Dear Friend,

Ben Hecht was an iconic American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, and novelist.

Called "the Shakespeare of Hollywood," he was the first screenwriter to receive an Academy Award for Original Screenplay, for the movie Underworld (1927).

According to film historian Richard Corliss, he was "the" Hollywood screenwriter, someone who "personified Hollywood itself." The Dictionary of Literary Biography — American Screenwriters, calls him "one of the most successful screenwriters in the history of motion pictures."

The number of screenplays he wrote or worked on that are now considered classics is, according to Chicago's Newberry Library, "astounding," and included films such as, Scarface (1932), Barbary Coast (1935), Some Like It Hot, Gone with the Wind, Wuthering Heights, (all 1939), Spellbound (1945), Notorious (1946), A Farewell to Arms (1957), and Casino Royale (posthumously, in 1967) — just to name a few.

In total, six of his movie screenplays were nominated for Academy Awards, with two winning.

Anyhow, this legendary Hollywood scribe once said:

"Out of the thousand writers huffing and puffing through movieland there are scarcely fifty men and women of wit or talent. The rest of the fraternity is deadwood. Yet, in a curious way, there is not much difference between the product of a good writer and a bad one. They both have to toe the same mark."

In short, talent alone does not guarantee your success in this industry.

So, how DOES a talented screenwriter like yourself overcome the odds and become Hollywood's "next great voice?"

That's what The Screenwriter's Success Newsletter is here to help you with!

Here's what our team of experts have got for you this week:

Screenwriter Questions (Part 3): is this week's article by yours truly. In this piece I address some of the most frequently asked questions that plague screenwriters. You may find that YOUR most pressing question is asked... and answered... here...

The Box Office Report: gives you the latest feature film releases as well as the opening weekend projections, so you can be on top of this critical information.

Rookie Mistake: Killing the Gift Horse: is this week's article by mc foley. mc is an active writer and regular contributor to this newsletter. The title of her column is "Lessons Learned: One Writer's Journey."

A Legal Perspective for Screenwriters: is our column by entertainment attorney Gordon P. Firemark. To ask your legal questions, email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . If your question is chosen, it (and your answer) will appear in an issue of The Screenwriter's Success Newsletter.

An Insider's Look at the Development Process: Part 3: is this week's article from Director of Development for Clifford Werber Productions, Daniel Manus. The title of his column is "No B.S. for Screenwriters — The Executive Perspective."

Best Business Advice for Screenwriters: is dedicated to asking a top executive or successful screenwriter the absolute best advice they could give a screenwriter looking for success. This week's contributor? Screenwriter Bob DeRosa — writer of "Killers," and "The Air I Breathe"!

The Scoggins Report: is our bi-weekly/monthly spec market analysis. Use this information to see what's selling, who's buying what, and what genre you should be writing for. This information is pure gold...

Digging the Well Before You're Thirsty: is our column dedicated to tracking the promotions and movements of Hollywood's Executives. Use this market intelligence wisely...

Why Can't I Get What I Want?: is this week's article from our newest contributor — screenwriting contest judge and author of "39 Ways to Win a Screenwriting Contest & The Nine Mistakes New Writers Make" — Sean Hinchey. The title of his column is "Insights and Screenwriting Wisdom from a Veteran Screenwriting Contest Judge."

The Business of Show Institute Recommends: is the weekly screenwriting product or service that our staff has personally reviewed and feel you would benefit from. This week? The Shortcuts to Success — Meeting with the Masters Mentoring Program! Hollywood's only screenwriting mentoring program where Marvin V. Acuna and his network of industry contacts will help you achieve the success you desire and deserve.

That's it for this issue, but we are dedicated to making this newsletter THE resource for aspiring screenwriters.

If you enjoyed it, and would like to pass it along to friends, please have them go directly to http://www.TheBusinessOfShowInstitute.com and have them sign up there.

