Agent/Manager Panel

As many of you know, I am finishing up my year in the Professional Program in Screenwriting at UCLA. It's been a long year but I have two scripts plus hundreds of hours of writing experience to show for it.

The culmination of the program is a panel with Agents and Managers. This is probably the most anticipated class of the year, as we plan our strategy on trying to make the next step in our careers.

I won't mention them by name for privacy's sake. But there were agents from ICM, Paradigm, and Kaplan-Stahler, in addition to managers from Benderspink and Underground. So we had various viewpoints from people in different areas of the agency/manager world.

Here is my usual disclaimer that the following notes are just the opinions of the speakers and may be different from what you have heard or what you read in the trades. These are people speaking mainly from their personal experience in their world.

Here are some notes, in no particular order:
1. Agents/Managers can handle different numbers of clients. The usual number is somewhere between 20 and 60, depending on how many clients they can handle at one time.

2. The bigger agencies will split between TV and Theatrical agents, whereas the smaller agencies might have agents that handle writers of various types. However, most have a team attitude where they will help each other out if possible.

3. The major difference between an agent and a manager is that an agent is more focused on the individual script or project. The manager is more concerned with developing the talent, helping them to find their voice and getting ready for the pitch. It's pretty common to have both but once you are established, it's less necessary.

4. Web Content - There is no money in making web content. However, it is a good way for beginning writers and directors to showcase their talent and get noticed so they can move up to the big leagues. They are constantly looking on Youtube, Funny Or Die, Vimeo, and other websites looking for original voices. They consider how many Twitter followers and how many Facebook fans you have.

5. Consider multi-platform and reverse engineering your script. They are also looking at other formats, books, graphic novels, blogs, shorts. Sometimes it's better to start as a graphic novel and then sell it as a movie.

6. Almost all of them said they do not consider unsolicited submissions. They said the best way to get read by an agent is through a referral. Find someone in the industry to read your script, a producer, a development exec, or even an assistant. If they like it, have them refer you to an agent or manager with which they have a personal relationship.

7. Assistants! I know I've said this before. Be nice to assistants. Get to know them. Because one day they will no longer be an assistant. They will eventually become an executive. If you develop that relationship, your career can grow with theirs. As an added bonus, they are generally more receptive. Their job is to find new talent and find new scripts.

8. The biggest mistake that writers make is being too precious and not being receptive to notes. If you don't want notes, don't send it to anyone. If your script is so precious that you can't change anything, then you should just go out and shoot it yourself. This is a collaborative business. They are there to help you and they talk to the studios and producers all the time. They have an idea of what they are looking for. If they give you a note, it's because they are trying to help you.

9. What are they looking for? A VOICE! They are looking for someone who is unique and original. They are looking for someone with their own style that has something to say. If you don't have this, it can be developed. This is where a manager helps. They can help you to develop your voice and figure out who you are as a writer.

10. Beginning writers also worry a lot about being pigeonholed or typecast. This is a good thing. You want to be the go-to guy for a certain type of film. Once you have a couple of features or script sales under your belt, then you can try to break out of that and try something different. If you want to break out of that rut, the best way is to write a kick ass spec script of the genre you want to try next. But you may have to take a pay cut since they will be taking a chance that you can deliver on something outside of your repertoire. If you try to write a bunch of different genres, they won't know how to sell you. So you will have a much harder time getting meetings or getting any jobs.

11. For TV writers, everyone right now is looking for an original pilot script as a writing sample that shows your unique voice as a writer. (I've said this before.) Another possibility is to write a spec script for an existing show but do a new and original take on it. For example, a couple of guys wrote a Small Wonder spec script but they positioned it as a very dark comedy. Another writer wrote a Jersey Shore spec script. They won't sell these, but they get you noticed.

12. The best way to start as a writer is to find a manager who can work with you to develop your voice and to help you perfect your pitches and to help you get your scripts ready to go out. Then you would go and get an agent when you are ready. (I've heard that sometimes managers aren't for everyone. If you know who you are as a writer and have ppl that can provide feedback, it might not be as necessary.) Managers will sometimes go over a pitch with a writer about 7-10 times to make sure it's perfect before they go to meet with the studios.

13. Some of the larger agencies have in house lawyers that you can use. But they almost all recommended you get your own outside lawyer who is looking out for your interests. An in house attorney at an agency probably has hundreds of contracts they are working on so you won't get an attention from them.

14. Interestingly, they said they rarely looked at film festivals or screenwriter labs. They all said that by the time a project is at a festival or lab, they've probably already seen it. However, they did recommend a couple of screenwriting contests like the Nicholls, Page and the Goldwyn awards.

15. One last note, right now they said no one is buying period or straight drama pieces. But you really shouldn't limit yourself. Write what you want to write. Just because period pieces aren't selling right now, they might come back in style in a couple of years. Don't take production issues into mind when writing. It's better to write a great script, sell it, then have to tweak it to fit the needs of the producer or studio.

Ok. Those are the major points that I got from the panel. So get out there and start networking. Find an assistant to harass. Develop your voice. And sell your script!

Common Mistakes By Independent Filmmakers

I watch a lot of movies for my job. Over the past ten years, I've probably seen thousands of movies. Most of these are from independent filmmakers looking to gain distribution. There are certain mistakes I see independent filmmakers making time and time again. It's not even beginning filmmakers, this is common among people that have made 10 or 20 independent films. They keep making these mistakes and that's a large part of what's holding them back and preventing them from transitioning to the mainstream.

Here are a couple of common mistakes I see all the time:

1. Trying to do it all yourself. When I see the same person has written/directed/produced/edited/filmed the piece, I know it's going to be bad. Find your strengths and stick to them. There are a lot of really talented people who would love the opportunity to work on your film. Let them. Find the best editor you can. Find the best director of photography.

2. Don't get too married to the script. I've seen too many films with stilted and artificial dialogue. Or unfunny jokes kept in that should have been cut. Writing is rewriting. If you see something isn't working, rewrite it. Allow your actors to improvise. Some are better at it then others. If they come up with something good, keep it. Don't let them say whatever they want. But if a certain line doesn't feel right, change it. Of course it goes without saying that you need to lock your script at least a week before shooting. Nothing annoys actors more than constant changes right before they film. But also, allow for discovery and improv while shooting. Sometimes a throwaway line that they come up with on the spot can be better than anything you could have written.

3. No resolution to your film. Too many filmmakers try to be arty by leaving the ending open. It very very rarely works. Try to wrap up the story as much as possible. Then once you have the resolution, end the film as quickly as possible after that. Unless you have an interesting twist or new bit of information at the end, then there's no need to keep it going. Although the end of the film isn't exactly a place to put out new information. Just finish it and move on.

4. Info dump at the beginning. If you start the film with a fourteen minute monologue about everything that has happened before the film, there's no way an audience will stick with you through that. It's best to space out the information over the course of the film. If the audience doesn't absolutely have to know it, then cut it out.

5. Don't depend on your friends. I know this sounds harsh. Unless your friend works in the film business, it's best not to use them. Sure you can have them come in for a day and be an extra. But anything above that is setting yourself up for disaster. I learned this the hard way. It's better to find eager, hard working film students or other people who want to work on films. They will work their hearts out to try and make the best film possible. Your friends are only there to help you as a favor. They don't want to be there. If you want to retain that friendship, let them come to the premiere and leave it at that.

Those are five common mistakes I see in independent films. I'll post more as I think of them. What do you guys think? Are there certain mistakes you guys see in independent films that happen a lot? Let me know in the comments.