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I've heard of people making a good living off selling high-concept ideas which sit on studio shelves, never to be produced.

Yes, its possible. But if I knew how to do it, I wouldn't be working my day job!

I'd advise anyone to stay away from the CHASKI board for a while.

The barbarians have stormed the city and are laying watse to what was once a productive board. (go to www.chaski.com/wwwboard/screenwriters to see what I mean)

Frederick, you've got a great crowd here and I'd like to take a second to compliment everyone for remaining civil when we disagree.

What a sad day...I would put my money on that board going down (or at least being password protected) within a year if this keeps up.

I think now that poor Chris has to make it p/w protected things will finally start shaping up.

It's a damn shame when people can't behave like adults - especially that meatball Skeptic character who was posting under a dozen different pseudonyms.

You may want to dump him and get a new agent.

Don't feel guilty about it; it happens all the time.

Saz, welcome aboard!

Glad to see some of the "survivors."

I'd balk at this. The only offer like this I would consider was from Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute. They have an agent who charges $350 to read your script.

BUT if you're a student they'll stick by you and now I think they're guaranteeing agent representation. (You'll be a damn good writer if you take their course and listen to what they have to say)

I admit it's steep and sales aren't guaranteed (which is why I'm still working on it on my own).

I'd balk at this. The only offer like this I would consider was from Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute. They have an agent who charges $350 to read your script.

BUT if you're a student they'll stick by you and now I think they're guaranteeing agent representation. (You'll be a damn good writer if you take their course and listen to what they have to say)

I admit it's steep and sales aren't guaranteed (which is why I'm still working on it on my own).

I agree with you, Jay. A board's only as good as the people that come to it.

This place seems to attract a more sophisticated cadre (probably because we need to register to use this board). When Chris impliments that, I think it's going to stem the tide of the "pests" who don't seem to know anything or even care about writing.

Visiting a web site is like going into someone's home or office. Especially on sites like Utopia or here, you're expected to behave in a certain way. If someone can't or won't abide by those terms, they should be shown the door. Politely at first, then forcibly removed if the case may be.

(I for one wouldn't have tolerated half of what Chris has put up with over the past year if it were my board. The guy must have the patience of Sun-Tsu.)

Does anyone know if the writers come up with loglines, or is it the marketing people (who also come up with the font for the poster, the still, etc?)

Tracy,

Could you mail me that information?

If you're going to pay check out Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute (www.moviewriting.com) and look at their section re: their reader.

He's an agent and Donna Lee says he's sold a lot of material. They're VERY good and responsive, and Donna's extremely nice and down-to-earth (kind of like a female Gary Rubin).

Like I've said before, I've taken their course and I think it was worth every penny.

I'm going to forward you a message I got from Donna that explains their process. If you do decide to contact them for more information, please drop my name and give Donna my best.

Larry,

Mail me at tim.morgan@digital.com and I'll forward that mail to you. I can't find your e-mail.

PS - I am in no way, shape or form paid or compensated by Hollywood Scriptwriting. I'm just a satisfied student.

All,

I am having a test writing group on my web site:

www.gis.net/~tmorgan

If you want to join us, please come along!

The chat room works in Java enabled browsers (IE or Netscape 3+), has an intuitive interface and no server lag.

I should have a multimedia developer coming in on a future Sunday evening to talk about writing for interactive media. If you're interested please let me know.

So that developers with little or no sense of humor could make coffee jokes and cute mug logos.

(sorry, I'm a developer and couldn't resist)

Having a degree will :

* give you a couple of demo reels to show you're creative, and

* also show "you're smart to boot." (At least that's what a director friend of mine told me)

Tracy,

I copied your post to a text file. All set now, thanks!

Tracy,

Their ads now guarantee agent representation upon completion of the course. I think it applies if you take at leastthe two upper modules (the first module is for people with no clue about film), which cover the actual writing of the script and the business end of the process.

Their prices may have gone up to include the reading fee for their agent, who goes exclusively through the school (I took module 2 about 3 years ago and it was $990).

If you have any questions, go to www.moviewriting.com and fire away. They're very responsive (they answered me in a couple of days).

If you want to mail me at tim.morgan@digital.com, I can forward the correspondence I have.

(Note that they do NOT guarantee sales)

Tracy,

That's what I thought. I know we're expected to occasionally send loglines with pitches (some prodco's ask for them), which may be used for smaller and indie prodcos, but the big boys probably have wage slaves cranking out loglines.

If financing grad school is going to be a burden (my wife has her M.A. in psychology, believe me I know what it's like!) try something like Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute.

http://www.moviewriting.com

The three modules come to around $2000 if I remember correctly (you can get a current price from their catalog). If you have half a clue about writing for film you skip over the first segment and save about $300 right off the top.

There are only two times you should use camera directions in a spec script:

1. It's ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for you to get the point of the scene across, or

2. You're writing for animation.

I've seen James Cameron and George Lucas do it with "INSERT-TITLE CARD-(Text here)".

REMEMBER, those are two VERY big name directors that could probably write on toilet paper if they wanted to.

If you're going to use title cards, use them sparingly. The viewer should see what time of day it is (ie, a CLOCK reads 9:30am) rather than making them read.

Sad endings that make sense are OK. (Who can resist a tear-jerker?)

Sad endings that are illogical AREN'T ok.

Hmm...pitching techniques.

You have to make whomever you're pitching to as excited about your work as you are.

If you aren't on fire about it, DON'T PITCH IT!

You need to put this person on a wave and give them a wild ride - just like your script does. If you have a thriller, scare 'em. If you have a comedy, make them laugh.

Vary your approach. If you see him/her losing interest, change your tactics. The key is to watch your subject and make sure he's into what you're saying.

If you want, I have a Java chatroom where you and other interested parties could come and practice pitching.

(Maybe Gary Rubin and Michael Druxman - if they visit this board - could come along and give a little feedback, time permitting? Wink-wink-nudge-nudge :)

The dust is finally settling, but I really don't think that the person responsible for all the trouble (notice how when the person in question got a deal, everything quieted down) should get a pat on the back or any respect from this side of the camp.

I'm all for free speech and the like, but there was absolutely NO excuse for what happened over there.

Harassment - in any way, shape or form - is NOT acceptible.

I can't enter the Nicholl anymore. I'm over the $1000 cap. :(

Tracy,

I don't know if you've considered educational and corporate writing...the format is different (you can use Arial 12, which i think looks much better than Courier) and it can be just as lucrative - if not more so. (Scriptwriters that wind up on staff at companies such as Microsoft or Compaq could pull in better than $50k their first year - and consultants (freelancers) pull in more - sometimes 30% more).

Does anyone know what happened over there this past weekend? I just saw that Chris has password protected the board.

It's really sad he had to go through that to keep yo-yo's like Skeptic out. But I'd rather take extra steps and lock the idiots out than let them ruin a good resource.

I agree, O seems like he can be a nice guy when he wants to be, but a lot of the time he comes off like he's a bit arrogant.

I just watched this over the weekend...

And I have to say this is without a doubt, THE most incredible movie I've ever experienced!

(And I thought TITANIC was good - the opening 30 minutes showinf the landing on Omaha Beach at Normandy puts all 3 hours of TITANIC to shame!)

James,

Don't feel bad. They passed on me, too.

If they don't do an Oscar sweep next year I think it would be the greatest snub not only to Spielberg and company, but to all the men and women who fought in WW2.

I wasn't depressed when I left - I felt kind of numb, no, that's not the right word - I think it's more like overloaded.

I remember my grandfather telling me stories about him and his brothers who fought at Normandy...and it gave me a whole new appreciation for what they went through. You can sit there and watch documentaries and hear about the million-man invasion force in history class, but watching that sequence really drove it home.

I agree with the others on this. Be true to the story.

Richard,

Upgrade to a Pentium II with at least 32 megs of RAM. YOu can get there for under $1000 (about 12-1500 if you need a monitor).

That thing will SCREAM.

I'm on a P-133 with 16mb of RAM, and I don't see any performance slowdowns when I run all the way to 120 pages. The only thing that slows me down is opening multiple programs or using graphics in a word document.

Go to the Animator's World Network -

www.awn.com

They have a ton of material on animation in general. (Pick up a copy of SUCCESSFUL SCRIPTWRITING by Jurgen Wolff and Kerry Cox - it touches on animated series, not anime but it's a good start)

Tracy,

I haven't used their placement service (I admit I scoff at the reading fee, but the rest of their program has been excellent).

I CAN tell you that at the end of the second module they used to give you a list of agents (some of which were WGA sig) that gave preferential treatment to HSI graduates, so they ARE connected.

(Side note: After completing the program I won a writing scholarship and was able to go back to college...which took away from my time to hunt for agents. So my current lack of representation is due to my own choice)

Does anyone else who used to visit that board on a regular basis get a feeling of dejas-vous?

But don't count Chris out. He's a tricky SOB who's probably got more tricks up his sleeve.

I've heard of this happening - I've even heard of people that make a very good living by coming up with high-concept ideas and selling them to studios. (Their work will probably never see the light of day, but they make a mint and have fun doing it, to boot!)

I've been thinking about that myself...I thought Skeptic was Dylan for a while, but I'm beginning to doubt it.

At any rate it got me back to the original reason I visited that board in the first place : business opportunities and buzz about the craft.

It served its purpose; it got me through a dry spell.

Louisa,

When you said Dylan wasn't produced you SHOULD have mentioned he IS a reader for an established actress.

