you never met Blake in person, he enjoyed the hell out of this ride. He left early but he went out happy. I can't think of anyone who'd prefer the opposite.

So let's move on in appreciation for Blake, for life and for this gift we have for writing. Somebody said to me recently - hey, gee, how come you haven't been writing anything lately? My initial reaction was one of defensiveness; HEY I run a BUSINESS every day, YOU try writing on top of that! I really felt bad about the comment. It messed with my mind. Until, a few days later, I had a story idea that I glommed on top of another story idea I had had a few weeks back and then I realized something, Wavers...I realized that for the past few months, I haven't had anything to say in my writing. Let me back up. Every script and every short story I have written in the past 10 years shared a common theme - that of the search for identity and the desire to change one's life. And it was toward the end of that time that I got divorced, moved to LA, started reading for production companies, started my own business, got a writing partner and - totally changed my life. I explored the desire to change my life totally through various characters in various mediums and then I did it. Now I'm in a completely different phase of my life. And it is now that I am gestating a totally new truth about me which will give birth to a new theme or story I want to tell.

Now, some writers are literally like popcorn machines, life pours in kernels and they pop pop pop new stories and ideas at a rapid pace. I'll be honest, I'm quite jealous of those writers. But give 'em time; everybody runs out of juice at one point or another. Yet other writers need to gestate their story ideas at length. That's me. And either way is fine, by the way. Now, I'm not talking about writer's block, by the way, which I have never experienced and I'm not sure is even a real phenomenon, I'm talking about feeling the urgency to put your truth, your questions, your story down on paper. I used to be absolutely engrossed by the idea of being trapped in one life and finding a way to change that. Now I'm more interested in reinvention and rebirth into new possibilities in middle age. And the great news is, once I realized that my central truth, my central story is a new one now, an idea came flooding in to me and I'm outlining a new script that I'm really excited about because it really speaks to me. What a great feeling. But I needed to have that terrified feeling first - oh my god, I haven't been writing lately, what does it mean? Am I all out of stories? Have I given up? What's wrong?? No. It was just that I needed to acknowledge that I'm done telling the story I had been telling for a long time. Been there done that.

So - I'm curious, Wavers. What's your story? If you look at everything you've written in a period of time, what theme keeps coming up again and again for you? And also, are you a gestational writer or a popcorn machine writer? Where are you in your story as a writer?

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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Cupcakes in Heaven


My friend and my mentor Blake Snyder, author of the seminal screenwriting book Save the Cat passed away suddenly today of a cardiac arrest. Blake was 57 years old. As I write this, tears come to my eyes because Blake was one of my earliest and most powerful mentors. We were simpatico; we shared the same philosophy. I learned a lot from Blake about the importance of being passionate and loving what you do. He was such a tall, elegant, peaceful soul. I'll miss his kindness and his advice and his presence in this community.

This is how I first met Blake. I was at the premiere party in Beverly Hills for the newly launched Script Magazine. I saw this very tall man sort of standing there awkwardly. Being the social gal that I am, I figured I'd go say hi and alleviate his apparent solitude. I sashayed over with my drink. Hi, I'm Julie, what's your name? Blake smiled a secret smile. Blake Snyder. I turned beet red. What an idiot to not know him. I don't remember what I said by way of trying to regain my dignity but I do remember that he laughed graciously, never made me feel stupid for my blunder, and went on to ask me all about myself in such a way that I soon forgot my earlier embarrassment. That typified Blake. He was a true gentleman.

Last year, he met Hilary Graham, our Silver Screenwriting winner, and me at the Chateau Marmont for a drink. He was so dapper in his black turtleneck and black slacks. He ordered nothing but water, I remember. He was so kind to Hilary, asking her about her writing and offering her anecdotes and advice and delighting in her ideas and her success. He stayed as long as he was needed and then some. He never asked anything in return.

