What Every Screenwriter Can Learn From Hitchcock

Check out my new blog in Script Magazine:

http://www.scriptmag.com/features/columns/wendys-la4hire-by-wendy-kram/

For Screenwriters What Goes into Getting Your Movie Made

I came across an old article I had saved from the L.A. Times by Nicole Sperling which I've shared with screenwriters and clients in the past about the long road it can take for a project to become a movie.  

From 'King's Speech' to 'The Fighter,' original screenplay contenders had long, difficult paths to the big screen

Many don't realize what goes on behind the scenes to get a movie made. So please check out this link, which although written a few years ago, remains highly relevant and provides good insights.  I recommend this article to all screenwriters and filmmakers.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/20/entertainment/la-ca-original-screenplays-20110220


Wendy Kram is a producer and the owner of WK Productions & L.A. FOR HIRE, an entertainment consulting company assisting international screenwriters, filmmakers and producers seeking Hollywood connections and expertise to advancing projects.

To learn more, please visit www.la4hire.com or contact wendy at wendy@la4hire.com

How to Ace Your Pitch: Helpful Tips for Screenwriters

This post as seen in Script Magazine:

http://www.scriptmag.com/features/how-to-ace-your-pitch-helpful-tips-for-screenwriters-world-conference-west

Wendy Kram is a producer and the owner of L.A. FOR HIRE, a consulting company for screenwriters, filmmakers and production companies, facilitating development, packaging and selling of TV and film projects.  Creative Screenwriting Magazine ranks her as one of the industry’s leading consultants. 

To learn more about Wendy’s services, success stories and how she can help you advance your projects, visit: www.la4hire or emailwendy@la4hire.com.

Essential Ingredients to Writing a Powerful Screenplay

This post as seen in Script Magazine:

http://www.scriptmag.com/features/wendys-la4hire-essential-ingredients-to-writing-a-screenplay

Wendy Kram is a producer and the owner of L.A. FOR HIRE, a consulting company for screenwriters, filmmakers and production companies, facilitating development, packaging and selling of TV and film projects.  Creative Screenwriting Magazine ranks her as one of the industry’s leading consultants. 

To learn more about Wendy’s services, success stories and how she can help you advance your projects, visit: www.la4hire or email wendy@la4hire.com.

Script and Marketing Advice

The following is a Q & A exchange from a client seeking script and marketing advice.  I wanted to share the information as I thought it might be helpful to other screenwriters and filmmakers.

Q:  You give advice on marketing, so would you want me to submit a one-sheet or anything else?

A:  A one-sheet is helpful as it can be that overview which serves as a selling tool to encapsulate your story and entice your buyer.

The first step for an agent, executive, third party financier and so on is to assess the strength of the concept. Is it commercial? Does it have  engaging, original characters? Does the piece offer a great role that has the potential to attract A-list talent? Will it resonate with a large audience? What are the stakes? Is there enough conflict? etc.  The next and most important step is to evaluate the quality of the writing.  How well does the writer execute his or her story?  

In terms of my own process, I proceed from my creative instincts about what works and doesn't work, coupled with my experiences in interacting with agents, talent, studio and production company executives on a daily basis, listening to what they are looking for, why they respond to certain scripts and writers, and not others.  

A one-sheet can be a very effective selling tool.  But it can't stop there.  As an executive for production companies based at Sony, Disney and Universal, and as a film and TV producer -- the most common words I hear in my daily conversations with colleagues are the following:  "How is the execution?"  Or "I liked the concept, but I didn't love the execution."  

There have been many times when I thought I wanted to option a project based on a great premise.  But then once I read the script, the writing fell short.  As a result, I wound up passing.  Conversely, there might be a script that is not inherently commercial; however, if it is extremely well-executed, it might excite the imagination and passions of a leading actor, director or production company, in which case it becomes viable. 

In the current market place, unless a project is based on a large, pre-existing brand with a tremendous built-in fan base such as "Marvel Man", "The X-Men", "The Transformers", "G.I. Joe", and so on, companies do not want to spend a lot of money developing material and spending money on shaky outcomes with no guarantees of returns on their investments.   If a company makes a movie that is less than par but still has a brand name and built-in audience, there is a good chance they will have a decent ROI.  For a project that has no brand recognition, if the writing doesn't stand out, chances are your executive will pass.

Marketing tools can enhance a project’s saleability, but there is no substitute for a great script. 

Wendy Kram is a film and television producer and owner of L.A. FOR HIRE, a boutique entertainment consulting firm.  Ranked by Creative Screenwriting Magazine as one of the Industry's "Best Script Consultants", she assists screenwriters and filmmakers from all over the world navigate the Hollywood landscape and advance their projects.  