DON'T write for a star unless you can guarantee that star will be attached to your material.

If you pitch and that person isn't interested in your work, you're sunk. It's better to write from your heart THEN find someone to fill the role.

Come on guys, can't we all get along here?

In reading the posts it looks like the original argument boils down to whether or not to use profanity when writing for kids.

I'm with Tracy on this one; subject matter and your characters will dictate speech patterns (affluent kids will speak differently form inner-city latchkey kids).

You also have to consider your target market. If you're writing a family movie you should probably stay away from profanity - but if you're writing STAND BY ME or CLOCKERS with kids (which are targeted for more mature audiences), you can use it.

Mark,

You interested in multimedia? I've got a friend that teaches the interactive scriptwriting class for UMass Lowell's Cybered program. He's expressed an interest in doing an online chat, and it looks like your site may be the place to go.

Mail me at morgans@juno.com and I'll work out the details if you're interested. (Give me a day or two to get my computer reconnected - I just moved)

To find out who represents an actor, call the Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) and ask them who such and such's agent is.

If they're on the web contact the Internet Fraud Watch - http://www.fraud.org

They're a watchdog organization that will disperse information on shady web based businesses to the appropriate authorities for an investigation.

May as well do this as well as the newspaper investigation...it only takes 5 minutes to fill out the form, and you may even get your money back if you got screwed.

I don't think it's so much a question of chivalry as it is maturity and good taste.

If you wouldn't do it in an office or writing group, you shouldn't do it online.

Thanks, guys.

Please pay the receptionist on your way out. ;)

BOTH these boards are a step up from the Chaski board!

Come on by and give Chris some support for making his place much more writer friendly!

I kind of dabble in it with a script I'm working on...kind of like hope lost/rebirth..

Sorry, Sheila.

I was referring to the original post that started the little tiff in here.

If I find anyone that solicits kids' material, I'll let you know.

Hmm...good question.

I'm not a lawyer, but I'm going to toss in my two cents and a plug for THE WRITER GOT SCREWED (but didn't have to) by Brooke Wharton.

OK, plug aside...

I don't know if you could be sued for using a song as inspiration...but if you change the title and play with it a bit you may be able to get away with it. (I 've never heard of anyone who wrote a song suing a screenwriter)

Great book : SUCCESSFUL SCRIPTWRITING by Jurgen Wolff and Kerry Cox. It has some great formatting and story techniques.

THE ART OF STORYTELLING by Michael Druxman (he teaches a course on Screenwriters Utopia for about $100 - cheap!)

You might also want to check out Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute - great class - www.moviewriting.com

I use Scriptwriting Tools by Original Vision software (www.originalvision.com). It's a set of Word templates and macros. It costs $99 but you need Word to use it.

We've run over this ground again and again.

Chris was a hands-off webmaster until a couple of abusive people wandered in.

These guys were picking fights with everyone who wandered in - Druxy, me, a couple of contests looking for submissions...

You wouldn't tolerate that in your writing group or at your party. Why should we put up with it on a web site?

And Chris is trying to get professionals to visit his site and set up interviews. What was happening on the baord made him look bad.

And as for being "spied on..." Anytime you use the web you're leaving a footprint that can be traced back to you with some work. There's really no such thing as privacy out here.

Leigh,

You should come over to Screenwriters Utopia a lot more often. :)

Sheila,

Cases of psychological blindness and muteness have been recorded after witnessing something horrible and traumatic. It doesn't have to be a rape or murder.

Some kind of natural disaster like bodies poking out of a collapsed building, an airline crash like the Valu-Jet crash, or an act of terrorism to name a few...

I've seen it done (in T2 and STAR WARS scripts) :

INSERT - TITLE CARD "Yaddah yaddah yaddah"

If you want it in all caps: "YADDAH YADDAH YADDAH"

Leigh,

Chris (I can't remember his last name) has just completed a hurculean effort to install some security measures that will prevent the proverbial hell from breaking loose again.

I'd recommend everyone return to the place and give him some support for the new board:

www.screenwritersutopia.com

Hmm...I suppose you've hit the search engines and pulled up nothing?

The Internet Movie Data Base (www.imbd.com) has the credits for almost every movie you can think of. Try pulling up the credits there to see who wrote it.

Better yet - pick up The Writer Got Screwed (but didn't have to) by Brooke A. Wharton. It's a very good book and I think she covers this topic in depth.

There's a little known section of copyright law called Fair Use, where you CAN use small portions of established work (I think it's up to 10%, but I'm not certain).

I've seen a meter about copyright infringement; factors that are taken into consideration are the amount of material used and the purpose of the project.

A couple of lines probably won't get you into trouble; a few minutes probably would in a feature, but in a documentary it probably wouldn't.

Yes, it was made into a movie and it was written by Steve Gellar, who used to run the screenwriting track of the Boston University film program.

I think Vonnegut is the only writer who was satisfied with the movie adaptation of his work.

I've been considering less stressful paths myself...like the vice squad or air traffic control.

Greg Beal over at AMPAS is very responsive, and I've seen him post here. Why don't you drop him a line? His e-mail is on the entry form.

When I was checking into BU's screenwriting program, it had Steve Gellar's biography and specifically listed "Slaughterhouse-Five" as one of his credits.

When I mentioned Gellar was running that program, he freaked and told me that Vonnegut was one of the only novellists (matter of fact, I think THE only) who felt his work was done justice.

I've heard it's extremely tough to find, but I have seen it in movie catalogs.

Gary seems open to just about anything. Send him a mail and ask him what he wants: films248@aol.com

(I think he prefers specific pitches, and he'll send a release form if he's interested)

Alva,

Gary is Bruce Joel Rubin's brother (DEEP IMPACT, GHOST, JACOB'S LADDER). He's got his own prodco (The Other Brothers Productions) and he's looking for material to produce.

I think he's got one in the works, but I'm not 100% sure. You could e-mail him and ask him what's up - he's a nice guy and very approachable.

As for responding negatively, I have heard other writers say he passed on some of their work.

That's a toughie - I'd call the people running the contest and see what they say. It may vary from contest to contest.

Alva,

You can pick up templates for most word processors off the web. Just go to a search engine and type "screenplay template" and your word processor (ie, MSWord).

I'd beg to differ with the advice to print out movies from Drew's script-o-rama. A bunch of them are transcripts or shooting scripts, which are a generation beyond what you're writing. I'd stick with a good format book -

Richard Walter, "Screenwriting: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Television Writing"

Jurgen Wolff and Kerry Cox, "Successful Scriptwriting"

Donna Lee, "Magic Methods of Screenwriting"

I'd worry more about story right now (believe me, the format is the easiest thing to pick up about screenwriting). Most of these books also cover basic 3-act structure, which is where you should start.

Tracy,

I think we're both on the same wavelength in hating the legalese in itty bitty print on the contest entry forms.

I'd assume "professional writer" refers to film and/or TV work. I'm a tech writer for a major computer corporation. Professional writer? You bet. Professional scriptwriter? Nope. At least not to myself or the IRS. I think it'd be safe to use the Nicholl's guidelines on what a professional writer is, since that's considered by most to be the premiere screenwriting competition.

If you're using MSWord you can pick up Scriptwriting Tools from Original Vision Software (www.originalvision.com) for $99. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than those other programs and it does the same things.

The problem with paying someone $150-200 to format your screenplay for you is that

1. you're not learning anything, and

2. it's something you should learn to do (or buy the software for it) if you're serious about this business.

I'm going to sound like a bit of a stick in the mud, but I'd keep descriptions of characters minimal unless you have a hot, known actor or actress attached to the script. The rationale being that if you put too much detail into the character (or worse yet - you write with one actor in mind), the role becomes difficult to fill.

I'm going to take a leap of faith (maybe Greg Beal could answer this question if he reads this post);

when a SCREENWRITING contest mentions "professional writers" in its rules, I'm assuming professional SCREENWRITERS. Folks who've written films/TV shows that have been produced. Copywriters are probably excempt, but corporate/educational/multimedia writers are a grey area.

Tracy,

I understand your concern about software, and let me share a little experience...

Scriptwriting Tools is really easy to use. It even comes with a quick-reference card with all the commands on it. It's a lot of CONTROL-ALT-(Key) to format a script...like the different formats for dialog, scene headings, action, chatacters speaking, etc.

I personally find this a lot easier and neater than trying to tab over and space everything manually.

What you seem to be running into when it comes to printing - and I've seen this myself on numerous systems - is there are very slight differences between different kinds of printers. The only way you can solve this for sure is to either use the same printer all the time, or better yet, buy your own printer and print everything off from that.

Let me play devil's advocate for a moment - and I'm not trying to be a dink when I say this, so please look at it objectively -

If you haven't got format down, or haven't got a tool to do it for you, are you really ready to try to sell your work?

My advice would be to run out and buy a tool to help you format the script immediately, if not sooner, or whip out the instruction book to your word processor and create your own template.

My rationale is you won't get a second chance for a first impression, especially with several big players on the field. Dissenting viewpoints welcome.

Stu,

Pick up THE WRITER GOT SCREWED (but didn't have to) by Brooke A. Wharton. It's a GREAT reference that explains the terminology in contracts, release forms, etc in plain, layman's terms English.

It also tells you how you can "borrow" ideas and base stories on real life without getting yourself sued.

If you use an e-mail service like Juno, you don't even need to pay the ISP.

