Writer? - or director?

By Andrew Zinnes

A friend of mine took a major plunge recently. He crossed the line from writer to - wait for it - writer/director! The film he made was in the vein of a CLERKS or SWINGERS and focused more on character than action or big plot devices. A good thing because he spent under $4,000 on it. God bless the digital era.

But what was interesting to see was that it was clear the screenplay was so much better than the film created. The story and characters were OK and the dialogue was actually pretty good, but it didn't look like a film. It looked like someone basically shot the script verbatim and it turned out looking like a stageplay. It was flat and uninteresting and it didn't have to be even at that microbudget.

Now clearly this is writing blog and not a directing forum, but many of us do have desires to get into the chair and yell "action." Or at the very least we often wonder what a director will do with our babies. What my friend never thought of when writing his script was how to make the scenes seem kinetic. He didn't think in pictures. Certainly not in moving pictures. He didn't think about ways that a director might interpret it so that the camera moves or that different lenses might be used or how little internal moments might be captured visually.

Some might say this is not the job of a screenwriter. And they would have a valid argument. But think about the montage in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY where Harry and Sally walk through Central Park and other parts of Manhattan as they are becoming friends. One portion of this is when Sally tells Harry about the dream when all her clothes fall off. Nora Ephron for sure wrote that they were WALKING along while they were talking. Writing that they are moving means that a director knows the camera will likely be moving with them and they love that. Another thing you sometimes see is the "ON," as in "ON INDIANA JONES as he..." That conveys a potential close up on a long lens so that the character looks cut out from the out of focus background. And putting things in like "tapping fingers" or "fiddling with a zipper" means the possibilities of cut ins or extreme close ups to convey tension. We could go on forever here.

So while camera directions and the like are generally taboo in your screenplay, there is a lot you can do to help your director out. Or you if you decides to become an, dare I say, arteur. A good tip - the next time you are at the bookstore or surfing Amazon you might want to pick up a directing tome or one on general filmmaking. May I suggest - get ready - shameless self-promotion coming - The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook by Genevieve Jolliffe and Chris Jones (I edited it and Gen's my wife, hee hee!) It will give you tons of tips such as a myriad of ways to move the camera without renting expensive track and dollies. Hell, maybe even for free!

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See You at the Box Office - Chart

I tried to read Variety once. Okay – I read it once in awhile if I have a meeting and it’s on the coffee table. Sure it’s okay to flip through, and sure I should make it a habit but that publication is just too dense for my head to wrap itself around. I do subscribe to Hollywood Wire Tap and get my bite-sized Hollywood news there.

But one thing about Variety or the Hollywood Reporter that does fascinate me in a weird way, are the box office return charts. Most of us just hear that something “has done well” at the box office. Or tanked at the box office. Of course, as with all aspects of life, you do have your Box Office Geeks who can quote weekly, yearly and all time box office numbers. These are the types that one generally inches away from slowly at cocktail parties. But they keep inching forward. And you notice they have deviled egg stuck in their teeth. And they try to get your phone number so you give them a fake – oh dear, I’ve gone off topic.



As a semi-occasional excursion, a visit to Box Office Mojo can be a totally fascinating experience. Holy moley – ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS has grossed $160,000,000?! That’s a whole lot of minivans cramming into malls with their eight kids each, folks. NATIONAL TREASURE has grossed $150,000,000 after only two weeks in theaters, while CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR has grossed $44,000,000 in the same time frame.

When you look at the box office, you have to be sure to look at the number of weeks the movie has been in release, and something very fun to note is the percentage up or down the box office has taken in on that movie. JUNO, a cute little indy which has been out for four weeks and grossed $35,000,000 so far, is up 65% from last week, for example. Publicity, media, Ellen Page’s performance…it’s called “word of mouth”. And word of mouth can leverage box office up – or down, dramatically.

That’s why executives, always happy with an opening weekend, bite their nails waiting for weekend number two – because that’s traditionally when a movie takes a word of mouth hit. Movies like JUNO don’t quite qualify as a sleeper – four weeks isn’t very long – but build up box office slowly as word of mouth spreads.

Critical reviews help build (or bust) box office, but the talk around the water cooler at work is extremely powerful, as execs know.

Movies like INTO THE WILD ($18,000,000 in 16 weeks of domestic release) just aren’t ever going to make it into the realm of say, I AM LEGEND ($228,000,000 in 4 weeks of release). But this doesn’t make the box office of INTO THE WILD a failure; comparable to the budget of the project, this adaptation by Sean Penn has probably already earned it’s money back. I could be wrong – I am not a box office/budget geek. But you get my point.

Box office charts can be a source of information gathering: trends, the impact of word of mouth, critical reviews and international grosses. It’s a fuzzy lot of numbers but the box office is ultimately your boss. Because it’s behinds in seats that dictate what gets made and what does not.