To learn more about Wendy and L.A. FOR HIRE, please visit www.la4hire.com or contact wendy@la4hire.com

Marketing Your Screenplay

I want to thank The Writers Store for hosting my most recent webinar, and thank you to the screenwriters and filmmakers who attended:  How to Sell Your Film & TV Scripts: Treatments, Loglines, Synopses & Marketing Platforms.

I mentioned during the webinar that the #1 marketing tool is to have a great product, because a great script will find its way to the top.  However, marketing still plays a key role in getting your script sold.  If you have a great script but don’t know how to market your project and make the right connections, it may never see the light of day. 

An analogy would be to think of a popular soft drink like Coca Cola.  Coca Cola could have the greatest advertising in the world, but if the soft drink didn’t taste good, no one would buy it.  At the same time, if they have a great tasting product but don’t advertise and market it, no one might know about it or ever drink it.

When it comes to film and television, the right marketing tools – effective loglines, verbal pitches, cold-calling techniques to get through to your dream companies, treatments, one-page synopses, and picture books – are among the tools that can give you a leg up in selling what might be “the next great Hollywood film!”

If you are interested in learning more about Wendy Kram & L.A. FOR HIRE career coaching sessions or script and marketing consultations to further advance your projects and careers, please feel free to contact me and visit www.la4hire.com.  

I wish you all the best of luck with your projects, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with you!

Wendy Kram, Producer/Owner

WK Productions & L.A. FOR HIRE, Inc.

wendy@la4hire.com    

www.la4hire.com

Ranked by Creative Screenwriting Magazine as one of the Industry's "Best Script Consultants" & #1 in Marketing 

SCRIPT CONSULTING: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESITONS...

“How do I get my material seen?!!”

As a producer, script consultant and former VP of development for production companies based at Sony, Universal, and Disney, one of the most frequently asked questions I hear from screenwriters is “How do I get my material seen?!!” In response to this and other commonly asked questions, I wrote this article to provide insights into the minds of industry professionals and their decision-making process when buying material.  Having a better understanding of how executives and agents think may enhance your abilities to navigate the landscape, get your project seen, and advance your careers.  .

“How do I get my material seen? What is the common denominator to success? Aren’t a lot of Hollywood executives jaded and simply don’t ‘get’ my material?!”

It may be true that many Hollywood executives, producers and agents are jaded; however, it’s because we read thousands of scripts, books, and pitches every year. We’ve seen and heard just about everything.  Therefore, the responsibility rests with the creative talent to present material that is fresh and well-executed.  The answer to “What is the common denominator to success?” is simple and yet highly challenging:  WRITE A GREAT SCREENPLAY.   A great screenplay will get attention and recognition through a myriad of resources such as:

Pitch fests, screenwriting contests, submissions to companies and agencies that are willing to look at unrepresented material, writing an effective query letter, networking, attending writers groups, and asking a friend who might have connections for introductions.  A great script will start to get attention.  It might make it on industry lists and websites such as ScriptShadow or the Black List, resources that highlight outstanding screenplays and are read by executives and agents. 

In truth, every time an executive, agent, producer, reader or assistant sits down to read a new submission, they are rooting for you.

“But you just said that most executives, producers and agents are jaded, so why would they root for me?  It seems that a lot of them just can’t even recognize a good script!”

To succeed in Hollywood, it is essential to understand the paradox that both diametrically opposed dynamics exist in the entertainment industry. Hollywood’s decision-makers are inclined to say “no” to your project and the odds are stacked against you.  At the same time, they want you to succeed.  Why?

We want the next great thing! How easy our lives would be if your script is amazing.  If we’re an assistant and become responsible for pointing out a script that will eventually get made and become a hit, that assistant is likely to get a promotion and move up the Hollywood ladder.  If we’re a studio executive or producer and this happens, we will get a raise, increase our quotes, our percentage points and our status.

Put yourself in the executives’ shoes. You come in to their office, you pitch a project that you think is the most original, most fantastic idea.  Maybe it is.  But there is also a good chance that the executive has already heard a version of it before.

The individuals who ultimately have the power to green light a film are investing millions of dollars in a movie.  If it fails it’s their ass, livelihoods, and pocketbooks on the line, not yours.

Screenwriters often get wrapped up in the rejection process and lose sight of the above.  It’s important to make an honest assessment of your work by asking yourself the following:  “Have I done everything possible to create a compelling story?  Is the dialogue fresh and gripping or is it expositional?  Is the situation engaging?  Are the characters interesting? If you cannot honestly answer “yes” to all of these questions, then ask yourself this next question: “If I had millions of dollars at stake and could risk it all, would this be a script and story I’d want to stand behind 100%?” If the answer is no, it might be time to get back to work.

“Isn’t it true that Hollywood is reactive?” 

