Just Effing Entertain Me

Spotlight on Marc S. Zicree

Last week, I had the pleasure of lunching with one of the most delightful, gracious and wise working writers I have ever had the privilege to meet. There’s no way I have room here on the Rouge Wave to jot down Marc Zicree’s whole resume but I will tell you that with over 100 script sales to his name, including credits on STAR TREK – THE NEXT GENERATION, SLIDERS, DEEP SPACE NINE and BABYLON 5, plus multiple pilots for NBC, ABC and Showtime, Marc has written for virtually every major studio and network, and his work has been nominated for the Humanitas Prize, Diane Thomas Award, American Book Award and this year’s Nebula and Hugo awards – the top prizes in science fiction. He has also won the prestigious Hamptons Prize and this year’s TV GUIDE Award.

Marc was a commentator for three years on NPR’s MORNING EDITION and is well-known as the author of THE TWILIGHT ZONE COMPANION (named in 2006 by the New York Times as one of ten “science fiction books for the ages”). He has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV shows, including AMERICAN MASTERS, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, WEEKEND EDITION, BIOGRAPHY, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, the BBC, THE TODAY SHOW and COAST TO COAST. Phew.

Above and beyond his resume and packed IMDB, Marc is peaceful, wise and kind beyond belief. Plus, he’s friends with Ray Bradbury. Wow, right? Marc was kind enough to submit himself to an exclusive Rouge Wave interview – thank you Marc!

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So – I heard you actually know a writer I am in awe of – Ray Bradbury.

Yes, in fact, I just visited him yesterday at his home, which was quite wonderful, as always. I gave him a present for his 88th birthday, a book on comic strips from the early part of the 20th Century and the toys and products they spawned. We hung out and laughed and traded stories; he signed copies of his books for me and told me about writing THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES and meeting Marlene Dietrich and Al Jolson and Laurel and Hardy when he was a teenager and young man.

He told me about sign he has on the wall of his office where he writes: “Don’t think — DO!” I think that’s great. He asked about the book I just finished and what I’m writing now. I told him my goal in the next year is to create and run my own TV series, write and direct a feature and keep writing books. I related the plot of the new screenplay I’m writing and he loved it to such a degree that he gave me a blurb to put on the cover of the screenplay: “This is it!” signed Ray Bradbury.

What a great friend, amazing writer and inspiration.

You just returned from WorldCon in Denver – was Obama there?

He hadn’t arrived yet, so he really missed a good time.

You were nominated for a Hugo Award – that’s huge! Tell us about the experience!

I’ve gotta tell you, being nominated for the Hugo Award — science fiction’s top prize — for the STAR TREK episode I co-wrote, directed and executive produced was an incredible thrill. As a kid I remember seeing that award on the mantle of my first writing mentor, Theodore Sturgeon. And of course Rod Serling had three of them in his trophy room, for TWILIGHT ZONE.

So clearly, you’re a big Star Trek fan – have you ever met the original cast?

When I was a kid, I was given a Christmas present of a trip to the STAR TREK set, where they were filming the last episode of the original series, “Turnabout Intruder.” It was an incredible thrill for me, to see Shatner and Deforest Kelly and those amazing sets. I actually sat in the Captain’s chair.

In later years, I met most of the STAR TREK stars, from the original show and later incarnations. Armin Shimerman (Quark) is a very close friend, and spoke at the class we taught this past weekend. And George Takei was a dream to work with, brilliant and professional and patient and remarkable in every way. I’d work with him in a second.

George said something I treasure about me when we were both interviewed on COAST TO COAST: “Marc Zicree is a tsunami of enthusiasm who just sweeps you up and carries you away.”

You have been a working writer in Hollywood for a number of years. What advice do you have for those starting out?

Go for it and don’t stop until you get to the finish line. Don’t let anyone rob you of your dream. Make a list of those who are doing the work you most admire and find ways to get them to mentor you. Make work you’re proud of, that really stands for who you are as a human being. Any time you’re stopped, find ways around it. Get help, ask for suggestions, find what you can apply that works. Be happy, be kind, be brave.

Which do you prefer writing, tv or feature film?

I prefer TV, because the write has the power (if he’s a producer, too) and can make sure what he writes gets shot the way he envisioned it. But now that I’m a director, too, I intend to do features and make sure I have creative control.

It seems that more and more lately, genres in film and television are smooshing together into hybrids. How do you define the difference between sci-fi and fantasy?

It’s science fiction if the fantasy element in the story is given a scientific or pseudo-scientific rationale; it’s fantasy, if not.

So what does Ray Bradbury have for lunch?

When I mentioned we teach our class at a Chinese restaurant, Ray mentioned he loves Kung Pao chicken. He also said he’d love to come talk to the class sometime soon, which I’m sure we’ll make happen.

What are your favorite shows on TV right now – well, I mean, when the season starts up in September? Which new shows are you looking forward to?

FRINGE looks kind of interesting. And I’m looking forward to the final season of GALACTICA. Everyone’s raving about MAD MEN, so I suppose I’ll have to get around to watching it. I just saw all five seasons of THE WIRE and thought it was brilliant.

Mainly, though, I don’t relax by watching TV series — it’s work for me. I’ll watch movies instead, or go out to a nice dinner with Elaine and friends. I think it’s important to have a life.

What did you think of one of my favorite movies ever – GALAXY QUEST?

I always say GALAXY QUEST and FORBIDDEN PLANET are my two favorite STAR TREK movies.

I’m so glad you said that. By Grabthar’s hammer, by the sons of Worvan, I totally own that movie.

Me too.

You are the author of The Twilight Zone Companion. What got you motivated to write the book?

