I was on another screenwriting site and saw posting that talked about pitching a project. What caught my attention was the individual, Stephanie Palmer. A friend had loaned me her book, "Good in a Room" a while back. Here is the link for the interview with her: http://screenwritingfromiowa.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/learning-to-be-good-in-a-room/.
Picking out the elements that I think are important to this forum:
"I read as many books as I could about the business, went to a great university and then started as an unpaid intern getting coffee, making photocopies and running errands. Eventually, I worked my way up. I didn’t make that jump in one move. I worked as an assistant for a couple years at Bruckheimer Films and at MGM, though I was given a rare internal promotion from assistant to executive."
"Many movie executives have backgrounds in business and finance, and sometimes, expertise in these areas is crucial. However, I think that experience in storytelling is just as valuable. My theatrical training helps me understand the challenges that creative people face. With my knowledge of plays and experience directing and producing them, I have a wider body of knowledge to draw upon when developing a script or solving a production problem.
"Even great ideas don’t sell themselves because decision-makers generally don’t just buy scripts. They invest in people who have great ideas. Selling yourself is crucial to the success of your project. When you sell something, you will be asked to make changes, adapt to new circumstances, and work with people whose opinions may differ from your own—for at least a year, if not more. Therefore, before saying “Yes” to you and buying your script, the decision-maker needs to know if they like you, trust you, and can rely on you during the challenging process of making a movie."
The blog's author, Kevin Smith, also points out success stories of non-Hollywood screenwriters. The blog is a fun treasure trove. But I was also taken by a quote from David Mamet:
Picking out the elements that I think are important to this forum:
"I read as many books as I could about the business, went to a great university and then started as an unpaid intern getting coffee, making photocopies and running errands. Eventually, I worked my way up. I didn’t make that jump in one move. I worked as an assistant for a couple years at Bruckheimer Films and at MGM, though I was given a rare internal promotion from assistant to executive."
"Many movie executives have backgrounds in business and finance, and sometimes, expertise in these areas is crucial. However, I think that experience in storytelling is just as valuable. My theatrical training helps me understand the challenges that creative people face. With my knowledge of plays and experience directing and producing them, I have a wider body of knowledge to draw upon when developing a script or solving a production problem.
"Even great ideas don’t sell themselves because decision-makers generally don’t just buy scripts. They invest in people who have great ideas. Selling yourself is crucial to the success of your project. When you sell something, you will be asked to make changes, adapt to new circumstances, and work with people whose opinions may differ from your own—for at least a year, if not more. Therefore, before saying “Yes” to you and buying your script, the decision-maker needs to know if they like you, trust you, and can rely on you during the challenging process of making a movie."
The blog's author, Kevin Smith, also points out success stories of non-Hollywood screenwriters. The blog is a fun treasure trove. But I was also taken by a quote from David Mamet:
Bambi Vs Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business and is where [Scott Smith] pulled the quote for the day which was meant more about film editing, but applies to writing :
“‘Stay with the money.’ The audience came to see the star. The star is the hero; the drama consists solely in the quest of the hero.
‘You start with a scalpel and you end with a chainsaw.’ Don’t be too nice about cutting the film; throw away everything that’s not the story.”
David Mamet
This is the advice that producers and directors get for making movies successful. It's helpful to screenwriters to bear that in mind. The more the script plays to that sensibility, the more likely it is to be sold/optioned. David Mamet should be on your bookshelf.“‘Stay with the money.’ The audience came to see the star. The star is the hero; the drama consists solely in the quest of the hero.
‘You start with a scalpel and you end with a chainsaw.’ Don’t be too nice about cutting the film; throw away everything that’s not the story.”
David Mamet