The last time I saw Blake was a few weeks ago at the Great American Pitch Fest. I introduced him to my daughter, the Mini-W (who had taken his class earlier that day). Though he was surrounded by people wanting to say hello, he took a moment, shifted all the things he was holding in his arms, shook my daughter's hand and gave her that winning smile of his. Hope you liked my class, he said.

I'll miss you Blake. You set the example that I follow every day. You were passionate about story, you loved writers and you did it all with joy in every step and a smile on your face that I will never forget. Thank you for being my mentor. Thank you for being my friend.



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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Key Largo, Montego...


The tune. It's stuck in your head now, right? Ha! Ha, ha, I say! (bonus points: What Tennessee Williams-penned movie starring Marlon Brando features that dialogue?) Just letting all you loyal Wavers know that I am not abandoning you, I am going to Key West for a week for a much needed, long-awaited, well-deserved vacation with the Mini-W. I shall return the first week of August with all sorts of fun plans for The Rouge Wave including an interview with a writers' assistant on "Scrubs." LEARN how he got the job, SEE what it's like and FIND OUT how he plans to use the position to leverage himself up using the experience!

Have a lovely week upcoming, Wavers - I won't be around to approve/publish comments until I return, but don't let that stop or discourage you. Meanwhile you can picture me sitting on the beach sipping a pina colada and planning tours of Ernest Hemingway's house. Ahhhhh...!

Aruba, Jamaica ooh I wanna take ya
To Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go
Jamaica
off the Florida Keys
There's a place called Kokomo
That's where you wanna go to get away from it all

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Are You a "Creative?"


Today I am proud to announce what I hope will be a regular column here on The Rouge Wave. (You guys know the blog is shortly to be moved and renamed, right? Don't freak out; there will be breadcrumbs. I drink your milkshake!) But before I introduce Libby Barnes, life coach to those who work in the entertainment industry - or aspire to - I must remind you all that you are weird. Well - so am I.

"Creatives," as those poor souls like us are known, who write, act, direct, sculpt, photograph and otherwise sing a song back to life, are gifted with abilities that the masses could only dream of having. But with those creative gifts comes a lot of doubt and yes, I'll say it - neuroses. I try to address that here on The Rouge Wave but I am not a qualified professional. I just get it because I am you. When I heard about Libby Barnes, who does life coaching and workshops specifically for creatives, I thought wow! I must get her to write for The Rouge Wave! And she was kind enough to do so.

In addition, Libby will be on an upcoming teleclass (details TBA) taking your questions about the peaks, valleys and swollen rivers you encounter as you carry the gift and the burden of dreams of being "a creative" like some crazy scene from FITZCARRALDO. Without further ramblings, here is Libby's inaugural post:

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As a life and career coach for the entertainment industry, I often work with writers on ways to increase their self motivation and productivity. For many of them, there are no 9 a.m. meetings, no bosses to please and no deadlines to meet. Bottom line: There’s no structure. And most writers thrive on structure, so they have to create it themselves. One of the most effective strategies I like to suggest is what John F. Kennedy once referred to as “throwing your hat over the fence.” If you throw your hat over the fence, you will HAVE to climb over the fence to get it. You’re committed. To metaphorically “throw your hat” means you announce what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it, preferably to people who matter to your career. This, in turn, propels you into action because there’s no going back and you don’t want to fail in front of them.

As a writer myself, I’m always looking for ways to create that accountability and commitment. Recently, I was working on the fourth draft of a screenplay that I felt had great marketability. But I kept putting it down and losing motivation. So, I decided to set a date to do a staged reading of it. I booked the theater, made the announcement and prayed that my creative juices would flow. And they did. Knowing that my work – good or bad – was going to be read out loud to an audience was productive pressure at its best. I completed the final draft and had a fantastic reading that opened a lot of doors for me.

How can you throw the proverbial hat? It may be as simple as signing up for a class or joining a writers' group where you have to share your pages. Better yet, start a group yourself. Being a leader and needing to set an example for others will inspire you to rise to the occasion. Or you could schedule a table reading in your home, book a meeting with your agent or tell an industry contact the date you’ll be sending him your script. The possibilities are endless.

