BIZ TIP TUESDAY:
ATTACHMENTS
A few years ago FRONTLINE on PBS did a show
called THE MONSTER THAT ATE HOLLYWOOD about how the film business
has been taken over by non-creative types in suits. Peter Bart
said that when he was at Paramount (70s,80s) a couple of guys who had
actually read the script decided to greenlight a movie; now there
are dozens of people involved in the decision including
marketing, toy division, the guys in charge of fast food tie ins,
plus other non-creatives... and none of them have even read the
script! Movies are products made by giant corporations. These
companies are more interested in safe investments than telling a
good story. If you want your script to get made, there better be
a big name star attached.
So, should we try to attach actors to our scripts?
Groucho Marx once said that he refused to join any club that
would accept him as a member. You run into the same problem
attaching actors to your script - The only actor that can help
your script is one who can make a studio exec drop everything and
write a check the minute they find out that actor is attached.
That means it HAS to be a huge star. It HAS to be someone getting
at least $10 million per film... and you'd be better off with one
of those $25 million stars like Tom Cruise or Scarlett Johansson.
The A List Stars are A List Stars because they can get a film
MADE... and that's exactly what you want. If you have a star attached to your screenplay it has to be a star that can get the film made...
Kathy Bates is a great
actress, she's an Academy Award winner, but she won't open a
movie at a studio budget. People don't drop everything and stand in line to see Kathy Bates the way they
stand in line to see Scarlett or Jennifer Lawrence. You might have signed the
greatest actor in the world, but this isn't about TALENT it's
about BUSINESS. Will having the actor in the film sell
tickets? Will it sell enough tickets so that making the film is a no brainer?
Kathy Bates probably can't do anything for your script. She can read it
and like it, but not a single studio exec will really care if she's playing the lead. Having her
attached to your project may even be a liability! Let's say she
reads the script, loves it, passes it around.. and your script is
gold... Doug Wick at Red Wagon (Sony) FLIPS over it! This is the
perfect script for Julia Roberts! But Kathy Bates is ATTACHED to play
the lead. Wick says: No deal. A script that's a hot property with
Scarlett, is an interesting little Indie film with Kathy Bates...
and interesting little Indie films don't always make money - again,
this is about BUSINESS. So the script is dead.
Dead BECAUSE a very talented non-A-list-movie-star is attached.
So, maybe you should just get your script to Scarlett? Many new writers think that is the solution to
selling their screenplay - just get a big star attached. Hey, it's a great script with a great role for Julia Roberts!
Of course she will want to star in the movie!
But stars are STARS. They are very well protected from reading fan mail,
let alone scripts. Everyone wants to get their script to some big movie star - Tom Cruise or George Clooney or Tom Hanks or Jennifer Lawrence.
They are almost impossible to connect with. They have people all around them. If
you went to high school with Scarlett Johansson, you can probably get
her a script. If she doesn't know you, you have almost no
chance.
One good thing that might happen by having Kathy Bates attached to your script -
she might attract other actors to the project... if you plan on producing the film yourself.
Kathy Bates works if you are going the indie route and writing-directing-producing the film
yourself - she'll probably help when you are looking for financing. That is attaching herself to a movie, and actors do that sometimes.
But if you are just trying
to sell your script and are looking for attachments? Actors seldom attach themselves to scripts from a writer. There are so many screenplays out there trying to get through the gates that the odds of yours being the one are slim. We want an actor attached because we think it will be easier to sell the script, and actor wants to attach themselves to a project because they think the project will get them employed. So they are looking for the *writer* with connections that *they* can take advantage of. The writer wants the actor to give them a boost over the wall and the actor wants a writer/project that will give *them* a boost over the wall.
CALL MY AGENT!
Trying to get to an actor through their agent or manager is not going to
work, because those folks are getting scripts from studios and big producers...
And those scripts have "firm offers" attached - money. Real money. Real money that the agent or manager gets 10% of.
An agent or manager earns
a percentage of what the star makes on a film, and if you are offering nothing but a
great script, and a studio is offering $25 million plus about $10 million
in perqs, well... which would you want 10% of? If your script doesn't have a
"firm offer" attached - doesn't have money in place to pay the actor their quote - there is
little chance your script will go anywhere other than the trash can.
Firm Offer: One of the problems you might run into trying to attach an actor to
your script is... actors are *employees*, so it's all about what they are being paid. If you do
not know an actor (or director) personally, their agent or manager will be most interested in
what you plan on paying them. And maybe what you plan on paying them *to read the screenplay*.
Sometimes there is a fee, designed to get rid of people who do not have the money to pay
their client. Sometimes they want the money to pay their actor or director clients (millions,
friends) in an escrow account before they will read. The problem is, if you do not have a
personal relationship with the actor or director, you must approach them from the business
side where it is all about money.