I grew up watching and loving the show, along with STAR TREK and THE OUTER LIMITS. When I got out of college, having sold one short story and gained an art degree from UCLA, I knew I wanted to be a writer-producer in TV but there were no courses. I wrote THE TWILIGHT ZONE COMPANION to learn from the best, and it worked. I’ve sold over 100 scripts, and the COMPANION has sold over half a million copies.

Did you meet Rod Serling and more importantly, did his voice sound the way it did on the show for real?

I never met him, he died two years before I began the book, but I uncovered videotapes of him teaching classes on writing. And yes, he did talk like that.

I heard there’s something exciting going on with The Twilight Zone involving a little someone named Leo DiCaprio – spill the goods!!

Leonardo’s going to be producing a TWILIGHT ZONE movie. I’m in discussions with his office now to see if we can arrange a meeting with him. I think he’s terrifically talented and has great taste in material, so I have high hopes for it being a quality film.

How do you pronounce your last name and where does it come from? I’m going with Hungarian.

It’s pronounced ZIK-ree, and it’s Moroccan. I didn’t know this until a distant relative spotted my name on THE TWILIGHT ZONE COMPANION and showed up with a family tree going back to the 17th Century.

Moroccan, right. That was my next guess. But really – you know Ray Bradbury? For real?!

Yeah, and it’s every bit as wonderful as you’d think it would be.

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Marc leads a Supermentors class each week in West Hollywood from 7-10pm for writers, actors, directors and producers. Classes are limited to ten students each and fill up fast.

I will be attending a class probably next week to soak up more of that great energy and do some networking over Kung Pao Chicken. To learn more about the class and about Marc, click HERE or call Marc at (323) 363-1259 with any questions.

What’s the Deal With Movie Trailers?

When I met with our fair Wave-inatrix a few weeks ago, she asked about my day job.

I told her that I worked at a theatrical marketing company, i.e., a trailer house. I was a little shocked but definitely excited when she asked me to write this little blurb for the blog.

First, the name: why “trailer” if they come BEFORE the movie? Well, in the early days of film’s misspent youth, they did come after the feature film. The problem was, the audience usually had things to do. Y’know, like churn butter or get to their 18-hour shift in the factory. They couldn’t hang around.

Once the big money people realized there was bigger money in whetting people’s appetites for upcoming films, they started showing the previews at the start of the feature and the “trailer” business was born.

Today, when a studio is ready to start their campaign for a film, they send us the daily film footage or a roughly edited version of the whole film. Our producers will grab the editor that works best with that genre, and the work begins. Sound familiar? Yep, that genre thing is all over the place in this industry.

Since the average trailer shown before the feature is about 1 and ½ to 2 minutes long, the producers have to get down to the most basic elements of the film. Are there some moments that make you jump from the horror flick? Is there a great kiss scene in the romantic comedy? Are there great dialogue lines? Is there a hot star or director attached to this movie?

At this point, the editor creates or “cuts” a series of possible trailers. Now, copywriters, enter stage left. These are the writers whose sole job is to create the word-sketch of the project. The producer wants their take on the project with lines for the narrator and dialog/shots from the film. Talk about boot camp for log lines! The writer that gets in, gets out and gets the message across…you guessed it….gets the gig.

Once the studio executives, the producer, and the editor pick the copywriter’s scripts, they complete the campaign. Thus begins the approval process with the studio. Once the campaign makes everyone involved happy, it goes to finish. That means that music; narration, graphics and dialog are all put together. Now, the trailers are fresh from the oven and ready to separate us from our hard-earned cash.

Now, you’re thinking, “Nice article. What’s it got to do with me?” Let me quote the immortal Inigo Montoya from “The Princess Bride:”

“Let me explain. NO! There is too much. Let me sum up.”

If you could make a trailer of your movie now, what scenes would it use? What lines of dialogue serve as your film’s amuse bouche, giving audiences just enough of a taste to want the whole thing? What genre conventions have you used? Can those be turned on their heads to really grab an audience? Maybe a look at your script from a marketing producer’s point of view can help you. I know it’s helped me.

That brings me to some of the questions I usually get from people about my day job. Julie, like many, wanted to know why the trailers are sometimes so much better than the movie?

Well, it’s because the film didn’t give our people much with which to work. Our job is to get butts in seats for our clients. We’re going to put all the best stuff in the trailers. Maybe the script didn’t really give us anything to chew on. It could also be a great script but the film derails in the production process. I’ve seen both.

And yes, that guy from those insurance company commercials is one of the main voice-over artists for film. I’ll save you the midnight-memory jog—his name is Don LaFontaine. He’s one of only a handful of men that voice feature trailers and television ads or “spots.” You read correctly, it’s just men at the moment. However, there are some awesome ladies poised to change that. So, aspiring female and male V-O artists, keep it up!!!

On that note, I’ll return you to your regularly scheduled Wave-inatrix. Thanks, Julie! Oh, by the way, I’d now like to put in my request for a cupcake. Red velvet, if you please.

Breck Murray aka The Wave-inatrix’s favorite Writing Buddy

Network, Studio, Production Company – oh my!

Today I discovered a really great new blog – The LA Grind – and here (re)present a post from about a week ago that I found quite informational. I mean, at first you read it and you think SUPER DUH but then you realize – or, okay, I realized, that my grasp of exactly who does what was not as strong as I thought it was. Thank you, Russell – cupcake for you!

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I was at a seminar last night for tv writers and a question was introduced which made me realize many people don’t understand the difference between a Network, Studio, and Production Company. So,

Network: A network distributes programming. They are the STATION that puts a show on the air, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, USA, TNT, ESPN, etc. there are six major companies that own networks for SCRIPTED TELEVISION: FoxCORPS, CBSCORP, GE, Time Warner, Disney, Viacom, Sony.

