I have been working on a new idea, one that I’m pretty excited about. I’ll say, for now, it involves blood, guts, sweat and leather, and a dying part of America. I’ve had the idea culminate in the back of my head for about 10 years, but with the season change, and the interest of writing something heartfelt, this is something I’m pretty excited for. I’ll pass along a bit more info once I get to a solid place, but until then…

I have come to the strange revelation that I am not on the same wavelength as everyone else. I’m not saying this is a good thing, or a bad thing. It’s just a…thing. I’ve noticed it my entire life, I just don’t think like most people do. I think its a blessing though, as a writer. I can see what everyone else is thinking, and I choose to find those things to write about, like my finger is on the pulse. A gift for sure. I’m just hoping its not too late to take advantage of it. Because there’s a lot out there that needs to be said by those that can’t say it. That’s my job, my duty, right (write)?

I notice it a lot when I try to explain myself. When I was in college, the professor would ask a question, and I’d answer, and even though it wasn’t exactly what the prof was looking for, I was right there, close enough…slightly askewed. And I’ve always been that way. I can choose to hate it, that part of me, or I can choose to embrace it, and that’s the route I have humbly taken. So when you take the time to read my blogs, remember this, and try to see things from my perspective. Because lets face it, if we always went along with everyone that felt the same way we did, life would be easy, without a challenge, and we’d all be a bunch of bees working for the hive. But I believe there’s less of us like that, than we’d like to admit.

I’m really gonna try and keep up with this thing again. Wish me luck.

PS – hey, I just realized its my 3-year anniversary on here. I wonder why I keep coming back in the fall…

So…

Do you remember when you took that first leap of faith?

I do. I was about 20. I had received this amazing internship at New Line Cinema, and all I really had to do was show up in Los angeles, and the gig was mine. Just…show up. And when it was time to leave Indiana, for the first time, there was an aching, already, in my heart. An aching for the parts of Indy I would miss. An aching for the parts of LA I would find. An aching for that long dotted line down the road I may never be able to let run out, for as long as I live. Watching the blue sky fade to purples and blacks, and that yellow line going on forever. Hoping it shall never end.

Me and my brother wished our father good-bye. He was last in the family on purpose – he’d have the most wisdom to provide. He met us at a local family joint though none of us dared go inside. And we all stood there, talking about anything other than what was about to happen. But we knew. We knew we were about to embark on a mission that would change our lives. (And how it did!) Nich ended up marrying the woman he met on that journey, the same woman he met while in my guidance – and all I can say is – isn’t life grand.

And we knew it was the journey of a lifetime. And it was that brief leap of faith. We knew we were destined from the beginning. Destined to find something – anything. That’s why we didn’t care how it all ended. We left everything behind…everything we had learned in order to start out new. And we took that one leap of faith that slips right through the cracks of most people you and I might know. Because in the end, we may become something better than what we were raised to be. And we can stare back at our mothers, proud in the beaming ecstasy.

I remember hugging my dad and promising to take good care of my brother.

I remember looking out at the skyline and the perfect sunrise to welcome us in.

I remember when I decided to throw it all in, and listen to the voice of unreasonability…and take that one final leap of faith…

I look back at faith confidently, and love to hear the stories….

Write on, my soldiers of screenwriting. May your words carry the weight, mightier than any sword…

Anyway, John August was very interesting to listen to. He had a lot of really good stories about working with other people in the industry. For example, he told of how he worked on Charlie’s Angels the entire way through the script, on set, and even in the editorial aspect. Unlike on Big Fish or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where as soon as it went into production, Tim Burton took over and didn’t really have room for writer’s thoughts. He even went on to say Tim Burton was very direct with what he wanted from him, gave a few notes, and let August write it. Tim Burton just had trust in him. That’s something you don’t find very often between a director and screenwriters.

Another thing that kinda pulled on my heart strings in the sit down was John went into a bit of a discussion on his reasoning behind writing and Directing The Nines, which is a great little indie flick you should check out if you get a chance. He mentioned that not many people had probably seen it because it went straight to DVD, then he asked for a show of hands of how many people had seen it. When he saw the show of hands, he was touched by the response. He couldn’t believe how many people had seen it. And he thanked everyone for seeing it. He was truly touched by people supporting his work. He could have easily complained about how hard it was to make, and how difficult it was to finance it, and how it got ripped onto filesharing sights and all kinds of other stuff. But he chose instead, to thank his peers and tell of his adventures, as opposed to his woes.

