MICHELE WALLERTEIN'S INFO FOR YOU

SO, WHAT'S THE STORY?

SO, WHAT'S THE STORY

Every agent is waiting for you to bring them the next big saleable screenplay that will knock the business off its axis. They want you to
show them that piece that will have producers and studios panting at their doors with huge offers of money and multiple deals of future movies. Agents want the best for you, because it means the best for them. I happen to believe that this relationship is a great one. It is an honest quid pro quo - if you are successful...I am successful. How bad is that?
OK, so how do you make that happen? How do you deliver the
perfectly written project that will make the town sit up and take notice?
It's not as difficult as it sounds. The first thing you have to do is STOP
thinking that you have to write the most unusual script of all time. This kind of thinking will destroy your chances of not only selling the script, but of keeping your agent. I've found that new writers often have the tendency to try to impress people by "thinking outside the box". Well folks, the "box" is there for a reason, it works. Throughout movie history, audiences have loved certain types of films. They go to see them over and over again. When you are working to get in to the business, go with the flow. Perhaps, after you've established yourself as a player, you might be able to expand your horizons, but it's not the way to get into your chosen field.
Insofar as your early spec scripts are concerned, here are some
rules to live by:
1. No Togas. By this I mean to say period pieces. Keep your early scripts contemporary. Period pieces are extremely difficult to sell. They go in and out of favor with the studios by the minute. You never
know whether you are too early or too late with your piece. They are
not good as writing samples since they are too specifically time/era dependent. This means manners, customs, morals, societal relationships, styles of speech, etc... . Oh, and by the way, try to stay on this planet.
2. Keep it simple. Stay away from twins. Don't make a script too complicated to produce. As soon as a development executive or
producer sees this they will toss it into the "circular file". It is too much of a pain in the neck. Try not to write a script that is so complicated that it would make the casting a horror. Another example, besides twins, is a multi-generational story of the entire cast. This means a nightmare of casting as well as costume and set changes that are a financial pain. Don't go there. Besides, no one really wants to watch
Brad Pitt or Ashton Kutcher age before their eyes.
3. Keep 'em young. If you really want to kick start your writing career, try to have your early scripts feature a fairly young cast. In my mind the term "young" means any age up to 29 years old. Not one minute older. The youth market is what is the most viable today. Actually if you can write a script for 9 year old boys, you are really in good shape. The research shows that those boys will return to see the same film over and over again with different friends and family members. Recidivism is the word. Let's not forget our little friend, Harry Potter.
4. Location, location, location. This is not simply a rule in real estate. This is a real consideration in movie making. A studio never has a problem putting their money in a viable movie star who can "open" a movie. That means that any movie starring a particularly huge actor is guaranteed a certain bottom line of huge dollars at the box office in its opening weekend. Foreign or multiple locations do not promise this type of money for the film and they are very expensive. It is not a hard and fast rule to keep everything set in one location but simply something to keep in mind. You always want to be realistic in your writing. Think bottom line.
5. The Star. Here are the rules for your main character and they are hard and fast. These points apply to all genres. Do not try to change them for any reason.
a. The Star's character is on every page.
b. The Star's character resolves the problem
c. The Star's character has the most lines
d. The Star's character gets the girl (or the guy)
e. The Star's character is the smartest person in the cast
f. The Star's character has the last word in the film
g. The Star's character must grow as a person
h. The Star's character must learn something about him/herself
6. Coincidences. They only complicate the plot. Coincidences never, ever resolve the problems. When you have a coincidence resolve
a plot point the audience feels cheated.
7. Depressing/Dramas? There is a fine line between being depressing and being dramatic. You need to understand the difference
in your early writing career of dramatic film writing. I love a good dramatic relationship film. I hate depressing movies that have no other saving grace but to be sad. "HUD" was a great drama starring the late Paul Newman, another great drama was the 1957 film titled "A FACE IN THE CROWD" starring Patricia Neal and Andy Griffith. These are films that must be seen by serious film writers. As an agent, some years ago a client brought in a brand new script that he had never discussed with me. He proudly handed over a large box of them, with leatherette covers with gold embossed titles. This sent a clear message that I was not to give him any notes and that he wanted them to be sent out just the way they were. The story in those scripts was about the murders of elderly, helpless people in an old age home. It was so depressing that I could barely read it. Not only couldn't I submit this well-written script, but I had to let the client go.
8. Choices. Write a contemporary drama, comedy, suspense, thriller, murder/mystery, teen-comedy, romance, etc... . Keep your characters interesting and believable- make us care what happens to them. Try to write "up" to the audiences' intellect and emotions. We want to leave the movie theater feeling like we were entertained and that we learned just a little bit about the human condition. The movie studios like this too.