I've had great luck with it and use it more than my ISP's e-mail account because it's a much faster connection and I can read/compose e-mail offline.

(I know I could do this with my ISP as well)

Using Juno for day-to-day business and querying, and my ISP account for file attachments (as necessary) saves me a lot of time and headaches.

www.juno.com

Tracy,

You're being polite to me, so let me return the favor.

When I was saying "you," I wasn't saying "Tracy." I know YOU'VE got format down. (Sheesh, you really think I'm a prick, don't you? I thought I was more polite than that)

I was talking to any new writer or anyone who's just finishing their first or second script.

Someone who has cool ideas for stories, but doesn't know the format. Like the high school/college kids that come in here (you know there HAVE to be a couple of dozen, if not more), that read scripts in their English lit books and think Shakespeare's format would be good for their retelling of STAR WARS.

Someone who's got his/her head in the clouds and dollar signs in his/her eyes. Someone who HASN'T taken the classes, read the books, done the legwork, etc. etc. etc.

There's a heck of a lot more to this game than format, but format's one of the first things someone has to learn or it's going to be a pain in the butt to fix it later.

You can't build a foundation if you don't know how to mix cement. And if you can't build a solid foundation, how can you expect to build a house?

Tracy,

I'm not exactly sure why you're asking about "flaming" and "dueling" on the internet...?

I guess the apparent anonymity of the web makes it easy for people to think they can hide behind aliases and act like chowderheads (the recent troubles on the Chaski board, which seem to have died off for the time being).

Anyway, to the next question:

Rich,

It sounds like your script didn't make it through the reader (the initial gatekeeper). There could be any one of a trillion reasons why it didn't make it...but it sounds like it may have been a genre the agency isn't familiar with or currently accepting.

Keep plugging away and sending things out. You may want to try a different genre ina couple of months.

Tracy,

For the most part, you're right.

But if someone's on fire for your work, and there are a lot of ways for writers to get a hold of release forms (over the web and many scriptwriting books), it's probably quicker to say "Find a release form and mail me your stuff" than for the producer/agent to copy his form, type up an envelope, put a stamp on it, snailmail it to you, etc. etc. etc.

Technically you don't, but you'll get a much better deal with an agent by your side.

A friend of mine (a REALLY experienced writer) told me she sold a script to a producer she knew, and made $10,000 LESS than she could have with an agent (with someone she KNEW, mind you!)

I've also read some stories on other boards that people come up with fun, high-concept treatments and sell the treatments to big studios, knowing the movies will probably never see the light of day. They make a good living off the option money.

Bottom line is if you have a marketable idea, it'll sell, script or treatment. (Whether or not it ever sees the light of day is another story)

Sondra,

I've seen it done both ways. Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute and some screenplays I've read (including T2, which is one of the best scripts I've ever read) have done a melding of what Sara and Tracy are telling you to do.

For a voice on a radio, it's (this isnt going to format correctly and I'm too tired to do this right, but we're all adults and we know how to format characters speaking and parenthetical direction...and if anyone doesn't, pick up a book or some software, for chrissake!)

CHARACTER (V.O.) (over radio)

With all due respect,

Plunk down the cash to get a word processor or plug-in to reformat your own text.

It'll cost the same as(or less than) outsourcing it and you'll have the right tool for the next script.

Nicci,

The Maine Workshops (www.maineworkshops.com) and Boston University's film school (www.bu.edu) offer summer programs for "Young Filmmakers" - young being high school students entering their Junior or Senior years.

The Disney fellowships accepts teleplays for currently running shows (dramas or comedies). They don't want pilots. If you want to enter something original in the Disney competition, it had better be a movie!

Stu,

What format a TV script uses depends on whether it's shot on film or video.

Shows shot on film (usually dramas like ER) are written exactly like a movie script.

If it's shot on video, the format's two-column (Action on one side, dialog and SFX on the other). Pick up SUCCESSFUL SCRIPTWRITING by Jurgen Wolff and Kerry Cox - they have a great section on formats. Scriptwriting tools by Original Vision Software (www.originalvision.com) includes templates for both these formats and a lot more.

Check with an accountant - in most cases, the travel and lodging expenses (and part of the meals) for a business trip are tax-deductible.

You have to keep VERY good records - dates of travel, whom you met and what was discussed, etc.

Stu,

Sorry, I misinterpreted your question. When I saw "format" in your post, I thought you meant script format.

(I'll refrain from posting before I have less than 2 cups of caffeine pulsing through my veins)

Now that the lights are back on, here's my two cents -

Watch 5 or 6 episodes of a show, then try a spec script. Pick up a HCD and query the producer or development exec for that show.

Uh, guys...and I mean no disrespect when I say this - but an IDENTICAL post appeared over on Screenwriters Utopia this morning.

Another poster over there said the post resembles an urban legend that's made the rounds in another newsgroup.

Now since there's a lack of specific details on Art's post, unless he comes back and offers us a little more information I'd take that message with a grain of salt.

Sheila,

With all due respect,

If we knew that, all of us would be hanging out on that ONE board (it would be damn busy, to boot!). ;)

Seriously, when I started surfing two years ago, the ONLY screenwriting board I could find was Scriptwriters Utopia.

Now you can find a trillion of them - and the number's growing every day (I saw a Boston Globe article the other day that said web traffic DOUBLES every 44 days or so).

Sondra,

Depending on your word processor, the ellipsis (sp?) points may do weird things.

MS Word's got a pretty dumb automatic spelling correction tool (that drives a lot of new users ape sh*t), one of the things it does is deleting repeted chatacters (... being one of them).

If you're NOT using Word, and your program doesn't overwrite either of them...it's a matter of personal preference.

Pick up a copy of THE WRITER GOT SCREWED (but didn't have to) by Brooke A. Wharton. There's a whole chapter devoted to what you can and can't do with fictionalizing real people/stories.

I died laughing when I read Frederick's reply!

Seriously, though, if keeping someone's identity secret is necessary for you to tell your story and make your point, do it for as long as possible.

Even better, pick up some scripts with "mystery people" in them.

I had some communications on and off with a George Hupka (sp?) of Downstream Productions about 2 years ago. He was a nice, very approachable guy. (passed on all my stuff, tho)

www.scriptshop.com has HUNDREDS of TV scripts available for about $20(US) a pop.

I think it sets a dangerous precedent and will probably be overturned on appeal.

I personally think if you want to base a character on someone (unless you're writing a biography or paying tribute to an old friend) you should change the name/likeness, even if it's ever so slightly. It is, after all, fiction.

www.afionline.com

The American Film Institute has a few dozen links for grants/scholarships.

Yeah, I'm in southern NH. Mail me at morganz@juno.com if you'd like to get a writing group going in the area.

John,

Mail me at morganz@juno.com

Sondra,

Pick up THE WRITER GOT SCREWED but didn't have to by Brooke Wharton. There's a chapter on this.

I've done a little work in radio, so here's some practical advice;

The reason you want to spell out numbers over 10 is because the bigger the number, the more likely the reader's going to have to pause to process the information.

During a newscast (and, if we want to be technical, in a script) a reader is going to have to pause when (s)he hits $1,000,000,000 to figure out what the value is, as opposed to "one billion dollars." If someone has to pause while reading a newscast or a script, it's not going to sound natural.

Oh yeah, Tracy, I've got a couple of comic books where R2D2's name is spelled "Artoo Deetoo," and C3PO's name is "See-Threepio."

(I have no idea if they're spelled like that in the script. I just thought it was a neat trivia question)

What you need to do is find a way to recharge your batteries - excercise, take a week off as a vacation (knowing you're going to come back to it in X number of days), etc...

Something that's helped me tremendously is keeping a "dream journal" next to my bed. First thing I do when I wake up - whether it's the alarm clock or getting up to tinkle in the middle of the night - I jot down everything I remember from the dream I just woke up from. Believe me, you'll see some interesting images and eventually a couple of plots.

Look at it this way - someone's got to read that message.

I follow the same rules in my script as I'd write for a news broadcast or radio show. It makes it easier on the reader to understand what you're saying.

What gets the point across more economically?

$10,000,000,000,000

Ten trillion dollars

I've adapted a pseudonym with another form of my first name...mainly because my parents cursed me with sounding like a kid for the rest of my life.

(Maybe when I hit 70 and return to space I'll go back to the old form...)

Tracy,

That's one of my favorites, too (T-2). The way it's written it works, because of what you said (name of a machine).

Cameron did a great job with it. The T-1000 the ONLY machine they make reference to in the script (there's a T-800 mentioned, but it's only in the narrative). Arnold's character is referred to as "A Terminator" or "The Terminator," just like they did in the original.

Can you imagine how confusing it would have been if he'd started calling them the T-800 and T-1000 throughout the entire 2 hours of the movie?

I guess the bottom line is if it's necessary to your plot you can get away with anything so long as you don't overdo it.

(Even in Star Wars where those damn droids have numbers that sound like Bill Gates' salary, the only numbers you hear are R2D2 and C3PO)

Crystal,

Use OS for someone in the room (or nearby) who is speaking but who isn't in the audience's field of vision.

Use VO for thoughts (BLADERUNNER), radio transmissions, someone over the telephone, etc.

I've also seen people use parenthetical direction to tell someone's on a radio or phone.

(This won't format properly in this text box, but you'll get the point)

CHARACTER (Over radio) Yaddah yaddah yaddah.

If you've got one you should have an easier time finding another.

What you DON'T want to do is say something like "The agent I have right now is a complete egghead..."

