Just Effing Entertain Me

Managers and Writers – Group Hug

I talk to managers fairly frequently, in my ongoing networking and effort to connect writers to rep. And I obviously talk to writers about their scripts, concerns, careers and would-be careers just about every day. And when I put the two side-by-side, some interesting gaps in communication arise.

This is what I hear from writers:

Why is it SO hard to get a manager?

Why have I not heard back about my query and it’s been two weeks?

My query got accepted, I sent the script and I never heard back.

My query got accepted, I sent the script, I got an email or call saying it’s good but not for them; should I be excited that they took the time to call or bummed because it was a pass? The manager said to send them another one of my scripts in the future. Do they mean it?

Why does my manager not communicate with me more often?

My manager was SO excited about my script, he/she took it out but now he/she isn’t really calling me back.

My manager took my script out and says he/she got positive responses, but we need to “package” the script and lately, my manager hasn’t been calling me back.

My manager works for ME, right? So why isn’t he/she more responsive to my calls and emails?

My manager seems a little mysterious about the actual plan for me and my script(s).

I just got my first manager. My whole life is about to change. I am already looking at new cars.

This is what I hear from managers:

I’m looking for a commercial, salable script with a HOOK

I’m looking for a script that is castable and unique and exciting

I have a number of clients who are working writers and taking care of them and their careers takes up most of my time

I get hundreds of emails on a daily basis

I’m always looking for something new but time management is a challenge

I spent a fair bit of time networking with buyers and agents for current and future clients

If I get excited about a script and take it out and don’t get a fairly immediate positive reaction, to be honest, my ardor for the script cools a bit. What seemed like a sure thing just got harder and more complicated.

I wish my clients would trust that I’m doing my thing and not be too needy with emails and phone calls

My game plan changes unexpectedly sometimes; I get pulled in another direction for another, more “hot” client and that’s not something I can necessarily control

I’m not interested in repping a client with ONE good script; I will look like an idiot if this writer has written a fluke script. I need to know a writer has legs.

If a script doesn’t get an immediate positive response, I have to put my attention toward those clients who are generating heat; I can’t make a living on writers who don’t sell.

I like to develop writers with potential but there’s only so many hours in a day and selling clients have to come first.

Developing a writer is very, very time-consuming. It’s taking a risk. I’d rather work with writers who are self-directed, empowered and who are creative machines.

So going back to what I hear from writers:

Why is it SO hard to get a manager?
Because it’s really hard to make a living as a manager. So managers are extremely selective. They can only deal with so many clients and those clients have to generate salable work. Managers cannot afford to take a risk on a script or a writer that does not smell like MONEY.

Why have I not heard back about my query and it’s been two weeks?
Because the manager is inundated with other stuff and because the manager probably saw your query and didn’t have an immediate positive reaction.

My query got accepted, I sent the script and I never heard back.
Because the manager is inundated with other stuff and/or the script didn’t live up to the promise of the query. If it’s been more than a month, chances are, the manager moved on and has long since forgotten about you.

My query got accepted, I sent the script, I got an email or call saying it’s good but not for them; should I be excited that they took the time to call or bummed because it was a pass? The manager said to send them another one of my scripts in the future. Do they mean it?
You should be excited that the manager requested the script based on the query and that the manager liked something about your writing. If this manager liked you enough to call or contact you, that’s quite a compliment. Keep querying other managers; you may have better luck next time.

If the manager said to hit them up with another script in the future because they liked your writing, they do mean it. But only mildly so. This is often used as a pleasant brush-off. But I would stay in touch and query your next script once it’s ready because you never know; maybe this next script WILL rock the manager’s world. In a lottery-like business, even if the manager was making a polite gesture only, why not take a chance on that?

Why does my manager not communicate with me more often?
Because he/she is busy. And possibly because he/she is not feeling the electric-love-excitement about your script anymore. The red-hot crush is waning. As in the dating world, if you call MORE to find out what’s going on, the ardor will cool faster and faster.

My manager was SO excited about my script, he/she took it out but now he/she isn’t really calling me back.
Because the script went out and the manager didn’t get an excited response and now his or her attention has been taken up by another, more promising script and writer.

My manager took my script out and says he/she got positive responses, but we need to “package” the script and lately, my manager hasn’t been calling me back.
Because when buyers say the writing is good but they’d need to package it to get it off the ground, that’s not exactly the response the manager would have hoped for. He or she may be strategizing some packaging reads through relationships with talent or directors but this script sale just got more challenging. This is a true test of the manager’s passion and faith for the project; if he or she is SURE this script is going to make a great movie, he or she will put a lot of effort in at this juncture. But if there’s any doubt…the ardor will cool. Quickly.

My manager works for ME, right? So why isn’t he/she more responsive to my calls and emails?
Well, not exactly. Think of this as a partnership. It’s a symbiotic relationship; your manager is your champion until or unless you aren’t going to be an earner. It’s hard to say, definitively, whether your script is or is not going to be received well on the market. If you think the market and what sells is confusing, try being a manager. They have a stronger sense but imagine that your mortgage payment is riding on your judgment.