FOX-Owned by FoxCorps
CBS-Owned by CBSCorps
NBC-Owned by GE
CW-Co-owned by CBS and Time-Warner
ABC-Owned by Disney

These channels DO NOT produce programs. They BUY programs and sell ad space to recoup their cost. You may ask, but Russell, I who produces these shows, I thought… Well they are produced by…

Studios: Each show is produced by a STUDIO. Studios are designed to FINANCE and PRODUCE television. These studios DO NOT distribute television, the finance shows and SELL THEM TO NETWORKS. If you are asking HOW Fox doesn’t have a studio, the simple answer is THEY DO. Each network ALSO has a STUDIO that produces shows that air on their network.

FOX- 20th Century Fox
CBS-CBS Paramount
NBC-Universal Media Studios
CW-Warner Brothers
ABC-Disney Studios

So, you’re pretty confident now, that whatever is on FOX is produced by 20th Century, CBS Paramount is producing everything on CBS, etc etc. Right? WRONG. While 20th Century does produce many fox shows, like 24, they also sell shows to other networks. My favorite current example is SCRUBS. Scrubs is produced by DISNEY, but was DISTRIBUTED by NBC. However, when NBC cancelled Scrubs, it was PICKED-UP by ABC for another season.

Why does this happen? A bevy of reasons; A show a studio is developing doesn’t fit on the network they are producing for, a network thought they would like a show but then decided after seeing it they aren’t wild about it, the studio specifically produces a show for another network, etc. etc.

When I lived in DC, I met a guy who worked at History Channel’s studio, just like the model I’ve been talking about, but smaller. He explained their system like this. History Channel is only obligated to buy X amount of the content they produce. If history channel passes on a show, they are free to shop that show to other networks.

The point is, it’s reciprocal. Sometimes the studio produces the show for another network, sometimes the network doesn’t want the show. However, this shows why you’ll be watching a show on CBS, and see a 20th Century Fox logo. Or when you’re driving past the Warner lot and see banners from other network’s shows.

Production Company: Most people think a production company is the company that actually PRODUCES the show. However, this is a misnomer. In actuality, a production company has EXACTLY the same role as a studio, but they are not owned by a network. Most production companies that work with television are successful producers, showrunners, directors, etc. That have OVERALL DEALS with a studio because of their success.

An OVERALL DEAL means this…A Studio will pay a production company X dollars, and in return they will own EVERYTHING the production company produces, whether it’s ideas, scripts, etc, for the length of the deal. People like David E. Kelley, Joss Wheadon, J. J. Abrams have overall deals with studios.

So, there is a general overview of WHAT each type of entity does. Next time you’re watching a show and you see a production company, a studio, and a network, you’ll understand why it is the way it is.

Next time…I’ll try to explain what syndication is…maybe…unless I forget.

A Spoonful of Vinegar

Here is the Terry Rossio column from Wordplay about throwing in the towel that Luzid mentioned in a comment. It is spot-on but a very painful read. It highlights the stark difference, in my view, between how it feels to receive information in a harsh or stern way versus a softer, more playful way. It goes down hard but it’s the Awful Truth. Cupcake for the first Waver to correctly identify the two actors in that delightful romcom without looking it up first. Like I could tell the difference, but you’ll know, won’t you? Down deep?

Back to the topic at hand. Here’s a little dose of alpha male piss and vinegar for you Wavers who’d appreciate a shot of something more bracing than cupcakes. Personally, I felt a bit awful after I read this. But the man speaks the truth. He doesn’t remember this but I met him at a screenwriting class at UCLA once.* It was just before Pirates hit the big screen and his life changed forever. Wonder if he’d have written this differently had the movie not hit. Like it wasn’t going to. Shuh.

*correction no, no, it was TED I met. Ted. Terry. Terry. Ted. Scratch that last observation. Damn my cupcake memory!

Throwing in the Towel by Terry Rossio

The Mini-W Reviews: The Pineapple Express

…and the Wave-inatrix is going broke. But hey, the kid, she wants to earn money and have fun doing it. Man, I had to wash the car when I was growing up. But anyway:

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

You know when you go to see a movie that looks really great and you walk out of the theater fully disappointed? Pineapple Express leaves you with the opposite feeling.

Starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, this hilarious stoner comedy is a must see. It’s packed with action, friendship, and stoner fun. It will leave you with so many jokes afterwards that you should probably try to avoid non-Pineapple Express viewers for at least an hour. The story stars out with Dale (Rogen), a stoner who delivers legal documents, and has a mundane existence, until he witnesses a murder and leaves some rare weed at the scene. He promptly flees to his dealer Saul (Franco) a lovable loser who Dale doesn’t really want to be friends with.

The two embark on a crazy journey and eventually become best friends. The highlight of the film is definitely James Franco. His character is lovable, funny, and all around great. I am a big Seth Rogen fan, but when I saw Franco in this it gave me a new appreciation for him. Out of all the movies I watched this summer, Pineapple Express was definitely my favorite. It’s one of those movies where you just can’t stop laughing the whole time. I recommend this movie to all people over like… 13. Overall, I give this film a five out of five jelly beans, and I’d say that it’s worth the ticket, no questions asked.

Staffed!

In Hollywoodland, that means you were hired as a television staff writer. It’s the brass ring, it’s exciting, it’s uncertain and it’s what every aspiring tv writer is working toward. A few weeks ago, it happened for our own Margaux Froley Outhred. I just had to ask her what it was like:

So. You got staffed on the new CW show Privileged this year. How much did you freak out when you found out?