Think of it as you're changing jobs - you don't want to speak ill of your current employer before your (hopefully) new one.

There's no problem expressing dissatisfaction - something along the lines of "the relationship isn't working" or "I want to be represented by someone who's as excited about my work as I am." Because for the most part the person you're trying to hook could probably care less about why you want to leave.

What you have to do is express your concerns in a professional manner without belittling your former agent.

Writers leave agents and agents leave writers. Hollywood's like any other industry.

I'd give an agent a phone call and let him/her know the prodco is interested in your work.

The work is already done; if the company buys your script, it's an easy commission for the agent.

I'm sitting here kicking myself because I just got ANOTHER rejection letter...after sending my first piece out in a year.

>sigh<

One of these days I'm going to learn how to take my own advice and not rush it. (Had I waited another couple of months to finish what I'm working on right now, I could probably get somewhere)

Pick up THE WRITER GOT SCREWED but didn't have to by Brooke A. Wharton.

It does a great job of explaining what a release form means in plain English - and touches on about a dozen other issues that people ask about on bb's like this (how is a contract defined legally{you would be surprised}, can I base a character on a real person, and what the hell is a release form and why am I signing it?)

I'm a former, very satisfied student. (I'm not compensated by HSI in any way shape or form - just want to put that up front)

Yes, Donna is very nice and actually cares about her students (she called me on a Sunday morning and talked to me for almost an hour after I sent her a demo tape - that is something you don't see every day!).

They've been very supportive the entire way through the program (I took the intermediate section) and my instructor was highly responsive. (He'd get back to me within 24 hours if I wanted to talk about writing)

It's a damn good class (it's better than most of the college classes I took, since I'm on the East coast and the instructors are based in CA).

I'd highly recommend it to anyone, especially if you're just starting out and only have 1 or 2 scripts under your belt.

How about the sherrif ran the villain out of town, and the villain now wants revenge?

(classic western formula here)

They come overrun the town and the sherrif's got to go out and hire gunslingers to help him out...Kind of like The Magnificent Seven (or The Seven Samurai for you Kurosawa fans)

I've seen it:

EXT. - LOCATION - TIME - DREAM/FLASHBACK

What happens in the scene

BACK TO PRESENT

INT. - LOCATION - TIME

For those of you who were participating in my workshop, it's back online.

Mail me for a password if you're interested.

Frederick checks to see that e-mail addresses (and I think phone numbers) are correct before information gets posted.

What else do you want him to do?

Your best bet is to stick to contests and/or producers you trust, or whom others on here have had good experiences with.

I happen to be a former student of Hollywood Scriptwriting and take offense to your accusation.

Donna Lee is a straight shooter, and her classes were excellent. I have nothing bad to say, except the time to get lesson critiques was maddening (and it was before the rise of the web, so things went snailmail).

If you have a problem or question, Donna Lee's e-mail and phone number are on that site. You could call her up (she's very easy to speak with) and ask her what the details are.

You shouldn't make accusations toward people or contests you haven't had any contact with.

Let me make something clear here;

I did not get an agent through HSI because I have not yet sought representation because, if you can fathom this -

I WAS NOT READY AND KNEW IT.

As for why they're not responding - have you called to follow up? I had a lesson critique or two lost in the mail.

By the way, you mentioned $350. What exactly was the service you paid for?

An evaluation? A course?

David, they guarantee representation AT THE COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, which means taking the second two modules (the first module is basic scriptwriting that you could pick up from a number of good books).

Check www.originalvision.com (Original Vision Software) for their Scriptwriting Tools for MSWord. It's only $99 and it's just as powerful.

Yeah, David, contact whomever the hell you want.

All your "investigation" is going to reveal is I had a good experience with HSI, I don't make any money off them, and they've been very supportive of my writing (they helped me win a scholarship). I receive nothing from them - no money, no "tips," nothing - except support for my efforts. Period. I've nothing to hide.

You had a bad experience. That's too bad. I'm not making excuses for them - I suggested you contact them to see what the story is.

This will be the last time I correspond with you on this matter.

Sheila,

From the sound of their web site, it seems like the first script's evaluation (the one you write for the course) is included with the tuition. Is that correct?

Frederick,

It's got potential.

I guess my only question is where you're going to be drawing the judges from. Are they MovieBytes users, or will you be tapping professional writers/producers?

I have a couple of contacts if you'd like to discuss them further via e-mail.

Frederick,

There may be a way to log who looks at a script and when.

Again, if you want to talk about it via e-mail I'd be happy to give you a hand.

Gary is one of the most approachable people I've met in the industry (he ranks close second to Donna Lee from HSI).

He received my script on a Saturday and e-mailed me (about 10 am) and had a critique in my mailbox by 6pm.

He also sent me a five-page critique with very detailed observations.

Considering what some people charge for a critique, it's a bargain.

Oh yeah, he's Bruce Joel Rubin's brother (GHOST, JACOB'S LADDER, DEEP IMPACT), in case you didn't know already.

Sure, Stu and I can be the next WWF Tag Team Champions...

"The Can-Am Conspiracy"

I can see it now, James, it conveniently makes our opponents disappear.

Could we counter with the "release form?"

Nathan,

I'm a fantasy/sci fi buff myself. Here's my advice;

You have to create the "rules" for that world, then FOLLOW THE RULES!

You can spoil a good story by losing sight of what works and doesn't work in the setting you create. (You may want to look into a couple of role playing games to see how they work - like D&D, MERP and GURPS)

Carpenters and mechanics keep arrays of tools within easy reach. You should too.

I'll recommend some books (long as you promise not to suggest I receive A. kickbacks B. Tips or C. Intimate contact from anyone mentioned below) that helped me;

The cheapest and easiest read is Michael Druxman's ART OF STORYTELLING (around $11 from Amazon.com

It's short, quick and easy to read, and gets right to the point. It makes a nice reference if you need some quick information.

Another really good book that's not too expensive ($15) is DOUBLE YOUR CREATIVE POWER by S.L. Stebel. This gets into a little more depth about the creative process and how fiction works (with some small chapters on screenwriting) Very well written, and very handy to have.

Now we're getting into the higher priced stuff that'll be really good to have.

For around $25, I think, you should DEFINITELY pick up Jergen Wolff and Kerry Cox's SUCCESSFUL SCRIPTWRITING. I have an older version that I read on a fairly constant basis. It's the most complete book on screenwriting I've ever seen, covering character, plotting, format and special breakdowns for features, sit-coms, dramas and animation (in the version I have at least - I dont't know what's in the updated version)

I don't remeber how much I paid for it, but HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES by Joseph Campbell should be right next to your computer. It's a touch advanced, but believe me, it's VERY handy and explores the metaphor of the hero's journey in GREAT depth.

Topping out my list is Donna Lee's MAGIC METHODS OF SCREENWRITING, about $65 from Amazon.com. This is the hardcover version of the HSI textbook (the softcover is included with the class). It's been havily updated since my version, but was better than the Wolff/Cox text. I'd stongly recommend this be an addition to your collection.

The disorder you describe sounds like agoraphobia (fear of crowds).

To make him likeable, I think you need to make sure we understand he doesn't fear people, per se, it's great crowds....maybe this guy lives in a cabin in the woods?

http://www.hollywoodscript.com was evaluating queries for free for a while.

Occasionally his banner ad pops up on this site.

I sold an educational video to the NCAA last year.

The director also had me work on it with him (ad his AD), and I learned a lot...

Top lesson is the first couple of sales aren't going to be anywhere near the amount of work you put into them. But then again, I guess it's paying your dues.

Maybe we could have Donna or her agent come here and post a clarification?

I think Dylan from the Utopia board placed in it last year, didn't he?

I've been advised that people on the receiving end aren't as anal about the covers as a lot of people think.

As long as it's plain, card stock (at least 60-80lbs) with no artwork or title on the cover, that's fine.

Pick up a ream of that heavy stock and it'll last you a LONG time.

Do use brads. I think it's because if you make it past the gatekeeper, the higher up you go the more people will need to read it and it's probably the easiest way to make copies. (just a thought, but it seems logical to me)

DON'T use fancy 3-ring, spiral bound or gum bindings. It's a waste of money.

The only thing I know about ST writing is they've got a staff of people to come up with the thechno-babble.

In a script when they're working through the story, the first few drafts will actually have (TECH) written in the dialog so these guys can write an explaination in Trek speak for the problem/solution of the week.

Well, I'll be a ripe ol' 27 in February.

I've been writing since I was a kid (with an old Underwood typewriter, no less), writing screenplays since I was about 16.

So it took me about 9 years for a sale - and I think I had my artistic awakening within the past couple of weeks.

If you want something bad enough, you won't put a time limit on yourself. More important is that lights keep coming on in your head and you continue to grow.

(Occasional dry spells are OK - I just got through a 3-year block. Maybe I'll post the scene that broke the block one of these days)

Not that this makes much difference, but I've got a ream of canary yellow card stock that should last me the next ice age.

(Well, that is if my kids don't use it all up drawing pictures)

Use two sheets. It comes in 8.5x11" size, so one sheet folded over won't cover the script.

(I don't know if you can get it punched or not, but a 3-hole puncher is only about $10)

Post it on www.shareware.com

You probably won't make a whole lot of money off it (face it, this is a niche market and there are so many tools already out here it's hard for new products to get a toehold), but it will give you exposure.

Hey, Rich, good luck! Everyone's got to start somewhere.