The all-time box office numbers are super entertaining. What’s the highest grossing box office hit? TITANIC, $600,000,000. Domestic only. You read that right. Six hundred million dollars. Worldwide, the king of the world raked in almost two billion dollars.

Adjusted for inflation, of course…anybody?...GONE WITH THE WIND, grossed 1.4 billion dollars domestically.

Of course, the all time flops are good jaw-dropping fun. How about ISHTAR? With a production budget of $55,000,000, that camel-sucking movie brought in only $14,000,000. Of course, everybody loves to kick around Heaven’s Gate (Michael Cimino, the Joyce Wildenstein of directors) – with a production budget of $44,000,000, the movie brought in only $3,400,000. Yeah. That’s a forty one million dollar loss. Ouch.

So curl up with a diet coke and a red vine, Wavers, and mosey on over to Box Office Mojo and find out what’s going on, past and present, at that most sacred of places where milkduds mingle with gum under the seats – the box office.

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Writing Buddy Plan '08!

By Margaux Froley Outhred

Happy 2008, Rouge Wavers. Hope you all had a relaxing holiday and somehow saved yourselves from eating as many cookies as I did. (Damn those Mexican Christmas cookies in all their powdered sugar glory.)

New Year, same strike. So what’s your plan? Like you, I am back to the writing grind. I actually didn’t stop writing over the holiday, but now I’m back at it with a fresh enthusiasm. And the thing that’s really giving me a kick in the ass is that this WGA strike is still on. It might be easy to put writing on hold for a few months to let this ride out, but for those of us not in the WGA just yet, this is a prime opportunity to generate and stockpile material. Particularly for those of us laid off due to the strike, we have no business doing anything but writing more material. That, and getting thin, but that’s another blog.

They are not kidding when they say that opportunity is when luck and preparation meet. Or, is it preparation and opportunity meeting? You know what I mean. When this strike blows over, boy oh boy, there is going to be a lot of material flooding the town. And it’s not about having a lucky moment like getting trapped in an elevator with Steven Spielberg; it’s about having the material ready to go.

It’s a great time to harness this New Year’s energy and put a Writing Game Plan together. The writers I’ve been talking to don’t seem to have a problem coming up with ideas; their problem is how to tackle the multiple projects they are excited about writing. I too have been excited by a handful of new ideas, but also somewhat stalled by figuring out how to devote the brainpower to various projects in various stages.

So, here are a few things I would write down to help plan for a productive and successful 2008. There’s always something satisfying and calming about making a nice clean To Do List, don’t you think? Don’t laugh….I’m doing this exercise too, and I’m not that much of a nut, I promise. (Seriously, after spending time with my family over the holidays, I’m the sanest one in the bunch.)

On a single sheet of paper (use something that you can stick near your desk to remind you and keep you on track rather than just burying it in your computer files):

Title and logline/ Premise line of the current project:
Status of Current Project:
When you expect to complete a 1st draft:
2nd draft:
(And if need be, a 3rd draft polish):
How many hours a week can you work on this project:
When are those hours:


It’s as easy as that. Do this for each project you have on your mind right now. Can you designate different days to work on different projects? Remember, not all of them need to be written this year, but a single catalogue of your script arsenal, or intended arsenal, can be a helpful guide during those months when the creativity is not flowing as well. Also, this is a good exercise to help you be able to discuss your arsenal of loglines with ease. Hey, with the strike, you never know who is sitting next to you at Starbucks these days.

Now the hard part: Sitting your butt in the chair and just getting it done. You’ve done one thing to make these goals happen, writing them down. The next thing, if you really want to insure success would be to assign a draft deadline with a friend to trade scripts so someone will hold you accountable.

And as a free new service, The Script Department will match you up with a reader who will hold you accountable. Nothing like someone to make you feel embarrassed and ashamed if you don’t meet your deadline to keep you in that chair. (Nah, just kidding, we won’t make you feel bad,..well, maybe just a little.) I am administrating this new program, so sign up for a writing buddy today! There's no strings attached. Just sign up with a Script Department writing buddy once you have set your goals, and guess what you're going to get right around your self-imposed deadline? A little reminder. Maybe we'll even look at a few pages. But we will for sure do one thing - kick your butt.

Now get back to work.

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Subvert the Dominant Paradigm!

Documentary film is the ultimate way to explore what you're passionate about and get your film made. Docs are inexpensive to make, take months as opposed to years, and have many lucrative venues for distribution. Don't let no stinkin' studio dictate what we can and cannot talk about. Doc films are the way to go if you really want to make a difference.

Script Department partner Andrew Zinnes and his lovely wife Genevieve are teaching a documentary film making course February 9th and 10th here in Los Angeles. Rouge Wavers are eligible for a $50 discount. Just enter DOCDISCOUNT when you are on the payment page.