Your manager cannot make a living unless clients are selling projects and getting assignments. Think about that: no income coming in – unless there is a deal that goes through. So it’s time versus money versus faith. How much time would YOU put into a writer who is not generating income? Will the writer generate income in six months? A year? How long are you willing to work for free?

My manager seems a little mysterious about the actual plan for me and my script(s).
Because the manager is busy with several clients. Because the plan may shift from day to day or week to week. Because the manager is using a finely calibrated sense of judgment and experience and has to follow up on strong leads and relationships first and then go to softer relationships second. But they never really know where that opening will be found. Asking your manager for a clear sense of the plan is great but once the plan starts shifting and responding to the realities of the market, bugging your manager is a little like being the kid in the backseat, constantly bugging mom or dad, upfront, driving the car, trying to navigate a complicated freeway interchange. Are we there yet? Are we going to take that offramp? Look at THAT shiny building! I gotta pee! And the manager is the parent, upfront, trying to focus on getting from point A to point B and grows increasingly distracted and annoyed by the backseat passenger.

I just got my first manager. My whole life is about to change. I am already looking at new cars.
Be excited. Be motivated. Use this feeling to keep writing and to feel validated. But also be realistic. This may change everything – and it may end in a few short months with a frustrated fizzle. Don’t put the cart ahead of the horse. Take this in stride. A whole lot of mysterious things have to align – primarily quick and strong reactions by buyers to your work – in order for this to change your life. See this as the first major step forward in terms of validation but never rest on the laurels of this accomplishment. The overwhelming odds say that your life will not change completely and immediately but you have definitely proven that your script has passed a minimal litmus test in Hollywood – it got someone other than your granny excited. Be circumspect about this new development. Tread the fine line between going NUTS with the coolness of this but also knowing that this is absolutely not license to slow down generating great ideas and great scripts and that yes, this could also end at any moment. If this answer seems a bit contradictory – it is. Hollywood is contradictory. It just is. This is what makes it among the most confusing, frustrating businesses in the world. A writer isn’t sure how to feel from one day to the next. The only advice I can give you is to feel excited about your love of writing. That’s the only thing that will carry you through.

Being aware of the realities of getting and keeping representation is key for an aspiring writer. The main thing you can do is to see how it feels to be repped by whomever has chosen to enter into that relationship with you. Does your manager make you feel like an annoying hanger-on? Or does he or she make you feel respected and heard? Do you have chemistry? Are you simpatico?

At the end of the day, aspiring writers are the only ones really in charge of themselves. Knowing the realities of the life and times of a manager is a huge advantage. Managers love a writer who can go with the flow and who use the down time to keep generating great scripts. If you spent the same time writing that you are tempted to spend calling and whining, imagine the work you’d get done. And there are writers – your competition – who are doing exactly that.

Managers love clients who aren’t needy and whiny. So given that ideal, that you are not needy or whiny, how does your manager make you feel? Valued and heard? Or as if you are an annoying pain in the rear? Writers lucky enough to get rep may go through many managers over time. It’s a close relationship but from a manager’s point of view, only as close as you are productive, unique and successful. It’s not personal. They don’t call it show friends.

If you don’t hear back from a manager you queried – keep querying others. If this is a pattern, take stock of your queries and of your material. Maybe it’s not as unique and salable as you thought. In fact, odds are, I’m sorry to say, that it is definitely not as salable as you thought. How do I know this? How do I know anything I write about on the Rouge Wave? From painful and bitter experience.

If you don’t hear back from a manager who is repping you, don’t waste a lot of energy moaning about that and wondering why. Empower yourself by taking stock of your inventory and continuing to grow it. Once you have not just one not just two but several scripts that are really strong, managers will clamor to rep you because you are a meal ticket. It’s pretty Darwinian at the end of the day.

Definitely avoid managers who:

Charge you any kind of fee. Ever. For copying – for anything. This is a huge red flag.

Do not do business in Los Angeles or New York. They simply cannot be tuned in or plugged in from afar.

Do not judge a manager who:

Has not had a client who made a sale yet – how long as the manager been in business? Sometimes a very new manager with great connections is twice as hungry as one who has been doing this for awhile. A new writer and a new rep could be a match made in heaven.

Entourage. Do You Need One?

What’s the difference between a manager and an agent? Do you need one or do you need both? How about some guy like Turtle hanging around?

My friend and colleague Garth Pappas of High Concept Management was kind enough to guest blog for The Rouge Wave today, and in doing so, get down to the nitty gritty when it comes to managers and agents. Read. Enjoy. Then get back to work!