The most impressive thing about John August, to me, is that he has managed to carve himself out a nice little niche in the industry. He’s constantly working, and he’s good at what he does. He’s got staying power, which in this industry, is a difficult task. If you studied him, I bet you could learn a lot of helpful information on your writing journey.
__________________________________________

As far as helpful information at the Expo, this was what I came across:

Good books to read on the Industry:

Karl Iglesias’ Writing for Emotional Impact
Jerry Weissman’s Presenting To Win: The Art of Telling Your Story

Good books to read that will help you adapt to business in the industry:
Seth Godin’s Linchpin: Are You Indespensible
Napolean Hill’s Think and Grow Rich – which is right now a free PDF online

And just an overall book that should be read:
Steven Pressfield’s: The War of Art
*As a side note, Pressfield has a blog that was highly suggested, called Writing Wednesdays

Next, I’ll post Day 2 thoughts…

So I decided to go to an Agent/Management Panel. Not necessarily the best of decisions either. I arrived a bit late to the session and so I didn’t get the names of everyone in the panel, but the one name I did get was Bruce Bartlett. I’ll discuss him a bit more in-depth later.

Unfortunately, right out of the gates, the first thing I heard was “Hollywood is a system or industry of mediocrity”. This was later explained as, brilliant writers aren’t always the best writers to make it in the industry. Just because they can come up with the ground-shaking idea, doesn’t mean they can make it work, or any idea work, over and over again. And there-in lies the conundrum of the industry. No one wants to take a chance on new writers, and no one wants to take a chance on genius writers, they’re more willing to take a chance on writers that know the formula of commercial success. Writers must have an understanding of the commercial formula, and be able to put out consistently. An example of this was given:

Writer #1 — As a writer, you’re a 10/10, as a concept guy, you’re a 2/10.
Writer #2 — As a writer, you’re an 8/10, as a concept guy, you’re an 8/10.
Who do you think the studio is more willing to take in?

Overall the thought here is: It isn’t enough to just have good ideas. You need to be able to execute them, over, and over, and over, and….you get the idea. Groundbreaking isn’t what they’re seeking. So if you do have that brilliant idea, you better be able to capitalize on the commercial formula. Hone in on your craft. Write, and write, and write. And the biggest reason they gave for this (like we need a reason to continue to write more) is, let’s say you finally have that big meeting with a producer, or a studio. They love your writing, love your grasp of the industry. They love you so much, they give you an assignment. Here’s a script they want you to write, and the rough draft needs to be done in 3 weeks. Wha?!?!?! How many of you can honestly say they could crank out a rough draft for a script in 3 weeks? (atleast those of you with jobs). And herein also lies another issue with younger, less experienced writers – most of the time when a studio gives them an assignment, they can’t churn out like those that work in the industry. The young writer’s abilities can’t hold a candle to the blinding light of experience. Now in my overall understanding of the situation, this assignment is supposed to follow the commercial formula, so you’re not creating new concepts here. So that should be some sort of relief, but if you want that meeting or assignment – crank it and crank it well.

Unfortunately, later came the downer of the panel, which discussed the way to break in. Basically, they said there are 4 ways to logically break into the industry:
1) You have to get into a writing program for a network such as NBC, WB, Disney, etc.
I’m not sure if you know a lot about these programs, but I know that Jen Grisanti from earlier, said that NBC’s “On the Verge” program accepted 1500 applicants last year and chose 8 for the program (That’s less than 1% of all applicants)
2) Enter the top screenwriting contests, win a couple. (Also another difficult task). The only suggestion they gave for this was the Nicholl Fellowship at the Academy. Luckily, they did go onto say that you didn’t have to win the Nicholl, that most agents will get a hold of anyone who made it into the top tier of the Fellowship, and they most likely will get representation. So that’s good news. The bad news? It’s ridiculously difficult to get into the Nicholl Program. And to go back to the question of what other screenplay competitions to enter? Well, I had a class the second day of the Expo from an ex-agent of 12 years who now is an entrepreneur of a Producer/Management company, and she told us that there wasn’t a single screenplay competition besides the Nicholl that she cared about. If you sent her an email telling of winning Scriptapalooza, she didn’t care and would most likely toss that email out without reading it. Hmm…
3) Become an intern at an agency. Pretty self explanatory. Kinda difficult for those of you out of state.
4) Find a Showrunner/Producer whose willing to take you on. Meaning, if you know someone who knows someone who’s looking for an assistant or a mentee, well, get to it. When asked the best way to get a hold of possible showrunners and producers? There was no clear concise answer as to how, but as to how not – don’t cold call them, and don’t e-mail them. Be ready for the moment you might actually bump into them. (So basically stalk them?)