Simon,

You have a much better chance of getting your work read by an an independent producer than a good agent.

Gary Rubin was good - he sent me back a 5-page e-mail that was a very detailed analysis of my script within 8 hours of receiving my script, and also had the courtesy to send me back notes on the actual script. And this was at no cost to me, except for the postage and return envelope.

Gary's e-mail is films248@aol.com, and he's very approachable.

Post a casting call at a local college that has a theater program.

Most of those students will act (often unpaid) just for the experience.

And some of them are pretty good, to boot.

Gee, I read it was a throwback to a Kurosawa movie and serials from the 1930's.

Simon,

Pick up a copy of the Hollywood Creative Directory (I think it's close to $50US).

It lists addresses, development staff and most of the time, e-mail and web sites (if the companies have them).

Sheesh, James, I didn't think you were interested in acting for free.

That's my attitude towards writing.

Except that I'd be willing to take the producer out for Lunchables if he buys my script.

Go to a Blockbuster video (or anyplace you can buy or rent videotapes) and look at the summaries on the backs of the cases.

Those are loglines.

Kenzie,

MAIL ME THAT GUY'S E-MAIL ADDRESS!!!

Simon,

Yes, there's a web subscription available, but it's pretty expensive. (I think it's updated weekly?)

You used to be able to get a 2-week trial with HCD Online - anyone have their web site?

I don't know if she's posting here, but Jenna from the Screenwriters Utopia had a workshop on Mark's Screenwriting page (I don't have the URL handy, but he often posts under "TUESDAY NIGHT CHAT").

You may want to hit them up about how the workshop ran and start your own. You can get a mailing list robot at www.listbot.com (that's how Utopia sends its newsletter).

Write another one. Then another.

Then you may be ready to start sending them out.

Jim,

To "cool off" after finishing a project I try to set it down and start something else.

Thinking of a new idea can help you find holes in the last one.

Sondra,

I've seen other WGA agents charging $500+ to read material - READ it. With no guarantees for feedback or representation.

HSI's agent provides feedback (Donna told me she often reads scripts herself, too) then tries to refer paying clients to WGA sig agents who don't charge a fee.

He's providing you with feedback, submitting to prodcos and trying to get you a sig agent.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

Kenzie, mon amie,

Turn and RUN the other way. This service is prohibitively expensive (what is it, $350US per script). You could send 100 scripts out yourself for the same price and probably have the same number of replies...I'd say between 1-10%, realistically.

If you want to mail me I'll give you a hand with query letters and I don't charge anything.

Welcome aboard.

Julian,

I know and respect you from our days on Utopia.

But if someone's got an HCD or a web connection and printer, 500 labels cost under $20 at most stationery stores.

Sorry, but I can't see paying someone else to do something I can do cheaper.

Unless I'm making so gawddamned much that I don't have time to make up my own mailers. (WHich is far from the case)

Sondra,

I was asleep at the keys when I wrote that post. What I meant to say was other NON-WGA agents charge outrageous fees. I'm well aware that a WGA agent shouldn't ask for more than an SASE when (s)he requests your material.

Let me reiterate; I had a good experience with HSI. I strongly recommend the course.

I haven't used their agent because I'm a cheap bastard. Period. (I expect ANYONE out there to think long and hard before they send ANYTHING ANYWHERE, fee or no fee)

But based on my other experiences with them, the people at HSI aren't "scam artists." They've been in business pretty much as long as I've been alive; if they were a scam they would have teetered off into nether-space by now.

Julian,

I'm glad it worked out for you.

I'd be interested in hearing from Smart Girls what percentage of their clients gain agents/representation/sales from their service.

Maybe it IS worth the cash, but better to do your homework first.

(If Cox is recommending it I'm more receptive to it)

I've always seen INT. for inside the car and EXT. for outside.

Think of the car is basically a house on wheels. Someone gets in it's INT. Someone gets out it's EXT.

(Yes, I had the same problem the first time I wrote a scene with people moving into and out of a car)

James,

No sweat. I've got a job and 2 kids, and some trace of a life away from the writing.

Take all the time you need.

Tracy,

Yes, I've seen that done (INT/EXT), too. Not very often, and usually during a very quick sequence. (I think I saw it in SPEED, if I remember correctly, but it's been a while)

Let me check my archives - I think Williamson used it during the opening of SCREAM, as well (but I got that off Drew s Script-O-Rama and it's a transcript, so I don't trust their format)

Do yourself a BIG favor and pick up THE WRITER GOT SCREWED (but didn't have to) by Brooke A. Wharton, and read it cover to cover - twice.

Tracy,

I'd heed Didi's warning and try not to use an accent in your writing.

You're risking annoying the reader and insulting the actor (the more you write the less the actor can bring to a role).

You'd be better off dictating accent in parenthetical direction and using speech patterns to mimic a NYC accent.

Williamson wrote it but Wes Craven directed it.

Had he got someone else with less experience at the helm, SCREAM probably wouldn't have done so well and been a direct-to-video, Wal-Mart bargain bucket flick.

You're only a couple of hours from Boston, which has a film festival in (I think) November, so you missed it this year.

The Mass Film Office has a screenwriting competition every year.

Hey, guys,

I just got a solicitation from a script my partner and I have posted on Spec Script Library.

The solicitor's e-mail address is in a domain called @fa.disney.com

I'm a little suspicious since his mailing address doesn't mention an actual Disney mailing address, and that beginning of the domain bothers me.

Anyone seen this before?

Richard,

Interesting...

fa.disney.com is not listed with ARIN or the InterNIC.

More details as I dig them up...

Guys,

As some of you know, last week I received a solicitation from someone with an @fa.disney.com e-mail address.

The mail was returned user unknown (apparently, there really IS an fa.disney.com domain at the mouse house).

Anyway, the guy's name is Brooks Campbell - e-mail was brooksc@fa.disney.com, and his mailing address was in Castic, Ca.

I can't say for certain whether or not it's a scam, but this is a definite red flag for me.

If you can spare about $13, pick up THE ART OF STORYTELLING by Michael Druxman. He's got some good advice on how to get your script to an actor.

I didn't catch the name of the previous responder, but here's why I'm cautious;

Let me start by saying I've sent this guy nothing and he hasn't done anything to me but solicit material that I'm not going to send him - because I can't contact him.

He didn't give a phone number (only a PO box), and his e-mail bounced back to me. (Which resided in what looked like a Disney domain)

If someone wants to see your material, you have a right - no, an obligation to yourself to ask them questions, especially if you're conducting business over the web.

If someone doesn't give you any means to contact them, or if they seem to have something to hide - you shouldn't send them anything.

Don't you think Disney gets enough unsolicited pitches, scripts, etc. without paying people to surf around looking for material?

Why would one of the biggest prodcos on the planet need to pay someone to surf the web looking for scripts?

I had another similar experience a couple of months ago - I had an animation producer respond to one of my posts in another newsgroup - but it's a niche market (he was from MTV).

He gave me a mailing address, an e-mail address, a phone number and actually corresponded with me a couple of times before I sent him anything.

(And like with Brooks, this guy contacted ME first)

He answered all my questions within 24-48 hours, and he was very open about what he was looking for.

See the difference?

John,

Maybe I should have said they won't read MY script (lol).

Uh, Daniel, word to the wise...

You shouldn't post such detailed synopeses on the web.

It's a very easy way to get ripped off.

I sent him a query via e-mail about 48 hours after Kenzie replied to me and never heard anything.

I didn't send any loglines, etc. I just asked if he could give me some info.

Troma films created TOXIC AVENGER and a slew of other, relatively low budget horror stuff.

I've never heard of Trauma Films, tho.

I'd proceed with caution.

Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute (www.moviewriting.com) had a great class and used to run a summer residency program.

I don't know if they do it anymore, but it's worth a shot.

I've seen another workshop advertised in Scr(i)pt magazine - it says that Tarantino and Lee went to it, but I can't confirm that one.

A pitch is telling someone in a VERY brief session (not more than 5 or 10 minutes) what your story's about and why they should produce it.

If they like your idea, they'll probably ask you to get into more detail.

There are some books out there with sample synopses - SUCCESSFUL SCRIPTWRITING by Jurgen Wolff and Kerry Cox is one of the best (and cheapest).

Jay,

Like we said over on Utopia about the same topic - your age is really irrelevent during the initial contact.

Once you get your foot in the door your age MAY be a factor - I can't say for certain, but hell, if I could sound like an old fart at 27 I've been doing this since I was your age too.

(Actually, I just made a sale a year and a half ago -it wasn't much $ but an ego boost no less- so if you stick with it things will fall into place)

Jay, send me an e-mail at morganz@juno.com and we'll talk about this a little more.

When I think about it, the ONLY contest I recall that says TV scripts AREN'T taboo is the Disney fellowship competition.

I may be wrong, and if I am someone please correct me.

Keep your floppies in different places.

(Yeah, I'm paranoid but I made the mistake of putting some too close to my PC speakers...thank God I keep copies on both my hard drives, too)

My scriptwriting/script analysis professor (two seperate courses) was offered a Disney fellowship 4 years ago, I think.

He turned it down because his salary at the college was better, but they were pleasant about it.

S. Conrad, check your mail.

Say, while we're on the subject...

I know Other Brothers was looking for a while. Has anything gone before the cameras yet?

I've noticed that about him. He's really thorough and quick to get back to you (he received a script of mine early on a saturday morning and e-mailed me notes by mid afternoon).

