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Screenwriting -- How to get Hollywood to pay attention (and Money)

30/10/2012

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Notes taken from Luke Ryan's session at London Screenwriters' Festival 2012

Most Important Things

Know and understand who you're pitching and querying to.

  • AGENTS -- want to make money -- lots of money.
  • MANAGERS -- want to be producers -- they take an active part in developing you as a writer.
  • PRODUCERS -- want to get movies made.
  • STUDIO EXECUTIVES -- don't want to get fired.
  • ASSISTANTS -- want promotion.
  • LAWYERS -- want to argue, I'm sure the money's a bonus as well.
  • TALENT -- Actors want to stay exactly where they are.
  • READERS -- want to be writers -- as writers, you need to take away the reasons for them to say NO!

Writers earn a living by writing.

  • Majority of work through assignments.
  • Assignments gained through reputation for great creative delivery.
  • Need an AMAZING SAMPLE.
  • That SAMPLE SHOULD BE A SPEC.
  • Well written, story told well.
  • Selling it is a bonus.

As a writer you should be easy to work with.
And have excellent ideas for projects.

PURPOSE OF PITCH

To make the person you're pitching to say:

"I have to READ/BUY that!"

Using as few words as possible.

CONFLICT most important component of STORY.

Testing HERO.

CONCEPT and PREMISE

Concept = BIG IDEA
Premise = The way into the BIG IDEA.

Ideally the story needs to be:

  • FOUR QUADRANT
  • INTERNATIONAL
  • HIGH CONCEPT -- Easy to get/sell
  • A huge event -- TENT POLE -- SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER

LOGLINES

A Good logline:

Captures the most interesting ideas in the story within one or two sentences.
Gives us a clear idea of character, tone and stakes.
Two vital parts

The BUT and the MUST.

GIVES US A

A (CHARACTER) sets out to (ACHIEVE A GOAL),  but (RUNS INTO AN UNEXPECTED & SOMETIMES IRONIC OBSTACLE) and must (GROW IN A WAY TO TRIUMPH OR FACE CERTAIN DOOM).

Is this something other people want to see?
Is this something I can write the hell out of?

QUERYING

-- Managers
-- Agents
-- Producers

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO WORK THE ASSISTANTS


Find out who writes like/similar to you?

Actually do a proper letter rather than email.

  1. Polite opening
  2. Logline
  3. A paragraph about who you are.
  4. Past accomplishments
  5. What you're currently working on.
  6. What projects are you finishing next.
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    Welcome to Russell’s website. A storyteller who enjoys writing screenplays for movies. Even though the process is hard. It keeps his imagination working overtime.



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