Agents

Another post in the continuing saga of my experiences at the Screenwriting Expo this past weekend…

Today I’m excited to relay some excellent advice and industry insight from some Agents whose sessions I attended:

• Victoria Wisdom, former partner at BWK
• Emile Gladstone, ICM
• Bob Hohman, Gersh

Just like my friend Michele Wallerstein, the first thing you notice about a successful Agent is that they’re all extremely high functioning and assertive. If you ever have an opportunity to meet with an Agent, make sure you’ve had a full night’s sleep, a double shot of Espresso, and are firing on all cylinders… or you simply won’t be able to keep up.

Wisdom (her real name), has a commanding presence that makes you sit up and pay attention.

Gladstone looks like Peter Parker, has an I.Q. that’s obviously north of 140, and is probably Kaiser Soze.

Hohman (the least intimidating of the bunch), made a joke in passing about his being a savant. (He probably wasn’t joking.)

After searching for some web links, I found Wisdom’s web site. I also found a great article/interview by Jim Cirile (who hosted one of the panel discussions) that features Gladstone. Be sure to read through these two sources for some of the same tips that were offered during their Screenwriting Expo sessions.

And now, without further ado, I present…

The Top 20 Agents Tips

Note: The following insights are my interpretations of what the Agents said. Any errors or omissions are purely my own.

Victoria Wisdom:

1. The commercial market for films is about 70% overseas, and 30% for U.S. and Canada. That means you need to think about whether or not your movie will “travel well” — because the ones that do are the most likely to get made. Get global; write a story that’s universally understood.
2. It’s dangerous to follow trends as a benchmark for deciding what movie to write next. However, if you’re trying to sell a script, it pays to reference current script sales and how they are relevant to your movie.
3. Pitch the concept, not the plot. Pitch the concept in such a way that the story sells itself. Hollywood is very template-based. That’s why coming up with a concept that’s the “same, but different” is so important; something that can be summarized in a quick pithy line that Producers/Execs can understand. For example, the quick sell for The Bourne Identity is: “James Bond with amnesia.” Source Code is: “Groundhog Day with a sci-fi twist.”
4. Do your homework on three things: 1) What are studios buying? 2) What are they making? 3) What was successful?

Emile Gladstone:

1. Packaging (attaching an actor or director to your movie) is good for getting a movie sold, but not necessarily for getting a movie made.
2. Often you’ll have to do multiple drafts of a script, simply to appease the Actors, Producers, Directors, Executives, etc…. knowing full well that some of these drafts will never see the light of day.
3. If you’re a writer that wants any semblance of control, you should write a TV pilot. In TV, writers are the “directors” (i.e. they have the creative control). Film, is a director’s medium.
4. If you want to sell a script, figure out which production companies are making the movies that are most like yours, then get in touch with the lowest Creative Executive on the totem pole, and try to get them to read it.
5. Best selling scripts: Tentpole, High Concept, Genre-bending
6. These days Hollywood uses a “P & L” (Profit and Loss) risk assessment to determine whether or not a movie can be made. He cited an example of a movie that the studio wants to make, has an A-list actor attached, but that they can’t get made because it doesn’t satisfy the risk profile.

Bob Hohman:

1. The number one job of an Agent is to explain showbusiness to the client. (i.e. What Hollywood is buying, what just sold two weeks ago that’s exactly the same concept as yours, why you shouldn’t write that period piece, etc.)
2. You need more than one script to show that you’re a writer.
3. You’re in the business of making things up. Don’t write strictly personal stories that are only powerful because they happened to you.
4. Don’t write your script alone and think you’re done. Generate fans of your work. Managers, Producers — they are all friends to help you write your screenplay and get it sold.
5. TV is more concerned about a compelling idea than a script. Often networks won’t even read a script before they start developing. TV loves development (opposite of movies).
6. For writing assignments, there’s no work in the middle pay bracket right now. So A-List writers are working and C-List writers are working.
7. Aspiring screenwriters should have jobs with zero responsibility, while they’re trying to establish themselves. Save your brainpower for your screenplay.
8. Always exceed expectations (e.g. If you’re given 10 days for a rewrite, get it done in 8).
9. Unlike film, Cable channels will buy a pitch from someone who’s not famous. They’ll just pair them with an established showrunner.
10. Most of his clientele who are making money are in their 50′s. Alvin Sargent is 83 years old and gainfully employed. It may be a youth-driven industry, but really it’s all about your energy.

Did you attend any of the Agent sessions? What was the best advice you heard?

Tomorrow’s Edition: Pitching Advice and Horror Stories…

Previous Screenwriting Expo 2011 Posts:

- First Impressions
- How do you get a Manager?

In yesterday’s post, I discussed my first impressions of the conference. Today I’ll share some terrific insights from the several Managers’ panels I attended.

What is a Manager?