May Your Life Be Extraordinary,

Marvin V. Acuna

Screenwriter Questions (Part 3)

by Marvin V. Acuna

Part 3 of the screenwriter question series continues.

For obvious reasons I will be unable to address every question still sitting in the queue, but I was compelled to offer my thoughts to the following which were chosen completely at random. Here we go:

What are some key tips for writers who are 'not good in a room'?
Practice! More importantly as Malcolm Gladwell stated in a recent interview...deliberate practice. Toastmasters is a great organization to consider and affords you that privilege. Mentoring member Justin P Bechtold recently wrote me the coolest note about his first experience attending a Toastmaster meeting and the benefits he derived from the experience. In my Art of Connecting discussion which is part of the Secret Weapon audio series I discuss other strategies on how to be effective and powerful.


Can a first time screenwriter sell his/her epic action/ adventure script for one million dollars?
Is it possible...yes! My hope is that you have been following the terrific market intelligence that our expert contributor Jason Scoggins provides for you via the Scoggins Report (always delivered here first). It's evident that the business has changed — specifically the spec market — thus, there are many factors to consider. Jason and I spoke extensively about selling specs in the market place during the Secret Weapon Audio series. Download the replay for another listen.


How do I locate a producer or producers who would want to read my synopsis?
There are many strategies to consider. One would simply be to do the homework as to who is best for your work. The internet affords you the opportunity to conduct all the necessary research. In fact, there are several online companies that, for a nominal fee, provide the information. Producer Evan Astrowsky (Eli Roth's "Cabin Fever," "Mini's First Time" starring Alec Baldwin, "Fanboys") and I discuss other strategies to identifying the right producers for your projects. It's available in the members area.


I'm still trying to find an agent. How can I get my E-queries past the gatekeepers?
In my humble opinion, aspiring screenwriters assume that an assistant doesn't have the time, judgment, or influence to help them, and therefore simply see them as a barrier to their objective — connecting with the entertainment professional they desire to have read/buy their screenplay. Huge mistake! After all, they're controlling your access. Assistants are key and instrumental in any industry; but in Hollywood, a strategic alliance with an assistant has the potential to change your life. Former assistants turned established literary agents Chris Sablan of Original Artists and Sean Barclay of the Gersh Agency offered some terrific insights as to how to navigate the all important "gatekeeper." Visit the member's area and review the discussion.

The Box Office Report

Lessons Learned: One Writer's Journey

Rookie Mistake: Killing the Gift Horse

by mc foley

Long ago, I attended a wrap party with someone I'd just met. I soon learned two things: One — he was a raging alcoholic with a mean temper. Two — people have different definitions of what constitutes a "rookie mistake."

At a certain point in the evening, we were sitting at a table with a group of people, and this guy I'd come to the party with (let's call him Andrew) was four or five drinks in when another person I'd met at AFM (American Film Market) strolled up and said hello to both of us. Let's call this second person Jason.

"Oh, you know Andrew too," I said to Jason. "Where'd you guys meet?"

At that, Andrew launched into a strange rant about how embarrassing it was that I'd asked such a rookie question. "You never ask people that!," he shouted at me. "You're so green!"

To this day, I still don't understand Andrew's POV. And I still ask people where they met. Depending on the person, I've heard some pretty interesting stories — ranging from: "He was my assistant when he first started in this business, twenty years ago, and now he's the head of this company." — to — "We were childhood friends and when I came to LA, I looked her up, we started writing together, and we got staffed on my first series as partners."

I find that a lot of people, especially writers, enjoy talking about their own stories. And I would never have heard such interesting and varied ones, if I never asked.

However, there is something to Andrew's rant — and that is — I agree that there are a slew of rookie mistakes to avoid. I'm sure if we polled every contributor on this newsletter, we could come up with a compelling list. And I'm also sure that there would be disagreements.

