HOLLYWOODSCRIPT.COM NEWSLETTER
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Welcome to the latest edition of Hollywoodscript.com Newsletter, which is published by script consultants Craig Kellem, Judy Kellem
(http://www.hollywoodscript.com)
THIS NEWSLETTER IS NEVER SPAM.
You are receiving this newsletter because you expressed an interest in screenwriting by subscribing to this newsletter OR requested a read or a free query letter evaluation from Hollywoodscript.Com(s) Craig Kellem or Judy Kellem.
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The purpose of this newsletter is to share information, ideas etc. concerning the fascinating (and elusive) world of screenwriting.
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CREATIVE SCREENWRITING MAGAZINE, a leading screenwriting publication, has done a cover story on script analysis. In their script consultant evaluation issue three years ago, we did quite well receiving a solid HONORABLE MENTION and an “A” for script -marketing skills. This time we made their RECOMMENDED list. We are happy to note that we and only one other company in this tier shared the stage with a multitude of higher priced script consultants. In fact we did better than many companies that charge as much as $1000 per consultation.
Judy and I feel satisfied by this acknowledgement and are happy to remind everyone that YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPEND YOUR RENT MONEY to get a script professionally and properly read.
We’re also happy to report that the always formidable WRITERS SCRIPT NETWORK (http://writerscriptnetwork.com/) has included our company on their short list of recommended script consultants. They have done this as a result of favorable comments from ACTUAL SCREENWRITERS!
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Recently Judy and I did an interview with SCRIPTBLASTER (http://www.scriptblaster.com) a hot, young company who contribute one of their great services to our prize pool re our MONTHLY screenwriting contest.
SCRIPTBLASTER INTERVIEW
iv: Interview with Craig Kellem and Judy Kellem of HollywoodScript.com
Q. Can you tell us a little about your background?
A. (Craig) In a nutshell, I'm an Ex-agent; member of the original Saturday Night Live staff; produced movie classic, "The Rutles" (written and directed by Eric Idle of Monty Python); was a development executive at 20th Century Fox TV and Vice-President in charge of Comedy Development at Universal. I was also a writer/producer at Universal (WGA member) and Executive Vice President of Arthur Company at Universal. I developed such hit series as "Charles in Charge" and Co-Executive Produced, "FBI: The Untold Stories" on ABC-TV before I left L.A to enjoy new adventures both personally and professionally.
(Judy) I worked at Dreamworks and then freelance doing studio coverage for both screenplays and manuscripts for such agencies as the Agency for Performing Arts. Prior to that I was directing a language school in Italy (for ESL students) and worked with various human rights organizations both in New York and in Namibia, Africa. As writing fiction is my passion, I am currently finishing a Masters in Creative Writing. My most recent publication was in a literary journal called Reading Room" (vol. 3).
Q. What got you interested in films and screenwriting?
A.(Craig) Good question. The truth is I had a fascination for the credit "written by" and always had a natural attraction toward writing and related areas. Although my first efforts in the business had more to do with my association with performing talent, I seemed to drift towards the creative side as it pertained to writing and found that it suited me. I believe that we're led towards the things that we are destined to do and at some point I realized that my leanings were definitely towards matters re writing.
(Judy) More than half my friends work in film and I've often been brought in to help them in some capacity. So this industry has always felt very familiar, has always buzzed around me like any other regular element in life. When I was given the opportunity to freelance as a reader doing studio coverage for various agencies, I found the work incredibly satisfying. I love engaging material, understanding what does and doesn't work and why; figuring out how to fix or improve it. I am fascinated by screenplay form as it demands a writer to use words in such a way that the reader will forget she or he is reading and will be transported into an entirely visual experience. It's a visual art that is entirely dependent on language. I find that (among other aspects of the craft) very exciting and am always interested in how writers approach this challenge.
Q. What advice would you give todays up and coming screenwriters?
A. (Craig) Screenwriting is not a get rich quick lottery. It's a craft and a process that must be regarded with a long range point of view. Keep writing, keep developing, grow ideas, create files. Take classes, get help, keep growing and look for signs of life. If you begin to get positive signals, rejoice. When you're ready spend a portion of your time marketing but spend most of your time continuing to create material. Write from your heart. Do not write as a marketing maneuver.