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Learn how to get your documentary MADE, how to avoid the pitfalls of the industry and how to save time money and gray hairs with this intensive two day course.

Conducted by the authors of The Documentary Film Makers Handbook and the best seling The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook series: Genevieve Jolliffe and Andrew Zinnes. Genevieve and Andrew are working filmmakers who have worked in both the narrative and documentary world for nearly two decades! Their docs have been seen on the MTV, PBS, BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

Contact: Andrew Zinnes, 310-941-2168 or azinnes@sbcglobal.net.

NEXT SEMINAR: LOS ANGELES

When: February 9th-10th, 2008
Where: The Heart Touch Project, 3400 Airport Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90405

Day 1: Saturday, 9am to 6pm:

Introduction: Students introduce themselves and share what they hope to get from the course as well as their projects and passions.

Concept: We explore the different genres of documentaries and discuss the assets and liabilities of each. We offer tips on refining the your concept into a working plan. We discuss pitching and strategies to make your project more attractive to funders. We advise on treatments, proposals, budgeting, and targeted audiences.

Funding: We talk about the various kinds of funding (grants, private equity, etc.) both foreign and domestic. How to approach funders. Fiscal sponsorship,etc. We advise on professional organizations and resources, specific grantmakers and strategies.

Legal: permits, releases, agreements, Fair Use, archival and musical material, etc.

Preproduction: planning and coordination, partnerships, access to subject, logistics

Production - Interview techniques, shooting basics, pitfalls, HD vs. HDV vs. Film, how to get deals, addressing problematic situations, etc.

Day 2: Sunday, 9am to 6pm:

Post-Production - editing, music, clearances, etc.

Film Festivals: recommended festivals for emerging filmmakers, strategies for acceptance, case studies: what wins what doesn’t, publicity, what to do when you are there, etc.

Sales, Distribution, & Marketing: the sales agent, the producer's rep, agreements, what to watch out for, alternative methods, etc. markets: pbs, educational, institutional, foreign, self-distribution strategies

Surviving as a doc filmmaker: how to make $$$ on your documentary, revenue/career-building options: production jobs, promotional docs, events, gov. and non-profit sectors, life stories, etc.

Workshopping: Discuss and develop individual student's ideas using what they have learned in order to help to move their projects forward.

Price: $299. Payments can be made via Paypal (see below, most major credit cards available here) or check prior to the event. DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE to certain groups. Call 310-941-2168 for more information.

Checks should be made out to Crazee Pictures with The Documentary Film Makers Course written on the info line and sent to 9032 Hargis Street, Los Angeles, CA 90034. Please include your name, telephone number and e-mail address so a confirmation receipt can be sent to you! Contact us at 310-941-2168 if you have any further questions.

SIGN ME UP!

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Writing and Real Estate

by Script Department partner, Dave Sparling

Unquestionably, one of the golden rules of real estate is "location, location, location." That often translates into a strategy followed by many wise home buyers: better to buy the worst house in the best neighborhood than vice-versa. Why? Because the piece of land a house sits on is generally a much bigger determinant of a property's value than the particular arrangement of wood, glass, concrete, tile, paint, drywall, etc. that sits on that piece of land. And you can always renovate, expand, or tear down and rebuild altogether.

When it comes to screenwriting, this principle could roughly be translated as "concept, concept, concept." Which of the following is more likely to sell as a spec script: one where the concept is rock solid but the execution so-so, or one with a weak concept that's executed well? Clearly, it's the former. There's a term for the latter: a writing sample (see the second of my three-part reflection on concept, The Evian Tour, for more on that topic). It may be stating the obvious, but poorly executed scripts based on strong concepts don't usually incite frenzied bidding wars. The goal is strong concept and strong execution, colloquialized as "good story, well told."

Working from the position that, relatively speaking, concept is more important than execution, it's logical to put concept first. In other words, determine the "best neighborhood" in which to build your project, pick out the lot, and then plan to erect the structure itself. This is work that efficient writers realize should be done first, as these things determine how you'll go about executing the script.

Your lot chosen in the neighborhood you wish to build (analogous to identifying the genre, knowing your target audience, and having some sense of high v. low budget), you're ready to start the building process. But would you consider erecting a dwelling without a blueprint? Probably not, right? Unless you're prepared for that process to take twice as long and cost twice as much (or more) to translate into a habitable structure.

So if building a house without a blueprint is so obviously an asinine thing to do, why do so many of us fire up Final Draft and start writing scene description and dialogue (i.e. working in "draft mode") before we're clear on the various facets of our concept--even though doing so is akin to looking at paint swatches and window treatments before the foundation is poured and the framing, plumbing, and electrical are in place? Well, simple: it's more fun to write a crackling dialogue exchange, or a great bit of scene-level action, than it is to ponder what our story's actually about (thematically), and how--specifically--we're approaching the project in a manner that will set it apart from other romantic comedies, or thrillers, or action adventures.