Margaux: The whole “getting staffed” process is such a whirlwind, I don’t know if I had time to get excited. I was coming out of the Warner Brothers Fellowship, and six out of the 13 of us had been staffed, and there was enough funding to get 8 of us hired, so the jobs were going quick. I knew that the WB shows were getting filled quickly, so I was in scramble mode, trying to get my manager and Warners to put me up for anything I could possibly be considered for. I had actually been passed on for PRIVILEGED by one Warner Exec, but I was determined not to let just one person decide my future, especially since I felt I was a great fit for PRIVILEGED because I had just finished a GOSSIP GIRL spec. I pushed another Warner Exec, who got my GOSSIP GIRL to the PRIVILEGED showrunner on a Wednesday. She read me a day later, Thursday morning. Requested a meeting with me that afternoon, and hired me in the meeting. I started work on Monday. That Monday. It was quick, but that’s how it was for some of my other friends too. Just being ready was a huge thing. The best part of it was quitting my assistant job that Friday. Not that I liked giving my old boss so little notice, but it felt like I had officially made it past the assistant rank. And the funny thing was, I asked my manager, my Warner exec friend, and the Fellowship people like three times that morning if, really, it was OK to quit my job? I just couldn’t believe I wouldn’t need to be an assistant anymore, let alone, could hardly process that I was going to be an actual paid writer, in a writer’s room.

What got you to this point? What were the breadcrumbs? What did you do right?

Margaux: Aside from everything above, the Warner Fellowship was really the huge factor. From assisting a showrunner, I decided to try my hand at writing a TV spec script. I wrote a 30 ROCK, and that first TV script is what got me into the Fellowship. Once I was in the Fellowship, the best decision I made was to write a GOSSIP GIRL spec. It was still early in their season, there was no indication it would be a worthwhile spec, but I knew I could write it well, and I knew that if it was a hit, there would be another version of it in the coming season. So, staying determined to write the best spec possible made a big difference. Also, just really finessing my connections along the way. A close friend within the Fellowship was able to give my new showrunner boss a solid personal recommendation. I even sent flowers at the BEGINNING of staffing season to my WB exec friend and the WB Fellowship people, knowing that they were about to do a lot of work on my behalf. When it came down to pushing for me, these people were really in my camp when I needed it most.

Where are you repped? How do you like it so far?

Margaux: I was lucky enough to find a brilliant manager, Jamie Wager. Or rather, he found me from the WB Fellowship and my GOSSIP GIRL spec. He’s a former TV exec, so he gets how to work with writers. Thus far Jamie has been instrumental in helping me focus on what I need to write next, and helping me through development of a new pilot script. He also helped do the Agent Dance with me. I ended up getting repped by CAA. I currently have a job, so they haven’t had much chance to flex that muscle of theirs, but thus far, they’ve been incredibly supportive and I feel like I’ve got a really kick ass team to back me up. I had the horrible realization the other week that I am in freelance land, and very quickly that fear was squashed when I remembered what a really on-the-ball team I have to help me get the next job. I believe that feeling is called security.

What is the process on Privileged? How many staff writers are there?

Margaux: We start every day meditating on keeping the CW afloat. Nah, just kidding. (insert uncomfortable laugh here). There are three of us “staff writers”, that’s the low level writers. Then there are four other higher level writers, plus our lovely and talented showrunner. So, that makes 8 of us total, but generally at least one writer will be off writing his/her script, the showrunner has a million other places to be, and one writer off on maternity leave. We all work together to “break” each episode, from discussing general scenes we’d like to see, to coming up with a fully fleshed out outline. Then that episode’s assigned writer will go off and write the outline. Then they’ll have to get that outline approved by both our studio (Warner Bros. TV) and then the network (CW) and address those notes. Then they’ll be allowed to go off onto script, and again, have that script approved by the showrunner, the studio, and then the network. So each story has gone through many sets of eyes and opinions on it’s way to being written and finally shot.

Then we’ll do a table read with the cast, followed by a slew of production meetings, and then we can get that episode into production, during which the writer will be on set most of the time to help out/supervise his/her vision. The rest of us stay in the room and keep working on the next episodes. Whew……

What is the ratio of male to female writers on the show?

Margaux: Out of the full 8 of us, 4 of us are ladies. Given that this is a really female-driven cast, that makes sense.

Do you guys use the fabled White Board to sketch out episodes and the season?

Margaux: Yes, gotta have the white board. We have three in fact. One holds the arcs and storylines for all 12 episodes we’ve been approved for. (Holding out for that back 9!!!) Then, we have one board we really use to brainstorm scenes for an episode, which might then get transfered to the smaller board. The big board then gets used to write out the whole six acts of the episode and how each scene will fit into that structure. Lately I’ve become the board bitch, but I love it. Having good handwriting paid off.

How much time do you spend on set? Why are sets so cold?

Margaux: Our stages are just downstairs, nearby on the Paramount lot. We spend a little bit of each day there, but generally we stay in our offices. When it’s our script being shot, we will live on set the majority of each day. I don’t know why they’re so cold, but my guess is it has something to do with the hot lights and trying to keep the make-up from melting off our actors.

How many hours a week do you work? Is this typical?

Margaux: We have amazing hours. Apparently this isn’t that common, compared to some horror stories I’ve been told, but again, this is my first room, so I don’t have much to compare it to. We work about 10-6 M-Friday. Pretty easy. But, luckily we’re doing well breaking our episodes and our shoots are pretty manageable, so we haven’t had to have any insanely late nights thus far.

Do you have a nice office? Tell the truth – how’s the food?