Q. Can you tell our readers a little about how you work with your clients?
A.(Craig) We're a boutique operation. We do our own work, don't hire anyone. The consultations are highly personal. We give feedback in written notes, made directly on the script and also offer to make tapes for clients who prefer spoken notes. After we've read the script, we have an unrushed phone conversation with the writer, discussing the larger, macro notes, answering questions, brainstorming and whatever else is necessary to cover. Then we mail the marked screenplay back to the writer, with an open invitation to them for further exchange once they've reviewed the notes.
Q. From your experience how has the internet changed the business of screenwriting?
A. (Craig) The internet has become a healthy tool for screenwriters in two major ways:
1. It is a potent reservoir for information concerning screenwriting the marketing of screenplays.
2. Screenwriters tend to be loners, and it's given them a chance to getcollaborate and communicate to whatever extent they feel comfortable via chat rooms and other various writer's sites.
Q. How do you approach writing your own screenplays?
A. (Craig) When I've written screenplays, it always started with what I thought was a great idea. Something that gnawed and nagged at me and that I felt needed to be expressed. I was savvy enough after a while to realize that sometimes you can have a great idea that has no business being developed as a screenplay, so I knew it was important to take a good long breath before investing myself in an idea that might take me the better part of the year to fully execute. After determining that it was a go, my approach would be to start collecting "hot" ideas for scenes, character elements, moments, character arcs etc. and just put them "on the board" without giving them continuity and form yet. This process involves the collection of assets without the pressure of having to do anything else than collect them. Inevitably, these ideas would spawn more ideas, which would then spawn a sense of trajectory and order. At some point when the quiver felt full, I would get into more advanced stages of identifying placement over the acts and giving it all a sense of storytelling. I would avoid writing at all costs, letting the passion to do so percolate while I did my critical spade work. Once I had a fully developed game plan; full stories, a real sense of a beginning, middle, end and scenes that could "write themselves" I'd happily being the writing process as if it were my wedding night.
(Judy) I love reading and editing screenplays but when writing myself I tend to prefer fiction. Were I to sit down today and start a screenplay, I'd probably approach it much the way I go about fleshing out a prose story. I'd first free write all the scenes and dialogue, character descriptions, story ideas, etc. that are currently boiling up in me and once I'd been emptied out of all that wonderful but distracting head noise, I'd put those pages away and begin to stake out a well thought outline. I'd make myself a blueprint, not to be followed rigidly but to serve me as a good anchor, mapping out how I want the film to start - what's my opening - what needs to happen by the end of the first act, middle of the second and so forth, until I've reached the closing moment. All the while I'd be honing my sense of story, getting crystal clear on what I was writing towards, what lies at the bottom line, gut of the piece, so that I'd have that creative, thematic compass to guide me through the development of the entire script.
Q. You have had an incredibly interesting career in film and TV, do you have any interesting anecdotes you would like to share with our readers?
A. (Craig) I know a guy who spent time in LA, got an unsteady foothold into writing for television and then began to falter. His material was worthy but he got to a point where he couldn't get arrested. He got on a plane to Boston in complete defeat, resigned to go back home, and get a day job. On the plane he happened to sit beside an up and coming movie executive and they started up a conversation. By the end of the flight, after pitching his opus, he ended up with a close to seven figured deal. Needless to say, he didn't stay in Boston. His time had come at thirty-seven thousand feet.
Never give up hope!
SCRIPTBLASTER has an incredibly vast data base of producers, agents, managers and the like. Our winners will receive their FULL BLAST. This means that your FREE SCRIPT COVERAGE (another prize) will be zapped via email directly into the hands of many viable Hollywood producers. (In fact we're talking about 800 now). We thank them for letting us use the interview.
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Judy’s been writing occasional “expert advice” columns and has contributed to various articles for our friends at SCREENWRITER MAGAZINE (http://info@nyscreenwriter.com/). Head honcho Tracy Clark has generously allowed us to use her latest.
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GOT A SICK SCRIPT? GET A SECOND OPINION.