It's looking like the WGA strike won't be resolved anytime soon. It's been mentioned here in the Rouge Wave and plenty of other places that this is the time to be busily pecking away at spec scripts. Use some of that time to assess your current project. How's your blueprint looking? There'll be no shortage of new material being shopped when the spec-script market re-opens for business. If you think of the buyers in that market as a collective of folks exploring various neighborhoods looking to purchase the best properties, you've got a much, much greater chance of selling yours if you've not only focused on maximizing curb appeal, but chose a great location to build in the first place.

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Vomit Happens

Writing isn't pretty. The first draft of anything is garbage. I'm unwittingly paraphrasing somebody or other but mainly, I'm making my own point because it's true. Some call this the vomit draft. The draft that contains everything in your psyche before it is vomitted up on the shore of the world for all to stare at and say ewwwww!

Writing a vomit draft takes courage, yes it does. Because you have, good Rouge Wavers, already tested your premise, and outlined your story into three acts, yes? You have already done your character work and research, too. You've already thought about your theme, and the dna of your material. You've watched other movies with anything in common. Then you let loose and you wrote. And you finally get to "fade to black" and read that sucker and - surprise - it sucks. What happened? Nothing. This is perfectly normal.

But here is a mistake that many writers make: still high from contact with the letters "fade to black", you excitedly show your script to the first person unlucky enough to stumble across your path. And they usually don't like what they read all too much. Which is soul-crushing. Believe me, this vomit draft happens to all writers. Sure, when you get more experienced, that first draft is a bit less vomity than that of a novice, but no script is birthed whole and beautiful, like Venus rising from the sea. It doesn't happen.

Here's what I recommend: when you finish that first draft, put it in a drawer. Then get away from it for a few days, maybe a week. Go about your life. Read books, see movies, work, cook and exercise. Then sit down with the draft and read it again. With a highlighter and a pen. The few days distance will do you a world of good.

And for the love of all things holy, especially writing groups - don't bring your vomit draft or vomit pages to the group. It's just not productive. All you'll get is uncomfortable smiles and averted eyes. Proclaiming that what everyone is about to read IS your vomit draft does nothing to mitigate the terribly uncomfortable experience you're about to put your friends through.

In my time in various writing groups, the Wave-inatrix has been privy to the vomit-draft-overstatement-disclaimer, in which a writer smilingly declares the pages as vomit, while in fact, he or she has spent a great deal of time on these pages. Doing so only sets you up for failure - you've set the bar low right out of the gate, now watch some in your group agree that the pages ARE indeed terrible. OR earn the ire of members of the group who see right through this disingenuous ploy to far exceed vomit with pages that are actually fairly well realized.

I recommend not showing anybody your first couple of drafts. Set your script aside, take a breather, then come back to it yourself. Professional WGA writers don't get committee feedback on every draft of their script or outline. If this were the model, writing entertainment would take light years to do. As you grow and mature as a writer, you will learn to critique your own work. I only show a draft of what I'm working on when I have at least three or sometimes four drafts done. When I start to feel so close to the material that it's becoming a blur, and I'm not seeing it clearly at all anymore. That's the time to get a read or pay someone for notes.

Writing a horrible first draft is so par for the course, that a writer who turns out a good first draft is a freakish anomaly.

Being a mother who gave horribly painful birth, at home, without medication or medical intervention because the Wave-inatrix is hard core, I later became aware of mothers who would say that their labor went on for two, three and four days. There's labor and then there's active labor. Active labor is the one that hurts like a sumbitch. And it can't go on for that long. It just physically can't. What some moms are doing is exaggerating their labor. They were in pre-labor for three days - that's the kind of labor that is uncomfortable, but the kind of labor during which you can still make eye contact and eat a cheeseburger between contractions. Active labor is the excruciatingly, star-spangled, white-hot pain that makes you weep, beg, curse and injure anybody within a twenty-five foot radius.

Ew - childbirth and labor stories - what has that got to do with writing?! Some writers will swear that the draft you've just read - they wrote in a month! Or is only the second draft! Bull pucky. Show me a writer with a great early draft and I'll show you a flying toaster.

There simply isn't a glamorous, pain-free, easy way around writing that first draft. The experience is by turns horrible, energizing and nightmarish. No wonder most writers have all manner of nervous tics and socially inappropriate behaviors. And unlike childbirth, there are absolutely no pain free alternatives with mauve birthing rooms, pulsating showers and free massages. There is no alternative to the agony of writing. And no newborn is cute.

Neither by surprised by nor disingenuous about your vomit draft. Vomit happens to everybody.