What is a Manager and how do they differ from Agents? Others may have something different to say about it, but here’s my simplified take…

A Manager wants to guide your screenwriting career, work with you to develop great scripts, and help you find an Agent.

An Agent wants to make sure you’re working on a script they can sell, so they can sell the shit out of that script.

Managers tend to have fewer clients than Agents, because they need to spend more time with each client.

Why do you need a Manager?

Managers have their fingers on the pulse of the marketplace. Maybe you’re planning to write a vampire epic as your next script. A Manager can tell you that the marketplace is saturated with scripts about those moody, fangy bastards and save you 3 to 6 months of your life. (There is some overlap with Agents in this regard.)

They will also work with you to make sure your script is as great as it can be before it goes out. This is important, because studios aren’t interested in development. They’re interested in booking slots for movies. So the more polished a script is before a studio gets their hands on it, the less time will be spent on the script in development, which means there’s a greater likelihood that the script will actually reach the production phase.

Managers also have connections with Agents. If you have a proven track record of producing quality scripts, and have a killer script ready to go, a Manager can refer you to an Agent who can take your career to the next level.

How do you get a Manager?

Ah, the million dollar question.

First, it’s probably easier to get a Manager than an Agent. But “easier” does NOT mean “easy.”

Managers, like all non-vampires, only have a finite amount of time. So they can’t be spending their time reading every single script that comes their way to determine if the writer is any good.

That’s why they rely on two primary sources for new clients:

1. Referrals
2. Contest Winners

Referrals

This is the biggie. If someone they know and trust recommends that they take a look at a particular screenwriter, then that means that screenwriter has already been vetted to some extent.

Okay so how do you get someone to refer you to a Manager?

Answer: Be a great writer.

Often times you’ll hear people talk about networking. And networking is important, but really the best networking happens as an ongoing result of developing your writing skills (going to conferences, participating in writing groups, meeting people in the industry). As I’ve written before, Hollywood uses a self-authorizing password.

If you have talent, and put in the time, you’ll learn to walk the walk, speak the lingo and come across as a professional writer. On top of that you’ll have a few quality scripts that prove you’re a writer and not a dabbler.

Success is where preparation meets opportunity. When you’re ready, you’ll have all the knowledge and the contacts you need to get a Manager. It’s not a magic bullet, but it is what it is.

Contest Winners

This is an interesting one. Many of the Managers said that they find new clients from screenwriting contests.

So if you’ve won a screenwriting contest, you’re all set right? Nuh uh. Doesn’t work that way.

I said that the Managers find new clients. If you’re sending them a query email or letter, odds are it’s going to get deleted or trashed. One Manager said that he only took on one new client based on a query letter in the last fifteen years. And he was the generous one.

Managers are bombarded with dozens of emails every single day from people who have won contests. And not all contests are created equal. If you’ve just won the Podunk Screenwriting Contest, it doesn’t mean anything.

Here are a few contests that the Managers said they look at (it’s by no means all inclusive, but it is listed in approximate order of mention/importance):

• Nicholl Fellowship (They all look at this one. Even the runners-up.)
• Script Pipeline
• Script Shark (Not a contest — but if you pay for their script service and your script is good enough, they may forward it to their roster of agents, managers, producers, executives…)
• Final Draft
• AAA (Creative Screenwriting)

Did anyone else attend the Managers’ panels? Do you already have a Manager? Let me know if there’s anything important I left out.

Netflix. What is it good for?

Absolutely… something!

Netflix has received some (probably warranted) bad press recently, due to their significant price hike. But if you can afford to shell out the cash for at least one more month, you’ll be able to take advantage of one of the best resources for screenwriters anywhere.

I’m not talking about their movie selection (though that’s good too). I’m talking about one specific set of DVDs known as The Dialogue.

The Dialogue: Learning from the Masters

Hosted by Mike De Luca (Producer of dozens of diverse movies including: Boogie Nights, American History X, Austin Powers, The Social Network), the series consists of in depth interviews with some of Hollywood’s elite screenwriters.

Here are just a few of the 27 screenwriters interviewed:

- Simon Kinberg (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sherlock Holmes)
- Scott Rosenberg (Gone in Sixty Seconds, Con Air)
- David S. Goyer (Blade, Batman Begins)
- Paul Haggis (Crash, Casino Royale)
- Sheldon Turner (Up in the Air, X-Men First Class)
- Peter and Bob Farrelly (Dumb & Dumber, There’s Something About Mary)
- Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (Star Trek, Cowboys & Aliens)

The DVDs are only few years old, and will give you the best bang for your Netflix buck.

Not only are the interviews insightful as to the process of screenwriting, they will certainly open your eyes to the business of screenwriting as well.

I can’t recommend these DVDs enough. Each 80 minute interview is jam-packed with incredible tidbits of knowledge you can only learn straight from the pros. These are MUST SEE DVDs guys.

Note: The full set of DVDs are also for sale on Amazon.com.