Whatever you choose to do, you want it to be realistic so that you’re setting yourself up for success, but also challenging, so you’re compelled to get to work. And it can’t be easy to take back, like promising your mom you’ll finish your first draft by next month when you know that, even if you don’t, she’ll love you anyway. You want to announce your intentions to people who may NOT love you anyway if you don’t get it done. By making this commitment before your work is ready (and especially because your work isn’t ready), you’ll be creating that structure and accountability that can often be the key to a writer’s success.

One great outcome from my staged reading was that a producer liked my comedic style and wanted to collaborate on my next project. I emailed him a couple days ago asking if he’d like to meet on Thursday to go over the completed outline of my new script. Guess what? Right now, I don’t have a completed outline of my new script, but I can promise you that by Thursday I will. I have thrown my hat and now I must follow.

Libby Barnes is originally from Virginia, where she received a Master's degree in Counseling. She moved to L.A. in 1998 to pursue acting and writing. She is now a life and career coach for the entertainment industry and is working on her fourth script. To schedule a complimentary life coaching session with her or to find out about the next Passion Into Action workshop, visit her website or call 310-721-7028.



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Monday, July 20, 2009

The Mini-W Reviews: HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE


There have been few fantasy phenomena as big as the Harry Potter series. As wildly popular books, drawing a big box office profit out of a film adaptation is easy. But do the films live up to their literary twins? HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, the sixth of the Harry Potter film adaptations, does not. However, it possesses (because of budget) many great components to create a good looking and entertaining film.

Directed by David Yates (who also directed the previous film, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX), the film may not be the best from an Academy point of view, but as a blockbuster, it sure as heck keeps your attention. And let's face it - what do the audiences want? They want to be entertained. Yates accomplishes this mission, and more with an action packed, romance charged flick that gives your average American exactly what they paid for: two-and-a-half hours of a good time.

As a movie lover, however, we must look past what the average Joe wants. What’s interesting about the Harry Potter films is that, at first, with original director Chris Columbus, the films took an intriguing yet light tone. They worked for not only adults but children, too. But as the films progressed, director Alfonso Cuaron (THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN), set a new, darker tone. Suddenly the films became weirder, more disturbing, the images more cryptic, and they began to frighten children, who, mind you, are half the audience. THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE is definitely an attempt (at some producer’s request because his daughter got scared) to draw the films back into a family range. Yates, however, was not too successful with this task. In fact, my nine-year-old cousin, with whom I saw the film, was terrified of the movie's images. He clung to my arm during much of the film.

Now another huge drawback to this newest installment is how incredibly hard to follow it is. I have seen all the Harry Potter films at least once, yet the twisted plot providing no guidance as to what was happening baffled me. And then I thought, what if I had seen none of the films? I’d be so completely lost I probably wouldn’t even know which characters were which. And so another fault of Yates’ prevails. Confusion.

Overall, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE is worth the ticket if you, like me, are at all interested in the cinematography, or eye candy. However, a more intense Potter fan (perhaps one who has read the books), may be disappointed. Do not watch this film expecting greatness, and you’ll love it.

I give it 3 out of 5 jellybeans.

*A lifelong fan of the cinema (her favorite film at age five was SUNSET BOULEVARD), the Mini-W is soon to turn 16. She just completed a digital filmmaking summer camp at UCLA and is the proud cinematographer of a four-minute short. When not tending to her pet tortoise or her numerous studies, the Mini-W is an avid fan of The Rouge Wave and all things effing entertaining.

