Saturday, June 28, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
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
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
Thursday, September 19, 2013
How to Ace Your Pitch: Helpful Tips for Screenwriters
This post as seen in Script Magazine:
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.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Essential Ingredients to Writing a Powerful Screenplay
This post as seen in Script Magazine:
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.
Monday, February 11, 2013
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
Friday, October 5, 2012
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.
Ranked
by Creative Screenwriting Magazine as one of the Industry's "Best Script Consultants" & #1 in Marketing
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