For my part, I just had a great conversation with a friend regarding a recent experience he'd had with someone new to the business. For the sake of this article, let's call the new person the "rookie," and call my friend the "veteran." And for the sake of the veteran, I must keep this story very general.

Basically, three successful people had suggested to the rookie that he contact the veteran to work on a project. The rookie spoke to the veteran, and after the initial conversation and the plans to move forward, the veteran began to set the wheels in motion — he was negotiating some pretty good business tradeoffs and sponsorships on the rookie's behalf. The veteran was also planning to request half his normal rate.

A few days later, the rookie contacted the veteran and indicated that one of his "advisors" suggested that the veteran should provide him with a "list of projects that he had completed and contact information for three references." Of course, the veteran was insulted. And a little baffled. Was this 'kid' — with no track record — asking for proof? After he'd already been referred to the veteran by three successful people in the business — one of whom, was an accomplished TV producer with years of experience, a second one, whose mobile and web content company had long been established in three countries, and a third, who had created and sold several companies.

Little did the rookie know, after the second conversation, the veteran was 1) insulted, 2) unwilling to make those connections, and 3) going to charge the full rate. He re-thought what he'd already negotiated because he didn't feel comfortable introducing the rookie to some of these other people anymore. Especially because, by introducing the rookie to these people, he was, in essence, vouching for the rookie. And the veteran was also concerned that what he'd initially perceived as a great opportunity to leverage relationships might turn sour, and he could end up hurting one of his already existing business relationships if working with the rookie gave one of them a bad experience.

It's too bad the rookie didn't ask someone else's advice before requesting this 'list' from the veteran. Or, perhaps he did ask advice, just not from the right person. Even further, he could have done some quiet research and figured out some of the veteran's 'list' on his own — through phone calls and internet surfing.

From the rest of the conversation with the veteran, I pulled a few bullet points — tips that he would offer up to the "rookie mistake" list. Again, this is one person's POV, but I agree with him and I think the bullet points are worth consideration. Further, these are clearly not screenwriting "craft" points — they are more focused on the business/networking side of the trade:

• It's important to ask questions/advice from people before taking certain strategic actions related to your career/business. Especially if you are inexperienced.


• However, be careful who you are asking — make sure this person is someone who is currently doing (or has done) work you respect, and that this work relates to your particular circumstance.


• Don't try to make people who are ESTABLISHED — jump through hoops. (eg: asking them to provide you with a list of their working relationships as some sort of proof that they are legit). Especially if you are not established. They don't have to jump through anything for you. They can simply walk away.


• Don't always be looking for a free ride, a cheap way in, or a "percentage off future income." If your project is going to "make so much money," why would you be giving someone a percentage that would potentially earn that person ten times as much as they would earn if you just paid them a flat fee? Answer: because this rookie approach is so common, it can seem laughable. And it can not only insult people, it can make you look arrogant or naive. If you look at most situations where work is done at a bargain rate or for barter, a lot of these situations take place amongst people who have existing relationships.


• And if it doesn't work out — DONT BURN BRIDGES

So — what happened at the end of the rookie/veteran story? Well, it's so recent, it's still being worked out. However, I can definitely say that the rookie killed what could have been some very nice gift horses before they even reached his stable.

Cheers,


by word & by deed,
- mc foley


About mc foley:
Melinda Corazon Foley was born in Cebu, Philippines, raised in Virginia and currently resides in West Hollywood, CA. In 2005, MC Foley was named East West Players' James Irvine Foundation Mentee affording her the privilege to craft a new original stage play, the result: "Down and Out." It debuted at the Union Center for the Arts. Foley was then awarded the Asian American Writers Workshop Scholarship, which she utilized to re-imagine the aforementioned play into a web based series incorporating verse, motion graphics and comic book illustrations. Recently Ms. Foley completed work on a debut YA novel, The Ice Hotel. The novel is a fantasy adventure written especially for readers experiencing the profound pain of loss. In the book, a family, reeling from their eldest son's death, escapes to the Ice Hotel, where an age-old, arctic magic connects this world to the next. The Ice Hotel is now available at Amazon. Order your copy here.