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Sunday, July 19, 2009

500 Days of Summer


Once in awhile you see a movie that makes you wish to hell you'd written it yourself. 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is one such film. It epitomizes "the same but different." Very different. It's all in the execution. The film doesn't say much about love that is new, particularly. Or about relationships, exactly. It's not the what - it's the how. What I loved about the movie is that it is clever but not self-consciously so - in other words, it's not another hipster semi-bored nod to love and friends and shit. I can say with confidence that 500 DAYS is the most fun I've had seeing a movie in some time. The Hall & Oates sequence is worth the price of admission. If you've seen it, you just smiled at the memory of that sequence - you know what I'm talking about. Great writing, direction, art direction, performances and above all - a simple story with complex characters. This is the kind of movie that reminds me why I love movies. If you get a chance and it's playing near you, Wavers, please do get out to support the film. Look at what a long way great writing can go to elevate a relationship and a heartbreak into something universal, funny and artfully told. This is not regular writing - this is super writing. This is what we all strive for.

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Saturday, July 18, 2009

It's the Little Things


So the other day I was felled by a spider. A tiny, unseen spider bit me and three days, two doctors and six medications later, I am beginning to feel better. Who knew that such a tiny little being could wreak such havoc? I am sad to report that I have no super powers but I sure am humbled. I am also reminded that we writers need to look sky high but also beneath every rock and pebble for our story ideas; what started as a simple spider bite could become a thriller, horror or even a romcom, couldn't it? What chain of events might be set off by something so seemingly insignificant?

I am also humbled by the success of my teleclass and by the great questions asked by listeners. The feedback I have received has been nothing but positive and I am certainly inspired to schedule more teleclasses covering all sorts of screenwriting topics of interest. One idea I had was to feature a guest who is "That Guy" - a screenwriter who is doing everything right and who is about to break in - wouldn't it be interesting to learn from one of your peers about how to more effectively network, or how many hours a day you should be writing or what events or infolists you may be missing out on? I am open to suggestions - what topics are you interested in?

Last week's teleclass will be converted to an MP3 and available for purchase later in August when I reveal my new micro-site, to which The Rouge Wave will be migrating. What the what? Did you read that right? Yes, you did. TRW will be migrating to a different address come this fall. I'm very excited; the blog will have more to offer and a whole new look. Elves are working day and night to make the transition a smooth one. No need to worry or do anything different; this URL will have a redirect.

In the meantime, here is a website that I've known about for awhile but neglected to post here on TRW. Jeff Gund's infolist is just chock-a-block with great information so take your time and really look this site over for class and job listings that may be of interest. One does need to keep abreast of such things, right?

Have a lovely weekend, Wavers, and please, avoid those arachnid cousins of ours - they are just plain cranky enough to bite and it's no fun, believe you me.

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Last Chance: Teleclass Sign Up


Thanks, everybody, for the interest in the class! We've had quite a number of signups! For administrative purposes, we've got to have a cut-off time so that's 5pm Pacific time today.

Any signups, please email me directly and I'll walk you through how to register. It's quick and easy. Don't forget our special guest who will come on to answer a few questions during the last half hour, Gary W. Goldstein, my friend and mentor and the producer of PRETTY WOMAN.

So that's from 7pm tonight, July 14th, (pacific time) to 8:30pm. The cost is $25 and yes, the call will be recorded and available at a later date. REGISTER HERE.


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Monday, July 13, 2009

Gersh Agency Reinvention

This just in from Hollywood Wiretap: The Gersh Agency has renamed, rebranded and relocated entirely. This is very interesting news, guys. Why? Because Gersh is opening up the playing field for everyone and becoming a serious threat to some of the other agencies by modeling themselves after more holistic businesses like Mosaic Media and BenderSpink - mini-studios, if you will, repping writers, actors, directors and dipping into production as well. I see this as an industry-specific economic stimulus package. If you've been feeling gloomy about the recession and what it may mean for your chances as an aspiring writer - take heart. Yes the market has been slow, yes the competition among writers has been quite tough, but this move by Gersh highlights the growing horizon of entertainment. Nobody invests 30 million dollars into an entertainment company that ISN'T gonna make that money back and how. So for all you screenwriters out there, the industry for which you are writing is alive and well, trust me on this.

