Category: Screenwriting

Summer? What summer?

This writer spent July and August confined to her apartment with bronchitis because she dared travel outside of her safety cage in Koreatown.  Basically, not much happened until September to which, I’ve been finishing pilots that were roaming about my head.

Two science fiction spec TV pilots were finished, one of which was comedy, the other an hour long drama. I’m letting them stew before they enter the editing phase. It felt good to finally get them out of my head.

I have also started a family children’s action adventure but it will be awhile before that one is finished.

Contrary to my previous apprehension at swimming in the Amazon Studio pool, I have  finally taken a dip.  I  submitted a proposal for a writing assignment that requires a re-write of a script they purchased the rights to and they’ll choose the winning writer at some point in the future.   I don’t think I could have approached this assignment proposal without connecting with the script, and it really did move me, even to tears and that’s pretty difficult for screenplay to do.  I thought it was definitely worth my time and effort to give it a shot.

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FYI: Amazon’s terms have been reformulated to be much friendlier to the writer and I can finally recommend them if you’re a new writer. This is a good place to apply your craft. AS may not be as intensive of an experience as Triggerstreet, but there are projects here to learn from and get feedback for your own…and you could possibly get an option!

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Let’s see, what else is happening? A short I shot last year is finally in final cut mode. We’re matching music and effects at this point, having finally reached picture lock. I owe my patience and gratitude to Devin Watson, my editor.  We make a pretty good team and I hope to be able to work with him again in the future.

What’s on tap for fall?  I’ve been given a job as an editor for a non-fiction book about lighting for concert and corporate events. Sounds positively dry, right? It’s far from it! The writer (a lighting designer) is very dynamic, has an unusual cult following because of his gifts and his work is reminiscent of Stephen King’s “On Writing”. Half of the book will be musings about life as a designer on the road and the other will be an application of his methods. Once we get a few solid chapters complete and ready to submit, I’ll be doing some footwork in the publishing world because he’s too busy to do it and I’m eager to swim those channels.

I’ve also applied to several studio internships, but those never seem to work out. They must think I’m over qualified and I’ll be bored and/or old as dirt, but what they don’t understand is I’m a sponge for pre and post production film work. I WANT to LEARN more, but no one seems to understand that. Why not hire someone with an established work ethic? Just because I’m over 40 doesn’t mean I can’t hop to it and deliver your coffee piping hot!

What’s with all the watery references? I must be thirsty.

Goodbye, Summer. Hello, Fall.

 

 

 

 

Just a quick October update:

I found out today that my short (currently being edited) is in the hands of an editor that works at Paramount. So no rush dude: Take. Your. Time.

Finding this information out has made it very clear to me that networking pays off. Giving a little blood and sweat (aka free material) can be rewarding and in the interim you make contacts that will hopefully be with you throughout the rest of your career.  I’ve met some pretty awesome people in the last few months and it all started by asking for a loan of twenty five cents.

Forward. Onward. Upward.

With all of the irons I keep in the fire, you’d think one might be ready. It’s always the weird unexpected ones.

Last week, I helped an LACC film student who happens to be an established rapper in Los Angeles by providing material. He’s shooting it this weekend so I’m guessing by the first week of October, one project from my collection of sold material will be produced and tangible. I’m going to consider that a major milestone even if the three minute short ends up less than stellar. I have faith in the director, but not in the fast-paced last-minute schedule to ram this production into the can so quickly. But that’s just me.

I’ll post it here regardless of how good or bad it turns out.

I’ve been in Los Angeles for almost one year.  To cliche myself to death, “boy, time really flies”.  Things I knew would happen have, such as; I spend so much time with my “day job” to make the rent I have lost time to write. It’s all my fault really. I can make time but my brain gets exhausted when the creative side must spend it on web design rather than writing.

The agency that had my script FINALLY sent it on to the production company and big surprise the production company said: “no, not for us”. It took a full year and a half for the agency to push that through and that’s because they lost sight of me due to their high overturn of assistants. If you’re ever wondering why Hollywood churns out the same old crap, it’s because new writers starve to death in the corridor waiting to be read.  Needless to say, I’m kind of bitter but not surprised about the process. We’re not allowing anyone hold on to a script that long ever again.  I’d name names but for now I’ll just rage quietly at my desk and throw darts at the agency’s logo.

On the upside, an impending interview is on the horizon. I’m not hopping on one stone hoping to overturn it, however I am excited about it.  More later as it develops.

Also, I had the opportunity to move from the basic hamster cage to the deluxe model downstairs which now includes a kitchen. If only I had some large metal devices to cook food with so I could use that big blocky thing with instant fire taking up space across from the sink.

Before:

After:

The treatment I wrote for an actor’s reality show idea landed in Mark Burnett’s office last week.

Hmmm, let’s see….

Who is Mark Burnett?

He’s only the Godfather of Reality Television.

Of his many credits, these are some of my favorites: Survivor, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp, and my current favorite: The Voice

The Dog Girl is a fantastic idea about an actor struggling to run a busy dog training/hiking business while simultaneously trying to re-enter Tinseltown.