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Whatchoo Got in Your Drawers?

Rouge Wavers, it's sad. It's just sad that the Wave-inatrix increasingly has a mind like a sieve. But it's true. I cannot remember whether I already posted this on the Rouge Wave and I'm too lazy to find out. But it strikes me that whether it's a rerun or not, this is a great topic for this time of year:

Do you have a script in the drawer that you never quite finished? Or that you did but something was just not working? We all have skeletons in our closet – er, scripts in the drawer. Some we forget about – maybe we even take them out back and put them out of their misery in a trash bin with some gasoline and a match - or maybe that’s just me. But some scripts from our pasts we just can’t forget about. Every few months, they whisper softly, in a sexy siren call that they’d like to be resurrected. That they never had a chance. That you’re so much better as a writer now that surely, surely this time you can make those pages sing.

How do you know whether you really should resurrect a script or whether that voice in your head is just like the other voices and should be ignored at all costs, especially in public?

Nobody wants to waste time on a script. God knows it’s hard enough to find the time to write even on a good week. So what do you do – move onward, ever onward, or take stock of your older material to see if there’s a diamond in the rough that deserves another shot?

There is no sure-fire answer but it is the Wave-inatrix’s opinion that your decision-making process should largely be driven by your passion for the story. Sure, maybe the script is in bad shape, maybe the premise is not executed well and the structure sucks. But if there’s something essentially fascinating, moving, funny or nightmarish about the original idea that you just can’t shake – it might be worth another look.

So what do you do if you decide to get back to work on old material? What does that process look like? I’d suggest sitting down with the script in a quiet, focused environment and simply reading it through – don’t take notes, just read. What is your impression? Do you still connect with the material?

Make a list of what is working and not working. Now read the script again, this time with a highlighter in hand and take a few notes – are there distinct problem areas? Now make a list for the script. In order for it to reach it’s highest creative potential, what is the laundry list of issues, by element, that the script seems to need work in?

If this sounds a whole lot like you’re being a reader for your own script – you are. The one downside is that this is your baby and it’s hard to create and maintain objective distance. If you can afford to hire a consultant such as myself to do this process for you, that’s a great idea. If you’d rather do it yourself, for whatever set of reasons, just be sure to put that Objective Hat on – press it down hard, you’ll need it.

Now make a rewrite plan for your script beginning with the overarching premise and how that’s working. Go element by element in terms of that rewrite plan: premise, character/dialogue, structure/narrative, logic/world, craft/style, execution – where is the script lacking? How can your more developed skill set be brought to bear?

No one can afford to waste time, that’s for sure. But could it be that you have a script lying around that is deserving of your attention and that would otherwise become just a dusty experiment that never got its due? We can’t waste time but we can’t waste our stories, either. Take a look at your inventory. Anything with potential there?

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Matt Nix Exclusive!

The Rouge Wave and The Script Department's Dave Sparling recently had the chance to catch up with Matt Nix, creator and Executive Producer of USA Network's hit show "Burn Notice," which will go into production on Season 2 when the WGA strike is settled. Anyone with any interest in developing a TV series should be inspired by Matt's successful freshman effort in the medium.

DS/RW: "Burn Notice" is your first foray into television, quickly becoming a hit for USA while earning praise from critics. Can you talk a bit about the factors that led you, a longtime feature-centric writer with roots in the indie side of the spectrum, to the so-called "small screen?"

MN: I wish there was a more artistic-sounding reason for this, but really, it was because my agent called me up and said “you should pitch TV this season.” I said “I don’t have any experience in TV. Don’t you have to work on a staff for a few years before you pitch pilots?” He said “No, they like feature guys now.” I had a sort of vague idea for a spy show that had grown out of conversations I had with a friend who had worked in private intelligence. I talked to the head of TV at Fuse Entertainment, and we developed the idea into what eventually became "Burn Notice." We pitched that to USA, and they bought it.

I had always found TV interesting, though. I spent a long time as a feature writer without getting anything made. Movies are fragile, sickly creatures that can die from the slightest injury – an executive changes jobs, a star gets busy, a chill wind comes in from the North – literally anything will scuttle a film. In TV, on the other hand, they have to make stuff. The opportunity to have 13 hours of material actually made was thrilling. Ultimately, I’m not terribly picky about the form. I’ll write a sketch, a play, a puppet show… whatever. I just like getting to see stuff on its feet. And TV is great for that.

DS/RW: The WGA strike notwithstanding, has the success of the show stoked demand for you as a feature writer? Anything in the feature pipeline you'd like to tell us about?

MN: There’s not a lot of crossover between TV and features. I wouldn’t say the show has stoked demand, exactly. Perhaps there’s a comfort factor, in that there’s something I’ve done that has been reasonably successful. It’s good to be able to prove to people that your words can be used to expose film, and that the results are considered entertaining by some subset of the population. But the worlds are pretty separate.