So for your reading pleasure, here is the whole article:

*****

As of today the Gersh Agency has new digs, a new name, $30 million in financing for a move into production -- and its first co-financed movie project, according to Deadline Hollywood Daily, the Hollywood Reporter and Variety.

The venerable 60-year-old agency has rebranded itself as simply Gersh, with a new logo and 35,000 square feet of office space at 9465 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills (where else).

As part of what Gersh co-president David Gersh described as continuing "a very planned and steady growth over the last 10 years," Carolyn Sibitz joined the agency, making her the fourth hire from the fallout of the Endeavor-William Morris merger.

Addtionally, a third-generation Gersh also recently came aboard -- Steve Gersh, 26, is an alumnus of the highly regarded USC film school Peter Stark Producing Program, Deadline Hollywood Daily noted.

Gersh also tapped producer Jay Cohen in April to run its new Film Financing and Packaging division, DHD and Variety said, and Morris agent Roland Scahill is heading a Theatrical Tour Booking division out of the New York office. Endeavor agent Daisy Wu also joined its talent department.

The indie film funding comes from Queen Nefertari Prods. CEO Cynthia Stafford and producer Jeff Kalligheri. They will be producers on the associated projects, and actor-producer Lanre' Idewu will serve as consulting producer.

First up under the new fund is the comedy "Adrenaline," scripted by Gersh client Justin Ware. It is produced by Kirkland Tibbels of Hollywood Farms Production Co., Matthew Lillard and Kerry Barden.

Promoting internally, Gersh also recently elevated Abram Nalibotsky to partner and named Alex Yarosh head its talent department. Six assistants also were promoted to agents.

Taking a different path than CAA and William Morris Endeavor, managing partner Leslie Siebert noted that those percenteries "have made it very clear that they only want to represent the top 2% of the business." But "our goal is to represent top talent in every area -- filmmakers, writers, producers, actors ... with a personal managerial approach."

"We don't want 2,000 clients.," co-president Bob Gersh added. "We don't think you can best service those clients. ... We're competitive in that we do a great job on behalf of the client."

Steve Gersh, meanwhile, is already busy with up-and-comers such as Shawn Ashmore ("X-Men") and Autumn Reeser ("Entourage").

He's the grandson of founder Phil Gersh and son of current agency co-head David Gersh.

With 65 agents, Gersh anticipates its revamped company and newly remodeled digs -- which were formerly home to The Firm and just happen to be nextdoor to WME's under-construction new home -- will encourage potential clients to see it as a serious, competitive alternative to the big agencies as well as to ICM, UTA and Paradigm.




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Friday, July 10, 2009

Teleclass July 14th, 7pm PST

Hey everybody! Just a reminder that my first ever teleclass, Top 10 Things Readers Hate is Tuesday, July 14th at 7pm PST. As an added bonus, my friend and colleague, Gary W. Goldstein will be jumping on the call in the last 30 minutes to answer your industry-related questions. Gary is a fountain of information and, take it from me, a prince among men. He has produced a couple of movies you may have seen - oh, say, PRETTY WOMAN and UNDER SIEGE to name just a couple.

The cost for this 90-minute class is a mere $25. The class will be recorded and available for purchase down the line when I figure out the nuts and bolts of that.

The class covers a lot of ground, starting with what the lives and jobs of readers are really like. Many screenwriters really don't have a clear picture of just who these gatekeepers of Hollywood are. Next, we discuss the top 10 list. Actually, our list goes to 11. Natch. We review the list of crazy-making no-nos and how to avoid them.

For information on how to register, please email my assistant Chaia, who will be happy to help you.


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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Trailers: The Experts Speak

Hello, Wavers! I tell ya, it's a good feeling when TRW has a profile such that I get emails and requests from industry professionals. Just the other day, a young man working with a massively successful producer* called, asking for scripts that I think are great for possible new projects. It was fun going through my client list and pitching projects that I think might be a fit. Talk about pitching on the fly! It's easier when it's not your own material, lemme tell ya. When it's you, you look like Albert Brooks in BROADCAST NEWS...