Michele Wallerstein is a former Literary Agent who now works as a Screenplay and Novel Consultant. She can be reached at:
email: novelconsult@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.Novelconsult.com

November 29, 2008 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | Add Comment

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM AN AGENT & WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO GET?

New writers and often experienced writers, have an unrealistic view of what their agent should be for them, and what they can and will do for them. In the movie, Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise was always there for the Cuba Gooding, Jr. character. Cruise had dinner with Gooding's family, he want to his games, he was constantly on the phone with him and he carried his bag. NOT!!

Your agent is not going to be your best friend. He (or she) is not going to hold your hand, listen to your personal problems, take all of your calls, meet you for coffee every morning or really care if your dog dies. They don't have time. It's not their job, and......if they did all of these things for all of their clients, they would be lousy agents!

You really don't need those hand holding jobs to be filled by an agent. Get a friend or spouse to fulfill those needs. Show business is business and you must treat it as such. Having a friendly relationship with your agent is fine. You don't want to try to order them around or be belligerent with them and you don't want them to be rude to you. What you do want, and have a right to expect is a mutually nice and respectful quid pro quo.

Make a note that agents have a very limited amount of time in their daily lives. They work a million hours per day, 20 days a week. When your agent is on the phone with you or emailing you, then they are not on the phone or emailing buyers for you!

(1) What you should expect from your agent is a reasonable amount of communication. This means a response to your email if you ask a real and specific question on an occasional basis. If you have questions everyday, save them up and send a list once a week. If possible, send them to the assistant. Don't be a nag or a pest to your agent.

(2) You are entitled to know where your material has been sent and what, if any, response there was to your work. Often you can get this information from the assistant.

(3) Your responsibility is to continually bring new ideas, treatments & original screenplays to your agent. Do not blind side them with a new script that you have not discussed with them. Let them know, in advance, what your subject matter is and the genre of your new ideas. Get their input prior to writing the screenplay.

(4) Don't expect to get writing assignments if you are not the hottest writer in town. That's the way things work.

(5) If you've been getting writing assignments and they stop coming, don't blame your agent. Look to yourself. You may have been "cooling off" around town. You may not have been listening to the notes you've been given. You may be too demanding or to slow with the work. Watch that attitude.

(6) You must trust your agent when it comes to negotiating for you. Negotiations are very complicated and many elements come into play that you may know nothing about. Perhaps the buyers are also interested in another project similar to yours and are using that as a tactic to keep the price low, or they are close to the end of their fiscal year. Your agent may know that this is the only game in town for your script. Let your agent do their job.....and you do yours.

(7) Don't expect your agent to continue sending out your old scripts forever. Once they've been out to the town, they get cold. They may continue to be used as writing samples for particular projects, but not as saleable scripts. Hollywood is a small town and everyone knows about every script.

(8) Remember that there is no one more on your side than your agent when it comes to your making a success of your career. If you make money, so do they. They have spent their time and money on you without any guarantees. They are the ones who make the first investment.

(9) You should expect your agent to read you work, take some of your calls, get your work out to mainstream production companies, share information with you, be actively and creatively involved in your writing career and to help you to be a better client.

(10) You need to spend your time being supportive of your agent, and doing your share of the work making yourself a successful writer. Constantly work on coming up with new ideas, new screenplays, new contacts. Hone your craft. Be willing to improve your work and be patient.

Michele Wallerstein is a Screenplay, Novel and Writers Career Consultant. Michele spent over 20 years as a Hollywood Literary Agent.
Web site: www.novelconsultant.com
Email: novelconsult@sbcglobal.net
Phone: 818. 501.2837

October 8, 2008 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | Add Comment

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN?