Margaux: I love my office. Three of us staff writers (again, we’re the bottom of the food chain) had to split 2 offices. I was just so thrilled to actually have an office, I didn’t mind sharing. In hindsight, I’m still happy having an office roommate because I’d rather have someone to talk to, or someone to secretly discuss where I’m confused than sitting alone in my own office. The food? Too good. I have a hard time staying away from the kitchen, which is stocked with everything we ask for. Scary habit to get used to.

Single piece of advice for aspiring television writers?

Margaux: It seems to be all about original material these days in terms of getting a writer staffed and/or repped. My manager almost didn’t sign me because I didn’t have origianl material to back up my specs. Once I wrote a One Act play that he really liked, we were off and running. And I know with getting repped at CAA and having agencies pursue me, a lot of that came from the One Act. But, really, once you’ve got the job, the day to day most important thing is just to be nice and to be relevant. I haven’t written my episode’s script yet, but I work hard to try to find side projects or research that can help the showrunner or the current writer on their script. Just being nice goes a really long way.

(See above note how buying someone flowers BEFORE they help you can be a very wise move. Don’t wait for them to do all the work and then thank them. Advance thank yous can keep a relationship flowing for years to come.)

Conversely, what would you caution against?

Margaux: Stalking. It is really easy to push someone who is doing you a favor into the territory where they start avoiding your calls. If you push too hard, you will kill your contact. Seriously. I just heard about a producer who has a “Do Not Staff” list, filled with people who just bugged them and because of that, they never want to hire those writers. Don’t bug the people you want favors from. There are only so many jobs out there, pushing harder doesn’t change that.

Whoa! I heard about the Do Not Staff list a few years ago. I thought it was an urban myth, honestly. It really happens?

Margaux: Apparently so.

Thank you, Margaux, for taking your time to do this.

Margaux: Yeah. Where’s my cupcake?

You earned it, babe.

Margaux: Privileged premiers on the CW on September 9th at 9pm.

I’m supposed to be the bold font.

Margaux: Now you’re just talking to yourself.

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Staffing season comes every spring, sure as the geese migrate from – wait – uh – arrive in wherever. Make the most of your time this fall. Study the new shows like crazy. And look into writing original material like a one-act play.

Margaux is available on a limited basis to review your television scripts at The Script Department. We will shortly be announcing a new tv script analyst we have hired who is much more available. Treat yourself to either one but know that due to her work demands, Margaux should be booked in advance. We’re lucky to have her.

The Mini-W Reviews: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

As a big fan of Ann Brashare’s very popular book series “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”, when the first movie adaptation of the series came out, I was thoroughly excited. After being mildly disappointed with the first movie, (its adaptation for the screen was unsatisfying to me as a reader), I was reluctant to go see the sequel which, unlike the first movie, combines all the rest of the books (2nd, 3rd, 4th).

Two and a half hours later, my mind had been completely changed. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, starring Amber Tamblyn, “Gossip Girl’s” Blake Lively, “Ugly Betty’s” America Ferrera, and “Gilmore Girl’s” Alexis Bledel, is just the right summer chick flick to see with your best girlfriends. Although it’s not what you would call a high quality movie, (sorry, no oscar buzz for you Sisterhood), it’s definitely a fun film to go see.

In case you haven’t seen the previous movie or read the books, there are four main characters. Tibby, the rebellious film maker, Lena, the shy but sweet Greek artist, Bridget, the bold soccer player who lost her mother, and Carmen, the Puerto Rican beauty, who writes and is the most passionate one of the group. The girls had grown up together and the series is basically about their experiences as teenagers, and as friends. The movies are more interesting to readers of the series, but they are fun to watch nonetheless.

The film starts out with the girls in college. Bridget is going to Turkey for archeology camp, but ends up going to Alabama to see her grandmother, Lena takes a drawing class and rediscovers her love for a former boyfriend, Carmen gets cast in a major play, and Tibby learns the consequences of being sexually active. These emotional issues that are dealt with are handled well, and I think that this movie could be seen as a bonding movie. It shows the kind of friendship that you hope you will always have with your friends.

Overall, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is a good movie to watch if you’re in the mood for a chick flick. It’ll make you laugh, cry, and rediscover why you pay so friggin much to get into movies. I would recommend this movie to younger girls mostly, and especially fans of the book. I know I enjoyed it.

I give Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 three and a half out of five jelly beans.

Why I Love Horror Movies

As a 15-year-old horror movie lover and the daughter of a movie freak (sorry, mom but it’s true) I have seen a large variety of movies from The Exorcist, to Rosemary’s Baby to Saw, to Ju-On, 28 Days Later to The Hills Have Eyes. I’m writing this target audience members view of what makes the movie good to the kids that are actually going to watch it. There are a lot of different things that make up a horror movie. There is the simple horror formula, something that all horror movies need and that can be used without being cheesy and keeping that originality. Another important thing is your subgenre. The subgenre of the movie will define just how the formula works, and how your script can be made into something more than what has been done in the past.

The horror movie formula, (thank you, Scream), is simple. You need at least one survivor, the virgin. They have to be good and wholesome, yet strong enough to eventually face off with the villain. Other characters, especially in teen flicks, need to be drinking beer and being mean and what not, because they will all die. The villain has to be mysterious, but scary at the same time, and somewhat relatable to real life (that makes it a lot scarier). The one thing with the formula is it’s SO hard to take it seriously. I’m laughing while I write it, but honestly, without it, a horror movie just isn’t horror. I think that what some people don’t realize is that horror is definitely not a serious genre. Not that it doesn’t count, but when writing something scary, it’s good to have a little fun with it. Make it a little campy, and you’re giving it more potential. Take the Nightmare on Elm Street series, possibly the campiest series I’ve ever seen (sorry, Robert Englund) yet one of the most popular franchise horrors yet.