Overall, not the most inspirational advice.

I’m not sure about you, but my reasoning for going to the screenwriter’s expo is to find inspiration, not to be told how impossible it is to break in. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand it is a difficult task, and its okay to tell me how difficult of a task it is, but give me viable options as to how I can work through the hoops of breaking in. The examples they gave (win a contest, become an intern, etc) are the norm. Everyone should know this. So overall this panel was incredibly frustrating. Some people asked, “What about the flash in the pan? The brilliant savant that made a couple shorts and landed a studio deal and now works in the industry?” At which point Bruce Bartlett burst out with, “So fucking what”. He went on to say there’s an exception to every rule. You got a better way of making it into the industry, go for it. Hmmm. Thank you Mr. Bartlett. You know, it makes me wonder, when there are panels, who chooses to be on them and why. Because Mr Bartlett’s nonchalance for the young budding writer was not an inspirational addition. Now I will be honest, I have not read his blog, though I did skim over it once I got home. In fact, it seems as if he’s got a couple different interns or assistants writing his blog, rather than him writing that much himself. My impression of him was a bit mixed. He seemed to want to be a ball-breaker for everyone in the audience. I’m not sure if its because he’s hardened to the industry and is happy with his place in it, or if he just doesn’t care. I dare to say he’s someone I’d like to sit down with and pick at his brain a bit more – hey, atleast the guy had personality.

I know every year they have different Managers/Agents on these panels, but overall, If you make it out to the Screenwriter’s Expo next year, I would suggest skipping the Manager/Agent panel and finding a more informative/helpful class in advancing your writing career.

My second class of the expo was: Gearing up for TV Staffing by Jen Grisanti.

Jen was interesting and very informative. She has a consultancy service, a blog, and even podcasts. So if you have the time, hop on over to her website and check her out. Her goal is to get in touch with someone in every major show out there, so they can give their input. She’s doing a pretty good job with The Event, Breaking Bad, The Good Wife, and other shows to name a few. As well, she works with NBC’s “Writer’s on the Verge” a diversity program that helps unknown writers get discovered. She teaches a teleseminar as well, which is a basic breakdown of the Writers on the Verge program, and that happens in February and March, but you can check out her website for the official dates.

Jen’s class mostly revolved around staffing tips for the prospective writer. Unfortunately, her class mostly involved information that would be helpful to people who have an agent, or get an amazing meeting with a Development Manager, or Executive. So unfortunately, even though her information was helpful overall, it went over a lot of people that were in the class.

Her number one piece of advice was to know the person you’re going to meet. This, of course, assuming you have a meeting, something set up. And how this is usually done is someone reads your writing at some point and likes it enough to see you, pick at your brain and get to know you a bit. She said the most important tool you can add to your arsenal at this moment in time is knowledge about the person you’re going to meet. Know what movies or TV shows they’ve worked on. Know whether or not they’ve won an Emmy and what for, read that script if you get a chance, that way you always have something to fall back on in conversation. But overall you are a professional, know your shit, so you can show them you have a genuine interest in their body of work, and them in general.