I’m writing a few things. I had a comedy in development at Warner Brothers, and I’m doing another draft of that, for producers Jon Shestack (AIR FORCE ONE) and David Dobkin (director of THE WEDDING CRASHERS). I’m writing a kids film for Nickelodeon, sort of a paranoid thriller for children. And I’m writing the HOT WHEELS movie for Warner Brothers and producer Joel Silver, which is a big action movie. I’m pretty excited about all of them.
DS/RW: Any plans to direct an episode of the show? If so, do you think it'd be an episode you wrote?

MN: Yes, I’m planning on directing an episode this season. It will almost certainly be my own episode… it’s just a matter of making sure the show is running smoothly enough that I can take that time to devote to directing.

DS/RW: As Executive Producer/showrunner, have you found yourself in the tenuous position of being expected to continue the non-writing aspects of the show while you're on strike as a writer? (If so) how has that worked out in practice?

MN: Actually, I’ve been fortunate in that we were in writer prep for the show when the strike hit. There wasn’t really much producing to do. For this strike, the producers are really trying to hold the line and not produce OR write, and I’m standing with them on that. So I can’t really be involved with the DVD, which sucks, but other than that, there wasn’t anything to do except write.

DS/RW: Have the logistics of running the show made it impossible or difficult for you to keep current with feature releases and/or any favorite TV series of yours? If not, what's blown you away lately and why have you found it so compelling?

MN: I’ve watched some stuff. It’s more having three little kids at home that gets in the way of my movie viewing, but I haven’t gotten out much. I watch "Dexter," which is probably my favorite show. It’s intelligent but never pretentious, and it’s a great mix of character and plot. Plus, it’s another show with voice-over set in Miami, so it has that going for it. My favorite movie recently was SUPERBAD which I thought was fantastic.

DS/RW: You set up "Burn Notice" with no significant experience under your belt on the TV side of the industry. Any suggestions for writers looking to follow in your footsteps?

MN: I think the thing that served me best was keeping one eye on writing something that I cared about and another eye on the realities of what worked for the network, the studio, and the executives involved. It was less a matter of balancing the two than it was a matter of finding a way to do both at the same time - I worked really hard to make sure that I was always doing work I was proud of, while at the same time being really conscious of the fact that I was working in a specific context. There can be a temptation to regard the studio and the network as meddlers getting in the way of your vision. I think that’s counterproductive. They’re setting the parameters, and then it’s your job to succeed within those parameters. Sometimes that’s impossible, but more often than not you can find something that works for everyone. You have to fight the battles that matter, but you also have to make sure everyone’s always on the same team, moving forward toward the goal.

You have to listen to everyone. The minute you think you’ve got all the answers, you’re dead. I learned from everyone. I took notes from everyone – from the network, the studio, the writers, the actors, my assistant, my mom. I sought out criticism, and when something wasn’t working, I killed it, no matter how long I spent working on it. I was shameless about calling people and asking “how do you do this?” And when you come to people with that attitude, you’d be surprised how willing they are to help.

Matt Nix serves as executive producer, writer and creator of the new USA Network original series BURN NOTICE, which premieres Thursday, June 28 at 10pm/9c.
Nix has worked as a feature writer since 1997. He has written scripts for Warner Brothers, Columbia, Paramount, Universal, and New Line, as well as several independent companies. He has had the opportunity to write in a range of genres, including dramas, thrillers, light comedies, dark comedies and children's films.

Nix currently has several feature projects in active development - an adaptation of the bestselling young adult novel "Chasing Vermeer" with Warner Brothers, a workplace comedy for Warner Brothers, and a "paranoid thriller for children" for Paramount/ Nickelodeon Films. He is also an acclaimed director of several short films. His work has been featured on the SCI FI Channel, FX Movies Channel, PBS and in numerous film festivals around the world. He lives in Pasadena with his wife and three children.


ShowHype: hype it up!

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Matt Nix Exclusive!

The Rouge Wave and The Script Department's Dave Sparling recently had the chance to catch up with Matt Nix, creator and Executive Producer of USA Network's hit show "Burn Notice," which will go into production on Season 2 when the WGA strike is settled. Anyone with any interest in developing a TV series should be inspired by Matt's successful freshman effort in the medium.

DS/RW: "Burn Notice" is your first foray into television, quickly becoming a hit for USA while earning praise from critics. Can you talk a bit about the factors that led you, a longtime feature-centric writer with roots in the indie side of the spectrum, to the so-called "small screen?"

DS/RW: The WGA strike notwithstanding, has the success of the show stoked demand for you as a feature writer? Anything in the feature pipeline you'd like to tell us about?