The subgenre of the movie is hard to kinda spell out in a blog, so forgive me if I didn’t do it in perfect format. Basically, you have your main subgenres which include Monster movies (the Thing, the Descent, the Wolfman, ect), Slashers and Serial killer movies (Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween) Supernatural (The Ring, The Shining, The Amityville Horror), Zombie, yes it has it’s own subgenre (Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Night of the Living Dead), Demonic (The Omen, The Exorcist, The Exorcism of Emily Rose), and of course, the small but vibrant category, Vampires (Lost boys, Dracula, Nosferatu). When you know what subgenre of horror you’re writing, it is a lot easier to find guidelines, suggestions, and history on the theme. For instance if you’re making a zombie movie, you need to know the “evolution” of zombies. You need to learn what the difference is between Night of the Living Dead and 28 Days Later because if you don’t you’ll be WAY behind.

Whenever my mom talks about a horror movie, she always uses the term “the pop-out moment” because you see it a lot in horror movies. This is what some people think of as a crucial thing in horror movies, but actually, if you’ve got a good story, I would not suggest using a lot of pop out moments. Although they startle the audience, the movie is twice as frightening if you can work the fear in without using too much standard stuff like that. My mom and I watched The Orphanage a couple of weeks ago, a horror/thriller with maybe one or two pop-out moments. And the moments were really scary because there were only one or two of them.

The horror movie that has scared me the most out of everything I’ve seen was the first Saw movie. It scared me because while it wasn’t exactly realistic, it was possible. I related to it and that kept me up for nights. There’s the same kinda thing going on with The Strangers and Misery. Is it likely that a random person is going to capture and kill you? No, but the idea that it is possible is a lot scarier than say, The Ring. We know that there is no such thing as a video that kills you, and even though supernatural movies are scary sometimes, the fear goes away quickly because you’re so aware that it’s not real.

Something that people don’t always take into consideration is a memorable villain. Would Halloween be the same without Michael Myers? Probably not. You need somebody that people will think about and make into an icon. You need a characteristic they always have (Jason’s hockey mask, Dracula’s fangs, Leather Face’s chainsaw), The villain also needs a good back story. Basically all Hannibal Lecter Fans know the creepy cannibal psychiatrist’s story, and that goes for any good movie villain. With a good back-story the fan base will build up twice as much. Another thing to do is to make the villain connect with a basic fear. Like fear of the dark, or of something hiding in your closet. Make the viewers remember when they were young and had to sleep with night-lights on.

In the end, if you’re looking to write a horror movie, do your homework. Find your subgenre, watch some previous films similar to yours, use the formula, and have fun with it. And remember that in horror movies, especially supernatural ones, almost anything goes. I hope this was a helpful article and I’ll look forward to seeing some good new horror movies come out!

- Mini W

Scott Myers, Synergy and Cupcake Kisses

Wonderful new friend of the Wave-inatrix, bon vivant and handsome devil Scott Myers posted on his fabulouso new blog yesterday: 14 Scripts in 14 Days. Wavers – this is wonderful timing. Please check it out and try the 14 day script reading plan – it’s brilliant.

Scott has written over 30 projects and teaches screenwriting at UCLA (Wavers know that is my favorite online program, by far) and was kind enough to answer some questions for the Rouge Wave. A thousand cupcakes kisses to you for sharing with us today, Scott.

You lived in LA for many years and have written over 30 projects, including Alaska, with Thora Birch. Does an aspiring screenwriter have to live in LA to make it?

No. The only thing that matters is this: write a great script. You can live anywhere and do that. Write a great script and it will find its way to a buyer.

That said, there are obvious networking opportunities if you live in LA. You can’t go to a restaurant, club or yoga class without bumping into someone in The Biz, and each one of these people represents a possible way in. However, if you don’t have a great script, it won’t matter because they’ll read what you submit (or more accurately, they’ll have your script covered by a script reader) and your script (and you metaphorically) will end up in the recycle bin with a big, fat PASS attached to it.

Again: write a great script.

Now let’s say you write a great script and it sells. You’ll either have enough dough to move to LA or you’ll keep living where you are and fly out for the occasional meeting. Most communication in Hwood happens via the phone or email anyhow — so even if you become a successful screenwriter, you can live anywhere and do your job.

You teach screenwriting online at UCLA. I have taken these online courses myself, so I’m prejudiced, but what do you say to writers who may hesitate, thinking that self-paced, online courses may not be as powerful as “on-the-ground” classes?

I’ve taught over 20 online screenwriting courses and honestly, I think they’re better than the on-site class experience. From the student’s perspective: (A) You can access the course site any time, any place; which means if you want to hang out in bed in your jammies, eating bon-bons, while downloading a lecture, you can do that; (B) Speaking of lectures, instead of listening to an instructor’s babble and having to scribble down notes, in the online world the instructor provides you with a written version of the lecture, all their thoughts in a nice coherent set of pages — much better access to all the core learning material that way; (C) Your classmates may come from all around the world (I’ve had students from Germany, England, Switzerland, Netherlands, UAE, Guatemala, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Siberia, and even a U.S. soldier while serving in Iraq) — this makes for a fascinating cross-pollination of personalities and ideas; (D) In part because of the ‘anonymity’ of being online, I find that there is much more class participation than in on-site courses — even the ‘shy’ types feel comfortable typing up their questions, critiques, and comments; (E) Plus, student responses tend to be more helpful because they actually have time to think about your script pages or your question, then compose their response, as opposed to off-the-cuff on-site course feedback like, “Yeah, um, I really, um, liked your pages ‘coz they, um, were, like, good;” (F) Finally, it’s amazing the sense of community that evolves in online courses — I have students who have stayed in touch with each other from classes they took 5 years ago. So two thumbs way up for online education, especially through UCLA Extension’s Writer’s Program, which has outstanding instructors with extensive experience in distance learning.

