Ask The Script Mentor, No. 4

Q. What can we writers do to guarantee a good script?

TSM: There are many things you can do to ensure having a "good" script, but what you really need to strive for is a "great" script. Here are some starting points, and this list is random and far from complete:

• High concept (unique; explainable in one sentence; appeals to most people).
• Should have an easily recognizable theme.
• Should have a PROPER structure.
• Should read quickly; lean and mean, with no extraneous scenes, characters or words.

?As a spec screenwriter, you should also consider...

• Production budget: "Don't have a submarine when a bicycle will do."
• Limited locations (see above).
• Fewest characters possible (see two above).
• Marketable genre.
• Great, memorable title.
• Great character names.

How does one ACHIEVE these things:

• Learn the CRAFT. We mentor writers on the CRAFT of screenwriting.
• Understand the business- and it IS a business first and foremost.
• Get a mentor; someone who's "been there, done that."
• Write every day, or every chance you get.
• Be passionate- about your project and your craft.
• Study; improve language skills, grammar, punctuation, spelling.
• Read- books, blogs, newsletters, and successful spec scripts.
• Have a solid work ethic.
• Don't take everything personally; you WILL be critiqued, hopefully constructively.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions.
• Be blessed with some basic God-given writing talent, and a bit of luck.

Q. I need a good spot to send my script to that will actually look at it.

A good spot? Hmmm...how about Boca Raton?

Maui?

I kid, I kid...

You probably mean a website or a producer, right? Whatever you do first- do NOT send it out to market.

The number one mistake new writers make is sending their scripts out to be read by producers when they're NOT ready yet.

The number one mistake new writers make is sending their scripts out to be read by producers when they're NOT ready yet.

The number one mistake new writers make is sending their scripts out to be read by producers when they're NOT ready yet.?

And you're not.

Know how I know?

Because you're asking this question. What you HAVE to do first is find out where you are with your writing:

• Is it up to the acceptable spec screenwriting level (probably not).
• Has it received multiple coverages resulting in several "recommends" or, at least, "considers" (um, no).
• Has it won or placed high in several mid-to-high level contests that average 5K minimum entries (doubt it).

?I'm not saying you CAN'T get to that level; most certainly you can. Just don't make the one mistake that many, many other new writers make and set your career back a few years, or damage it to the point where you might end up quitting. Be happy knowing that YOU'VE completed the first screenplay of your life, and 95% of those who start one NEVER get that far. Congratulations!

Now, you can search for a variety of consultants here on LinkedIn or on the Internet, pay whatever coverage costs may be ($100- $300 range), and be told a number of things that are wrong, but not how to fix them...

...OR you can contact The Script Mentor and ask for one of their FREE first ten-page reviews. I'm sure others will tell you that you will learn more about spec screenwriting in this free review than anywhere else you may have to pay boatloads of money, but don't take it from me alone, as I am not nearly unbiased in my opinion. All I can say is that it's an option.

If not TSM, then you might as well pay the $90 to have a service blast emails to every producer introducing you and your project and try to catch lightning in a bottle.

Q. THIS was my first written script. I have done twelve rewrites and have ideas for another. Should I stay with what I have?

TSM: This is a very common question. It's not unusual to have several concepts churning in your head. Get used to writing them down as soon as they come, and when you have time, mull them over and try to come up with loglines to tell your story (30 words or less).

You've done twelve rewrites, but where are you with the script? Many writers confuse rewrites with edits; moving words around or replacing one with another is not a rewrite. Usually, a rewrite entails complete reworking of plots, scene structures, adding and subtracting- or combining- whole characters. That being said, what has been the feedback from the "finished" version? Take a minute and refer to my article on the topic of "Cheers, Peers and Rocketeers", and you'll get a good idea what needs to happen next.?

As far as moving on, it always seems to help your current story by stepping away from it for a time - a month or more - then go back to it and read it again. Guaranteed you'll have a different opinion on how it reads and if it needs work. When you've gone back to it, and it surprises you how good it is, then you've done as well as you could up to this point. Now, it's time to get the pros involved. Find yourself a qualified "peer" or two (or more) to give you a good assessment of where you stand with the writing. Make sure those peers are more experienced and more knowledgeable about the craft than yourself, otherwise it's the blind leading the blind.

Good luck!

Yes, consultants will often have varying opinions and suggestions; you have to take into account one's objectivity (or lack thereof) and their personal tastes. That's why you get more than one professional feedback. ?

While I, too, stress that the writer should be true to their vision, all too often this occurs at the expense of being RIGHT, or even GOOD. Many just haven't taken the time to LEARN the craft, and this is where my service has proven to be very effective. We basically take the first five years of "O.J.T." where it could end up wasting thousands of your dollars and months and years of time, speed through it and shortening that learning curve by four years, at least.

If you feel that you know your craft and produce a rock-solid product, and this has been corroborated through contests or script requests or meetings with producers and talks about options, sales and writing assignments, then just forget everything you've read from me. The best I can do is wish you Godspeed and hope that you'll remember us little guys when it comes time for seats at the Oscars!

Q. I've been having many ideas for television and the silver screen. I purchased a notebook and I've been writing all my television and movie concepts down. My little beginner's notebook is just about full of interesting odds and ends. But I've been having trouble formatting them and creating outlines for spec scripts.

Anyone have any pointers on how to begin the writing process for a newbie?

TSM: You've developed an excellent habit of writing down ideas to flesh out later. Good for you! There are many outlining software products out there to use, so I won't begin to mention them all. I'm quite familiar with the "Save the Cat" formula of story beats, so I generally use this format myself, but to be honest, I rarely ever outline anymore- but really should, and you should, too.