(Stars *will* attach themselves to a script for no money if a producer with a great track record offers it to them. This
happens frequently, becauae that producer is going to make the film and there *is* going to be a check. If *I* said I was a
producer (hey, I have a producer credit) and tried to attach a star - they'd laugh in my face. Or have their agent laugh in my face. Or
have their agent's assistant laugh in my face. Because I am not much of a sure thing when it comes to finding the
financing and getting the picture made (and the actor paid). I'm just a writer. Which brings us back to square one -
getting our script to a producer who means some thing and will take it from there. The idea of finding some way to
sneak past the front gates usually doesn't work!)
I think you'd be better off sending a series of personal, fun,
amazingly well-written fan letters to develop a "relationship"
with a hot up-and-coming actor... But then the problem is: at
what point do you become a stalker? (You COULD get to meet
members of LAPD's Threat Management Team, and that could spark a
screenplay idea.) And stars have services that open and respond
to fan letters, so the person you're really writing to is someone
not that much different than you - a wanna-be actor or writer who
is earning a living reading fan mail for a star and hoping the
job might lead to something better... maybe they'll even meet the
star some day!
I think sending fan letters to directors is probably easier. Not big famous directors, just great directors the general public has never heard of.
No one in Ohio becomes a crazed stalker for Stephen Frears.
Stephen Frears isn't getting MOUNTAINS of fan mail every day.
Stephen Frears doesn't have to wear disguises to go to Ralphs
Grocery. Stephen Frears doesn't have a bunch of people blowing
smoke up his butt every day. And Stephen Frears can probably get
a movie off the ground. Directors are great attachments!
Also look at other key crew members - cinematographers, composers, effects people - anyone who is critical in getting a film made. Then your script uses their connections.
PERSONAL CONTACTS
If you have ANY chance of getting a script to an actor, it's
going to be through some personal contact (that we can't really
control). I have had Drew Barrymore sitting behind me at the
Sunset 5 theaters a few times. I could have probably worked that
into getting a script to her... but everybody she meets probably
has a script. I'd have to build a personal relationship of some
sort to get my script in the "to read" pile rather than the trash
pile.
Attachments are important, but unless you have an existing
relationship with a movie star it's unlikely you can get your
script to a big enough star to mean anything. You should still
try to develop connections - if you get a chance to get a script
to Kathy Bates, go for it! (Just don't attach her as the lead.)
It's more likely that your connections will be other people
trying to break in. A friend with a day job as a secretary in a
small agency is a great connection... and more likely than
getting Scarlett Johansson attached to your script if she's never
heard of you.
The best way to get a big star attached to your script? The old fashioned way. Write
a great script. That way your little connections can begin
passing your script up the ladder - and every rung of that ladder
will think your script is so great they will keep passing it
higher and higher and higher... until it gets to Doug Wick at Red
Wagon (Sony) who buys it and sends it to Scarlett. Next
thing you know, you've sold a script to the producer of GLADIATOR
and SPY GAME that has Scarlett attached. My guess is all of
those non-creative types will give your project a greenlight...
even if they haven't read the script.
Producers buy screenplays, stars are just employees. Unless you can afford to hire a star, you are better off getting your script to producers (and agents and managers). If a producer reads your script and tells you they might be interested if a star was attached - that's a polite way of saying they did not like your script.
More on this in the new BREAKING IN Blue Book!
COMING SOON!!!
Want To Look Like An Expert?
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THE BLUE BOOKS!
FIND A GREAT IDEA!
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ARE YOUR SCENES IN THE RIGHT ORDER?
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MOVIES ARE CHARACTERS!
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I WRITE PICTURES!
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DESCRIPTION & VOICE Blue Book.
IS HALF OF YOUR STORY IN TROUBLE?
Most screenplays are about a 50/50 split between dialogue and description - which means your description is just as important as your dialogue. It just gets less press because the audience never sees it, the same reason why screenwriters get less press than movie stars. But your story will never get to the audience until readers and development executives read your script... so it is a very important factor. Until the movie is made the screenplay is the movie and must be just as exciting as the movie. So how do you make your screenplay exciting to read? Description is important in a novel as well, and the “audience” does read it... how do we write riveting description?
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*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
***
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting dialogue! How to remove bad dialogue (and what *is* bad dialogue), First Hand Dialogue, Awful Exposition, Realism, 50 Professional Dialogue Techniques you can use *today*, Subtext, Subtitles, Humor, Sizzling Banter, *Anti-Dialogue*, Speeches, and more. Tools you can use to make your dialogue sizzle! Special sections that use dialogue examples from movies as diverse as "Bringing Up Baby", "Psycho", "Double Indemnity", "Notorious", the Oscar nominated "You Can Count On Me", "His Girl Friday", and many more! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is over 175 pages!