A Legal Perspective for Screenwriters

by Gordon P. Firemark

Question:
"Last summer I read a book by a local author, the true life story about her survival as a 7-yr.-old Ukrainian girl in various work camps during World War II, culminating in internment at Dachau 5 months before it was liberated. I and members of my production crew loved the story, all were anxious to produce it, so I optioned the book and started to co-write the screenplay adaptation.

"While reading the book over a few more times, red flags started appearing in her story, impossible situations that cause me to doubt her legal ethics. (Think Oprah) I've contacted several organizations in the pursuit of any records that might exist of her (or her mother) ever being in Dachau. The request I submitted to my final source in October has yet to be answered. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on the option.

"Half my production team have stated they will back out of the project if proof isn't found. The other half agree that it's a great story, but they're not certain what the legal and career ramifications would be if we produced a film based on a book that may be fraudulently promoted as a true story.

"If no proof can be found, would you advise it best to get out of the option and drop the project? Or, if enough changes were made to the script, would it be acceptable to state in the film credits that "This story is loosely based on certain events depicted in the book titled "_______" by ________?" (If we continue on with the project, the option provides credit for the book and author in the film credits.)

"What would you advise is the prudent and ethical thing to do based on lack of proof?"

Answer:
This is a complex question that turns much more on the business aspects than on the legal or ethical issues involved. From a legal standpoint, if you've suffered some kind of detriment as a result of your reasonably reliance upon false representations made by the author, you're a victim of fraud. Fraud is frequently grounds for recision of a contract. ("recision" is essentially the cancellation of a contract and returning the parties to the position they held before entering into the agreement).

Here, however, rescinding the contract and getting your option money back may not be an appropriate (or desired) remedy.

The fact is, a good story, whether based on true events or not, is still a good story, and it really remains up to you as a filmmaker to decide whether it's worth telling as a film. If so, go ahead and produce a film. If not, get your option money back and move on to other things.

If you do decide to proceed with a film, the issue then becomes one of whether you can characterize it as "based on a true story" Absent convincing proof that the story is really true, I'd recommend against stating so. It's never appropriate, ethical or legally justified to make false representations in advertising or promoting a product. Instead, you can still honestly and ethically state that the film is "based on the book/novel by____". There's really no need to qualify things further.

If you believe that the value of the story is diminished by its characterization as fiction, then perhaps there's room for a renegotiation of the rights fees. I recommend that you consult an attorney about this. If a factual investigation is warranted, you may also want to bring in an investigator or researcher.


Thinking of producing it yourself? Subscribe to my FREE e-course "6 Ways to Finance a Feature Film" by visiting http://firemark.com/minicourse.


Have a legal question? Email them to: legalquestions@thebusinessofshowinstitute.com

The foregoing is intended as general information only and does not establish an attorney-client relationship with Mr. Firemark. This information is not a substitute for a private, independent consultation with an attorney selected to advise you after a full investigation of the facts and law relevant to your matter. Neither Mr. Firemark nor The Business of Show Institute will be responsible for readers' detrimental reliance upon the information appearing in this column.

About Gordon P. Firemark:
Gordon Firemark is an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. For almost 20 years, he's helped creative and business people in the fields of film, television, theatre, music and new media achieve their professional and artistic goals. His practice focuses on negotiating and drafting entertainment contracts and business deals, film and theatre financing, corporate startups/operations, and intellectual property protection and licensing. Get more information at http://firemark.com/.

No B.S. for Screenwriters - The Executive Perspective

An Insider's Look at the Development Process: Part 3

by Daniel Manus

So our script was finally done. Six months and seven drafts, and we were ready to go...right? Well, not exactly. Because strategizing for going out with a script is almost as much of an art form as writing it.