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The script is good and you have the Nicholl Fellowship quarter finalist letter to prove it yet the agents and producers who have read the screenplay have passed. What is keeping your script from becoming a Nicholl Fellowship finalist or from getting agents and producers to commit to it? The genre? The characters? If the script were god awful, you could understand, but that congratulatory letter from the Academy clearly indicates that you should be proud of your achievement since the script was considered one of the best out of four thousand. That's a lot of scripts to beat so the talent is there, now what do you need to do to get over that hump? Seek professional help.
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Everyone has problems; even seemingly healthy individuals have an unusual mole or some aches and pains that a doctor should look at. The mole could be the first indications of skin cancer; the aches and pains could be something more serious. The same may be true of a screenplay that on the surface looks and sounds great, but inside there are serious problems with characterization or plot holes that the writer cannot see. Writers would not ask their best friend who happens to be an accountant for sound medical advice, but they will ask this same individual to evaluate a screenplay and offer suggestions on how to fix it. "Getting friends to read your script can be helpful, but it can also drive you crazy," says script consultant Bob Shayne of The BS Company. "While [they] might spot what's wrong, there's no way they're going to know how to fix it."
Asking friends for suggestions on how to deal with a medical problem without going to a doctor will result in a litany of old wives' tales and other home remedies that often do not work, especially if the problem is serious. In diagnosing and solving a script problem, friends will often refer to scenes they've seen in other movies and before the writer knows it, he's rewriting his script with scene ideas from DIE HARD or some other box office favorite. "I think the smartest move a serious screenwriter can make is to find a professional screenplay consult and submit the material to the hardest possible analysis before sending it into the marketplace," states Paul Young of Literary & Screenplay Consultants [www.ScriptZone.com]. Script consultants like Paul Young have an extensive background in the industry as story editors and development executives for the studios--essentially script consultants to Hollywood's top screenwriters. "The competition is so stiff, with so many scripts flooding the system that even slight script problems can doom a potential sale or interest."
The vast majority of screenplays submitted to contests are very poorly written so it is easy for the best ones to stand out. Now the tough part is selecting the best from the best. "The writers may have a unique story and great dialogue, but the execution may be somewhat weak," states Susan Kouguell, chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, a motion picture consulting company and author of The Savvy Screenwriter: How to Sell Your Screenplay (and Yourself) Without Selling Out! "Writers need to take the time to examine every nuance including: set-ups and pay-offs, establishing relevant settings, and scene pacing. Often, the trouble spots are illustrated in genre, structural, character or story inconsistency."
> It is doubtful that a CPA, unless he has an extensive writing background, could begin to explain a problem with a character's arc or a second act problem. "It's crucial to keep in mind that a screenwriter has one shot when submitting a script to potential agents and producers," says Kouguell. "Once an agent or [production] company has passed on a script, it's nearly impossible to get a second read even if the writer has done a winning rewrite. Receiving feedback on a script prior to submission will increase the writers' chances of getting a 'healthy diagnosis' - a shot at getting the script produced!" For some writers seeking professional help is more difficult to handle than the sting of rejection. Admitting that there is a problem with a script can be hard to accept, like finding out whether the tumor is malignant or benign. Will the script consultant suggest surgery or simply prescribe two aspirins and a call in the morning. "Willingness to take input and deal with criticism is part of the essence of all creative endeavor," says Paul Young. "The lack of interest in this part of the process is the mark of an amateur, dilettante, or game player, and demeans the process." Some of Hollywood's top screenwriters consult with the industry's top "script doctors." These consultants work behind the scenes in complete anonymity, helping with rewrites and getting none of the glory, especially at Oscar time when everyone is thanked, except the 'script doctor.'
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> "Steven Spielberg gets notes from George Lucas and vice versa," says Bob Shayne. "Spielberg used to trade notes with Stanley Kubrick. Unless you can get Steven [Spielberg] or George [Lucas] to read your script and give you notes, you need to hire a professional script doctor to do it. Sad to say that it might cost you a few hundred dollars to get what [they] get for free." Writers can also benefit by mentoring with experienced professionals and this can be accomplished by attending workshops and seminars. Writers groups and other social events where writers can share ideas offer some support, but nothing can beat having a script doctor, trained in diagnosing problems and suggesting workable solutions. "I examine every element of the screenplay, from its core concepts through its story, characters, relationships, structure, theme, dialogue, prose, and marketplace potential, down to scene-by-scene and line-by-line analysis, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the draft, and providing solutions for each creative problem," says Young. "This is a tough, intensive analysis comparable to the in-depth development notes used by every major studio and production entity to find and solve script problems."