When you do go in to have a meeting with someone that can ultimately effect your career, you need to go in with passion for your project. It does no good to be nervous, because overall they are secretly hoping you have the next great idea that will save their studio. So you need to be able to go in and sell yourself, and your idea(s). Tell them what inspired you, and bring them into the world you have created, in a way no one else can. (She didn’t go into ideas of how)

Next, she discussed what you should have in your portfolio as a burgeoning screenwriter, which are:
a) 1-2 spec scripts for current TV show (A spec script is a speculative take on a show that is already out there, a way for you to be able to mimic the show, but still have your own voice and originality)
b) 1-2 original pilot scripts – completely new and different from what’s out there
c) It also helps to have a 1-Act, a play, or a feature script in your back pocket.
This is all information I had heard before, so it wasn’t really anything new. The thing that surprised me, is that the amount of writing you need to impress a producer is low. So you can look at this in a couple different way. Either you have to write 5 really amazing things, or, you don’t really have to write a whole lot to get into their good graces. View it either way you wish, but you have to be ready to impress.

Next, she was nice enough to give her “5 Golden Nuggets” in writing a perfect TV show, whether it be a pilot, or a spec script.
1) Know the goal by the end of Act I of the script – you have to be able to feel the goal in each scene, or else the scene is just fluff
2) There needs to be a clear set-up for your character at the end of Act I
3) One scene should present a problem that should be solved in the next, only to elevate the tension. This should be done throughout the script…
4) Try and leave a strong question at the end of each scene (a Hook), this grabs the watcher to makes them wanna stick around.
5) Try and end the Act (not scene) out in total jeopardy, so you can start the next Act (not scene) by answering that question.
I’m not so sure how helpful this information was. It was helpful overall, but I had wished she had gone into more in-depth information. But, I’m sure it was the majority of information she could provide, give the 1.5 hours of class time.

One thing that Miss Grisanti did say, that I never really thought about before, was create your logline before you create your script. Because there’s a lot in the logline – theme, struggle, and a basic idea for your entire script. If you have trouble writing your logline, then you’ll most likely have trouble writing your script. But once you get your logline done right, you can always refer to it when you’re working on your script.

Then she talked about writing specs, and trying to sell them. In this case, paying attention to the Emmy’s is really important. Know which shows got nominated for what, and why. Then if you want to write a spec for this show, write what the show IS, not what you think it should be As well, she said that if you are trying to figure out which type of show to write for, but you are wondering which show to write a spec script for, pick one that is current (obviously), but also pick one that’s been out atleast a year, so the Execs know what the show is about, as well as its success story – you don’t want to write about a show that fails after 6 weeks, or a show that has received mediocre reviews. Also, on the other side of the coin, if you do not like any of the shows that have been nominated for an Emmy, write what you are most passionate about. (That is all)

Finally Miss Grisanti was kind enough to say, if you are writing a spec script for a TV show, use a story line that enforces the theme of the show, a theme that works with the main character and resonates throughout the entire episode. People don’t want you to write the show the way you think it should be, but rather echo what the show is.

Miss Grisanti’s information was somewhat helpful. As I stated earlier, there are a lot of people that do not have agents or managers that are at the Expo to learn exactly how to pick up such people. So to teach a class on what to do once you get in the door, without teaching them HOW to get in the door, can be a tough sell. But overall, her information was helpful and one of the reasons we come to the Expo.

Tomorrow I will put out a list of all the books, websites, classes, etc. that have been suggested to me over the course of the weekend. As well, a sit in with John August, as well as a class with a panel of highly depressing Agents/Managers.

I’ll see you on the front lines of screenwriting…

Until then…

This is actually my 3rd year at the screenwriter’s Expo. I went back in 2006 and 2007. My first year was absolutely awe-inspiring. Here were all these people willing to help me find the information I sought. Unfortunately, the 2nd year, I felt as if a lot of the information I had received was stale, and I had heard a lot of it the year before. So I decided to take a couple years off, and now, well, its 2010.

Let me first start off by saying that I have noticed a huge decrease in attendance in 2010. Which is a shame, because overall, it is one of the most comprehensible screenwriter’s events out there. You want to sit in on a class from someone who has helped launch a thousand careers, you can. You want to sit in on a Q&A with Steve Zaillan or William Goldman (2007), you can. You want to listen to the people who are presently working in the industry, give insider info about the industry, you can. And for the cost of the registration (roughly $100), I was saddened to see more people aren’t taking advantage of this great event.