I was just sitting here thinking about what you writers are doing to make your writing career happen. Of course you are writing. Then what? What are you doing with those finished screenplays? Are you sending them to screenplay consultants,
film festivals, writers conferences, professional writers that you've met at prior
events????

If you live outside of the Los Angeles area, what are you doing to get an agent in Los Angeles? Do you know how to do that?

Today I received an email from a writer along with a 21 page outline. Both the
email and the outline were so grammatically incorrect that I could not make sense out of them. Are you sure that you are writing good prose? Are you using the correct
script format? Does your script have a plot?

Let me know what's going on with you. Perhaps I can help.

July 30, 2008 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | Add Comment

WHAT MAKES A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT

Getting a screenplay down on paper is difficult, there’s no doubt about that. Yes, you search endlessly for that “different” story, for that unusual and fantastic arena that you are sure no one else has done or will do.

Writers often try to find and create unique situations that are so far out that they bear little or no resemblance to real life or real people. Trying to be unusual can be a trap for new writers as well as established pros.

A “great” screeenplay and film has legs. That means that people will want to see the movie over and over again. They might want to bring their friends, or rent the film on DVD, or purchase a copy to own.

The secret for writing a great screenplay is not in finding the rare situation, it is in writing with the following high standards:

1. Character Arc - No one wants to stay with a film or screenplay if the main character does not grow internally, does not learn something important about him or herself and does not become a better, smarter or move loveable person. Whether the film is BOOTY CALL or anything by Jane Austin, you will notice the growth of the star character, and love them for it.

2. Underlying Theme: A great movie is not about the plot. It is about
what is going on underneath. It is about something emotionally important or with a universal problem of great significance. Jim Carrey’s MASK is about the insecurities of all people. It is about the main character’s feelings of inadequacy’s and personal fears. You must find a way to touch something that can affect the collective and often unconscious needs of people in general. Even the animated classic, BAMBI, is about all of our fears of abandonment.

3. Dialogue: I believe that it was the great actress, Helen Hays who once said “If it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage.” Nothing in a screenplay is as bad as boring dialogue. You must learn to write characters that speak with a unique voice. They must jump off of the page with personality, wit and exceptionally clever ways of saying things. Each character in the piece needs to have a distinct personal quality and voice.

4. Pacing: If your pacing is slow, or worse, if it is repetitive, you will lose your reader in just a few pages. Keep the story moving forward like a shark in the water, never stopping, never holding back or over-analyzing itself.

5. Likeability of Main Characters: If the reader cares about the people in the story, they will want to go forward with the script. Likeability is more difficult to explain than it appears on its face. Sean Penn’s character in the 1995 film, DEAD MAN WALKING, is an obnoxious murderer. By the end of the movie, the audience understands him and has some sympathy for the child that he was and the unhappy adult he became.

Certainly there are more facets to a good screenplay then the above and those you will learn in film schools and books on the subject. The professional looking format, the short exposition, etc. mean quite a bit. However if you want to raise the standard of excellence in your writing, I suggest you concentrate heavily on seeing if the above 5 points are well covered in your next project. These 5 points will separate you from the crowd, they will turn a comedy, thriller, drama, family film or love story into a GREAT SCREENPLAY.

July 14, 2008 4:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | Add Comment

Seminars at the Great American Pitch Fest

Hi:

I will be presenting two (2) Seminars at the Great American Pitch Fest on June 20th and June 21st.

The June 20th Seminar is from 3:00PM to 5:00PM, including Q & A and it is titled: HOW TO GET, KEEP AND WHEN TO FIRE YOUR AGENT.

The June 21st Seminar is from 3:30PM to 5:00PM, including Q & A and it is titled: HOW TO GET YOUR PROJECT OUT OF THE HOUSE AND INTO THE FILM WORLD.

I will also be giving private 30 minute consultations and will be selling my CD on
"HOW TO BE AN AGENT'S DREAM CLIENT."

Hope to see you there.