MN: There’s not a lot of crossover between TV and features. I wouldn’t say the show has stoked demand, exactly. Perhaps there’s a comfort factor, in that there’s something I’ve done that has been reasonably successful. It’s good to be able to prove to people that your words can be used to expose film, and that the results are considered entertaining by some subset of the population. But the worlds are pretty separate.

I’m writing a few things. I had a comedy in development at Warner Brothers, and I’m doing another draft of that, for producers Jon Shestack (AIR FORCE ONE) and David Dobkin (director of THE WEDDING CRASHERS). I’m writing a kids film for Nickelodeon, sort of a paranoid thriller for children. And I’m writing the HOT WHEELS movie for Warner Brothers and producer Joel Silver, which is a big action movie. I’m pretty excited about all of them.
DS/RW: Any plans to direct an episode of the show? If so, do you think it'd be an episode you wrote?

MN: Yes, I’m planning on directing an episode this season. It will almost certainly be my own episode… it’s just a matter of making sure the show is running smoothly enough that I can take that time to devote to directing.

DS/RW: As Executive Producer/showrunner, have you found yourself in the tenuous position of being expected to continue the non-writing aspects of the show while you're on strike as a writer? (If so) how has that worked out in practice?

MN: Actually, I’ve been fortunate in that we were in writer prep for the show when the strike hit. There wasn’t really much producing to do. For this strike, the producers are really trying to hold the line and not produce OR write, and I’m standing with them on that. So I can’t really be involved with the DVD, which sucks, but other than that, there wasn’t anything to do except write.

DS/RW: Have the logistics of running the show made it impossible or difficult for you to keep current with feature releases and/or any favorite TV series of yours? If not, what's blown you away lately and why have you found it so compelling?

MN: I’ve watched some stuff. It’s more having three little kids at home that gets in the way of my movie viewing, but I haven’t gotten out much. I watch "Dexter," which is probably my favorite show. It’s intelligent but never pretentious, and it’s a great mix of character and plot. Plus, it’s another show with voice-over set in Miami, so it has that going for it. My favorite movie recently was SUPERBAD which I thought was fantastic.

DS/RW: You set up "Burn Notice" with no significant experience under your belt on the TV side of the industry. Any suggestions for writers looking to follow in your footsteps?

MN: I think the thing that served me best was keeping one eye on writing something that I cared about and another eye on the realities of what worked for the network, the studio, and the executives involved. It was less a matter of balancing the two than it was a matter of finding a way to do both at the same time - I worked really hard to make sure that I was always doing work I was proud of, while at the same time being really conscious of the fact that I was working in a specific context. There can be a temptation to regard the studio and the network as meddlers getting in the way of your vision. I think that’s counterproductive. They’re setting the parameters, and then it’s your job to succeed within those parameters. Sometimes that’s impossible, but more often than not you can find something that works for everyone. You have to fight the battles that matter, but you also have to make sure everyone’s always on the same team, moving forward toward the goal.

You have to listen to everyone. The minute you think you’ve got all the answers, you’re dead. I learned from everyone. I took notes from everyone – from the network, the studio, the writers, the actors, my assistant, my mom. I sought out criticism, and when something wasn’t working, I killed it, no matter how long I spent working on it. I was shameless about calling people and asking “how do you do this?” And when you come to people with that attitude, you’d be surprised how willing they are to help.

Matt Nix serves as executive producer, writer and creator of the new USA Network original series BURN NOTICE, which premieres Thursday, June 28 at 10pm/9c.
Nix has worked as a feature writer since 1997. He has written scripts for Warner Brothers, Columbia, Paramount, Universal, and New Line, as well as several independent companies. He has had the opportunity to write in a range of genres, including dramas, thrillers, light comedies, dark comedies and children's films.

Nix currently has several feature projects in active development - an adaptation of the bestselling young adult novel "Chasing Vermeer" with Warner Brothers, a workplace comedy for Warner Brothers, and a "paranoid thriller for children" for Paramount/ Nickelodeon Films. He is also an acclaimed director of several short films. His work has been featured on the SCI FI Channel, FX Movies Channel, PBS and in numerous film festivals around the world. He lives in Pasadena with his wife and three children.


ShowHype: hype it up!

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Pull Pages and Mixed Metaphor Special

Pull pages. Probably not a term most Wavers commonly use. Unless you are a reader.

The other day I settled down comfortably on my couch with a script, a fishbowl, a letter opener, a highlighter and pen. Those the tools of my trade. I use the letter opener to pry the stubborn brads out, toss them into the fishbowl where they make a comic display, set the title page aside for summary notes, uncap my highlighter and begin to read and pull pages.

What do I highlight? Names. Dates. Significant relationships. And beats. And as I highlight - I pull pages, in order. I separate some of the cattle from the herd.

