 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Questions on this page (2 of 2):
1: What's your relationship as a development executive to the producer? To the director?
2: I'll be finished with the rewrite of my screenplay by mid-summer. Next I'll shop it around for an agent. Is summer a good time to be doing this? How persistent should I be with letters, phone calls, follow up?
3: If one has found a novel which one thinks would make a good
screenplay/movie and the property is 50 years old -- although copyright has been maintained -- how does one go about getting permission to do a screenplay?
4: I've written a novel that has been optioned for film. Is it reasonable for me to expect to get to write the screenplay?
5: I'd like to know how you go about getting a job as a script-reader. Do you have to live in L.A.?
6: My son is twelve years old and is obsessed with filmmaking. He has been making video-films for several years. I wonder what I can do to encourage him. We get Filmmaker magazine and some of the stories that concern the hardships of these Independent filmmakers -- no money, no budget, no distribution etc. -- make me wonder if, indeed, I should encourage him. Is there much opportunity? . . .
7: . . . He is talking about NYU school of film and in fact wants to go and check the place out! . . .
8: . . . What sort of film could he submit to a film festival? Are there categories for this age group?
Back to page 1
To the Good Stuff menu
To the E-script main page
|
What's your relationship as a development executive to the producer? To the director?
Just as the term "producer" can mean many different things, a development executive functions differently for different producers or studios. To me, the primary function of this position should be someone who has the ability to find a story, analyze it, and then work with the writer to improve whatever needs work, whether characterization, dialogue, story-line, etc. This person should be originating story ideas for the studio or producer - looking through magazines, newspapers, old books, new books, plays, etc., trying to find a story to turn into a movie. In many cases, the position often means someone who is on the phone morning to night to the various agents - attempting to persuade them to send over their best scripts. The producer is often on the movie set, sometimes in another city, so one of your critical responsibilities is to know what's going on around town - who's the hot writer of the day, what script has just gone into turnaround (which means that a studio or producer has owned the option for a script, but has decided to let the option lapse, which means that the script is now on the market again), what studio is developing a project similar to the one your producer wants to option, etc. The development executive must work closely with his or her producer in order to know what type of stories to pursue. Even if an agent wants to send you a wonderfully written action story, it's a waste of your time to read it if your producer is only interested in relationship dramas.
Unless you work for a very generous producer, the development executive generally rarely has any contact at all with the film's director. Sometimes, if you have brought a script to your producer, and the script gets greenlighted, the producer may give you a position on the actual shooting of the film so that you are on set, can attend dailies, etc. Otherwise, you do what you always do - pick up the phone and call another agent.
Everyone always says that summer is not the best time to shop a project around, but I don't know many successful producers who aren't working year-round. You inevitably read about huge deals made during the summer months, so I don't put much stock into the so-called 'down time' of summer.
Persistence with letters - phone calls - follow up? You should be EXTREMELY persistent. Agents and their assistants are barraged with material, phone calls, letters, etc. all day long, so don't take it personally if you don't hear back from them. Don't expect them to read your script over the weekend, even though they say they will. Don't expect a courtesy 'pass' phone call from them if they didn't like your script. Be very VERY friendly to the assistants, since they are the people you will be talking to (not the agents), and if the assistant doesn't like you, your script won't get read. And chances are, the assistant is the one who will read your script first - and if he/she likes it, it will THEN be passed along to the agent. So you've got to make yourself known. Don't hesitate to call several times and write several letters - whatever it takes. And from an executive or agent's point of view, it's fairly easy to ignore a letter, but harder to say no to someone on the phone who is trying as hard as they can to convince you to read their script. Be courteous, but be persistent.
You need to have legal permission to use the novel, plain and simple. If it is an obscure book, then you might get lucky and be given an option on the book. That is, the publisher, the author's estate, or whoever owns the copyright, may grant you permission to shop the novel to a film producer or studio, generally for a period of one year. It may cost you some money, but as an individual, as opposed to a producer or studio who has access to larger amounts of money, they may give you a much better deal. During this option time, you can write your script based on the novel, and then shop it around Hollywood.