It was only about a week before Thanksgiving when we got our final draft locked. As I said in the previous article, we hoped to go out before Halloween, but that window had closed. Luckily, "Paranormal Activity" was still in everyone's heads so horror thrillers (especially those that could be done on a budget) was still a popular genre. But as everyone knows, once Thanksgiving hits, this town starts to shut down until basically after Sundance. But we didn't want to wait that long to see if this project even had a chance in the marketplace or if others felt the same way we did.

Now, before any company goes out with a project, they discuss the packaging route. As I discussed in my article titled Packaging Your Project, there are many reasons to try to find a package — an actor or a director — before going to studios or financiers and this is how most projects get sold. However, we didn't have that much time, and with lower budget genre movies, it's not really about getting a name actor as "Paranormal Activity" proved. But I created a cast list and there were a couple agents that rep'd the majority of the actresses on that list, and we had dealt with them before, so we made a few calls and got the script to those agents. However, since there was no offer being made, our script — even with our good relationships — goes towards the bottom of the pile. So you can only imagine where your script would go in an agent's office.

While we waited for the agents to get back to us — and we're still waiting for a couple of them — we decided to test our script. Now, with every project, I create a submission list which is just a list of all the companies we think would or could respond to it, along with the executive we know there. Now I do my research first so I know what companies are currently looking for thrillers or horrors or the next "Paranormal Activity." I don't want to waste an exec's time if that's not the type of material they are looking for.

We also write up a quick letter and a logline and come up with our pitch for when we call. Now our letters are much different from the query letters that writers would send to a company to get read because we make phone calls first and pitch the project over the phone so the executives have already asked for the script. Our letter just reminds them of our chat, gives them the logline or basic premise again, maybe a couple other details or if there's a package involved, etc. But unlike your query letters, ours are just a formality. Some producers just say "Here you go" and that's it, but we're a bit more thorough.

Because the spec market was dead at the time, and because our company is not formally rep'd by an agency, we decided going out wide — to many companies at once — and trying to get traction through the tracking boards, was not the right plan. And because we wanted to test the waters and make sure that we weren't the only ones who liked the script, we chose 3 companies that were likely candidates for the project — but probably not our TOP candidates — but the execs were friends of mine so I knew I'd get an honest response. And we sent the script out the week after thanksgiving, which gave us about 2 weeks before everyone boarded a plane to get out of dodge.

The good news was we got very good feedback from the companies we sent it to. The bad news was they ultimately passed. Now I have developed a pretty good bullshit meter, so I know when an executive hasn't really read the script or actually hated it but is being polite. I know what we say when we feel that way. But everyone liked it and the writing — two companies even wanted to meet with the writer — but one had a project that was in the same vein (and he gave me some details so I knew he wasn't lying) and another HAD a project that was like it that failed internally and didn't want to go down that road again. At least we knew we were on the right track.

But then it was Christmas, so we had to wait. Then it was Sundance. Then it was Berlin. And finally it was late February — a great time to go out with new material. We had our new plan for the next set of companies and executives to whom we wanted to bring Exhibit A. Clifford and I went through each company and decided who had the better relationship there, and that's who made the phone call, gave the pitch and sent the letter.

And now, it's out there. And the development process is now the selling process. We keep our writer in the loop, but it can be days or weeks until we hear back from everyone. So while we are still exploring packaging opportunities, local language opportunities, foreign pre-sales and all that jazz, much like you, all we can really do is cross our fingers and hope. I will let you all know what happens. Welcome to Hollywood.


About Daniel Manus:
Daniel Manus is the Director of Development for Clifford Werber Productions (Cinderella Story, Sydney White). CWP recently set up a family fantasy/adventure project at United Artists which Daniel is attached to co-produce. He is also attached to produce several projects independently including "Dreams of an Aspiring Romantic," starring Emily Osment and "Strange Fruit," written by J.S. Cardone (Prom Night).