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Agencies are licensed and regulated by the State. Agents submit spec scripts to studios in hopes for a sale. They are also interested in developing a writer’s career if their respective literary team agrees to rep a writer (after reading and liking their writing samples). So to you writers out there, you must have at least two samples … Now, not every writer has an agent and a manager on their team … but every writer needs a good attorney (usually referred by the agent or manager involved in a writer’s life) … the decision to have both an agent and manager is up to the writer; if you’re chugging along in your career and you have only one, then it might make sense to get a third member on the team; the larger the team, the better coverage you’ll get; meaning, consideration for job opportunities at both the studios and production companies.

The technical difference between an agent and manager is: agents can only negotiate on behalf of their client. Managers can attach themselves to a screenplay as a producer; agents cannot. Why do you need both? Well, you don’t. But you do need one who’s got solid relationships with studio and production executives; and, one who can effectively cover every studio in town. If you start off with a manager and the manager gets your material exposure which will then hopefully lead to some meetings, then you can hold off on giving another 10% to an agent. If you start with an agent and they do the same, then you don’t need to give the other 10 to a manager. It’s a marriage. It’s about chemistry and it’s about getting the writer results. I think it’s a good idea for a writer to meet several reps and see which one fits best. Good luck!

Giving Up

In response to Alice’s last comment (that is correct: I am too lazy to cut and paste it here), the upshot of which is she’s done gambling on this crazy screenwriting thing:

The death knell of a writer is always something that makes me sad. But you know what that means for other aspiring writers? One less competitor. As we say at The Script Department, we hold this truth to be self-evident; the difference between a writer who makes it in Hollywood and one who doesn’t is that the one who made it never gave up.

It is a gamble. It is insanity. Is talent number four? Some would disagree and say it’s number one. Or number two. Or fifth. But persistence – that has to be number one for you, the writer. Developing your talent is also hugely important. I say aim high and write brilliance; just don’t be surprised if less brilliant writers than you make it because luck, connections and persistence sell a script first. It happens every day. Why? Nobody knows for sure. But it is a fact.

Some writers should throw in the towel – if you don’t have the stomach for this, it’s definitely not for you. Like being a NASCAR driver, astronaut or game show contestant. But if every “no” fuels your fire, if you are obsessed with writing stories, if when you watch movies you are ignited with passion, if you do not take rejection personally – you’re in the right business. It is a kind of insanity; we are all dreamers, schemers, liars and thieves. If you can’t run with us or lose the appetite for it, there’s no shame in that. There are plenty of nobler pursuits that are more suitable for the saner types. I am a writer. I can’t not write. If and when someday I make a different choice, it will be the perfect choice for me at the time.

Tony Gayton, screenwriter of one of the most entertaining scripts I have ever read – The Salton Sea – gave up for many years. He just threw in the towel, moved and became a high school teacher. Then one day, the urge to write a story came back to him like a virus. And he said screw it and wrote the script. The movie was a little checkered though highly entertaining, with great performances – but the script – it was brilliant. And there are lots of anecdotal stories like that; of writers who threw in the towel for a time but were lured back by the siren song of a great story. And there are a lot of writers who quit trying very early on. Fine. Less competition. You have to do what is right for you.

He’s Just Not That Into You

Several times a week, the Wave-inatrix gets emails that say: Dear Wave-inatrix, I sent my script to X manager a couple of weeks ago and he/she just sent me and email that said Dear So-and-so: thanks for the read, I liked the script but I just couldn’t get any traction with it. Thanks for submitting. What does that mean?

It means “no”. Managers and agents have several ways of saying “no”, ranging from silence (very common)to the polite brush-off. But what can be really frustrating to a writer is getting the polite brush-off with this addendum – “Do you have another script?” So you send another script. A few weeks later you either get the Silent No or another polite email saying something like “While I enjoyed the read, I just couldn’t connect with the theme.” Translation? No.

First of all a polite brush-off is of course nicer than the usual silence. Silence leaves the writer hanging for weeks and then of course, we do hear those one-in-a-hundred stories of Silence For Six Months then a phone call or email saying WE LOVE IT. But Wavers – that is so rare. Take silence as a “no” and move on. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Don’t count your chickens til they’re hatched. Don’t wonder which came first, the chicken or the – okay you get it.

But the most frustrating of all is the manager who keeps passing on your scripts and yet keeps asking for other samples. Is this person interested or not? Are they going to sign you or not? It’s like dating a person who is giving you mixed signals. Is he into me? Or not? How do you know? How long do you wait? When is this manager going to pull the trigger??

Should you be continuing to query other people? Or do you put your life on hold as you wait for Manager X to decide whether THIS script is one he/she connects with, or gets excited by or can get behind?

Being in some kind of suspended animation because you are waiting for a response to a script read is a big mistake, Wavers. You need to continually move ahead with your writing and your queries. If someone else – someone bigger IS truly interested in your script and then the person you were waiting for finally indicates they liked the work, well guess what? Now, potentially, both will be even more keen about you and your work because now there’s a seeming competition for you. So keep moving, keep querying. Don’t sit and wait for weeks, using your Magic 8 ball to interpret either silence or polite brush-offs.