*...and I mean massively successful. Usually when people give me a name and say they are successful or well known, I roll my eyes a little - yeah, right. But I pulled up this guy's information on Studio System while we were on the phone and almost choked on my afternoon espresso shot.

So anyway, I heard from IFC about a follow-up to their post about the top 50 best movie trailers of all time and thought I'd link that here today for your enjoyment.

*****

When we humbly submitted our list of the 50 Greatest Movie Trailers the other week, we knew it would be controversial. There was internal debate about old versus new, blockbusters versus low-budget films, comedies versus dramas, teasers versus full-length trailers...and at the end of the day, we agree with Dan Asma, who defined a great trailer as one that leaves an audience saying to themselves, "whoa, I've got to see this movie."

Click HERE to read the rest!


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Monday, July 6, 2009

Should I Get a Job in the Industry?


Dear Rouge Wave:

Would you advise an aspiring screenwriter to get a day job as an office manager/administrative assistant for a film production company?


Yes.

Let's say that I didn't need the money, would it be worth it just for the relationship building? And to learn about producing and how prodcos work? (I think I could see myself becoming a writer/producer some day.)

Yes.

If I do apply, should I tell them that I'm an aspiring screenwriter? Is that a conflict of interest? I don't want them to think that I would not be dedicated to my day job.

Yes. But not in a weird, needy, please-do-stuff-for-me way. Just be casual. Be honest. They won't be surprised that you're into screenwriting and/or the business.

Also... If I do tell them about my aspirations, when is the best time? In my cover letter? At the interview? or not until after I've been there a while and gotten to know people? I know I would never ask anyone to read my script until that point.


Yes. Oh sorry, I was on auto-pilot there for a minute. No, these are great questions and I think this is a great opportunity for you. Mention your interests in your interview, of course, just don't make the interview all about you. You are applying to work for them, right? So the interview is mostly about how you'll do a great job in that capacity. That you have an interest in and talent for storytelling and film surely makes you a better employee, as you GET what they do there. Just be very cool about asking for any favors, reads or connections for some time. You have to earn that. Give it several weeks if not a few months of dedicated, loyal, great work ethic before you go there.

So complicated...

Not really. I think this is going to be great for you. Good luck!



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Sunday, July 5, 2009

The Phantom Database

Howdy, Wavers! Did everyone have a nice Fourth of July? Over the holiday weekend, a Waver wrote in with a great question (paraphrased):

"...is there really a phantom database in Hollywood that puts a permanent black mark by my name if I get a "pass" coverage or is that just an urban myth like the thing about the dog in the microwave or how that guy in Queens found a snake in his linguine?"


To which I say: The snake thing is totally not true.

But seriously. Well - no, there isn't a phantom database, per se - a list of bad writers and their scripts that is passed around among executives. But there are tracking boards and there are development execs and their damned memories.

Think of it this way: Hollywood is a town that relies upon information, whether that information is garnered from the trades, from between the sheets or from rumors of rumors over cocktails. And this information shoots around very quickly. Sort of like those old vacuum tube delivery systems in offices. And with the advent of the Internet, information zips around this town so fast that it sizzles in the air above your head. What's the hot script? Who sold what to whom?? Which exec was laid off and wound up where? What actor was seen at Whole Foods totally blotto? Hollywood is a town that fuels itself on information and it is the information age. So yeah, that is a little scary.

So the bottom line is that yes, if you send in a script to an agency (in particular) and it is so bad that the assistants chat about it on the tracking boards - you are not a happy camper. However, the chances of a tracking board mention of a bad script are significantly lower than that of a good script.

Let's back up - what is a tracking board? Tracking boards are basically private message boards frequented by assistants and other industry types. They function as virtual water coolers. How much stuff gets discussed around the putative water cooler in your office? A lot. I have never seen nor heard mention of a writer being called out on a tracking board for being bad. Not by name. Even in Hollywood, there are limits.