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WHAT IS A SCENE?
*** SCENE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
***
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SUBPLOTS?
*** SUPPORTING CHARACTER SECRETS *** - For Kindle! (Exclusive)
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ACT TWO SOLUTIONS!
*** ACT TWO SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
Expanded version with more techniques to help you through the desert of Act Two! Subjects Include: What Is Act Two? Inside Moves, The 2 Ps: Purpose & Pacing, The 4Ds: Dilemma, Denial, Drama and Decision, Momentum, the Two Act Twos, Subplot Prisms, Deadlines, Drive, Levels Of Conflict, Escalation, When Act Two Begins and When Act Two Ends, Scene Order, Bite Sized Pieces, Common Act Two Issues, Plot Devices For Act Two, and dozens of others. Over 67,000 words (that’s well over 200 pages) of tools and techniques to get you through the desert of Act Two alive!
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BRAND NEW!!
All About Rewrites!
Rewriting In Waves?
*** REWRITES Blue Book! - For Kindle!
The end is just the beginning! You’ve finished your story, but now the rewriting begins! This 405 page book shows you how to rewrite your screenplay or novel to perfection. Everything from Character Consistency to Shoeboxing to How To Give And Receive Notes to 15 Solutions If Your Script’s Too Long! and 15 Solutions If Your Script’s Too Short! to Finding The Cause Of A Story Problem to Good Notes Vs. Bad Notes to Finding Beta Readers to Avoiding Predictability to Learning To Be Objective About Your Work to Script Killer Notes and Notes From Idiots to Production Rewrites and What The Page Colors Mean? and a Complete Rewrite Checklist! The complete book on Rewriting Your Story!
ONLY $4.99 - and no postage!
All About Endings!
GRAND FINALES Blue Book!
The Perfect Ending For Your Story!
The First Ten Pages Of Your Screenplay Are Critical,
But What About The Last 10 Pages?
Creating the perfect ending to your story! This 100,000 word book shows you how to end your story with a bang, rather than a whimper. Everything from Resolution Order to Act Three Tools to Happy or Sad Endings? to How The Beginning Of Your Story Has Clues To The Ending (in case you were having trouble figuring out how the story should end) to Falling Action to How To Avoid Bad Endings to Writing The Perfect Twist Ending to Setting Up Sequels & Series to Emotional Resolutions to How To Write Post Credit Sequences to Avoiding Deus Ex Machinas, to 20 Different Types Of Ends (and how to write them) and much more! Everything about endings for your screenplay or novel!
Only: $4.99
NO KINDLE REQUIRED! Get the *free* app (any device, except your Mr. Coffee) on the order page on Amazon!
All About LOGLINES, TREATMENTS, and PITCHING!
LOGLINES, TREATMENTS, and PITCHING! Blue Book!
Distilling Your Screenplay!
Loglines, Treatments, Pitching, Look Books, Pitch Decks, One Pagers, Rip-O-Matics?
You have written a brilliant 110 page screenplay, but how do you get anyone to read it? You need to distill it down into some form of verbal moonshine or story rocket fuel that will ignite that bored development executive or manager or agent and get them to request your screenplay. But how do you shrink those 110 pages into a 25 word logline or a 2 minute elevator pitch or a one page synopsis or a short paragraph? This 100,000 word book shows you how! Everything you need to know! From common logline mistakes (and how to solve them) to how your pitch can reveal story problems to the 4 types of pitches!
272 Pages - ONLY $4.99!
READY TO BREAK IN?
THE BUISINESS SIDE
*** BREAKING IN BLUE BOOK *** - For Kindle!
Should really be called the BUSINESS BLUE BOOK because it covers almost everything you will need to
know for your screenwriting career: from thinking like a producer and learning to speak their language,
to query letters and finding a manager or agent, to making connections (at home and in Hollywood) and
networking, to the different kinds of meetings you are will have at Studios, to the difference between
a producer and a studio, to landing an assignment at that meeting and what is required of you when you
are working under contract, to contracts and options and lawyers and... when to run from a deal!
Information you can use *now* to move your career forward! It's all here in the Biggest Blue Book yet!
Print version was 48 pages, Kindle version is over 400 pages!
$4.99 - and no postage!
Movie Magic Screenwriter is the best selling screenplay formatting software and the choice of Hollywood professionals. Screenwriter automatically formats while you write so you can focus on what you're writing, not where it goes on the page. It also formats for television, stage, novels and comic book scripts so you've got an all in one package for any story you want to write. Academy Award Tech Winner!
* * * Buy It!
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