And again – how do I know this? Because Wavers, I have gone before you and I have been in this situation many times. And I have put my life on hold. And I have held my breath, and I have pored over letters and emails with a magnifying glass trying to interpret soft “no’s” and soft “yes’s”. What’s a soft “yes”? It’s we really liked the script but we can’t see doing anything with it right now – what else do you have? So you send another script – and you wait another six weeks and you get another such reply. Or a thousand variations of all of the above.

Being in a position myself, in which more and more lately, writers approach me for management (something I’m toying with but have not committed to), I understand how it feels to be on the other side. I don’t receive the volume, naturally, of queries to do the rude silence. Plus, I hate rudeness. But again, that silence is, nine times out of ten, a result of simply too many scripts coming in to respond to each one. But I do receive queries in which I think – hmmm – well – I like this writer, I like his/her writing, but I know I can’t do anything with this particular script. But I would like to keep this writer in my periphery because maybe at some point, I could do something with another piece of material…

On the one hand, Wavers, if a manager feels that way about you – that you have potential, it’s terrific. Because you have a relationship with someone who sees potential. That’s validating and could pay off down the line. Or – it might not pay off. You may never deliver a script to that person that they get truly excited about. So how do you know how long to keep that relationship/courting game up and how do you know when to cut and run to someone who leaps out of their La-Z-Boy when you come home? It’s simple: keep up the relationship, yes. Keep checking in with new ideas and new loglines. Make nice to that person who is interested in you. Don’t bug them, play it cool, but stay in touch. But at the same time – continue querying others. Because if someone else makes something happen for you and I didn’t – I’m not going to be mad at you, I’m going to say DAMN IT, I blew it!

It’s a dance. A lot like dating. It’s important to know when someone is just not that into you and it’s important to sex yourself up by dating other people – by being less available. Because when someone is really interested in you and your script – the signs are unmistakable and things move really fast. There’s no second-guessing it.

After doing this dance for a long time – I finally got a manager. And it happened very quickly. A phone call. I like this script, I’d like to meet you. This week. And I’d like to strategize going out with the script. Boom. Bam. Done.

And Wavers, writers often go through several managers before finding one who not only likes you and your work but who has the ability to get your work out to serious buyers, who doesn’t give up when they get a lot of “no’s”, one who works and who works hard on your behalf, consistently. But even when you get that great manager, if they thought they could do something with your script but are proven apparently wrong by a lot of “no’s”, often what happens is instead of dropping you – they just fade away. They slow down submitting your material, they slow down calling you back, they are less available to you…why? Because they are going out with someone else now, and putting all their energy into that person. It’s not personal and it’s not unusual. They just stop returning your calls. Yeah – I’ve gone through that too. Hot and cold.

So what do you do with this awkward courtship? As with dating, you retain your independence and self-respect. You are not desperate, you hear me? You have value and if someone saw it, even a glimpse of it, enough to hip pocket you – then you know you have something that will interest somebody else too. You there in the Mr. Bill T-shirt – what’s a hip pocket? Well, it’s like this: I’ll represent you only until or unless I set up your script in a finite period of time. And if I don’t – I never knew you. Say hello, wave goodbye. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am.

A hip pocket is not a bad thing – in fact, it can lead to great things. But often, a hip pocket deal results in a quick fade-out to the relationship. And again, I get it. I can only imagine the number of writers who approach managers on a daily basis. You can only get behind so many scripts and writers. Sure, you might like a writer and kinda like the script – but what’s the potential that your time and attention to this script/writer will result in dollars? It’s hard but the math has to be done. And I have certainly seen the work of writers and I think – hmmmm, I like this writer but the story…I dunno….it doesn’t get MY blood pressure up so how could I translate that to someone else? There’s nothing wrong with the script,it’s just not for me. And I’m not going to put myself and my reputation on the line for a script that I’m not doing cartwheels about personally. It just doesn’t make sense.

I have about five writers right now that I do “manage”. I put that in quotation marks because it’s not official, but I LOVE their scripts. And of the five, three of the scripts are most definitely not commercial fair that would light the fire of just anyone. But I love those scripts so passionately that I can’t let it go. I pitch them whenever and wherever I can. But I don’t expect loyalty in return from these writers. If they come to me and say guess what, someone else got behind the material and pushed it out there and we have interest, I’d first say DAMN IT and then do a cartwheel for that client. Because I would love to see this script as a movie. And I’ll be damn proud, whether it was me or someone else who set it up. Because from day one, I believed in that writer. And you five know exactly who you are: Jason, Adam, Scott, Gary and Tal. Don’t give me your loyalty – make a movie. But maybe I am a strange person. Well, that’s a given. It’s pretty cool to have someone so into your writing and your script that they talk it up wherever they go in Hollywood. It’s way cool. But if someone can do that AND get you set up – go with that person. No hard feelings. Until you have a ring on your finger – you are in an open relationship.