Daniel recently started his own script consulting company - No BullScript Consulting, which can be found at www.nobullscript.net. He has been a freelance script consultant for years, working for companies such as ScriptShark and Script Coach and teaches courses to writers at conferences around the country.

Daniel was previously Director of Development for Sandstorm Films, which had a first look deal at Sony Screen Gems and a development deal with Top Cow Comics. Raised on Long Island, NY, he holds a BS degree in Television with a concentration in Screenwriting from the Ithaca College Park School of Communications.

Best Business Advice for Screenwriters

Bob DeRosa, writer of "2010's "Killers" (starring Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher), and "The Air I Breathe" — on his best business advice for screenwriters:

"Having a voice as a writer is the way to connect with anybody. Crafting the actual story is a mystery."

The Scoggins Report

Spec Market Roundup: January/February 2010

by Jason Scoggins

Welcome back to the new normal.

I've been looking forward to starting this year's spec market reports for the past several weeks, since in addition to compiling the monthly and year to date numbers I'm going to be able to compare year over year numbers for the first time as well. Here are the raw numbers for January and February:

January

• 19 specs hit the market, 1 of which sold (5.3%)

February

• 41 new specs hit the market, 4 of which sold (9.8%)
• 2 other sales were reported

The above totals are significantly down from the same months in 2009: January 2009 saw 3 spec sales out of the 28 scripts that hit the market (10.7%), and February saw 8 sales out of its 62 (12.9%). That said, 2010's activity so far is pretty much in line with what was happening in the second half of 2009. We can hope for a spike of activity in March and April this year similar to what happened in those months in 2009, but that feels pretty unlikely. The sense around town is that we're in for more of the same for the foreseeable future.

A couple of quick notes before I get to the details. I'm simplifying the raw numbers and the weekly breakdowns slightly this year. Rather than make distinctions between sales methodologies, I'll just be grouping specs into two categories: Those that hit the tracking boards, whether they went wide to the town or otherwise; and those that stayed in the shadows until they were reported sold, either in the trades or on sites like www.deadline.com and blog.itsonthegrid.com.

I'm refining my commentary on attachments this year as well, since in retrospect last year's analyses mixed attachments that happened before the script went out with those that happened on the fly during the sales process. For 2010 I'll just be noting pre-sales packaging.


Weekly Spec Script Breakdown:

Week of January 4:

• 1 script, which hasn't sold

Week of January 11:

• 10 scripts, none of which have sold

Week of January 18 (MLK Holiday):

• 5 scripts, none of which have sold

Week of January 25 (Sundance):

• 2 scripts, one of which sold

Week of February 1:

• 10 scripts, none of which have sold
• 1 additional sale was reported

Week of February 8:

• 7 scripts, 2 of which have sold

Week of February 15 (President's Day Holiday):

• 6 scripts, 1 of which has sold

Week of February 22:

• 14 scripts, 1 of which has sold
• 1 additional sale was reported

Genre Breakdown

• 2 — Action (February)
• 3 — Comedy (February)
• 2 — Thriller (1 in January, 1 in February)

Attachments

January's one sale ("ATM," discussed below) came out of the gate with two elements attached: Peter Safran, to produce, and David Brooks, to direct. Just one of February's spec sales had significant attachments, but the buzz surrounding them was deafening: In addition to the white hot Taylor Lautner as the lead, "Abduction" (discussed below) also had The Gotham Group and Vertigo attached to produce.

Buyers and Sellers

Five studios picked up one spec each in February:

• DreamWorks bought Justin Adler's "The Escort," out from UTA and Kapital Entertainment, for Tom McNulty to produce.


• Fox 2000 bought Matt Stone's "Romance Writer," out from ICM, for Karen Rosenfelt to produce through her Sunswept Entertainment.


• Lionsgate bought Shawn Christensen's "Abducted," out from Verve and Caliber Media, for Taylor Lautner to star and produce through his Tailor Made Entertainment banner along with The Gotham Group and Vertigo. Reports in the press had the purchase price in the mid-six against low seven figures range (although I heard from a trusted source that the real number was $400k against $1m.)