This is one of the more common scenarios, but every deal is different. You might know the author of the novel and be able to work out a friendly arrangement that doesn't cost you a dime. But the point is, don't waste your time writing the screenplay if you don't have the legal rights to the novel.
Sad to say, but it's really not reasonable to expect anything in terms of fairness in Hollywood. Logically, it makes all the sense in the world that you should at least get a crack at the first draft, since you are more familiar with the material than anyone else. You might have tried to write that clause into your option agreement. On the other hand, has the producer read your two screenplays? Perhaps your talent lies in novels and not in screenwriting. As you are aware, they're very different forms of writing, so maybe the producer would make his/her decision based on that, which is, at minimum, more intelligent than many of the odd choices that abound in Hollywood. But most often, a producer will go with a known quantity - in this case, a 'name' writer - so that 1) the producer will feel more secure in the quality of the resulting screenplay, and 2) he/she can use the writer's name as part of the sales package for the project. You and your agent should fight hard for the right to do the screenplay, but you shouldn't be surprised if they go with someone else.
I'd like to know how you go about getting a job as a script-reader. Do you have to live in L.A.? If you want to make a living as a script reader, or even a semblance of a living, you have to live either in Los Angeles or in New York. Generally, the only way to make a living at it is to be in the union (yes, they have a script reader's union), and the only companies that hire union readers are the larger studios. Otherwise, it's free-lance work and you are paid per script, per book, etc. Even if you work exclusively for one production company, you work as a free-lancer.
As in everything else in Hollywood, persistence is your best ally. My advice would be to get hold of several different samples of script coverage (the reader's report that consists of the Logline of the story, a short synopsis of the script, and the reader's personal comments on the script) by several different readers, study them, and then do your own coverage on a script. Then get on the phone and call the Story Editors at productions companies, studios, and agencies, and ask if they would read a sample of your coverage. Sometimes you'll be asked to do a test coverage on a script that they provide. It's up to you to decide whether you want to do this (since you're not paid for it), but if the offer is from a studio (and the possibility of a union position), it's probably worth your while.
It sounds as though your son is going to pursue filmmaking whether you encourage him or not, so you may as well continue doing what you can do to assist him. Yes, it's a very volatile industry, and there are a lot of talented and untalented people who are extremely aggressive in their desire to make it in Hollywood. And lots of talented AND untalented people are making a living in Hollywood. So on one hand, the old truism does apply: it depends on who you know. . . . He is talking about NYU school of film and in fact wants to go and check the place out! . . . As I say, connections are vital, and the NYU film school does have connections to Hollywood. The University of Southern California, UCLA, and the American Film Institute are three others that have strong ties to the film community. So a top film school is not a bad place to start. The student films of these schools are screened in Los Angeles and New York for the film studios and for the various talent agents, and this kind of exposure is hugely valuable. Regarding film festivals, there are not, to my knowledge, any age restrictions, so that won't be a problem for your son. Basically you submit your film into a category: feature film, short subject, documentary, etc. Festivals are certainly another good way to get exposure, so they should certainly be explored as an option. My advice to filmmakers is the same as it is for writers - select the festivals that you enter carefully. They all require entry fees, so you want to make certain that the prize makes it worth your while. A big cash prize is always nice, but I would choose festivals that have top agents or studio executives on their judging panel so that if you win, you will be noticed by people who can do something for you. Another benefit for a winning film would be either a Los Angeles screening, or publicity in the Hollywood trade papers.
There are always opportunities for quality filmmakers, but you absolutely need some luck on your side to break in. But you need to BE THERE - you need to be available and accessible. So it truly makes sense to live in Los Angeles so that you can network - meet the people you need to meet - have a good demo reel of your work ready - try to get an agent - and try to get your work screened for the industry people.
|
To the Good Stuff menu
To the E-script main page