It's been a while since I've posted, and I actually saw some titles pop up I wanted to read when I posted this on another board.

Good writing is fueled by good reading...what was the last book you read?

I just discovered H.P. Lovecraft on a suggestion from a friend. I have to say it's absolutely brilliant (writing about the space/time continuum and alternate universes in the early 1920s!).

Anyone else read THE CALL OF CTHULHU? I think it's the best damn short story I've ever read.

Susan's talking about access cable stations.

That's where I cut my teeth and I think it helped me a great deal.

The connections you'll be able to make in the industry - to be brutally honest - will be next to nothing. If you're lucky a few of the staff members will know something, but don't hold your breath.

You may not get much of an audience either - but don't be surprised if someone in a supermarket or gas station says they saw you on TV (it happens believe it or not).

Now what it will do is give you a place to work with cameras and editing equipment and understand how the process works. It's basically a sandbox.

The equipment doesn't cost anything and good stations have lights, mics, the whole nine yards. (This is great for the masses of us on really tight budgets)

Good luck if you pursue it. My e-mail address is in my profile, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

I had an opportunity to meet Kathy Mackel, the writer of CAN OF WORMS which is airing on the Disney channel in a couple of weeks.

She lives in MA. Her answer to that question was that the industry is so hungry for good talent and a good story that they'll actually consider someone OUTSIDE the area...the rationale being that they won't be "inbred" or influenced by trends and more likely to come up with original material.

Before you go, STUDY this site - it has great information:

http://www.io.com/MovingToHollywoodGuideForActors/TheHollywoodWriter.html

I think I've seen listings for it for the past 7-8 years (I live in New England).

Never gone, but it seems like it's been around a while.

Chris,

SU = Screenwriters' Utopia, I bet. (Gotta love web shorthand)

I just read an article on AP2 (I think it was in Entertainment Weekly) where Mike Myers said about 90% of the movie was improvised.

If you're working on a 2 minute skit for Whose Line Is It Anyway, it works most of the time. But ad-libbing most of a 90-100 minute movie...? (I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard it's one of these love it/hate it things)

Sondra,

What you neglected to mention was that if you don't want to keep paying the money for each and every script you prepare for them (since they're not WGA they can) they'll help you find someone who DOESN'T charge any fees (again, that's according to someone who used this service -- I personally have not). I think it'd be unethical if they didn't give you that option.

(I should add that they're very up front and say there are no guarantees)

I asked HSI why there was a fee -- their response was that their agent works exclusively for the school. (I think - I'm not positive, you'd have to check the site - he'll look at your material if you take the advanced course.)

Oh, BTW - For PJ;

I HSI's agent isn't WGA sig.

Sondra,

He's not a WGA agent, so he can pretty much do what he wants. Someone's using his services, and I assume he's doing a good job because he's been around for at least 10 years that I know of.

I don't know how their referrals work either - he probably knows a few WGA sig agents or something. If you want to ask them e-mail info@moviewriting.com and let us know what they say.

I'm with you that $350 for an evaluation is a bit steep, and I don't think I'd got for that even if I had the money to (I feel it'd be better spent on a class).

"Successful Scriptwriting" by Jurgen Wolff and Kerry Cox.

First screenwriting book I ever bought, and I still look at it constantly.

I think that D&D drew heavily on medieval European mythology...so do a little research -- I that race is based on a legend somewhere in Europe.

You should also check some bio information on Tolkein - there may be a clue as to where he came up with that race.

Just a side note - the SHADOWRUN RPG also has Orcs...but they changed the spelling to Orks.

I fought my way in to see this movie on Sunday (sold out from 11:30am to 9:05pm, playing every 40 minutes on 2 screens)...

I didn't think it was the scariest movie I've ever seen, but it was up there. (Very much worth the wait)

It's very original, and once you get past a dreadfully slow first act it picks up nicely.

(The ending threw me for a loop)

Probably not. I think for me the board's pretty much served its purpose - which was helping me get through a block. I do visit about once or twice a week to see if there's anything new on the site that would be of interest to me...but to be honest, there hasn't been much of anything on there.

I like it here and at Jen Glatzer's forum better - there seems to be more worthwhile information kicking around. (Chris, please take no offense - the rest of the site is fantastic and I visit several times a week.)

Christian,

I saw it a week ago and I STILL can't sleep. (It doesn't help that my house is in the woods...)

What do you think - could they have tightened up the first half hour?

Interesting.

I personally felt they could have focused a little more on what happened in the woods (just IMHO).

SPOILER AHEAD

I really hated Michael throwing the map in the river. I thought it was scarier when we thought it had just disappeared.

I can't tell you how much my heart sank when I saw the ending moments and knew what was going to happen - and out of respect for everyone who hasn't seen the movie, I'm not going to tell you what happens. (Though that second hit me harder than the entire opening of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN)

I honestly felt that I was watching this really happen...I have to keep reminding myself it was just a movie!

Steven,

I live in NH too. Please drop me a line with more info about that writing group.

I remember seeing a great article on Wordplayer about this, but can't find it again.

Anyone have a URL?

I think Entertainment Weekly said it cost $100k to make...and in one LA theater it grossed almost $160k in its opening weekend, more than paying for itself on the spot.

Incidentally - I just saw a commercial for it last night on Fox.

Thanks, guys.

T

SPOILER-

So, what was it that Heather unwrapped in the pile of sticks?

I've had people ask me if it was intestines, a tongue, fingers (which I thought at first) or teeth (which I think it is now).

The dialog felt very real, but I agree that the daylight scenes dragged. (For me the whole first half hour didn't work)

THE WRITER GOT SCREWED but didn't have to by Brooke Wharton has a chapter on this.

Louisa,

I've made some progress on the Flash animation project we spoke about a couple of weeks ago, but I lost your e-mail address.

Could you e-mail me?

I got the same thing. I deleted it.

To tell you the truth, I'm pretty cautious about ANYONE who solicits ME. It doesn't usually feel right (9 times out of 10 it seems to be a "send it now or you'll miss the opportunity of a lifetime!")

I've got friends-of-friends who work in the industry. One guy told me he saw a closet stacked floor-to-ceiling with unsolicited scripts. UNSOLICITED, mind you - these people sent them in blind.

It kind of makes me wonder - if anyone's worth doing business with, why would they come out and look for me when there whole freakin' world is trying to crash their party?

Sure, maybe they're small, maybe they're starting out and maybe, just maybe they're legit.

But (sadly) I kind of feel the odds are against it. Think about all the garbage out here on the web - go to a search engine and type in "screenwriter", then try to find YOUR e-mail address/web site.

It just seems too good to be true. Anyone else feel particularly disheartened right now or is it just me?

Write to the show you want to write for. Most of them have a bible they'll send to you if you give them an SASE.

I've seen the BATMAN-ANIMATED SERIES bible for sale at ScriptCity.

Hey John,

That good or bad? ;)

I just found these guys on the web.

Anyone have any contact with them, good/bad/indifferent?

Thx, Tim

I can't speak for their agent, but I felt the course was worthwhile. And you get a nice discount if you take them online.

$350 is a lot of money - I'm not sure that even if I had that much to toss around I'd pay someone to read my script with the "possibility" they'd represent me. Unless "somebody" happened to be a Mr. Cameron...

Their online class is something like $100 more (check the site for the current rate). I think THAT'S worth it. Matter of fact, I'm getting ready to sign up for their advanced class.

Maybe if I were single and didn't have my mortgage, preschool for the kids, the car loan, etc., I'd probably be able to justify it...hell, now that I think about it, if I didn't have those things I'd make my OWN movie and not need to worry about it.

Wow, I can't believe nobody pointed you to http://www.script-o-rama.com/

He's got free scripts and transcripts for download on his site.

I'd say your scene should last long enough to make its point, but no longer. (Unless you have a very good reason for a longer scene)

I've heard that a scene should average at least a page, and can go to three or so if necessary.

Hi all,

Question for you - anyone use the WriteSafe.com service?

If you did, could you let me know what you thought?

Thanks!

Congratulations.

Like some of the other folks on here have said, it's quality, not quantity. I think you're in good shape between 103 and 107 pages (based on the class I just wrapped up).

Now that you're done with script one, I think you should start the treatment / synopsis for script two. You should have at least two in the can before you start marketing yourself. Lots of books on the topic advise this, since the first question you get will probably be "what else have you got?"

If there's a Barnes and Noble bookstore near you, they run free writing groups every week or so -- near me I've got a monthly screenwriters' group. I strongly recommend you get some exposure to other screenwriters. It'll help you tremendously.

Good luck with it, and welcome to the craft.

Welcome, Mary Ellen.

I'm from the other side of hell (N.H.) where it DOES freeze over.

Comedy is one of the hardest genres to write for - since what I think is hilarious may not appeal to someone else. Just take a look around the theater when you watch one of those gross-out comedies; you'll probably see a couple of people (at least) who don't think every joke is funny.

You may want to bounce one of your scripts off a writing group or a class. That way you can see the audience reactions.

Nothing feels better than the whole group laughing at a good joke...but be warned, there's nothing worse than watching your jokes fall flat. (Though a good writing group will help you make them better)

I submitted, didn't even make the first cut.

Same script took first place in the Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute contest.

You gotta love subjectivity...

OK, I've got two for you...

Strangest Rejection For a Solicited Script : "Sorry, I didn't have time to read it, but I'm not interested." (I'm still trying to figure that one out)

The strangest rejection I've EVER gotten was from a major comic-book publisher...they sent me a form rejection as a reply to my request for writer's guidelines! "If you have to ask, you're not for us."