A good friend (hi beautiful Angela) once encouraged me, years ago, by comparing being a screenwriter to one of those guys in trench coats filled, on the inside, with watches. Wanna buy a watch? No? Okay. Hey you – YOU wanna buy a watch? No. Okay. YOU – you wanna buy a watch? And you just keep moving. If someone says hey, I might want to buy that watch – you say that’s terrific; I only take cash. You got cash? No. Okay. How about you – you wanna buy a watch? And you keep right on moving.

While maintaining relationships is important, only maintain relationships with managers who are not proprietary about you but who love your work in and of itself and short of that, managers who do more than express how much they like the script but who put themselves on the line for you and your material. If someone is not willing to put themselves on the line – keep moving. Or even if someone like me says I pitch your script wherever I go – that’s lovely – but that does not preclude you from approaching others who might do the same thing but actually make something happen faster. It’s not personal. It’s not show friends, it’s show business.

So don’t waste hours wondering if this or that manager is really that into you. They either are or they aren’t. Silence means “no”. And maybe means maybe. And it might mean for my own purposes, I would like to keep you on the back burner because I see potential. Which is lovely. But it is the back burner. And yes, sometimes you can move up to the front through a series of events and the one person who believed in you for years (in Hollywood time that translates to six months) might actually make something happen. But why wait? Don’t commit to one person; maintain the relationship but keep dating others. It will only make you more desirable to everyone else.

Just keep moving. Never stop. Keep writing, keep building up your arsenal and keep querying others. You are the guy with the watches – they are yours to sell and it’s your prerogative to keep moving forward. If someone is nice to you and encouraging, that’s terrific too. But you want the guy with the cash.

The Five Magic Words

What else have you got? Those are the five words that come just after – I loved your script.

The Wave-inatrix has toyed with moving into management many times; it’s something I do for a select group of clients on an informal basis anyway. The jury is out but in even considering such a thing, I have an insight into how a manager might choose to represent a client. I’m not going to earn a living unless my client does. No sale, no option, no assignment work for you – no rent, no car payment, no vacation for me. So in deciding whether to rep a writer, a manager is looking at not only whether this writer has a salable script now but whether this writer has other salable material on deck as well. Does the writer have legs, in other words? Or is this a one trick pony? Because if a writer appears to be a one trick pony, then that writer is probably not worth the time to manage and develop his or her career. Managers essentially work on commission. So if a writer has ONE great script, that’s terrific but it’s going to take hours and weeks and potentially months to get that script sold – IF the manager can make that sale happen and there’s still an element of luck to that. Connections, great writing, great writers, material that is appealing to buyers – a lot of stars have to align.

So to make it work, a manager needs several clients and those clients need to be producing a fair amount of salable work. See how that math works? So a manager thinking over whether to represent you is going to need to not only be impressed by your initial script, but they need to know: what else have you got? Is this good script a one off or is your writing consistently good? Are you writing salable concepts? How much time do you put into your writing? How easy are you to work with? Will this writer call frantically everyday for updates? Is this writer going to do a JD Salinger and just disappear? Why should a manager put his or her heart, soul and the majority of their work week into getting your work out there if a payday is not imminent?

So – what else have you got? If you’re shopping a romantic comedy, do you have another one written I can also read? Do you have two others that you are outlining? Do you have a list of ideas you are developing? Why would you make a good investment for a manager?

It’s not personal – it’s a time-to-income ratio we’re talking about. Put yourself in the shoes of a rep; it’s a very speculative business, right? Your manager doesn’t earn until you earn. And shopping you and your material is front loaded and time consuming. So either you’ve got a script that is so GREAT that I feel very confident I can sell it and then we can buy some time while you get it together with some new ideas, or you have a selection of scripts, and I can see that you’re in it for the long haul with consistent, salable talent.

So look at your arsenal and ask yourself – would YOU work for free for YOU hoping that maybe just maybe you will earn money? What would you see need to see on the table to make you feel pretty good about investing in you as a writer? A great personality isn’t enough. Great ideas that you spout out but have not written down or tested is not enough. Some script that you’re on page five of is not enough.

Personally – I would not rep a writer, or even consider it unless that writer had at least two scripts that I LOVED, another one he or she was working on right now and several really great ideas in various stages of development. I cannot speak for all managers – I’m not a manager myself, to be clear, but in even considering the idea, I can see the huge risk involved. Who can afford to work for free without a pretty strong indication of money down the line?

So – what else have you got?

Top Ten Things Readers HATE

Good morning, Wavers. I trust many of you, as usual, are busily thinking of a clever one page scene for the latest competition. There’s nothing to lose and a $25 gift certificate to gain. Plus we like to have fun at the Rouge Wave, so, you know, you really gotta give it a whirl. Click HERE for the guidelines and click HERE to submit.

Also: just FYI, I have recently had requests from two production companies and a lit manager for some GREAT scripts. I have already submitted a few this week, from my client base but am definitely looking for great material to get out there. Obviously, I have to read the script first and yeah, that obviously means do some notes on the material, but the reputation of the Script Department has grown to the point where I am getting hit up for good scripts. So. Just put that in your pipe and smoke it. I am looking for anything well written, but also family, tentpole, action, horror and thriller.

