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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OUR MONTHLY SCREENPLAY CONTEST ROCKS!
AN UPDATE.
As announced via a recent memo, our MONTHLY CONTEST (free to clients) has truly been on fire. Ravin Gandhi reports that the 20 requests that he received to read his script has grown to 24. Previous winner, Kathleen Istudor is swimming in similar requests. And we just received an email from our current winner. Have a look.
Dear Craig and Judy,
Just a quick note to say hello and let you know the results (so far) of NECESSARY MADNESS being posted on your website. Between your emails to industry folks and the Scriptblaster emails, my inbox is now a veritable feast of responses...everything from terse "send the script" quasi-autoreplies to beautiful letters of interest. Some from folks whom I can't track on IMDB, some whose credentials lists made my jaw hit the floor...quite the range. I'm being very picky about who I respond to, especially since I plan to co-produce the script myself, but it's such a help to have all these smatterings of interest surrounding me (never mind the daunting release forms these development departments send!)
Thanks also for the help with the synopsis...I'm sure we're all tired of staring at it by now, but your dedication to helping the yammering novelist summarize her script in 3 pages or less is greatly appreciated.
Will keep you posted!
All best
Jennifer Lindsey-Stevens
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FYI, ours is the only monthly contest that we know of, and unlike most contests that have hundreds or even thousands of competitors, this one only involves the clients that the two of us deal with over a short period of time. In other words, it's a small field with quick results.
It’s nice to know that when you hit a homerun, either the first time around or via a REVISION, that there’s a tangible next step waiting in the wings.
(Note: full list of our prizes re contest listed at the end of this newsetter)
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IN THE BEGINNING, WAS THE WRITER
Mark Miller
In the beginning, the writer created the script. The script was without form, and void; and blankness was on the face of the page. And the spirit of the writer was hovering over the computer like Marlon Brando in the cookie aisle at Ralph's.
Then the writer said, "Let there be Story." And there was Story. And the writer saw the Story, that it was good-even the car chase; and the writer divided the Story from the Message.
The writer called the Story "Plot," and the Message he called "Theme." (After initially experimenting with the names Kumquat and Shirley) So the Plot and the Theme were the first Script.
Then the writer said, "Let there be words on the page, and let the words make sense." Thus the writer made the words, and divided the words which made sense from those making no sense whatsoever. And those making no sense whatsoever would be pointed out by Development Executives giving Notes, after having been trained by the Prophets--John Truby, Robert McKee, or Syd Field. And the writer saw that this process was not good, but was a necessary evil, like agents and arbitration meetings.
And the writer called the words Dialogue. Then the writer said, "Let there be something on the page so it won't be so dialogue-heavy." And the writer proceeded to create things happening over a period of time; and it was so. And the writer called the things happening Action. This was years before Bruce Willis and Jackie Chan. And the writer saw that it was good.
Suddenly, the writer realized he had created Plot and Theme even before the existence of Dialogue and Action. Which troubled the writer, until the writer rationalized in a Joe Eszterhas fashion, "I am the Writer; if I want Plot and Theme to come before Dialogue and Action, so be it. I have spoken." And the writer, naively unaware that the Director was to have far more power, was satisfied.
Then the writer said, "Let there be places in which the Action can occur, and let some of these places be inside and others be outside." And it was so. And the writer cleverly called the inside places Interior, and the outside places Exterior, and saw that it was good, making a note to look into hiring a competent Location Scout, budget permitting.
But despite the good, the writer felt his creation was still too chaotic; it needed to be arranged in a definite pattern of organization. So the writer arranged his creation in three sections-a beginning, a middle, and an ending; and it was so. And the writer called his pattern of organization Structure, and called each of the sections Acts. And the writer saw that it was good and thought this would really impress the Development Executives and high-fived himself.
Then the writer said, "Let there be surprises throughout the script, to keep the readers' and viewers' interest and send the action into unexpected directions, despite what you find in a Jean-Claude Van Damme script." And the writer called the surprises Plot Points and became nauseated when the Development Executives used the term to excess.
Then the writer said, "Let the Action occur at specified rates of movement so that the Story Analysts don't fall asleep while reading the script and the viewers don't doze off while watching the movie." And it was so. And the writer called the specified rates of movement Pacing, and would be especially proud of its use in the movie, "Speed," and less so in the movie, "My Dinner With Andre." And the writer saw that it was good.