Today was a good day. I took 2 classes and sat in on a panel, then listened to John August weave his tales of the industry. One of my classes Day 1:

11-12:30 – 7 Reasons your Pilot Won’t Sell (Chad Gervich), and his blog for SCRIPT Magazine is here. This was one of the first TV classes I remember seeing within the past couple years that had any sort of significance. And lemme tell you, Chad was very inspiring. Can that dude talk about TV! He’s incredibly enthusiastic about it – which was probably the stem of my inspiration. You can read his bio at any of the links provided, but this guy knows TV, and what better person to talk about the industry, than someone who knows what people are looking for, and how to sell pilots. And his class was super insightful. He filled us all in on anecdotes of his experiences, and loved to talk about “Friends” as well as “Desperate Housewives” and the new show, “Raising Hope”. Chad pretty much went through these examples of how the pilots of these shows, really took their audience off their guard, and allowed the viewer to feel like they were a part of their world – offered them a drink and a seat to say a while. For brevity’s sake, I’ll give you the finer points of Chad’s discussion, which involved:

7 Reasons your Pilot Won’t Sell.

1) Writers aren’t clear about what they’re gonna do — they don’t set the tone, create a world well, or even create a formula. They just put down an idea, think its worthy of a show, and try to sell it.

2) Writers can’t decipher their own pilots into the 2 different types, and thus cannot identify their own writing. These two types would be Serialized, like Lost, Deadwood, Weeds, Dexter — where the issues cannot be solved in one episode, but spread out over several episodes or even an entire season. Or they are Stand Alone, like Friends, CSI or any regular cop show for that matter — Stand alone means just that, you can watch any episode at any time, and not really have to know what the previous episodes contained, and can still keep up. Chad was saying most writers can’t determine the difference, and can’t market their pilots because of this. So what helps, is to set up the franchise, and no, he doesn’t mean the rapper. He means, what can give the pilot limitless possibilities in stories? A hospital, a city, a police department? Where can the stories ad infinitum. This is basically setting up the franchise. And the more creative you can be with the franchise, the better off you are. Because let’s face it, how many cop shows have you seen? How is the police department any different than any other cop show? I’m not sure if you’ve seen the show Ed, but the most unique thing about it, was Ed chose to set up his law office at a bowling office. So even though it was a show about Ed solving legal issues, it didn’t feel like a law show, it felt like a down home, backwoods, bowling alley, which gave it charm. This is only a valued twist in the franchise of endless stories.

3) Characters do not generate conflict. Most of the time, when he reads pilots that are submitted, the characters are familiar or stale. So he asked you to take a look at the world through the character’s eyes. Not necessarily the way you, as the audience sees them, but the way they look at the world. He gave Ross from friends as an example. Ross is analytical and scientific – he’s a paleontologist, a scientist. When it comes to science, Ross knows his shit. But when it comes to emotion, Ross is too analytical and has trouble deciphering it. Great. So now lets make the one girl that he’s absolutely in love with, for the entire series, the exact opposite. She lives by her emotions, gets what she wants, gets by on her good looks, and loves to shop. Now you have character interaction, and obviously conflict. So creating the unique characters is most important, then, putting them in situations where they are unfamiliar with what to do…conflict and hilarity ensues.

4) You’re trying to sell at te wrong time of the year. See, pilots flow (for network TV) in a cycle every year.
a) Development — July-Oct
b) Pilot Season — Jan-May
c) Staffing — May & June
And unfortunately, it can be as simple as people trying to sell their pilots at the wrong time of the year – mainly November thru June. and even though it may be something they’d be otherwise interested in, they’re so amped up on everything else they’ve got going on, well, they just don’t have the time to give it. He gave a figure:

Networks hear or see 1,000 ideas a season (That’s 5,000 for the Big 5 – ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and ????)
Networks buy 100-150 of those (that’s 500-650 total for the Big 5)
They then shoot 15-30 (roughly 75-150 total for the Big 5)
Maybe 4-8 make it to the network (That’s about 20-40 new shows a season)
About 1-2 of those actually survive (That’s 5 new shows a season that actually make it, out of 5,000!)

**Fortunately for me, cable operates on a more “round the year” kinda cycle, meaning they’re always looking for the next big idea.