Update: Apparently Amazon isn’t selling these interviews in DVD form, but they are streaming and making them available for download (for a small fee). Here’s a link to one of my favorite interviews, Nicholas Kazan (Matilda, Fallen).

The Glee Project

Is anyone else out there watching The Glee Project? For those who don’t know about it, The Glee Project is a pretty cool little talent show on the Oxygen network that gives the winner a seven episode character arc on the upcoming season of Glee.

Now that’s what I call a prize!

The Three Ps

Anyway, there was a recent episode where Max Adler (who plays the closeted bully, Dave Karofsky) was giving some advice to the contestants, and mentioned the three Ps, as the secret to success.

Passion

Persistence

Patience

How excellent is that?! I’d never heard that one before. A great reminder for actors, singers, screenwriters and anyone else pursuing a dream.

Do you have all three?

Event Reminder: Michele Wallerstein will be holding a free seminar on Saturday, November 20th, 3PM at the Sherman Oaks Borders store.

The topic is: “Getting Started.” It’s the beginning of a 4 part series that she’ll be doing for Borders Books.

—

On Being Rewritten

by Michele Wallerstein
Author of:
“MIND YOUR BUSINESS: A Hollywood Literary Agent’s Guide To Your Writing Career”

Be prepared. That’s the best advice I can give to new writers. Be prepared to be rewritten, overruled, ignored and even forgotten. It’s a tough business that you are knocking yourself out to get into. It’s also rewarding, exciting, fun and eventually financially amazing. If you are ready to accept all of the above, then, by all means, get those fingers flying on your computer and aim your sites on Hollywood.

If you know what to expect, you’ll make better choices and have less concerns. Here’s the skinny on what will happen when you finally write the right screenplay that garners you an offer from a major production company:

1. The company will ask for a free option. “Oh, no”, you will say to your agent, “I thought they would offer me money”. Your agent will have to explain that producers don’t pay option fees unless the writer is BIG, EXPERIENCED and someone that the studios are dying to get. Producers are not the people who pay for options. Studios pay for options. If you have a good agent they will have submitted your screenplay to producers prior to studios. This way the studio people will know that a particular production company will be attached to see to it that a good film is made. Studios often have agreements with production companies. This means that they want to make movies with those producers. So, what this means is there is now a good script and a good production company. The option period that your agent will give the producer will allow them the time to: (a) Take the project to a star and/or director and (b) Present the project to their studio.

2. There will be a contract, negotiated by your agent, wherein it will state that X amount of dollars will be paid to you in the event a studio (or an independent third party financier) wants to move forward with the project. The deal will divide up the payments to you as installments (steps) for rewrites, polishes, production bonuses, and a purchase price. These steps are not promised to you. They only occur if and when they are required by the studio. The contract will be transferred to the studio in its entirety. This means that whatever the producer promised you in their contract must be accepted by the studio. The studio will now be responsible for paying you the option price as well as whatever other fees have been spelled out in the initial agreement. Just like in any other business, the folks with the money have all the power.

3. When you have agreed to the contract you will probably get the chance to do the first rewrite on your screenplay. Please note that I said “probably”. First you will have meetings with the producer(s), their assistants, their development executives and possibly a studio executive or two. If you are good in the meetings (see Chapter 21, in my book, “MIND YOUR BUSINESS: A Hollywood Literary Agent’s Guide To Your Writing Career”) you will begin the rewrite.

4. Once you turn in that first rewrite things begin to get tricky. Inevitably there will be requests for more rewrites. The question as to who will do these next rewrites is up to the studio and producers. You and your agent will have no say in this decision. If you read your contract carefully you will note that further rewrites by you are “optional”. This means that the studio has the right to either hire you or someone else to do those rewrites. All new writers have this in their contracts. There is no getting around it.

5. Try as you might, you will never be able to second guess what these studio executives will decide nor why they will make those particular decisions. You will probably never know why another writer is hired to rewrite you. They won’t tell your agent and they certainly won’t tell you. There are innumerable scenarios that may occur. The studio may owe another writer for a different project that didn’t go forward, or the producer has a friend that they want to give some work to, or, over lunch, the studio executive mentioned your project to another writer who came up with ideas that the executive loved, or there was some other situation that has arisen. It’s a moot point, so move ahead and work on your next project.

6. Remember that your purchase price and production bonus are often tied to your on-screen credit. In the event you share that screen credit with other writers, your fees will be diminished. The screen credit will be determined by an impartial panel at the Writers Guild of America.

My final comments are for you to simply do the best job you can and keep moving forward. If you are responsible, agreeable, creative and clever, you will eventually have more power and decision making choices. Remember that this is the beginning of your writing career and that, like other industries, you will find that your status will improve with each new project.

Email: novelconsult@yahoo.com
Web site: www.novelconsultant.com

Copyright 2010 Michele Wallerstein. Not be used without written permission from Author.