Double "huh?"

Michele,

I don't know what the heck was up with that one...but a form rejection for a request for guidelines (which, in the Writer's Market, "are available for an SASE." Yeah, right.

One of these days they'll be sorry!

I posted my first script on there as a prize for winning the Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute contest...it got a bunch of hits the first couple of months, all of which wound up going nowhere. The second script I posted has been up there for about seven months, and nobody's even viewed the treatment. (The second one's a finalist in the AKA Shriekfest competition...maybe I should revise that summary)

For the most part my feelings are mixed; I don't think you should rely exclusively on it, but as part of a multi-pronged attack it could help.

I think the odds are slim of someone being "discovered" from something like InkTip are pretty slim, although it can -- and has -- happened. Realistically, you probably have a better chance of hitting the lottery.

On the other hand, I do think it's worth having at least one script on there because InkTip's newsletter occasionally has ads for companies like James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment. (I cross-checked the info in the listing with the HCD - they were definitely the same place)

That means some big players are using the site, so having something on there is another chance to be seen...keeping a script in your drawer is nothing. If you have the $$ to spend on the listings, I suppose it can't hurt.

Are you serious? Lightstorm Entertainment's listing in that newsletter was a hoax???

How the heck did that happen?

Christina,

If you choose not to identify who's speaking in that scene, I would get to that as soon as possible (within a page or so)...otherwise you risk the reader/viewer losing track of the voice on the machine.

Write what comes to you. If it's one genre, great...if it's differente genres, great.

There's no one way to write, but being able to write across genres gives you more potential clients. (Diversified skills are a good thing)

My two personal favorites are the T2 : Book of the Film and The Matrix Shooting Script.

(Or anything with deleted scenes and why they were deleted...so you get a sense for the directions the movie was going -- helps with rewrites)

If you can't send it in read-only mode (or you're paranoid), I'm pretty sure you can convert a file for something like $5 to PDF format at www.adobe.com. Write-Safe (www.writesafe.com) will also convert to PDF for you, but it costs more ($10 last time I looked) for them to do it.

If you're using MovieMagic Screenwriter, there's an option in the PRINT menu to print to a PDF file.

Well, in the eerie-but-not-quite duplicate world...

...I'm working on an action script, I have a scene where a commando unit boards a cargo ship from a helicopter...(I started working on this script in July, mind you)

...and I tune into THREAT MATRIX last night, to see...a very, VERY similar scene.

I guess great minds think alike.

Christina,

See if you can get a copy of THE WRITER GOT SCREWED (BUT DIDN'T HAVE TO) by Brooke A. Wharton. She's an entertainment attorney that explains this kind of thing in depth.

Along with agents, managers, contracts...

Disney's Fellowship program (www.abcnewtalent.com).

And to boot, it's FREE!

I took the UCLA online workshop this summer and we used MovieMagic. I thought it was great, really easy to use and get the hang of.

It offers all kinds of neat features like script breakdowns and such, but the coolest feature lets you load a speech synthesizer onto your computer, which allows it to read your script out loud. You can set up different voices for different characters, too. It's like having a bunch of friends over for a reading without needing to buy beer and munchies. ;)

The UCLA workshop was fantastic, but a bit expensive, though you get a very deep discount on MM Screenwriter when you take the class and you have access to a ton of great scripts.

Ah, they must've changed the URL. ;)

Yes, that's the one I meant...the Disney fellowship competition. Runs every June, missed it this year, but there's always next year.

(So you've got some time to really polish your entry)

Any bets on which one will add theme music and sound effects first? ;)

If this person took the time to give you a detailed critique -- and you've got more than one person in the industry saying the same thing, it's probably a good idea to consider using their comments to do a rewrite.

Who knows - they may even be interested in looking at the rewrite. It could lead to an assignment (maybe not this one, but they may keep you in mind if you take constructive criticism and make an effort at improving the work).

Johnny,

Congratulations on finishing the first. Now get a second one out while you're waiting for the contests to start back up (I know, it's been said before).

Good luck with it and keep writing.

Tim

Hi all,

I got a lead on a company called Python Entertainment from a friend of mine.

Just curious - anyone on here ever hear of them? They don't show up in IMDB or my issue of the HCD.

Thanks, Tim

Tom,

Don't let one contest get you down. This business is extremely subjective -- one of my scripts won a contest, but I'm having a hard time getting it read.

That mean I'm less of a writer? No.

That mean my script stinks? No.

That mean nobody's interested in it right now? Unfortunately yes, key words meaning RIGHT NOW.

There are other contests and companies you can go to. Try the prodcos; the stakes are much bigger and it only costs the postage to send it out.

Good luck.

Tim

If you haven't heard "no" yet, it's probably a good thing. ;)

Jerry,

You may be able to get this info from Animators' World network (www.awn.com).

I think the WGA also has a section for animation writers on their site.

Edmund,

Drew's Script-O-Rama will give you a general idea on how to write a script, but some of them are transcripts (they're marked) and not in proper format.

Hollywood Book and Poster Company (http://www.hollywoodbookandposter.com) can get you a copy of just about any script you want...just e-mail them or give them a call.

Their prices are very reasonable, too.

AKA Shriekfest is a horror/sci-fi contest. I had a good experience with their contest.

I also had good luck with Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute. Their contest accepts all genres and it runs monthly.

Good luck.

I actually know Jenna Glatzer from the early days of Absolute Write. She also runs Absolute Markets.

Jenna's a contributing editor to Writer's Market and knows her stuff. (And provides a TON of info for free)

d,

I recommend you find a copy of THE WRITER GOT SCREWED (BUT DIDN'T HAVE TO) by Brooke A. Wharton. It's a great book that cuts through the legal BS.

Technically, you're really better off with a Library of Congress copyright. It offers you a few more protections that the WGA reg doesn't, though both establish ownership of a work.

Don,

Not only OK, but advisable.

I'd do with through the Library of Congress since the cost is the same and you get more protections.

Yeah, pick up a copy of THE MATRIX.

Steve,

You want the federal govenment to do something quick that doesn't involve *taking* money?

Sounds like a Monty Python short... ;)

Does anyone know whether 20/20 ever announced 2005 winners?

I made it to the second round, but haven't heard anything else.

Claire,

Animation is a tough sell. You'll probably have better luck over on Animators' World Network (www.awn.com)

I found it fun to watch, though some of the dialog was painful. (Natalie Portman looked like she wanted to be doing other things)

But now that we have the prequels, I definitely like Dath Vader more when we *didn't* know all about his background. Now that the mystery is gone, he's not the ominous figure that kept me up when I was a kid.

Keep very careful records of where your material has been and any contact you have with them.

It's not being paranoid - well, OK it is, but there are other reasons as well. It makes it easier for you to keep track of where your work has been, what the responses were, when to follow up, etc.

If you haven't copywritten the work with the Library of Congress, you should send it out and do that. You gain protections with an LoC copyright that you don't with other forms of "registration," even the WGA.

I read somewhere that it was a good idea to bend the ends of the brads under so they don't catch on someone's clothing...

(Hey, don't look at me like that...I didn't write it)

Good luck - the absolute worst that's going to happen is you hear nothing and quietly wind up in the "nut pile." (I really hope they catch the wacko who sent anthrax through the mail and made it even harder for us to get through the gatekeepers)

Just be careful and don't send a bunch of queries or do anything stupid...lest you wind up in the nut folder (which I bet a lot of actors keep nowadays) and have some rather unfriendly law enforcement officials banging on your door...

I'd strongly recommend every writer pick up a copy of THE WRITER GOT SCREWED (but didn't have to) by Brooke A. Wharton.

It describes the legal differences (in plain English) between copyright and registration (in a nutshell, registration doesn't let you recover some damages, like court and attorney's fees); managers and agents; and a great chapter on contracts.

I really found the section on agents, managers and lawyers interesting. Wharton explains the differences, and what to expect each to do/not do for your career.

It's under $11 on Amazon.com, and believe me, it's money very well spent.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0062732366/qid=1125753290/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-2760814-1591169?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Hmmm...if you're having that much trouble nailing down a genre, (I can just imagine the bricks that'll come my way - but I need to say this), maybe you aren't dealing with a story that should be told through film. You may be dealing with a short story, a novel, maybe even a comic book...

Tough as this is to say, some stories and approaches translate well to film - and some don't. And it can be extremely difficult to tell which one you've got.

I must've gotten two or three dozen of these a day...

Good luck.

Pick up a copy of Brooke A. Wharton's THE WRITER GOT SCREWED (But Didn't Have To). It's short money on Amazon.com, and money well spent.

It's a great reference for people like us - including when you need an agent, manager, attorney, and a couple of sample contracts and what the legalise means. Wharton's an entertainment attorney and explains things in layman's terms.

A synopsis is generally two to three pages. If you take a screenwriting course, it's usually one of the first assignments.

You tell the story - beginning, middle and end with no dialog and only the ABSOLUTELY necessary details. (Yeah, it's tough...nobody ever said this would be easy)

A treatment is longer - somewhere over 20 pages, and includes more detail. It's basically a beefed-up step outline.

If you want to practice pitching - which is a really good idea - grab a few of your friends and practice - and solicit feedback. Make sure you find people whose opinions you trust and who will be *honest* with you.

You don't want to have it sugar coated, but you don't want someone being mean for the sake of being mean either.