5) Most scripts that are sold, are sold by pitch, not by a written spec. What this means? Somebody knew someone somewhere – nepotism, or worked with them, or called in a favor for a family friend, and sold a pilot mostly by having a conversation about it. Its great to write pilots and show your talents, but unfortunately, unless you know someone, well, they’d rather hear ideas from someone they know, rather than someone they don’t. Also what this is saying? Is learn to pitch your ideas. Now when I say this, some people get scared, think its a business presentation on demographics and target audience, but Chad says it isn’t. It’s about sitting around the campfire, telling a bunch of strangers a ghost story. Get them excited, by doing what you do –telling stories.

6) Your idea is not valuable! (It’s the person behind the idea) Let’s say you have an amazing idea, one that will rock the foundations of television. But you don’t have any experience in writing for TV, and you’ve never had a staff job. Red Flag. Now Robert over there, he’s been working on staff for 10 years, 3 on Dexter. Robert has an idea for a show that is mediocre, but he has Showrunning experience, knows how to jump through the hoops of the industry. Who do you think they’re gonna ask for their ideas? Robert, with his mediocrity, that’s who. Because he’s someone they can trust to deliver. So how do I, the writer who has no industry experience get something sold? I partner up with Robert on my great idea, or a well known Producer who is willing to work with a newbie. Then that producer presents the idea to a network, and attaches you as the head writer. Of course you have to ask, how do I make friends with said producer? Well, he gave a number of ways.
a) Start off at an agency, work your way up to meeting Show Runners or Producers, jump over into their realm as an assistant or a PA.
b) Find out if you have any friends who know any real TV producers, who produce what you wanna sell
c) Good luck.

7) They don’t have the mystery element of –you. Writers have a bad habit of selling the idea without showing how important thy are to the culmination of the project, and thus, networks might wanna buy the idea, but don’t really wanna have anything to do with you. They’d rather buy it, and ask Robert from earlier, produce it with his own people. So you really have to show your worth in the whole formula.

Well, it was a lot to take in, but a lot of helpful information. I really enjoyed Chad’s class, and Chad even gave out his e-mail address and told us to feel free to drop a line and ask questions – oh Chad, how sorry you’ll be because I ask a LOT of questions. But alas, helpful information for a prospective TV writer who has yet to break in.

Tomorrow I’ll recap my “Gearing Up for TV Staffing” class, with Jen Grisanti, and relay some helpful books as well as websites in your writing journey.

Until then, see you on the front lines of Screenwriting…

I’m going to the Screenwriting Expo this weekend, will be there bright and early friday morning through Sunday night. Looking forward to the inspiration. I’ll give an update at the end of each day, my overall thoughts and what not, while its still in my head. If anyone wants handouts, notes, what not, I keep everything from these things, and can possibly send you copies of what I absorbed. I’ll post a schedule of my classes. If anything appeals to you, lemme know and I’ll send you what I got.

See you on the front lines of screenwriting.

But this brings me to a very important question. When it comes to sitcoms, what works better for you, stereotypes, or personality flaws? Obviously, I’m most likely making the first original sin in writing comedy, in making certain characters fit stereotypes. For one, they’re easy. Its easy to imagine what someone would be like according to the stereotypes we have been given as a society. Thus, flawed characters take more thought. And if this is the case, so be it. But there are good examples for both.

Will & Grace: Stereotypes and anti-stereotypes
Jack – the ultimate gay man
Will – a gay man fighting all the gay stereotypes
Karen: Stereotype lush with money to spend

VS

Party Down: Flawed Characters
Roman – writer that hates actors, bags on everyone, super-geek
Ken – Manager that tries to keep everything together, though it obviously is all going to fall apart
Lydia – single mom desperately searching too hard for a man

Now I see problems and benefits to both. On the one hand, stereotypes have a built in set of rules that one can already work with, and thus, the more you stick with those rules, the more believable their character is. However, stereotypes can be over-played, and get old, really quick if not done right.

On the flip side flawed characters are built over time, and can slowly change, according to what they learn along the way. The big issue with flawed characters, is usually they have a desire, like Lydia from Party Down – a cougar just trying to find a man – but that story line can get old really quick, if constantly beaten into your audience. Then once you’ve beaten that horse, the audience loses interest in that character.

So what characters are your favorites from different sitcoms and why? How do you feel about stereotypes?

I’d like to hear your thoughts.