Then the writer said, "Let me make people in my image, according to my likeness, although more handsome and with less of a gut." So the writer created people in his image, male and female he created them. And it was so. And the writer called the male of the species Man and the female Woman, and together he called them Characters. He made them for the most part likeable, except for in Quentin Tarantino films and the entire run of "Married With Children." And the writer saw that it was good.
Finally, the writer said, "Let the characters strive for a meaningful objective and give them something important to lose if they should fail to obtain this objective, except for movies featuring Paulie Shore, Carrot Top, or the Spice Girls." And it was so.
And the writer called the objectives Goals, and called something to lose What's At Stake?, and called the things getting in the way Obstacles, and then his wife called him in to check out her new purchase from Victoria's Secret, which got him excited, and he undressed her and made love to her and he saw that it was good.
Later, the writer reviewed everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good-despite the still problematic second act.
Thus the Plot and the Theme and the Dialogue and the Action and the Structure and the Plot Points and the Pacing and the Obstacles and the Goals and all the host of them were finished-including the high-priced Punch-Up.
And on the seventh day, the writer ended his work, which he and he alone had done, and for which the Producer, Director, Studio and Star would later each claim sole credit and not even mention the writer's name. And the writer went to Canter's Deli for a chicken liver sandwich on rye-light mayo, with a bowl of barley bean soup. And the writer felt that it tasted good.
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Mark Miller is a former stand-up comic and current Los Angeles-based comedy writer, who has written and produced TV sit-coms, sold feature film comedies to Warner Bros., been a humor columnist for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, contributed to numerous national publications, and has produced a weekly comedic relationships feature for America Online. We thank him for this fine article.
Copyright Mark Miller 2003, all rights reserved.
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ALSO FROM MARK
A producer friend of mine just emailed me this request:
"Do you or anyone you know have a "Kentucky Fried Movie" type of script? You know, a bunch of spoofs and skits just like in that film. I have a definite source of finance for a movie like this, so if you have something please let me know."
To reach her for more info., etc., contact:
Deborah Stambler
debstar39@hotmail.com
Mention you heard it from Mark Miller. Good luck!
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AN EVER NEEDED REMINDER
Screenwriting is the ultimate challenge to the notion of SHOW VERSUS TELL, as the writer's job is to make written words act like images. The screenwriter’s goal is to trick a reader into forgetting s/he is READING -to seduce him/her into taking a VISUAL journey despite the letters on a page.
It's essential, therefore, that the screenwriter be hyper-vigilant about economizing their use of language and crafty about keeping that language ACTIVE AND FULL OF IMAGERY. Prosy descriptions that over psychologize characters or reflect author commentaries butting into the material, and overly self-conscious or lofty, poetic language that rap a tap taps the reader on the shoulder in constant reminder that s/he is reading, should be painstakingly avoided. A detail here and short phrase there go a long way in sparking our imaginations. The savvy writer uses powers of suggestion, nuance and subtlety to project and burn her/his vision upon the screen of the reader’s mind.
So strive toward sparse words. Flirt with the imagination of your reader. And above all, visualize your own movie BEFORE you start translating those reels of mental film filling your head, into the black and white letters that will always offer a challenge as they lie prone on the page, waiting to be animated.
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HOLLYWOOD EXPLAINED
Q: How many Executive Producers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Executive Producers don't screw in a light bulb, they screw in a hot tub.
Q: How many Agents does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Actually, agents will screw in just about anything.
Q: How many Studio Executives does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: We don't know. Light bulbs last longer than studio executives.
Q: How many actors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: 100: One to do it and ninety-nine to say, "I could've done
that."
Q: How many D.P.s does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: One. No, two. No.... How many do we have on the truck?
Q: How many art directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Does it have to be a light bulb? I've got this neat candle holder...
Q: How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
A: If we change the light bulb, we'll have to change everything.
Q: How many P.A.s does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Nine........one to do it and eight others to wish they'd been asked.
Q: How many P.A.s does it take to screw in a li...
A: Done!
Q: How many Development Executives does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Two. One to take notes while the other screws it into the faucet.
Q: How many Screenwriters does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: The bulb's IN and it's staying IN!
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WHAT’S IN A MOMENT?
A SCENE is a fully fleshed out dramatic event where the plot is significantly moved forward. A MOMENT is a fleeting but powerful beat WITHIN a scene or BETWEEN scenes (a transition). It has weight but is a smaller story step than a full scene.