• Paramount (and, according to Nikki Finke, Montecito, through its discretionary fund) preemptively purchased Sonny Lee and Patrick Walsh's "21 Shots," out from ICM and Principato/Young, for Hayden Schlossberg and Jon Hurwitz to produce with Montecito.


• Universal bought David Guggenheim's "Safe House," out from APA and Madhouse Entertainment, for Stuber Productions to produce. The project reportedly received five offers, which drove the purchase price up to mid-six against high six figures.

In addition to Montecito on "21 Shots," above, three "Other Buyers" were involved in the two other January/February sales:

• Gold Circle bought Chris Sparling's "ATM," out from UTA and Kaplan/Perrone, for David Brooks to direct and Peter Safran to produce through his eponymous company. (This was the sole January sale, which came on the heels of "Buried," based on Sparling's script, selling at Sundance.)


• Parkes/MacDonald and Hyde Park paid a reported low six against mid-six figures out of their respective development funds for Kenny Golde's "Killer," out from APA and Infinity Management International.

You can glean the agency and management company breakdown from the above, but I'll be rolling up the numbers into a Scorecard again this year starting later this month. In the meantime, here's a preview of the agency tally:

APA, ICM and UTA are off to a great start with two sales each. It's worth noting, though, that of the three, APA had a much better average, with two sales out of four attempts in January and February, whereas ICM and UTA each went 2 for 8. Newly christened but exceedingly well-publicized agency Verve is 1 for 3 so far this year, while 2009's spec powerhouses CAA and WME are lagging behind in 2010: Both are 0 for 3 through the end of February.

About The Scoggins Reports:
The Scoggins Reports are terribly unscientific analyses of the feature film development business (in particular, spec script and open writing assignment activity) based on information assembled from a variety of public and non-public sources. The numbers in the reports are by no means official statistics and should not be relied upon as such. Past editions of The Scoggins Reports can be found in the archives of The Business of Show Institute as well as on Jason Scoggins' website: http://www.lifeonthebubble.com.

Details on each person, project and company in the Reports can also be found at http://www.itsonthegrid.com, a database of feature film development information including active open writing and directing assignments in Hollywood. Click here to explore the IOTG blog, which includes daily posts of new and updated spec script, OWA, ODA and other film development information.

About Scoggins:
Jason Scoggins is a partner at Protocol, a literary management and production company. He manages writers, directors and producers of film and TV alongside Protocol's founding partners Brian Inerfeld and John Ufland. Follow him here: http://twitter.com/itsonthegrid.

Digging the Well Before You're Thirsty:

Tracking the Movement of Hollywood's Executives

What do you do when a friend gets promoted or moves to a new position? You congratulate them right?

What else might you do? You might send them a card telling them how excited you are for their new position. Later, you might follow up with that person to see how they're settling in. Then, you might send them an interesting article once in a while.

Why would you do this? Because that's how relationships are nurtured and developed. (They're not developed by asking for favors before the relationship has matured)

So we'd like you to help us in congratulating the following executives who have just been promoted or moved positions.

The Business of Show Institute Congratulates the Following Executives in Their New Positions:

Luis Fernández
President of Entertainment, Univision Network and President, Univision Studios

Randy Sosin
Senior Vice President, Talent Development and Programming, MTV

Lou Wallach
Principal/President, Wallach Media LLC (New York)

Insights and Screenwriting Wisdom from a Veteran Screenwriting Contest Judge

Why Can't I Get What I Want?

by Sean Hinchey

I often hear from so many people that they just can't seem to get over that hump of winning that big prize; the screenwriting contest. No matter how hard they work, it often seems they never get what we want. Somebody else is winning the contests, that person you work with is getting the pitch meetings, a friend of yours just landed a top Hollywood agent. Why is it that life is unfair, but it's never unfair in our favor.