But before you let out a big sigh of relief, let's keep exploring the topic: Executives in Hollywood change companies frequently. So today's assistant is tomorrow's development exec. And today's junior development exec at Company X is tomorrow's senior creative exec at Company Y. So if your script goes to a production company and gets a pass, the reality is that the exec simply sends a "no thanks" to your agent or manager and moves on with his or her day - not interested. So far so good, right?

But what if, just what if the creative exec's reader thought the script was SO bad that when they turned in the coverage they actually sat down and laughed it up a little bit with the exec? And the exec saw your name on the title page? And had a great memory? I am very sorry to have to report this, Wavers, but I have seen the situation above happen first-hand. Look, don't hate the readers for having a laugh at your expense. Hate the writers who send in such bad work that it makes you all look bad. See, that's what it is, Wavers. For every ONE of you who takes this really seriously and have some talent, there are 100 for whom the reverse is true. And that is what Hollywood thinks about aspiring writers. That you don't care enough to do it right, that you have no talent and that you do not take our jobs seriously and you waste our time. That's why everybody gets SO excited when we read something good. Hollywood cannot WAIT to elevate that writer and give him or her a ticker tape parade.

But let's back up yet again:

Some of you reading The Rouge Wave may be new to the blog and perhaps new to screenwriting. And you're thinking wait, I'm confused, ticker tape parades, readers, execs, tracking boards, oh my GOD I just want to know what to do with my script already!!

One question that a new Waver might be asking themselves about now is do I submit to an agent, to a manager OR to a production company? All three are mixed up together in this blog post and frequently are not separated in these discussions. That's because getting your script read does not have a necessarily straight path. Yes, you should initially submit to an agent or manager. Usually. Most of the time. But some production companies will read unrepped work and if they love the story, then you can take the script to an agent or manager and say hey listen, Prodco X loves the script and they want to option or purchase it, will you rep me? To which the agent or manager will, in general, choke on their coffee because they say "yes" so fast.

But let's back up even further:

Agent: hardcore, fast-talking salesman. Interested in making a SALE. Only interested in you, dear writer, if you have the goods to make a SALE and to do it again and again. They do not really care about your career, your feelings, your family, your son's Little League team or where you went to school and how much you loved JULIET OF THE SPIRITS. They care only about making a SALE. Think Ari on "Entourage" and you pretty much get the gist. It is not uncommon for an agent to actually be an attorney as well. The agent will take 10% of the sale price your script garners; only an agent (or entertainment attorney) is legally qualified to sign the deal and set the monies in action. Agents are not generally interested in brand new, baby writers. Why? No paycheck is coming forthwith. Agents don't got no time to "develop" you. If you're not hot, you're not selling and they ain't interested.

Manager: a professional who is interested in grooming you for your first sale and many sales after that. Think someone significantly more mellow than an agent. The manager is going to take 15% of a sale you make. A manager is interested in staying with you for a long time as you make sale after sale. A manager will develop ideas with you. If you make a sale, a manager will bring an agent in to sign the deal and do the hardcore negotiating. Managers are really the place for writers to start. But here's the thing with managers - it takes a LOT of time to develop a new writer and nurture ideas, etc. So if they read your first script, WATER COOLER DAYS, and think wow, this is a great new voice, and start working with you...but your next script, 26 DRESSES, strikes them as derivative and unpromising, then their belief in you takes an enormous hit, their faith is shaken in your ability to write well consistently and...they'll cut you loose. Usually using the language of unreturned calls. It's like dating, Wavers. Exactly like dating. No call you back...no interest in you. They speak a different language. I think they even sell a Rosetta Stone for Agent/Manager language. It goes like this: Manager Language: Silence. English translation: Your second script disappointed me and I've lost that lovin' feeling and I think I may have been wrong about you and look, no hard feelings, but this Beemer ain't cheap so see ya, pal.