Good luck.

I'm not sure I agree. From a casting perspective, the first way could be confusing since it would appear the two characters are different people...

I'd try to find a couple scripts that do this and see how something that got produced handled it.

How do I decide? I throw a dart against a printout...

OK, that's not quite accurate. I look at the report cards, check the Writer Bewares site (usually on AbsoluteWrite.com or on the SFFWA site).

And if there's money involved, make sure you measure the prize against the entry fee. (If the entry fee is $50 and the prize is $100, would it be worth it to you?)

I'm interested in YouTube (basically the ultimate access TV channel)...anyone can post a movie as long at it's 100 megs or less...

Have any of you thought of writing and producing a short to put up there?

Why or why not?

I'm sure the point has been iterated time and again - but $20 (about the price of a pizza and tip being delivered to your house) to copyright your work is piddly compared to what you stand to loose (everything).

It's money well spent. And I strongly recommend a copy of THE WRITER GOT SCREWED (But Didn't Have To) by Brooke A. Wharton. Very good read, and an invaluable reference for any writer.

You also ought to consider putting your stuff on YouTube. It's free, unlimited and you're exposed to the world. (I've got a short on there I did for You Spoof Discovery...didn't come out as well as I'd hoped, but it was more for poops and giggles than anything serious)

They also run contests in the Community section. Sponsors have included Smirnoff, Nestle Quik and Sketchers.

As long as you follow the guidelines (no copyrighted material you don't own, porn, etc), you'll be fine.

Have you tried calling SAG and getting a hold of their agent?

I checked their web site but didn't see anything about an agent contact. You may also be able to dig that up by looking on autograph sites.

If it's horror/fantasy/sci-fi you can hit up Critters (www.critters.org).

Savannah,

There are a bunch of contests that take shorts.

This year I entered a team into the 48 Hour Film Project in my state (we had 2 days to write, shoot, edit, score and render a 7 minute film). It was a ton of fun and I've got a link up on YouTube.

"Saving Face" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s1dpK8gY4E (I know it's not Oscar material, but it was a blast to make, I met a bunch of cool people, and we got to see it on the big screen in a local movie theater)

There are other contests that take shorts - "short" depends on the contest, but it's usually 45 minutes/pages or shorter. (Some contests may be shorter still)

Check out WithoutABox (https://www.withoutabox.com/) - they're run by Amazon.com, and they list a ton of festivals...some of which take scripts.

I agree with Andrew. Write, write, write!

I'll go a step further:

I assume you have a computer since you're on here. If you don't have one, get one.

Get yourself a copy of one of the screenwriting programs like Final Draft or MovieMagic Screenwriter. It's money well spent since it'll do the formatting for you and let you focus on writing. (If you're really good with Word or your word processor, you can probably set up styles...though sometimes I think that's more of a pain than it's worth)

Get a used camera off Craigslist. You can get a capture device like a Dazzle for short money (which will include a "lite" version of Pinnacle Studio). I think my Dazzle cost me $50 when I bought it?

Start yourself a YouTube channel. It's free, unlimited, and available to everyone. I mean EVERYONE.

Welcome to the digital age. You've now got everything you need to make movies.

I know I'm dating myself here - when I got my BA degree, streaming MPEG video was just coming into its own...now the price of the technology (and more importantly, the ability to deliver it) has dropped so much it's within reach of the average consumer.

You can find talent anywhere - your friends, family, enemies...I'd stick to people you know right now, or friends-of-friends...

The other thing to know is if you're really an artist, this isn't going to leave you no matter what. I had a couple of kids and I'm just getting back into this after a 13 year "sabbatical" (it's a long story but a cool one...probably got a script or two in it).

James,

I started producing my own stuff seriously in the spring. Modify my advice based on your own situation and goals.

I researched the heck out of cameras and went with a Canon EOS 7D. It's a DSLR one step down from the 5D MkII (the season finale of HOUSE was shot on a 5D MKII). I love this camera because the video it shoots looks like film...I have a friend with an XH1A, and he's jealous at the colors the 7D captures. He needs software color correction to get the same effect.

The downside with the 7D: it uses more expensive CF memory cards, it's limited in its frame rate and resolution (though it can capture at full HD in 30 or 24 fps), and after a couple hours nonstop shooting, the camera started to overheat. (It's only happened once, but I usually shut down between takes to conserve power and it seems to mitigate the overheating)

The bundle I bought with the camera came with a zoom lens and a bunch of stuff (cleaning kit, flash, tripod...); I picked up a Canon 50mm prime as a second lens. The 50mm is freaking amazing - the first video I made I was tight in on an actor friend's eyes, and you could see me reflected in her eyes.

The 50mm prime has a wide aperture (down to f1.8) and really sweet control over depth-of-field. With a little practice it looks like it cost a lot more than I spent on it. Between these two lenses I can do a lot (I got one with the camera).

For audio I've got a Zoom H4N digital audio recorder (if you watch Ghost Hunters, it's the gizmo with two mics on the end). The audio it captures is beautiful; in a pinch I've done voiceovers in my "mobile studio" (my wife's car). I've also got a shotgun mic and a camera mount for the H4N. (I can get 25 hours of audio on a 16MB SD card).

I tried the homemade pipe steadicam and hated it (unweildy and heavy as hell), so I picked up a Manfrotto ModoSteady. It transforms from steadicam to shoulder brace to tabletop tripod, and it's a lot lighter and more comfortable. I shot some video at a concert last month with it in shoulder brace mode, and it really comes in handy...especially when you're working with a small camera like a DSLR.

I've edited on Pinnacle Studio and Sony Vegas. Vegas is much more powerful but Studio is more user-friendly.

I got a basic light kit off eBay - three lights, two umbrellas, fixtures and bulbs - for $63 with the shipping. If you go this route, watch a few auctions, know what you want to pay and stick with it.

Everything I need - including my laptop and tripod - packs into a backpack and a duffle bag.

We entered the 48 Hour Film Project in our state (a blast), I've got another film into the NH Film Festival, and both are up on my YouTube channel. (YouTube is free and unlimited)

With the exception of my co-writer and one actor on 48HFP, I found everyone on the project through Craigslist. That's six people out of a team of nine. (It was also the second short I made after buying the 7D...which was nuts but fun)

If you enter film festivals through WithoutABox (www.withoutabox.com) you get a page on IMDB for your short. If you're accepted to a festival, as I understand it, you qualify for an IMDB entry.

Obviously you can save money (buy the camera used or refurbished, go with the homemade steadicam)...or you can do like I did and spread out the purchase over time. It took me about 6 months to get everything, and the whole time I was researching, shopping around, and comparing prices.

Good luck!

Oh - one more thing.

I see people raising money for short films on Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com).

I haven't done that *yet* but I'm planning to in January...I'll keep you posted on my experience.

The technology and the delivery mechanism have arrived. :D

And if anyone's interested in wasting 7 minutes you'll never get back:

Saving Face http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s1dpK8gY4E

(Our entry into 48HFP)

I wouldn't call it a problem unless you're not paying other bills so you can enter screenplay contests. THAT would require an intervention.

If you can place in a bunch of contests - or even make it to the finals - you know you're better than most of the other people out there. Placing also gives you an opportunity (albeit brief) to capitalize on the win.

If it keeps you motivated I don't see any harm in it...though the postage would be less expensive with real submissions.

If you submit to a festival through WithoutABox, there's an option for distribution. I'm not sure how it works but I'm looking into it...

48HFP has a section on what you can and can't do - you can put it on YouTube or your own site as long as you don't sell it and leave the "This film made for the 48 hour film project" on it.

If a festival has concerns, they'll be listed in the rules.

You're thinking too much. I use MovieMagic Screenwriter and let the software do that for me.

If you're on a Mac, I think Final Draft does the same thing.

When I took the UCLA screenwriting workshop, we got a deep discount on Screenwriter.

Back in 2006/2007 Discovery Channel had a contest to spoof their programming called You Spoof Discovery.

My entry is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSLTd4H7q1w&list=UUJSsbdoIPxkYOS6a8-aqXTw&index=0&feature=plcp

It didn't make it onto the show, but I've gotten about 40,000 hits on the video. I'm actually shocked by the response, which was mostly positive.

There were a couple of scenes I had to drop (including a MythBusters spoof within the spoof to explain things because I couldn't cast an Adam and Jamie), and it really made me appreciate how collaborative this medium is. If you read the comments, most of the catch phrases people liked were ad-libbed by my actor.

Visually it's not the same quality as the stuff I'm putting together now (I shot it on a home camcorder and spent maybe $50 on props and fake blood), but nothing else I've done (to date) has had this kind of response.

I really think readers have the mindset they look for reasons - any reasons - to reject material. Being compared to something current could really cut either way depending on how the reader liked what you're being compared to.

I'd Try not to dwell on it and keep writing. You had a decent showing in contests, so you're doing something right.

(I used to have a pile labeled "F* them what do they know" that I put these kinds of rejections in)

I had a run on contests back in 2003. You've got a short period of time to capitalize on it, and I tried like hell. I got a couple of solicitations but couldn't turn it into a sale.

It kind of makes me glad I've got a day job. The last couple years I've been making shorts for YouTube and film festivals (another nut I've yet to crack). I may set up a Kickstarter page and mention I'm an award-winning screenwriter and see if it has any bearing on that. (Honestly, I'm kind of doubtful - Kickstarter is more about what you give away than your cred)