Contour At The Movies

I just read a fabulous article by author/filmmaker Peter Hanson.  It’s posted on The Writers Store website and it condenses down into five points some of the things he learned while interviewing screenwriters for the book he co-edited Tales from the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories.

I didn’t read one thing in the article that I disagree with (shocking, I know!) and I think this short article should become required reading for everyone pursuing a career as a screenwriter.   It puts the level of commitment, time, and effort required into very practical terms.  If this is any indication of the full scope of the book, then it’s a must have.  Well done, Mr. Hanson!

CLICK HERE to read the article.

–Jeffrey Alan Schechter

So I’m here in LA ahead of the “MY STORY CAN BEAT UP YOUR STORY!” seminar I’m doing at The Writer’s Store on the 30th.  Taking advantage of being in LA, I’ve had a bunch of meetings this week with producers, agents, managers, and executives.

Knowing that a big topic of interest at the seminar is going to be about the business of writing, I figured that I’d ask the executives I’m meeting with for their read of the pulse of the business: do aspiring writers need agents?  What should they be writing?  How should people go about marketing themselves and launch their careers?  What’s the market for pitching like?  How about spec screenplays?  How important is it to live in LA?

The answers I’ve been getting have been really, really interesting and more than a little surprising.  For those of you coming to the seminar, you’re going to get the most current, best information available on the business of the business.   For those who can’t make it…hang tight.  I’ll turn the information into something readable as soon as I can.

To learn more about the seminar or to sign up, please CLICK HERE or go to The Writers Store website (www.thewritersstore.com) and search for “My Story Can Beat Up Your Story.”

– Jeffrey Alan Schechter

When you have (virtually) unlimited resources, time, and creativity, you can do some pretty remarkable things.  Case in point…PIXAR.

I haven’t seen UP yet (though the estimable Dan Pilditch has and raves about it) but by all accounts it’s a great achievement.  And then to top that off, PIXAR released the teaser trailer for TOY STORY 3.  Goofy charm aside, there’s more creativity, character work, and attention to detail paid in this teaser than in most full-length movies.

As creative types, we should aspire to aim as high as PIXAR routinely hits.  That being said, we have to understand that it’s not just that PIXAR isn’t playing on a level playing field; they own the stadium.

We started right on time and finished early.  Even got in a bonus shot!   Having fun, so far.  But of course, any script that features a meeting of the VSA (Viking Students Association) can’t go too far wrong.  

The script in question is a first script from a new writing team: Richard Rabkin and Matt Simmons.  Richard’s someone who was introduced to me a few years ago and has been impressing me his writing over that time, and Matt is a friend of Richard’s who blew me away with a feature script he had written.  I thought the two of them would make a good team and suggested that they pitch some ideas for OVERRULED.  They did, one of them clicked, and their script is now the lead-off script for season 2.

There is a lesson in there about networking, persistence, and looking for creative opportunities.  Will this lead to more writing for them?  Who knows.  I know I’d hire them again.