Yeah, no kidding. I love UCLA Extension. I see that you’ve written both television and feature work – which do you prefer as a medium?

I’m a movie guy. Have been since I was a kid. I love TV, novels, poetry, art, music, but nothing has the cumulative magic that a movie does, an amazing ability to transport the viewer into another story universe.

What are you working on right now?

Trying to keep my head above water. Between my job at Distillery Pictures, teaching, blogging, family life, and rooting for the LA Galaxy soccer team, I don’t have much time. However, I have been doing some research on a novel. I’ve never written one and this particular story feels like it’s best suited as a novel.

Is Distillery Pictures looking for new material? If so, what type of material are you looking to develop and produce?

One of our goals is to get into low-budget feature films, however per our business plan, we are focused on developing and producing non-scripted programming for cable TV.

Do you have any celebrity stories or encounters to tell us about? Come on, a little gossip here!

Well, I could talk about the movie premiere where amidst the post-screening throng, I accidentally goosed Faye Dunaway. Or another movie premiere where I inadvertently spilled champagne on director Peter Jackson’s shoe (he never noticed). But then you’d think I was a klutz, so — nevermind!

What do you say to aspiring screenwriters who get discouraged and disgusted by the poor quality of projects that get made?

It sucks. I mean it’s not like the studios start out intending to make bad movies. They do have release schedules and distribution networks that need to be ‘fed,’ so that’s one part of the problem, the inherent pressure to produce movies. On the other side, much of the greenlight decision-making is more about project attachments (i.e., actors, director) than where the script is in terms of the development process. And then there’s the actual production and post process. Look, making a movie is like getting pregnant and having a baby: there are a million things that can go wrong. If you’re lucky, you end up with a healthy child. But if movies really were babies, sad to say we’d have an awful lot of ugly kids running around.

How many scripts did you write before you broke in?

K-9 was my third script.

What’s your favorite kind of cupcake?

Chocolate with creamy vanilla icing from Babycakes in Manhattan — refined sugar free, gluten free, vegan. Seriously the best cupcake I’ve ever had.

Okay well obviously you’ve never had my homemade Duncan Hines cupcakes.

Blake Snyder: Coolest Guy Ever.

As most Rouge Wavers know, Blake Snyder is a friend, cheerleader and mentor of the Wave-inatrix. Our philosophical alignment is quite close and, well, the Wave-inatrix has a penchant for authentic, smart people with vim, verve and classiness to spare. That would describe Blake. The following is an excerpt of an interview that our very own PJ McIlvaine did of Blake a few weeks ago. Read. Enjoy. And if you entered the Silver Screenwriting Competition, dream of being the lucky Grand Prize winner who is going to have a cocktail with Blake at the Chateau Marmont this fall. It’s going to be super fun and of course, the Wave-inatrix will be there too.

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Blake Snyder didn’t just save his cat, he turned his kitty into pure gold. Author of the best-selling “Save the Cat” how-to screenwriter books/franchise, Blake is a hot commodity at classes, conferences and workshops around the globe for devotees of his now famous “beat sheet,” along with his common-sense methods and savvy tips. A screenwriter and producer for over twenty years, Blake is now busy writing the third installment of the popular “Save the Cat” series in which he is happily devising increasingly clever and crafty ways for writers to get their characters in and out of trouble. We caught up with Blake in Vancouver as he prepared to host one of his popular “Beat Sheet Workshops” (for more information on upcoming workshops, the “Save the Cat” books and ancillary products such as software, please go to www.blakesnyder.com).

Blake, was it always your intent to be a screenwriter? Do you see yourself primarily as a screenwriter or as a writer?

Well, I did tell a friend that I was going to be a big Hollywood screenwriter and sell a script for a million dollars, and it came true. I wrote my first screenplay when I was only seventeen. I am still very much in demand as a screenwriter. I get asked to write screenplays all the time. In the course of my career, I’ve sold over thirteen scripts. “Blank Check” was a successful Disney film. But for now, my primary focus is on the “Save the Cat” books. Writers everywhere tell me that they use and adapt the methods found in the books. I’m delighted to say that even non-writers have found the books useful. I once had a Realtor tell me that they used the books to sell a house!

What would your pitch be to a writer who has never heard of the “Save the Cat” books before?

That they are the first and last screenwriting books you will ever need! When I started out, I wish I had had this information, it would have saved me a lot of time and heartache. I had to educate myself on how to construct a snappy logline, a crackling pitch, and now I am delighted to impart that information to help others who are struggling in much the same way I did years ago. I went through hard times.
You know, so many screenwriters are focused on writing a great script that they forget that it is also about networking and making the necessary contacts in order to get their great script read. It’s all about connecting. Look at it from the executive’s point of view. They’d much rather work with a friend than a stranger. After all, wouldn’t you rather work with a friend than someone you didn’t know at all? I know I would. You can never discount the schmooze factor. You need to be pleasant and sincere.

Where exactly did the idea of “Save the Cat” evolve from?