• Once you have a concept, ask others what they think of the idea. To some, it may conjure up another movie they saw, to others it may be really unique and exciting. If you get a lot of that kind of reaction, it may be worthy of pursuing.
• Next, I would decide on a theme; what is it you want your audience to walk away have learned?
• ?Then I would create a thirty word-or-less logline for the story, identifying the seven elements, especially the "hook".
• ?Assuming you have a working knowledge of screenwriting structure, I'd simply write down the three acts, and the basic walk-through of the 40-60 scenes and the story will write itself!

?Now, obviously this is a highly simplistic list of how to accomplish the feat, as it may take several years of learning, or dozens of books to purchase and read, or finding a mentor to help you with your goal. But almost every day, I read screenplays from writers having written their first script, and those people are in rare company, as 99% of those who START a script never FINISH the script. Out of those who finish their first script, 95% never go on to write a second. On average, it takes about 8 scripts to get it down and start achieving some level of success, however one might define "success", but you'll need at least three scripts in the same genre before you really consider marketing yourself to representation and so forth.

Hope this helps!

Q. Hi, I am the writer, director, and co-producer behind the film "THE SWORD OF ANLIEOR" and I just had a few questions for those who have produced film. I am thinking of using Kickstarter.com to fund my project, and I was wondering if anyone has used them before, and if so, what the pros and cons are with the website? Also, I was reading that it is helpful to have a Facebook/X account(s) for the film, but I am not really sure if that is something I want to do. I am shooting the trailer for the film this June, and was wondering, what is the number one thing that I need to know/do before I shoot?

Thanks so much for your insight!

TSM: Excellent questions, and possibly too much to reply to in one short post, but I'll do my best.?

• Re: Crowdfunding campaigns- yes, they can be effective. if you check out the project I'm executive producing on Indiegogo, you'll see that we reached our goal FIVE DAYS after starting it, and we're well beyond it now.
• Re: Social media - Yes, creating a website to further promote your projects is just one idea that should probably be a part of a much broader marketing and promotion strategy, much like the crowdfunding. The more avenues you use to achieve your ultimate goal, the more chances of success in the end.
• ?Re: Shooting the film - "Does it matter?" Passion projects are fine- if you're footing the bill. If you hope to get enough attention from real filmmakers, producers and investors, then you'll have to make sure the concept is unique and that it appeals to those that extend BEYOND family and friends.
• ?Make sure the story and script are as good as they can be.
• ?If you don't know everything, make sure you surround yourself with people who do.
• Your best hire(s) for a film shoot are going to be your sound and lighting experts.

Q. I saw a comment the on the Script to Screen group that you made to a member on branding yourself with your own production company. I wanted to know if you had more advice on this and/or knew where I might find out more about starting my own. I am wanting to begin to do this soon. Thoughts? ?

TSM: Thank you for reaching out with this question. Setting up a prodco is easy; come up with a name, start a web page and you're in business. What you do with that business is the hard part.

In my case, my goal was to brand the company in a direction that ensured consistently high-quality screenplays with an emphasis on leading roles that involved actors 55 yrs. or older. The abundance of great actors that I grew up with are now in that age range, and higher (Duvall, Pacino, Nicholson, Ah-nold, Streep, Van Dyke, Brooks, Sarandon, etc.) and I wanted the opportunity to someday pitch to them. So, that was my stated goal.

The next thing was the networking; associating with those who share your vision, who are helpful for the sake of being helpful, and who are quality people (hard to find, as I've come to discover). This is a judgment call most made from a chair planted firmly in front of a monitor on the internet. Not always the best POV, granted.

Then, you have to get involved - not only in your own projects, but with others as well. This generally comes in the form of money - financially assisting other filmmakers with their projects, promotions, etc. I would scan Indiegogo and Kickstarter or the Angel's List and find projects that interested me and contribute whenever and however I could. You'll want to find projects that will give you a minimum of Associate Producer credit, at least to start, then build from there. I communicate regularly with other producers who are much more entrenched in the industry, and as a result of these relationships, I have easily 90 other production companies who are willing to read any project I refer to them. Over time, they've learned to trust my opinions and judgment. I do not use these relationships to further my own career, but rather to help other writers whose projects I believe are truly good.

If you start sending over every crappy thing simply because you can, you'll lose that connection and all credibility you worked hard to achieve.

A week doesn't go by when one of these guys (and gals) don't pick up the phone to ask ME a question about contracts, or a particular writer, etc. That's trippy- having this somewhat well-respected producer or executive asking for MY opinion or position on something!

I also talk with people (producers, studio executives) that "need" certain things, a certain type of script or so. I would do this through my production company, with no expectations of having the favor returned. This has led to several writers getting options, selling their script and one getting representation. I even got one full time employment as an executive producer at one of the major studios based strictly on my personal connection(s) within that studio.

Now whenever they need something, they're always sure to ring me up first!

WRITER'S BIO: Mr. Scala spent 24-plus years in the Hollywood community and was the Executive Director for the?72nd Annual Academy Awards,?as well as The Soul Train Awards,?The Grammys,?The Blockbuster Video Awards Show?and?The Saturn Award Show.

Geno has three produced feature films: "Assassin 33 A.D.",?"Black Easter"?and?"The Tombs". All are currently available on Amazon Prime and Tubi.

Currently, he is working on a project scheduled to be filmed in the spring,?starring Liam Hemsworth and Samuel L. Jackson, all while continuing to mentor new writers and self-published authors. TSM Services recently expanded, adding a social media and marketing division, a full-fledge publicity department for writers and their projects, and a complete full-service publishing house, that includes ghostwriting, publishing, editing, formatting and distribution with guaranteed "shelf space" in many major retails around the world.