Simple. It is fair, your perception is out of balance. Right now at this very instant in your life, you have everything that you want.

The car, home, finished screenplays — everything you've accomplished is by your own design. Sure, it's easy to say that we want to be a sought after screenwriter, the one who won every top screenwriting contest in existence. But what are you willing to risk to get it?

Unconsciously we are always in competition with other people. You get the idea that you want more from something you've seen, or heard. For example, you read about that person who landed a writing job based on their contest winning screenplay; or perhaps that screenplay is in pre-production. You wonder, why can't that be me?

Before you get yourself worked up about their gains, versus your — well they're not really losses — let's call them non-gains, ask yourself: What does that person do each day? I've spoken to people from all aspects of the film and TV industry. I'm particularly interested in the people who are able to get their script to the top of the contest heap. You'll find that their day goes something like this:

They wake up at 5:00 every morning to review what they wrote the previous night. Most of them have jobs outside of the film and TV industry, so they have to be at work by 8 or 9am. Some of them have notebooks so they can jot down ideas during lunch. Their idea of unwinding after work may be some exercise or family time, but then it's back to writing until they collapse at their computer just before midnight.

Weekends are spent in writing workshops where they get feedback on their scripts. Then it's back to more rewriting. While their friends may be out meeting up at bars or going out to dinner, the future contest winning screenwriter may be eating leftovers at their computer.

"Wait a minute", you say, "I have a family, I enjoy my free time and I don't want to work at all hours of the night. I want to have a social life, I like hanging out on the weekends."

And there you have it, that's why the other person's name is in the trades when the winners are announced. I'm not saying that they are a better writer or better person than you. They work harder at it. Recognize the fact that this is the price they are willing to pay.

Nobody gets wash-board abs by sitting in front of a TV every evening.A body builder has to have the discipline to hit the weights and cardio machines. Your "gym" is your computer and writer's groups.

I've talked with world class screenwriters who have worked on one story for over ten years! It just took that much time for the characters, setting and dialogue to come together. During that time, they may have written other scripts, but that one took a great deal of time. Nobody ever wrote a screenplay by sitting back and wondering, "Why can't I do that?"

Just as the main character in your script has to figure out what they are willing to sacrifice to get what they want, you have to understand what you are willing to put up with — and give up — to win a contest. It's not about stacking yourself up against other people. It is about setting your personal priorities.

There's a saying that says, "The person at the top of the mountain didn't fall there." Start climbing.


Coming up next week: We talked about using New Media to give your writing a test drive. It's time to dig a little deeper and come up with a game plan to make it work for you. If you're serious about getting what you wrote before the eyes of actors, agents and producers, you'll want to read New Media Part 2 — Let's Get to Work!


About Sean Hinchey:
Sean Hinchey has been a script consultant for International Creative Management (ICM), Miracle Entertainment, Nash Entertainment, and Viviano Entertainment. He's also read the preliminary drafts of Michael Crichton's best-selling novels, State of Fear and Next and has performed extensive research for the stage plays and screenplays of writer/director Floyd Mutrux (American Hot Wax, Million Dollar Quartet).

Sean's expertise has made him a highly sought after judge for such prestigious screenwriting contests such as: The Big Break Contest, The Miramax Open Door Contest, Artists and Writer's Contest, Energy Contest, Smart Contest and The Chills and Thrills Contest. Throughout his career, Sean has read over two thousand scripts, giving him an insight into what it takes to become the winner of a screenwriting contest.

Three of Sean's screenplays have been optioned and one was a finalist in the Film in Arizona Screenwriting Competition. He won an award for his first non-fiction book, Backpacking Through Divorce.

Drawing from these experiences, he's written a book, 39 Ways to Win a Screenwriting Contest & The Nine Mistakes New Writers Make, set for publication in Spring 2010.

The Business of Show Institute Recommends:

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