All the other screenwriting gurus I came of age with, and loved and learned from, were not screenwriters, so when I wrote my book I wanted it to be from the point of view of someone who actually wrote and sold scripts. As a successful screenwriter myself, I wanted my book to be full of the slangy, how we really talk, brass tacks information that I and my screenwriter pals used to talk about and solve writing problems. One phrase I always used is “save the cat” where’s the “save the cat” scene I’d ask of a writing partner or when pitching a story, I’d use that phrase to describe the moment as yet to be devised where we know we like the hero in a story. My books and methods are chock full of this stuff, it comes from 20-plus years of shorthand, cut to the set piece, flowery, slangy insider stuff I never heard anywhere else. That’s why I think my books inform both new and veteran writers.

Regarding the books, I have a question from a fan. There seems to be a bit of a controversy, or let’s say, a disagreement, about the beats. Some people insist that you must adhere to the structure you lay out exactly, you must be very rigid in the page count where you have the beats, it has to be on this page or that page, and if you deviate from it somehow you’re ruining the formula. Do you have to be such a slave to it or can you deviate a little bit?

It is a guideline, and it is totally adaptable. I am fighting against the idea all the time that certain plot points must be on page 16 or page 25 and if it is not, the reader will simply toss the script aside. The books and the beat sheets are a distillation of everything I have learned over the years, information I sorely wish I had had when I first started out. However, the only way to educate oneself and learn is through trial and error, it is by doing, it is by the actual physical act of writing. There is no getting around that.

I know that for me, and I’m sure I speak for many other writers as well, that the mere mention of pitching strikes terror into our hearts. What was your first experience like pitching?

I can tell you that I was not very good at it. It was not until I educated myself on what made a good logline, the actual construction of it, that I got better at it. I say it in my books, go to Starbucks and pitch to the people standing on line with you. You will see by their reaction if this is a movie they would want to see. Pitch to your family, friends, neighbors. It is invaluable feedback.

If you were starting out as a screenwriter today, what would be your approach?

Well, it is so very much different for a screenwriter starting out today. There are so many opportunities for them, avenues and outlet that were not available back then: the Internet, You Tube, My Space, and the world of independent filmmaking that require less money to go tell a story. Stories are everywhere. We live in an age when visuals are the most important way of telling that story, be it a speech, 30-second commercial, a two-minute You Tube or a film downloaded to a phone. New outlets will be created for the once hemmed-in screenwriter to educate, persuade or create.

What about ageism in Hollywood and the idea that you must live in California to have a screenwriting career? I ask because I have a friend who recently told me that she was giving up screenwriting because one, she was tired of the rejection, and two, she was afraid that she was “over the hill” age-wise.

I hope you tell your friend to call me and hopefully I can talk her out of it! It is still about what is on the page and about making connections. If as a writer you constantly refresh yourself, keep yourself current and viable, I do not think it is a problem. The same applies for living in California, especially now with the Internet. It can be done.

When did you realize that you were on the right track, screenwriting-wise?


I just spoke to a very new writer. As part of my outreach I often spend half-hour coffees with writers to help them. I give back to my industry and that’s one way I do it. I asked him what he was working on and he was pitching his stories badly. He was using all the well-intentioned but misguided methods that I used early in my career. Well, by the end of the coffee, I am proud to say, we fixed that. He will never pitch “beat for beat” again. He will focus his story because he’ll know what it is. My particular problem early on was attitude. When I started, my whole attitude was, I’m special, I’m different, and these rules don’t apply to moi! And so, 20 scripts later that did NOT sell, I really was forced to take a look at that attitude and that method. Was I really going to do this, was I going to be a pro, or was I going to stay being an unsold dilettante? My turn came when I asked: what service do I offer? Why would anyone hire me to write anything? And how can I make it easier for producers, agents and executives to find me, and work with me. That was my big change. Starting from there I started to really examine what sold and what didn’t and why. Logline was key. I scoured the trades for spec screenplay sales and examined, really analyzed the loglines and why oh why did they sell and mine did not. I started to make my ideas and scripts more like theirs, and soon my attitude of entitlement changed, and I became a better writer, and soon, one that sold with partners and on my own, a lot of scripts.


You stress the idea that screenwriters are providing a “service” and that scripts should be “transforming.” Can you elaborate on that?


We writers have a noble profession, and it is complicated and hard work and all kinds of problems abound, but in fact the job is simple: Tell me a story. What is that? It’s about a hero who faces his greatest fear, dies, and is reborn. That’s every story. Why? It’s because it’s what we do every day; we rise, face the day, face our fears, fail or succeed and close our eyes at the end of it transformed. We die a little every day, we grow a little every day, and what we are all seeking, no matter how we seek it, is an interaction with the divine. However you seek that, falsely or in full consciousness of it, that experience is what successful storytellers recreate in their stories. The reason we like to hear stories of you going through this horrible transformative process, and not us is, it’s painful to change! No caterpillar wants to die by becoming a cocoon, especially when we don’t know for sure that we’ll have wings on the other side of the transformation. But we all do it. Living each day is an act of faith and stories we tell let us know that it’s worth it. Every story. Comedy or drama or musical, at core, the good ones address this truth. And as writers we must be aware of that.


What common mistakes or misconceptions new screenwriters have that they should try to avoid? For example, one fear expressed by many is that their scripts and/or ideas will be “stolen.”


Yes. I say that only amateurs have this fear. If you only have one idea worth stealing you should be in another business. As to common mistakes, there are so many, I will have to keep writing books about them because I have made them all. But the good news is mistakes are how we grow. 


If there’s one bit of advice you could give newbie screenwriters, what would it be?


Be happy. You’re in a great profession with more opportunities now than ever in the history of man. Be open. The best thing we can be as writers is flexible; the definition of humility is that state in which you are open to learn. Do not always think of what people can do for you; think about what you can do for them. It really is all about good karma.