June 12, 2008 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Add Comment

A QUESTION OF WRITING FOR FREE

THE QUESTION OF WRITING FOR FREE
By
MICHELE WALLERSTEIN - Script & Novel Consultant
www.Novelconsultant.com

Somewhere along the line someone will ask you to write something for free. The decision whether to do this, or not, is not as simple as it seems.
For members of the Writers Guild of America, it is not allowed, so there is no problem. For new writers it is a real temptation. After all, what’s the harm? Maybe it will sell and you’ll get paid then. It’s a great experience. This producer will “owe you”. There are so many thoughts running around in your head telling you that you should do this favor which might turn into a real bonanza for you.

Not! This is not a good idea for the following reasons:

1. You will not own your own work. If there is a reversion clause in the deal with this producer, it will come after everyone in town has already looked at the script.
2. The producer has the right to bring in any number of other writers to change your script.
3. Invariably the producer will want re-writes and polishes. Perhaps many of each (also for no money).
4. You will be spending a lot more time then you originally expected on this project and at the end you will not have the right to show it to anyone.
5. Your time is much better spent writing original material, going to writers conferences, going to film festivals, reading books on screenwriting, going to Starbucks to network with other writers, etc.
6. The producer will not feel that he/she owes you anything.
7. If the producer wants a script for free, it usually means that he/she is
not a professional and will try to use your work to get in to the industry.
8. In the unlikely event that this project does sell, you will not be in the position to get much out of it, unless you have a hard and fast contract upfront.

June 2, 2008 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Add Comment

WHAT A QUERY LETTER NEEDS TO DO

Everyone talks about the importance of the query letter. It is important because it is the first introduction of you and your work to professionals in the entertainment business. We all know that first impressions are the ones that last.

Think about all of the things you want to accomplish with this one page.
You want to motivate someone who is extremely busy to spend their time or the time of their employees, to read your screenplay. You want them to know that you are serious about your work. You want them to know that you have done due diligence in your writing work. You want them to think that there’s a chance that if they don’t read your script they will miss a great opportunity.

If your letter is sloppy, you’re out. If there are misspellings, you’re out. If your story idea is unclear, or too long, you’re out.

Here is a sample query letter that says it all and has a little “personality” to boot. Hope it helps:

Your Name
Your Address
Your Email & Phone Number

April 1, 2008

Ms._________ _____________
Company Name _____________
Address ____________________
City & State_________________

Re: “NAME OF SCREENPLAY” by __________________

Dear Ms.__________:

Hearing you speak at the ___________ __________ Writers Conference (Film Festival, etc.), I was very inspired by your remarks and your willingness to share information.

My background as a writer consists of studying screenwriting at UCLA, winning the _________ _________ Screenwriting contest and practicing the craft of writing since I was 10 years old. My spelling has improved, as well as my stories.

Attached is a Treatment for my latest sci-fi adventure script for your consideration. It tells the story of a young man and woman who meet and fall in love during a cataclysmic event that sets them on a course to preserve the United States as an independent country.

I will call you next week to see if you are interested in reading my screenplay.

Regards,

Joe/Jane Doe

April 15, 2008 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | Add Comment

AGENTS, MANAGERS, LAWYERS, etc.

Hi: Here is my latest article that will be published on www.developmenthell.net.

Please let me hear from you with any questions or comments.

AGENTS, PERSONAL MANAGERS, BUSINESS MANAGERS & LAWYERS

By MICHELE WALLERSTEIN
A SCREENPLAY & NOVEL CONSULTANT
www.novelconsultant.com

It seems there are specialists in every field. The entertainment business is no different. We need people who really know the ins and outs of our particular business to help guide us through the quagmire of the practical side of writing. We need to get our material read, deals negotiated, contracts reviewed, money handled, decisions made and choices determined. These are some of the reasons that Agents, Personal Managers, Business Managers and Lawyers abound.

THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ARE:

1. “WHAT DO I NEED?”

2. “WHY DO SOME WRITERS HAVE ALL OF THEM?”

3. “WHICH ONE DO I NEED FIRST?”

4. “WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM EACH ONE?”

5. “HOW DO I KNOW IF THEY ARE GOOD?”