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> Choosing a script doctor is the same as choosing any professional, the writer should ask questions and make sure that he/she is comfortable with the script consultant and can communicate freely. "When giving feedback to clients, I provide a comprehensive evaluation including a page-by-page script analysis, which uncovers structural problems, plot pitfalls, character weaknesses and dialogue irregularities," adds Kouguell. "I encourage my clients to use me as a sounding board for any questions or concerns they have about their script. I never comment on a script stating that 'this doesn't work' without giving a reason why it doesn't work and a suggestion [on] how to fix it."
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> A good script can be made better if the writer knows how fix the problems and it can take many time consuming rewrites for most writers to discover exactly what is wrong with a screenplay. "My suggestion is to create a checklist of questions and then review your script making sure that all the points on the checklist have been addressed," says Kouguell. "For example: Is the story plausible, unique and gripping? Is each setting distinct? Are the major and minor characters well defined? Are all the set ups paid off? Is the dialogue unique to each character? Does each scene push the story forward? Is the genre consistent? Is the script properly formatted? Has it been proofread by someone other than the writer?" If these questions cannot be answered objectively, Kouguell suggests the writer put the script away in a drawer long enough to see the script from a fresh perspective.
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> While putting a script away in a drawer for months on end can be helpful in maintaining objectivity, few writers are willing to put a career on hold waiting for new ideas to germinate. Many writers will simply do a quick polish and send the script out again, like a gravely ill person taking over the counter remedies to mask the symptoms. The more agents and producers pass on the script the worse it is for the writer. Producers and agents do not read scripts, their assistants do and they talk. If word gets out that a script has been passed all over town, the next assistant or reader who gets it won't even bother to crack it open. Bad coverage is like bad credit; it will follow the script everywhere it goes. "Considering how tough it is to get an agent and/or a script produced, why not get feedback on your script so it's the best it can possibly be?" asks Kouguell. Agents and producers give writers only one shot and to make it to the next level, the screenplay must be as close to perfect as possible.
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> Competition in the marketplace is another reason the script must be exceptional. If the Writers Guild of America does go on strike, every member of the Guild will spend his/her days writing spec screenplays. When the strike ends, like in 1988, there will be a flood of some of the best scripts ever written into the marketplace. How can a new writer compete with Hollywood's best writers? That script must be perfect. "When a screenwriter's vision is razor clear and deeply, exactingly rendered, it can have such impact that the reader feels changed," says script consultant Judy Kellem of HollywoodScript.com. A great screenplay will stand out and will be impossible to ignore. A producer may pass on the script based on the subject matter or if there is another project in development of that genre, but if the writing is truly exceptional he will keep that writer in mind for future work. "What separates the good scripts from the great is passion," says Kouguell. "The writer's passion for [the] project must shine through in the script. This passion may, for example, be illustrated in the depth and empathy the writer has created for the characters, and the unique insight and possible twists the writer has brought to the story."
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> Script consultants cannot infuse passion in a script, but they can easily recognize if it is lacking and help a writer find it by going back to the beginning to find the inspiration that compelled the writer to face the blank page. "It's important that your script look and sound as though it were written by a total professional," states script consultant Robert Flaxman of Deep-Feedback. "A reader should be able to go from your first page to your last page without once falling out of your 'created reality.' When the reader finishes your last page [they] should feel as you did when you left the theater after seeing your favorite film for the first time." The passion that inspires a script begins to diminish with each critique inspired rewrite. Give a script to ten people and the writer will get ten different ideas on how to make it better. The writer should only entrust a few industry savvy individuals who can honestly and accurately identify problems and offer workable solutions.
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> Production companies and studios are always looking for great screenplays that are worth an investment of tens of millions of dollars. "[Writers] are asking someone to write a check for about $82 million--the average cost of making and marketing a feature in 2000," says Paul Young. "What is it in their screenplay that would make anyone risk $82 million on what they have written? Why a star would want to play the lead, why a director would want to spend a year of his life making this picture, why people across the country and the world would pay real money to see it? It has been said that motion pictures don't just happen; they are forced into existence. The same could be said of screenplay sales and screenwriting careers."