Our hero is 5’4″ and barely nothin’ on the scales, yet she has the ability to control and rehabilitate dogs any normal person might consider past their prime or too dangerous. Big dogs. Military dogs. Bully breeds. You name it, she’s up to the challenge.

I can’t wait to hear about the outcome on this project.

It’s always a great feeling when your work has helped someone else, regardless of how it may affect my future as a writer.

 

I can’t talk to much about projects that are in play or opportunities that are blossoming right now, so let’s chat about some other people I know.

1) My friend Gary, a fellow Triggerstreet member that I’ve known via the impersonal tubes of the internet for several years, has been SWEEPING the floor over at Amazon Studios. He’s won three prizes by now (I think) and there’s no stopping him. Actually, I can’t talk much about him either because I don’t want to blow his strategy other than to say how proud I am to know someone as awesome as he is.

I’ve lost out on the opportunity to enter any of these contests at Amazon because my material is either commissioned or already optioned. I have real world (as opposed to contest world) problems but I don’t know, I’d love to have some of that cash they’re giving out. If I could only find the time to write something for that contest that doesn’t interfere with my day job or my paid writing gigs.

2) I think that the reality show treatment I wrote last month is about to be pitched. The actor who commissioned it from me is almost done with her sizzle reel so it’s only a matter of time before we see how well the concept goes over.

3) I’ve had the distinct pleasure of meeting (via phone at this point) Thom Bierdz. I’m not a soap fiend, but you may remember him as Phillip Chancellor from the Young and the Restless. Many people might not be aware of this but he’s an author, an artist and he runs an international art contest for various mediums. An actor friend here in LA hooked us up because he needed some extra help marketing the contest. What can I say? I’m a bendy spoon for the likes of hunks like Thom.  If you want to enter this year’s contest please visit his site: http://www.americanartawards.com/2011callforentries.html

4) Another distinct pleasure has been percolating since my arrival to the apartment complex I rave (negatively) about. This complex is full of artists of one kind of or another and I’ve finally had a chance to meet and possible work with Percy Carey, the author of Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm. He’s such the gentlemen, and I hope my style of material is on his wavelength, because I’d love to work with him. We’ll see. That’s still percolating.

5) The last bit of news I have is about a job opportunity in NY. I applied and I’m waiting on an official date for my interview. It’s for a start up company that will arrive on the scene like Goliath looking for a Youtube/Hulu/Netflix sandwich.  But that’s all I can say about that.

So that’s June. It feels like a lot is going on, but when you cram it all in a box, there’s still room for more.

What’s new in K-town?

I’ve become accustomed to my tiny space such that I want to trick it out. There’s a closet specifically built for a murphy bed, so I may return it to its original state and install one in there.  The question remains; should I use the closet for a full size bed or a twin and put shelves next to it? Space is at a premium in this 250 sq ft cage so I have to be prudent.

I can’t stand clutter so if I can close it away behind a door, I’m happy. That said, my place is a mess, but that makes my brain askew too. I sit here typing and I see a clump of things next to my desk that need to be put away, yet there they are, taunting me. It’s an odd tug of war.

As for writing updates, the sold screenplay was delivered to the production company and any day now I’m expecting some notes.  I feel as if I have moved upward into a different stage of being a screenwriter and I have a solid feeling of accomplishment.

Also, one of my scripts hasn’t been kicked off the island in what I’ve come to lovingly describe  as Survivor: Agency Edition.

Here’s the scenario:

1. You  submit your screenplay to a Production Company A
2. However, Production Company A only takes screenplays from Agency X
3. You then submit your screenplay to Agency X.
4. If Agency X hasn’t lost your submission (this happened to me), you get sent paperwork clearing them of any liability, CYA paperwork etc.
5. You sign the paperwork and…
6. wait….
7. and wait….
8. and wait……..
9. and… you get the idea….
10. Coverage is being made by readers (you hope) on your script so that the agency can decide on whether to pass it on to Production Company A
11. The coverage is acceptable and your script gets pitched to Production Company A …
12. And this is where I’m at. Stage 11.

What happens next?  Who knows?  As Willy Wonka/Gene Wilder once said: “The suspense is terrible… I hope it’ll last.”

A quick note about networking.

Keep in mind that actors and other entertainment industry related individuals besides producers and production companies are willing and able to hire screenwriters for work. I recently completed a paid assignment that included writing a treatment for an actress who had been asked to submit a reality show idea for the Oprah Winfrey Network. Not completely confident in what a treatment entailed or writing the entire thing, the actress hired me to do the dirty work.

We found ourselves on the same wavelength, discussed what she wanted the show to be like and I set to work writing a treatment she could submit to the agent. I wish her luck because I genuinely like her idea and if she gets brought into the office to pitch the idea further, she’ll take me with her and what writer hates that?

Don’t be afraid to turn over every stone when you’re building your portfolio.