If you are a new writer you don’t need a huge support system. Once you
have completed at least 2 or 3 really good screenplays or TV sample scripts, you should try to get a personal manager or agent. If you get a personal manager, a big part of their job is to find an agent for you. Once your manager finds an agent for you it is usually a gross error to fire the manager. They have procured representation for you and now their job is to work with you creatively on you scripts. This includes deciding which story idea to work on next, consulting with you on making the project better, etc. The manager also prods the agent to get your material read by the right people and to set up “meet & greet” meetings for you.

When you are more established and have complicated contracts you will need the services of a good entertainment lawyer. Use someone who has experience in your field. The “family” lawyer may not know the ins and outs of the show business world. In the event that you have a manager, but not an agent, you must have your lawyer negotiate your deals for you, with the input of your manager. Managers are not allowed to make deals. Agents are allowed to negotiate on your behalf and if they are with a large agency and have in-house attorneys, they will review your contracts for you, at no extra charge.

The time to hire business managers and accountants is clearly when there is so much money coming in that you don’t know how to do your own taxes anymore or where to put it all. These professionals can advise you about buying that condo or setting up an IRA, or forming a corporation.

You can tell if your representatives are good if they are getting their jobs done:

a. Is your agent submitting your material? Are they setting up meetings for you? Are they negotiating proper deals for you? Do they (or their assistants) return you calls?
b. Is your attorney finding problems in your contracts and resolving those issues satisfactorily? Are they working with alacrity?
c. Does your manager speak with you and with your agent often? Do they have good connections in the business and good ideas for your work?
d. Are your money managers taking good care of your future? Do they make good decisions for you?

Never forget that you are in charge of your life. All the final decisions come down to you and you must make informed choices. It’s great to trust your reps but never close your eyes to what is going on in your business life.

Michele Wallerstein is a former Literary Agent. She can be reached at: novelconsult@sbcglobl.net or 818 501 2837

March 4, 2008 7:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | Add Comment

WHAT AN AGENT DOES FOR YOU

All writers know that they want an agent, but few writers know what to expect once they get one.

Agents, generally, are responsible for what’s known as the (3) three S’s of representation. They are: SIGNING, SERVICING and SELLING.
That’s it. It sounds simple, but it isn’t. First of all every Agency is different in its size, which means that the individual agents may have more, or less, personal responsibilities. You must change your expectations if you want to work the system well and in a productive manner.

Defining the 3 S’s is easy. The doing of them is complicated.

1. SIGNING requires a variety of efforts. The agent must research and find the writer he/she wishes to sign. Then they must launch an attack to lure the client. That means getting to them, taking them out to lunches, dinners, drinks, Hollywood parties, screenings and more. It requires a modicum of charm and deceit. The deceit lies in “stealing” a writer from another agency who may have been doing an excellent job. The new agent needs to assure the writer that they will be much better. Signing also requires knowing who all of the hot “newbie” writers are and trying to get them. That means going to screenings of independent film, film festivals, and new writer seminars. It means reading all of the new material that gets some heat. The charm lies in being able to sell a writer on signing a contract with an agency they may not need. As you can imagine, all of the above takes a great deal of time.

2. SERVICING means keeping your current clients happy. Wining and dining them is important. The agent must read all their new material. This includes going over new story ideas, treatments, spec scripts and pitches. Servicing often means listening to client’s personal problems, philosophies, interests etc. It may also include going to their weddings, their kid’s Bar Mitzvahs, confirmations and many other personal occasions. As you can imagine, all of the above takes a great deal of time.

3. SELLING means being able to get a huge amount of information as to what the town wants to buy at any particular moment. This requires great personal relationships with a large number of producers, studio executives, story editors, television show runners, assistants and development executives. Agents need to have good reputations with these people so that their material gets read quickly and with an open mind. Agents have to know how to close a deal, get the material to the right people, get buzz going around town about a new spec script and often they must have the ability to package a project with the right director, star and producer. Packaging in and of itself is very complex. As you can imagine, all of the above takes a great deal of time.

Once you understand the basic work of your agent you also need to know the differences between large and small agencies. Let’s start with the larger agencies. ICM, William Morris, APA, etc., are big and have many agents, employees, department heads, a legal department, an accounting department, various talent departments such as actors, music, literary, and more. All of this seems well and good until you realize that this means that your agent must go to endless meetings and be subject to the pressures of inside competition as well as outside competition. They are also under the pressure of doing what they are told by their department heads and the heads of the agency itself. However, they do have those helpful legal and accounting departments to work with them on negotiating deals and reviewing tedious contracts.

