So I took off a few days to refresh myself and work on other projects, only to find that when I return to the blog, I really have nothing to say.
I hate that.
So it seems like time to open the floor to questions. Hopefully that'll keep me busy for the next few weeks/months.
Monday, September 17, 2012
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Any suggestions for international writers passionate to hit the Hollywood ground?
ReplyDeleteI've gotta admit, I know very little that would be useful to international writers. Anyone else in a position to chime in?
DeleteI think there are three practical things to consider, in order.
Delete1. Visas. Unless you have the right to live/work in the US, you're going to need a company to sponsor your visa. They're not going to do this to hire you as an assistant somewhere. So you need to think carefully about how to secure the right to work in Hollywood.
2. One way is to break in with a superb English-language spec, and leverage a sale into a visa-sponsorship. But those are long odds. So...
3. Probably the more effective route is to establish yourself in your home territory and use that success to gain US representation and opportunities. Didem, your name sounds Turkish - is there a film or TV industry at home? One that you can work your way into? If you write something that gets a lot of heat at festivals, you have something concrete to show prospective agents.
Wow, thank you for your replies. Yes, I am Turkish and I am currently the board member of the Screenwriters' Association of Turkey. There is a huge industry (leading Middle-East), mostly considering TV series. But we are unfortunately stuck between the power of the producers and TV channels. Now we are trying to work harder for our legal rights (however it is a very long process) to establish a fair ground for scriptwriters, on the purpose of highlighting the importance of the writers and break our solid dependency (which is limiting our creativity and success) to the TV Channels and producers.
DeleteI am aware of the visa and working conditions abroad since I have lived in US, Canada and Europe before.
I agree that the best way is to shine with my work. But, the reason that I asked this questions is that I have been trying to communicate with international writers from all over the world (since I am speaking both French and English) in order to work in cooperation for a while via several international writers' organizations. However, I am not getting any responses, even a simple "No, thank you" e-mail from anyone. That is why I've asked this question.
Anyways, thank you for your dearest and kind responses. It is at least good to be considered.
How to deal with multiple choices in a climax. Is it good to give options of alternate endings in your treatment notes?
ReplyDeleteBest scripts you've read this year?
ReplyDeleteAre digital copies of scripts becoming more acceptable and do you think they might ever replace hard copies as the preferred method of delivery?
ReplyDeleteThe last four years have seen a vast rise in the usage of PDFs. A lot of execs still might print them out for their own reading, but script messengers are used less frequently than they were when I first got to town.
DeleteAt least for the purposes of development, it probably is close to being the preferred method of delivery. Though I know for a fact that scripts are still delivered to actors in hard-copy form, and that probably won't fully be phased out any time soon.
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DeleteI concur. The development guys that I've worked with have been very considerate about my own expenses sending hard copy scripts over from Australia (I'm American, but live in Melbourne) and have encouraged me just to send them PDFs.
DeletePretty nice considering each priority package is about 50 USD.
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ReplyDelete(heh, used wrong account!)
ReplyDeleteWhat are some of the best/worst examples you've seen of new character descriptions? You know, the old '... in walks SAMUEL (40s, portly, exasperated)', that kind of thing.
And sidebar question, any tips you have for us on what does and doesn't work with these?
How about a blog about how you'd approach tackling a really hoary old story? If you were well-paid by a company (and let's assume you need the gig) to adapt or develop material that felt played-out?
ReplyDeleteOn a related note, it'd be great to see a list from you on the top ten overdone stories you see in specs. Which ideas land on the readers' desks over and over again?
Next question. "Based on a true story." How faithful to actual events/people do you think a movie carrying this description needs to be... or is it nothing but a marketing hook?
Another: For newer writers, do you think they should do as many steps as a producer asks of them (for free, after the first contracted steps are done)? I ask this because starting out I always felt guilty that if further work was required outside the scope of the contract, it was because my last draft hadn't aced it. Any views?
It might be fun to see you analyse some historic genres. For instance, I love the 50s screwball comedies - do you think there's merit in revisiting them for inspiration, or are such movies such a product of their own time that revival would be forced/pointless?
You know what I think people would find really useful? An "open" outlining process, in the same way that you sometimes play an "open" hand of cards to show a newcomer how the game works. You could start with a shitty one-page outline and then, over the course of a few blogs and with reader input, "rewrite" it until the idea clarifies, it gains a structure, cliches are stripped out etc. Seeing - even participating in - that process could really help a newbie understand how to analyse and improve their ideas before going to script.
Finally, a list of best and worst foods to sustain you while locked to your keyboard?
Not sure if you might know this, but do you know any popular (preferably budget) places to sit and write?
ReplyDeleteI read the brilliant book "Writing Movies for Fun and Profit" and they mention to spots and a co-worker told me of another but i'd like to know more if possible.
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ReplyDeleteI like to show my undergrad students scripts and writers that vary in voice and style: the lean and blunt Walter Hill and the loquacious Aaron Sorkin, the chattiness of Shane Black's action blocks and the focus of the Nolan brothers, and so on.
ReplyDeleteCan you recommend scripts/writers in non-action genres that demonstrate the flexibility in screenwriting style?
Thanks. This blog is on my recommended reading list for the class.
What's the best script you've ever read? And have you ever read a script so bad it almost made you angry to read? What did each of them do right and wrong? Also, do you think that there is any animosity between screenwriters and book authors?
ReplyDeleteAny chance you'd want to check out a writing group blogspot I made. Right now we have 40 members, 12 of whom have posted pages- some just a few, others entire scripts.
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of people posting but not many comments.
A lot of good comments here. I'll try to get through these over the next month. Keep your eyes on the blog for the answers as they come.
ReplyDelete