JUDY’S FINAL THOUGHTS ON THIS SUBJECT
You might try a script consultant when:
A) You've taken the material as far as you can and are in that zone where you've hit the void, feel like you've done what you can and are now in need of fresh eyes to break the block.
B) You've reached a crucial point with the script where you're not sure which direction to take, what the best choices are for the plot etc. and need outside input to move forward.
C) You’ve gotten so embroiled in the text you can no longer see forest from trees and are losing track of why you started the thing in the first place.
But more than anything, JUST FOLLOW YOUR GUT. If you feel in your heart that you need feedback--need an objective reader who’s not your lover or mother or best friend but a professional who will carefully go through what you've got with no agenda other than helping you write what you envision, then GO FOR IT.
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A SWEET NOTE ABOUT US FROM ONE CLIENT TO A PROSPECTIVE ONE
Hello Bob -- I have worked on five different projects -- 4 features and one tv pilot -- to date with Craig and have plans to work with him on the two current feature scripts I have in the hopper. I think the fact that I am a repeat user alone speaks volumes for the quality of his service. Craig makes you into a better writer [he's knowledgeable both in feature and tv writing] because you quickly learn you have to do your legwork [outline, arc, narrative summaries, etc] in order to present your script and explain the characters and story spine to him. I have found his comments to be insightful particularly regarding huge holes in the story spine and his comments on character motivations/emotional depth and shading to on target and helpful in reworking my stories. I have called him to find he's read my script multiple times prior to our telephone conversations. Also he won't cut you off when the hour bell rings. He'll finish his comments and more and sometimes, e-mail later thoughts and suggestions. I don't know if he's still sending out micro notes via tapes. You'll have to ask him.
Craig, of course, is a no nonsense candid type of East Coast guy and you know best if that type of mentor would clash with your personality. Bottom line, I feel with Craig you get a insightful read from someone with a ton of hands on industry experience with quality comments at a very fair price. I particularly like his new 5 hour 'works- in- progress' option which you use from creation day one through logline/synopsis, outline, arcs, etc. Keeps you from getting too far alone without fixing holes. I like Craig [though we've never met in person] and give him mega-kudos for the development and sharpening of my skills as a feature writer.
BettyJane Champlin
bjc50@juno.com
Thanks BJ!
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A COMMON QUESTION
Q--Some scripts I've been browsing don't have a CUT TO: when shifting scenes, but just start with INT: or EXT: for the next set up...Is this a style issue or you just don't need a transition between situations?
A--"Cut to" is unnecessary. When you go from one scene to another it's obvious that it required a cut. Sometimes though you want things like a "slow dissolve" or a "fade" in order to punctuate a creative point of some kind.
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Hello Craig...
Found your website while browsing....interesting!
I'm not certain as to what motivates us to KEEP GOING. Are we masochists? With a journal full of stories I have kept from all the 'UNUSUAL' but TRUE events along the way...they prove to provide more plot than we are seeing in modern film scripts.
What is your mission concerning this website? I am always curious as to others who are caught in the web of theatrics and are propelled enough to pursue it. Looking forward to your reply!
MY REPLY-
MY MISSION! Yikes! No one has ever put it quite that way..
Hmmm.
OK--here goes...
I like the work
I like writers
I think that I'm good at it and I like the feeling and satisfaction of being good at something
It's exciting and relevant because people are very serious about their writing and so it's a big deal every time I work on a script. I feel important and responsible.
It's mostly quiescent work and I like the lack of tension and enjoy the solitude.
It feels right.
It allows me to make a living in a way where I have to trust life and live with no guarantees.
People sorely need entertainment and enlightenment through media and I can be a small part of it
That felt good! Thanks for asking.
Hope your life goes splendidly.
Craig
(Article from Screenwriter Magazine, Copyrighted, All Rights reserved)
If you want to find out more about Hollywoodscript.com and the work we do with screenwriters and their scripts, please visit our site at http://www.hollywoodscript.com Copyright 2003 Hollywoodscript.com LLC , all rights reserved.
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