To use the two effectively, best to have your most ruthless internal editor in place when you sit down to write. That voice will guide you and insure that you don’t make bad choices, inflating minor moments into full-fledged scenes, or turning what should be a plot turning scene into some fleeting moment within the story.
Gauging which story points deserve to be made into scenes and which should simply be a moment, can be emotionally, very hard. Writing forces us to grapple with some of our most difficult questions and feelings. Thus we are often tempted to take narrative detours, overwriting sequences that are secondary and should be mere moments, while underdeveloping those sequences that should be all out scenes because the content evokes too much feeling. Resist that temptation. Tread wisely and honestly through your pages. Pay attention to over indulged side characters and subplots, and places where you’ve bypassed fleshing out the major points in your tale.
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MORE HOLLYWOOD EXPLAINED
Q: How many 1st A.D.s does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Why the f--k are you asking me that question? Can't you see I'm busy!
Q: How many U.P.M.s does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: None! If you'd just make it a day exterior we wouldn't be
screwing around with all these damn light bulbs!"
Q: How many casting directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Well, if I really had to choose, there's this bulb, he's a
little oversized for the socket but he burns really bright, or there's
this little bulb, he is really energy efficient if you want to save
time and money, or there's a fabulous bulb I just saw in a showcase,
he has no name value whatsoever, but the design was to die for!
Q: How many extras does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Is the light bulb S.A.G.? How did it get its card? Did it know someone?
Q: How many casting directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: It doesn't matter--nobody wants to give them credit anyway.
Q: How many publicists does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: That is a total rumor. The light bulb has some very good friends, but at
this time, is not interested in screwing.
Q: How many directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: One. The director holds the light bulb and the rest of the world revolves
around him.
Q: How many prop masters does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Light bulb? Light bulb? The script doesn't mention any light bulbs!
Q: How many union electricians does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Three. You got a problem with that?
Thanx to
Paul Heckmann
www.FlixUSA.com
Free Membership at:
http://www.flixusa.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=agree
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PRIZES RE OUR MONTHLY SCREENPLAY CONTEST
We'll announce winners with shameless prominence on the MAIN page of our web site.
Winner invited to POST their log line, link and even a scene or two from winning work. As part of announcement, we’ll add our obviously GLOWING REVIEW of project and convert the whole thing into professional “COVERAGE” (FOR FREE) which can be used for submission purposes and, if desired, we’ll also POST THE COVERAGE on our site.
With winner's permission, we will notify a select group of 200 producers, agents, etc. who have expressed interest in examining new material. We'll forward the glowing coverage of the script for their review along with contact info re the writer.
ADDITIONALLY, winning contestants will receive from WRITERS' SCRIPT NETWORK:
1) An e-mail announcement about winning screenplay to about 6,500 industry professionals.
2) Placement of at least logline, synopsis, and resume on their password protected web site. Writers may also place the treatment and/or script.
3) Include a logline (pitch) for winning screenplay in their printed publication, Players Marketplace, which is snail-mailed to about 5,000 Industry Professionals.
http://www.WritersScriptNetwork.com/home.html
We've also made an arrangement with a hot, young company called SCRIPTBLASTER (http://www.scriptblaster.com) Among offering other important services, SCRIPTBLASTER has an incredibly vast data base of producers, agents, managers and the like. You will receive their FULL BLAST. This means that your FREE SCRIPT COVERAGE will be zapped via email directly into the hands of many viable Hollywood producers. In fact we're talking about 800. A unique feature is that the emails will be generated from your own personal email so industry professionals will respond directly to you.
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The deadline to submit your script to EVA’S STORY SEARCH is April 26. Eva has a list of about 65 production companies with which she has a working relationship and who have agreed to accept referrals from her. Go to her site at www.WriteWayIn.com and check out Story Searches. Or call Eva at 866-WriteWayIn (866-974-8392).
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The VENICE ARTS SCREENWRITING COMPETITION 2003 is accepting entries through April 10 TOMORROW!!. Entering its fourth year, the competition is again offering over $7,500 in cash and prizes, as well as the opportunity to submit and track your entries online. Additionally, one of the three winning scripts will be selected for a staged reading by Drama Garage in Hollywood. The Venice Arts Screenwriting Competition is proud to be sponsored by Final Draft Software, Drama Garage, Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminars, Script P.I.M.P., 411 Publishing, and Michael Wiese Productions. Visit www.venicearts.com/competition/ for complete details.
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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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