Production Company: Some prodcos will read unrepped work. Not all. Some. They might be a smaller company more open to reading material and more comfy with release form legalities than a larger company. What's cool about submitting to a prodco? It's like going from trying to sell pastries at the county fair to selling chocolate chip cookies TO a chocolate chip cookie fan. In other words, a prodco will be looking for more specific material (a supernatural thriller, a romantic comedy set in Europe, a low-budget horror featuring tarantulas) and maybe you've GOT a low-budget tarantula script and now the question is will the prodco like THIS particular script and YOUR particular writing. If they do, you just have to be sure you protect your rights and go find representation to help you seal the deal. Now, there are some out there (my colleague Bill Martell is one) who write and sell scripts all the time, without rep. But I have to emphasize, this is really quite exceptional. And at minimum, you would need an entertainment attorney to sign the paperwork and ensure that your rights are being seen to in terms of a contract that guarantees payment upon delivery of various drafts and all of that boring stuff that's not so boring when your check has not been delivered but the pages have. This has happened to me and it ain't fun. Gather close, kids, not just everybody who says they are a "producer" is in fact an upstanding, honest or professional business person. And the detritus on the side of the road in deals gone sour is usually the writer.

But I have backtracked enormously. Is there a phantom database that keeps YOUR information online or in the minds and hearts of agents, managers and producers? Yes and no. Not physically, no. Your bad script, you writer from South Dakota or whatnot, is not interesting or significant enough to chat about on the tracking boards or anywhere else. Files are not kept - think about it - really? - busy Hollywood execs with the time to create lists or files of BAD writers? Silly, right? Ridiculous. Nobody has time for that. And you are not the center of the universe, dear writer, you are one of ONE HUNDRED scripts that arrived at X company that day.

That said, Hollywood is a very weirdly incestuous town and people do talk all the time. Good and bad. I don't even want to tell you how often I have heard professionals sharing a laugh or a story about a bad script. Might they remember your name, too? Maybe. It's entirely possible. A development exec at one company who read your script might then move on to another company where you have submitted another script and yes, might remember your name.

The bottom line is that everybody knows everybody and everybody shares a lot of information. The writer who is GREAT with the script that is PHENOMENAL is what will take up most of the gossipy air-time, for sure. But the laughable script, that will get some air too. Maybe not officially - but it will.

So the only thing you can do, Wavers, is to give them NOTHING to laugh about and everything to say WOW about. If you have given it your absolute best shot and get no response, don't worry, your "pass" coverage is not on your permanent record. I feel pretty comfortable guaranteeing that writers who treated themselves and their work like true professionals by doing all of their homework and getting notes and feedback on the script will not be forced to wear the Scarlet "pass" forever.

Might you and your script get gossiped about? Even tracked on the tracking boards? Maybe. You cannot control that. Like anything in life. But you can control the quality of the work before you send it to someone in Hollywood. If you get a regular "pass" coverage meaning it's just not for that company and/or your writing just did nothing for them, well, that's not sensational enough to energize a busy exec to in some way vindictively gossip about that "pass" rating.

You know, it's often very tricky to write about Hollywood because for everything that is true, there is something that counters that. I only speak from MY experience and I have never seen or heard or heard about a black list for "pass" writers. But I have seen and heard, many times over, execs and assistants on every level laugh or talk about a really bad script that they found particularly egregious. So it is only you, egregious writer, who should truly worry about having a black mark next to your name. Because the really GREAT scripts and the really BAD scripts - those are the ones that stand out. Just a regular "pass" script won't follow you around like bad credit, no.

So bottom line: No, there is not an official system for black listing bad writers and scripts. But yes, there is a lot of gossip and shared information, so the risk is always present. Only one thing you can do and that is to not send a script to Hollywood that has not been gone over carefully by your friends, colleagues and ideally, a professional service. The onus is on you. Do not play dodge ball with the big boys if you are not prepared for a bloody nose.

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