I use the highlighter for other reasons too - I use it to mark parts of the script that were problematic (typos, language usage, errors, poor logic or otherwise bad writing). Pull pages become an evidence room.

Pulled, marked up pages are my Rosetta Stone for the notes. And yes, Rouge Wavers, the Wave-inatrix just used three unrelated metaphors in the space of one printed inch. But that's what makes me special. Ahem. Shall we continue? You in the back ready to pipe down?

Right you are. It struck the Wave-inatrix like so: what if you, Rouge Wavers, were to print out your script, settle down comfortably with a highlighter and read each page the way a reader does - quickly - and as you go, highlight points on your page where significant characters are introduced and where turning point action or dialogue takes place? For advanced Rouge Wavers, you can also highlight moments, dialogue (whatever form it takes) in which your theme (the DNA) of your script is present.

Now at the end of the exercise, flip through your script again and pay special attention to the pages which contain highlights - those are the pages a reader would pull, synopsize or otherwise dwell on in assessing the script. Note the page numbers of the pulled pages. How'd you do? Can you cobble together the premise of the script by glancing at the highlighted passages?

Int. Grocery Store - pg 4
Mary Anne THROWS the soup mix - pg 5
BILL LUTZ, tall, handsome - pg 5
"I do" - pg 25
"What's this prescription?!" - pg 50
Int. Divorce Attorney - pg 60
Int. Bar - pg 75

Okay if this is the case, as above, Wavers, we have a problem. Sure, these pulled, highlighted passages tell a story but geez, look at those page numbers! What in the heck can possibly be entertaining between pages 25 and 50?

If you try this exercise, Rouge Wavers, you will find yourself on an archeological dig. There is evidence in every layer of a script - good and bad. Go ahead, give it a try. Just sit, read, highlight and pull turning point pages. Then go through the pile of those pages and have a look at the evidence. How'd you do?

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Can You Write a Hot Sex Scene?

How about a violent murder? How about a character cursing like a sailor? Believe it or not, many writers are too embarrassed to really go there in a scene. Before you shove back from your keyboard indignantly, swig from your beer and say $%&# this @#$%@, of course I can write that @#$%! - bear with me. Many writers hold back, men and women alike.

Now, ask any reader and you'll hear horrific and sometimes side-splittingly funny stories about screenwriters who do the opposite. Suddenly, in the middle of a script, an adeptly written porn scene appears. I mean - wow - if you can make a reader blush, you're in the zone, baby. Because we read it ALL. But in my experience, one of the hallmarks of novice writers is holding back because someone you know is going to read this and they don't know the things your imagination can muster about sex, violence or otherwise difficult topics.

The Wave-inatrix will cop to it - I've written a short story that got published, called Grace's Beauty. A story I'm very proud of. But it refers and flashes back to a very ugly and difficult experience for my main character. And I honestly don't ever want my mom to read it. And she hasn't. Because I don't want to hear - Honey, did that happen to you?! Because then, only one of two answers would be the case - yes - which would beget OH MY GOD YOU DIDN'T TELL ME. Or no. Which would beget - then WHY did you write THAT?

Writers channel humanity when they write. We do talk about difficult things. And intimate things. And scary, joyful and embarrassing things. But you cannot ever be a truly great writer if you are worried about what anyone else will make of what you wrote. A writer is an articulate funnel for the human experience. You may or may not have had the experience you're writing about but it doesn't matter. Because you can imagine having that experience. That's why we writers are essentially crazy. We can feel and imagine anything. And we do.

I have never put a shotgun in a deputy's chest and blown him off my porch and into the yard, then dragged his body through a cornfield and dumped it. But along with my partner, I wrote it and it's a pretty horrifying scene. I can imagine being on either side of that gun. I did my research - my partner and I knew which kind of shotgun is needed to blow someone back several feet. If I had to shop for a weapon, after all we've written, I imagine I'd be pretty informed.

Write what you know. And write what you can know, whether that fear, joy, erotic fantasy or sheer rage comes through the collective unconscious or, if you don't subscribe to that, out of the depths of your imagination. Because at the end of the day, there are only so many situations we humans can wind up in. And if you can't imagine RAGE, if you can't become that on the page, then you have no business being a writer.

And remember, you have to get up pretty early in the morning to shock a reader. If what you've written is organic to the story and not gratuitous or clumsy, we won't mind. If the scene works in context with the story and is tonally consistent, then go for it. Check in with yourself. Is this scene par for the course relative to the rest of the script? Does this character curse this intensely for a backstory/emotionally rooted reason? Would this sex be sexiest implied, or, like A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, does this sex scene need to be explicit? Serve the material before you worry about your pride, image or mom's opinion. Nobody said being a writer was easy.

But how do I know if I've gone too far?

But my script really does need a hot sex scene!

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