So the happy, happy class who took Ten Things Readers HATE over the weekend requested that I repost that list here on the Rouge Wave. Now – you really had to to be there and I can’t reprint everything that we discussed in a 90 minute class. But I will reprint the list itself just for fun. This list could have been much longer but this is what we discussed at the Great American Pitch Fest. And remember – because it’s the Wave-inatrix – my list actually goes to 11.

Bear in mind that readers are often overworked and underpaid and your script may be the third script they read that day. So they’re a little cranky, a little jaded and they really want to go to bed. But no. Your script is staring at them and they gotta get through it quickly so they can turn in the coverage that night so tomorrow they can go pick up six more scripts from another production company a long, smoggy drive away. So I’ve set the scene, right?

Top Ten Things Readers HATE:

#11 A script over 120 pages.

Reader thinks: Please kill me now. The writer doesn’t have a good grasp of structure and tight story telling. Great. Just great.

#10 The writer sent weird shit in the mail with the script.

Reader thinks: Oh god. A rank amateur. Some kind of nut. What is this map/sketch/doll/polaroid/music and how fast can I toss it to the floor so I can just read the script already?

#9 Boring, derivative scripts in which nothing happens.

Reader thinks: Wtf? Where’s the conflict? What is the bloody point here? I hate this writer! Why can’t he or she just tell me a story already! I’m hungry. Maybe there’s something in the fridge. Maybe I should throw some laundry in. But I have to get this script done and – I hate this writer!

#8 Wonky Tone or Genre

Reader thinks: Wait – I cannot draw a bead on this. It’s funny, it’s graphic, it’s scary, it’s got characters with more personalities than Sybil. I can’t sum this up, I can’t follow where it’s going. There’s no cohesion. I’m gonna PASS this writer so fast his head’s gonna spin. Gd it.

#7 Bad, Confusing Sluglines

Reader thinks: My eyes! The humanity! These pages are cluttered and overslugged. Too many details in the slugs! Or – completely generic slugs – ext. house – day – oh come ON!

#6 Gratuitous, Shocking Sex or Violence

Reader thinks: Really? Am I supposed to be impressed or shaken by this? You’re dealing with the wrong reader, pal. If it’s not in keeping with the tone and narrative, if it’s just there to pop wheelies and tell me way more than I ever wanted to know about your sexual fantasies or urge to scoop out eyeballs with a melon baller, then color me NOT impressed.

#5 On the Nose Dialogue

Reader thinks: Talk about an urge for violence – what do you think I am, stupid? This dialogue is patronizing, dull and amateur. But hey – this is going to be a fast read and an easy PASS. Bring it.

#4 Dense Action Lines

Reader thinks: Like I’m going to wade through this crap. I’m just trying to synopsize this quickly and efficiently. And this is killing my eyes, slowing down the read and adding exponentially to my already cranky mood.

#3 No Structure: the BOSH script

Reader thinks: Nothing is moving this story forward, it just goes and goes and goes. It’s a BOSH script! (bunch of shit happens).

#2 Lame Characters

Reader thinks: These characters sound, act and look like robots. If there was one thing that might have gotten me into this story, it would have been characters I give a damn about. But no. Is this writer serious? Does he or she read this dialogue outloud? People don’t act this way. These are types! Oh! I’m so cranky!!

#1 Typos and malaprops

Reader thinks: Oh come ON. Seriously? One or three is one thing but now I’m beginning to feel personally insulted. Proofread! Is it that hard? Do you want to be taken seriously??

Now, Wavers know that there is a remedy to every single one of these items. And if you are new to the Rouge Wave, look at the Browse by Topic and click on corresponding subject labels to read up on how to do a better job and improve your craft. Mostly, just do the opposite of each point made here. But of course, there’s a lot more to it than that.

The larger point of the class is that you have to imagine yourself in the reader’s shoes. And during the class, cruelly, that’s just what I did, by passing out the first ten pages of a script that somehow managed to accomplish everything on this list save number 10 and that’s just because I didn’t bother to bring the map of the castle to the class. I gave everyone four minutes to read the pages (about how long a reader would spend, give or take) and asked that they circle those things that are slowing down the read for them. It was painful to watch, and I’m sorry, but it was effective, no?

Dumping Your Manager

A Rouge Waver recently sent us a great question, which our own PJ McIlvaine  handily answered here:

QUESTION:

“If you currently have representation (manager/agent) and decide the relationship isn’t working out, what is the correct way to proceed to find new representation? Do you say goodbye to Manager 1 before saying hello to Manager 2 or is it like a job where you should find a new one before losing the old one?

In the same vein, if you currently have only one form of representation, what is the protocol about going after an agent (if you currently have a manager) or going after a manager (if you currently have an agent). Are you under obligation to inform the current person of you interest in said new person/relationship, or are these two different worlds?