The smaller agencies sometimes don’t have the help of legal and accounting departments, but they do have a certain amount of freedom and time to better service their clients with more personally and with more thought. They are often people with more entrepreneurial spirits and creative bents.

Whereas in a large agency the client is more likely to speak to the assistants on a regular basis, in the smaller agencies you will be more apt to have a real relationship with your agent.

Certainly there are more differences within different agency structures, and I will deal with those in future articles. I hope this gives you the basics of what to expect and the knowledge of what your agent is doing when he/she is not on the phone with you.

Michele Wallerstein is a novel and screenplay “doctor” who was formerly an agent for writers, producers and directors in Hollywood. She was Executive Vice-President of Women In Film, is a member of the Academy Of Television Arts and Sciences, serves as a guest speaker at numerous seminars and Film Festivals and writes monthly articles on The Business Of Writing for various ezines.

For her consulting services and/or questions Michele can be reached at:
email: novelconsult@sbcglobal.net
Web site: Novelconsultant.com

January 24, 2008 6:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Add Comment

HAVING A WRTING CAREER

“HAVING A WRITING CAREER”
by
MICHELE WALLERSTEIN
A Screenplay and Novel Consultant
www.Novelconsultant.com

Are you playing at writing, or do you want a writing career? It sounds simple enough but this is a loaded question. Are you sitting in Albuquerque or Minneapolis and telling your friends and family that you are writing a screenplay? To what end? Do you have any idea what you should do if you really finish the script?

Writing a screenplay is only the first small step. It’s what you do next that really tells the tale.

Here are 10 things you need to know about having a writing career.

1. No one sells a screenplay……they “option” them. Don’t be misled by the articles in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter, or by the verbiage you hear thrown about by people in and out of the Biz. Screenplays are optioned. The Production Company has the option whether to develop the property further or simply hold it for the option time allotted in the contract. Most scripts languish in this spot, sometimes for years.

2. If you set up a script, the Writers Guild protects you only so far as to guarantee that you do the first rewrite. After that event, you may be re-written by any number of other writers. The other “re-writes, polishes, etc., in your contract are optional and you may never get to do them.
3. Renewing the option is up to the producer or studio. If you have a six (6) month or perhaps a one (1) year option the production company has the right to drop the project after the initial option period has expired. At that time the material is usually considered old by industry standards.

4. There is no reality in “net profits”. This provision in your contract has little or no value. A Gross profits definition is only given to a handful of very, very successful writers. If you can get a net profit definition that is the same as the movie’s stars or producers, you may see some monies.

5. If you don’t live in the greater Los Angeles area, you won’t have a writing career. If you aren’t conveniently located for last minute meetings, you will be too easily forgotten and replaced with the writers who are here.

6. You must have “meet and greet” meetings. These meetings give you the chance to get writing assignments. They give you the opportunity to bond with development executives and producers who will need writers. They also give you the chance to pitch your original script ideas and that may lead to a development deal wherein you are paid to write your own project.

7. You must have original pitch ideas in the same genre as the script that you’ve set up. People in the industry like to know that you are not a “one-shot” writer. In other words if you’ve written a murder mystery and they need someone to do a re-write in the same genre, they’ll want to read another similar writing sample.

8. You must personally follow-up with every person that reads your material. Write those thank-you notes, email new ideas, call with questions, and ask the person to lunch or coffee. Keep up with those people.

9. If you socialize, you will work. Invite buyers out or over to your home for dinner.
Try to form friendships with those people that you like. Even informal get-togethers can be fun and bring your relationships closer. If they want to be around you, they will want to hire you.

10. Continue to write original screenplays as fast as you can. The larger your body of work, the better for you. You will also have more control if you have original screenplays. You will be sought out for new material and remembered.

There are lots of things you need to learn about the business of writing, please contact me with other questions and quandaries, or if you need a professional to review and to help with your screenplays. Email: novelconsult@sbcglobal.net

December 11, 2007 6:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | Add Comment