Yes.  If a certain type of feature comes out and does poorly, projects in a similar genre may fall out of favor at the studios and be dropped. Conversely, if a marginally perceived film does exceptionally and unexpectedly well at the box office, suddenly the studios may clamor for that type of project.  But it is also true that there are Hollywood executives, agents, managers and producers who are visionaries and risk-takers, who stand by the courage of their convictions even if what they are trying to sell goes against the status quo.  It is the visionaries who set the trends.  If they didn’t exist, we would never have movies like “The Artist”, “Up”, “The Hurt Locker”, or “Juno”, movies which go against the grain of high-concept, commercial films.  Once again, the common denominator to success:  START WITH A GREAT SCREENPLAY.

Take another example, “The Ex-Files”.  There had been nothing like it on television before.  Once it became a huge hit the networks were flooded with copycat or “Ex-Files” wanna-be’s.  None succeeded because almost nothing is ever as good as an original idea that comes from a true sense of creativity (as opposed to a replica that stems from a calculated vs. inspirational place.) 

Because Hollywood often operates from a reactive rather than purely creative place doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone who doesn’t “get” your script is a jerk.  The submission process is often a numbers’ game to find the right person who eventually will “get” your material and want to fight for it and use their resources to get it made.

“But doesn’t Hollywood make bad movies? I’ve seen Hollywood make lots of bad movies!  How do they get made?!”

When I hear screenwriters ask these questions, it puzzles me.  I recognize the frustrations of getting turned down, but it’s almost as though these declarations are license and justification for not having to write a good screenplay. Just because Hollywood makes some bad movies, do you want your script to be one of them?  Ask yourself, what is it you really want?

Do you want the fame and glamour of getting a movie made?  Or do you want to create a great piece of writing that will make a lasting impression? If you’re diligent and committed to the task of creating excellent work, the fame and fortune should be the by-product.  If your focus is fame and fortune and not a commitment to your craft, chances are you might not obtain the fame and fortune.

While bad movies might be useful guides to help you avoid certain similar pitfalls in your own film, using negative comparisons as a barometer for your own work is not productive or constructive. There are a thousand random reasons as to why mediocre and bad movies get made, or start out with good material but then wind up poorly executed. Rather than look at the negative examples of such films, it is best to look at successful models of the types of movies that you are writing. If you look to these for inspiration, they may trigger your imagination further, and stimulate new and exciting ideas for your own movie. 

“What if I write a great script and it still doesn’t get sold or made? How does this serve me?”

In spite of all the glamour we see 24/7 in the media about Hollywood fame and fortune, the truth is that this is one of the most difficult businesses to break through.  It is not for the faint of heart.  It is for those who are diligent and persistent and have the ability to sustain themselves while pursuing their craft and passion.

If you do write a great script and that script gets exposure – even if it doesn’t get made -- there is a good chance it will lead to screenwriting jobs where executives and producers will want to hire you.

Many screenwriters forget that the screenwriting idols they look up to have worked on projects for YEARS before they ever got made.  A few examples include critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning films such as: “Crash”, “Shakespeare in Love”, “Ghost”, “In the Line of Fire”, to name just a few.  If it’s taken brilliant filmmakers such as Paul Haggis years to get some of his movies made, why should a writer starting out expect to hit a home run without having put in his or her dues?  A writer/director/producer such as J.J. Abrams is another example of someone who did not achieve success overnight.  If you look at his bio, it’s clear that even though he is relatively young to have such a successful career – he has in fact been working at his craft for a long time.

In 1991, nearly 21 years ago he wrote a very strong “spec” script, “Regarding Henry” which attracted Harrison Ford.  Nine years later Abrams created his first TV series hit “Felicity”.  He then went on to create “Lost”, direct “Mission Impossible” and “Star Trek”.  He is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand directors but again, his success did not happen instantaneously.  It happened through hard work and a continuous commitment to evolving his craft.

**

The above are a few examples that are intended to provide “tough love” and a realistic assessment of the business with respect to insights that can help you better navigate the Hollywood landscape.

That it can be both the most magical, inspiring, and rewarding, while at the same time difficult, fickle, and disheartening businesses in the world is a paradox that exists within the entertainment industry.  If you are looking for immediate gratification, you are probably in the wrong business. 

If on the other hand, you have the discipline and perseverance to painstakingly hone and refine your skills, and you are armed with good sense and self-awareness, the entertainment industry can be the greatest business in the world, and a myriad of possibilities awaits you.

  

Let me know if I can assist you in advancing your project and career. For more information and testimonials, please visit www.la4hire.com or contact wendy@la4hire.com 

Wendy Kram, Producer/Owner

WK Productions & L.A. FOR HIRE, Inc.

Ranked by Creative Screenwriting Magazine "Best Script Consultants" #1 in Marketing
http://creativescreenwriting.com/consultant.survey.html