- “Sleepless in Seattle”

PJ ANSWERS HANDILY:

Hey, Sleepless, thanks for a great question. I’ve been in this situation, and it’s a toughie. It’s been said that it’s better to have no agent than a bad one. I don’t know of any handbook called “101 Ways to Leave a Bad Manager/Agent”, or that there’s even a totally correct or wrong way, but let me tell you what I did. (I’m prefacing my answer based on the belief that you’ve tried to work things out with your current manager/agent, it hasn’t, you’ve given it a lot of thought, and you’ve come to the reluctant but necessary decision that for the sake of your career, your goals and your peace of mind that you have to make the move).

There’s nothing wrong or untoward with making discreet inquiries to a potential new manager/agent while you’re with the old one. If a potential rep questions why you’re leaving your current one, you simply trot out the universally accepted “creative differences” answer. There’s no reason to blab that the real reason you’re quitting the son of a bitch is that he blew your last deal because he was too busy lounging in the Caribbean to make a lousy phone call. Be professional at all times. It’s a small community, agents and managers work and play together, and you sure as heck don’t want to get the reputation of being a “difficult client”.

I wouldn’t say sayonara to Manager 1 until you gauge where you stand in the food chain. You may think that you’re a prime catch, but others may differ, and that realization alone may cause you to rethink your exit strategy. Plus, it makes no sense to dump one rep for another who may not be any more connected or higher up on the ladder than the one you’re leaving. In other words, sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you don’t.

I’d tell Manager 1 once a firm offer was in place. And however you handle it, if at all possible, leave the old rep on good terms. Most reps accept the fact that clients will leave for any variety of reasons, its standard operating procedure. However, you never know when you might need that connection again. No need to burn bridges unnecessarily.

If you’re with an agent and you want to add a manager to the team, ideally, you should be confident enough in his expertise to ask him for a recommendation on who they think might be a good fit and the same goes for a manager regarding an agent. Why would you pay a commission to separate reps and not have them know about each other? That’s what a team is, all working on the same side for a common goal or good, which is to advance your career. You don’t want them working against each other or at cross-purposes.

Actually, I’d be more concerned if you brought the subject up and the agent/manager balked and refused to give you a referral or a recommendation. Nowadays, it’s very common that most established screenwriters have both, so unless they had a really good take on why you shouldn’t go that route, I’d consider that a red flag. I once had a manager who, whenever I mentioned the idea of getting an agent, got all hot and bothered, so I didn’t pursue it. As it turned out, I stayed with her way too long, but that’s another story.

Wavers – keep those questions and observations coming. It gives us something to do here at the Rouge Wave. Because honestly it can get boring rehashing the same subjects over and over – we are here to serve YOU so BRING IT.

Are We There Yet?

Rouge Waver J.J. asks: When do you stop taking suggestion/notes/advice for improving your script? At what point is enough enough?

Good question, J.J. I know I have received notes upon notes on scripts of mine and at a certain point in time you start to wonder if the script is written by committee. Additionally, there are note-junkies who essentially have a fear of actually finishing the project and putting it out there to succeed or fail.

I need to point out one truth that sucks: No script is ever DONE. Even if you sell your script, changes will be made. Changes will be made as the movie is shooting. No script is ever done. Memorize that.

But before you submit your script to a competition, agent/manager or production company, at a certain point it becomes done enough for now. But how do you know?

It is useful to be still.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, everybody who knows the Wave-inatrix knows that she is a pretty spiritual person but think about the usefulness of that statement in this and every situation in your life. Be. Still.

Just take a deep breath and ask yourself – have you taken this script as far as you possibly can, to the best of your ability? Is there anything that still niggles? Is not being sure if you’re done or not rooted in fear? Fear that the script will fail?

Let me tell you something, Wavers – good scripts fail. Because their reception is subjective. Good scripts get a PASS simply because it didn’t match the mandate of the production company or strike the exec or manager reading it as just what they are looking for.

Recently I corresponded with a number of managers who read consider scripts at the Script Department. I asked them each exactly what they were looking for. Every single one answered differently. NO comedy. NO horror. Horror, please! NO drama. Period piece drama, please. Comedy and horror. NO sci-fi or fantasy. I’m looking for sci-fi and fantasy! I was blown away by not only how different their requests were but by how strongly they felt about what they are looking for.

You’ve gotten three sets of notes and you’re just feeling a little unsure….are you being a notes junkie? Are you afraid to just go for it? The truth is your little darling, your beautiful child is going to be rejected 9 out of 10 times. For reasons that make sense and for reasons that are baloney. How do I know this? Bitter and painful experience. You got to let that fear go. Because you only need one “yes”.

So be still. Take a deep breath. What is the best use of your creative time right now? Are you beating this script to death? Is it time to move on? If you are having this conversation with yourself, I’m going to go out on a limb – it’s time to be done already and move on.

But, Do I Really Need an Agent?

by Margaux Froley Outhred

TV writing is a job where writers often have to work their way up the ladder. More so than in features, where, if you are lucky enough to write a million dollar spec idea, you are thrown into the feature pool. In TV there are a lot of annoying double standards. To get staffed on a TV show, the writer must show the showrunner writing samples which should be at least one spec of an existing show and also something, like a pilot, that shows their original voice. To be staffed on a show, the writer must prove that they can mimic someone else’s voice (the showrunner’s), and still bring something new to the table. (It’s really about walking a fine line here.)

Now, how much do you know about showrunners? The quick answer is that showrunners are the people who create a show and then often will be the ones who run the writer’s room, along with making the majority of decisions on the production of that show, from casting to costumes….the showrunner really does prove that TV is a writers medium. However, no network is just going to let anyone be a showrunner. (Most pilots don’t get made for less than $1 million..so, you have to have a track record for them to put $1m in your hands.) In your case, you would have to have been working in TV for awhile to be considered as a showrunner.

There are cases, however, of less experienced writers getting paired up with existing, larger showrunners. However, those people often get pushed to the side…those larger showrunners, the majority of the time will pay you for your idea and basically get you to go away. If you are lucky, and have the track record behind you…you would get hired to be a higher level writer on the series.

Agents really are the name of the game in TV because they are good at getting people into those staff positions so they can work their way up to being showrunners one day. Again, the annoying double-edge sword rule is that you have to have good original material to land the agent in the first place. In TV, lots of the writing you do is what gets you hired to do more writing, as opposed to that writing really being a viable project to sell…at least to start off.

If you have written a sitcom that is GREAT, pair that with a solid and current spec or two, and you would be ready to shop to agents. If you land at a big enough agency, they MIGHT be able to pair you with a showrunner to push your pilot further, but the pilot would have to be spectacular (most showrunners prefer to create their own shows than hear others)..and the agency would probably want you to prove yourself as a working writer first. Getting you the experience it takes to be a good showrunner is key…because sometimes a showrunner can start off big, but lack the experience and know-how to keep a show going and how to run a staff. (which ends up being career suicide as opposed to a slower but safer rise to the top.)

Most studios and networks couldn’t even read your pilot for pure legal reasons, so yes, you would need an agent, or a pretty well-known lawyer, to get your pilot in the door. But again, it wouldn’t quite be worth it unless you have the chops to be a showrunner now. A pilot might serve you very well for staffing season, but again, should be paired with a current TV spec also.

This is a tight year for many TV shows and agencies also, keep in mind, (because of the strike), so, this could be a great year to use the strength of that pilot to enter into some of the Fellowship programs in town. I think both Disney/ABC and Warner Bros. want original material for their submissions. Having the pedigree of one of those programs really helps give you an upper hand among the competition.

-and Margaux should know. A recipient of the Warner Brother’s Television Fellowship in 2007, she is busily working on a pilot and a one-act play. Her services are available through the Script Department. And to all the boys who continually tell me they have a crush on Margaux – yeah, you would. Too bad she’s happily married to a handsome poker afficionado.

Rouge Waver Question

Anon E. Mouse, a dedicated Rouge Waver wrote in the other day and asked:

I recently took a meeting at a reputable production company here in
Los Angeles, regarding a recent script my writing partner and I had
submitted through a producer friend. Long story short, the company
gave us notes to implement and a timeline to see the revised version.

My question is this – how common is it for a production company to
request a series of revisions from relative newcomers and expect them to implement them gratis? I have a feeling it’s very common, but would love your advice on how to handle a situation like this so we don’t waste our time or get ourselves screwed.

This is an interesting question and yes, you are right, Anon E. Mouse, that it is not uncommon. It has happened to me in fact. My partner and I had a script in development with a biiiiiig deal producer with an office and first look deal at a biiiiiig deal studio. We had meeting after meeting after meeting. We rewrote the script to this producer’s exact demands at least five times. More meetings. And mind you, we were very excited since this was a biiiiiig deal producer and a sale seemed imminent. But it never happened. We worked for free for many months and then the project got sidelined and that was the end of that.

So how common is it to be asked for gratis revisions? Very. Is it a good idea? Depends on who the producer/production company is. My advice would be a) that you should have your rep helping guide you through this and b) you should communicate to your rep a timeline after which, the producer/production company needs to, um, what’s the polite term….? Blank or get off the pot. Make a commitment. Stop yanking you the writer around with a leash made of hope and dollar signs. Doing the work cheerfully and professionally for a couple or three revisions is one thing. You are building a relationship and midwifing a possible sale. But after that I suggest, based on my own experience that you push the pause button and ask for a conversation about where this is headed.

It doesn’t sound like you have a rep but all the same I would do a couple of revisions and then have a straight forward conversation about what lies ahead. Mind you, the producer will completely avoid making any committments or firm, easily translated answers, but you’re going to have to lay it on the line at a certain point. Here’s hoping you have a happy ending to this situation and hey – let’s put things in perspective – this is pretty cool!