Breaking In & Moving Up: Writing For Television Panel

So last night I attended an entertainment panel put on by the University of Michigan (seemed a tad random to me, but then again I don't know much about the school). The panel had a lot of interesting things to say so I thought I'd share on here. I tried my best to transcribe with accuracy, and paraphrased a bit where necessary...overall, I think it is pretty authentic. Enjoy!

Panel:

Scott Rosenbaum - Executive Producer of "V" and "Chuck"

Bill Prady - Executive Producer of "The Big Bang Theory"

Dennis Kim - Senior Literary Agent at Rothman Brecher Agency

Brad Holeman - Director Creative Affairs at Fox21

Alessia Costantini - Staff Writer on "Scrubs"

Do you recommend screenwriting courses?

Scott: Screenwriting courses are a good way to learn the format, but I myself never took many. Maybe like 2 during college. My best recommendation is that you read as many scripts as you can. I had an agent friend who would send me scripts which helped me in the learning process a lot.

Bill: The most important thing is that first and foremost you have a good story to tell and are a good storyteller. If those things aren't in place then classes probably aren't going to be able to help you.

Brad: Read material and watch movies to figure out what does and doesn't work. This is how I learned. I watch television everyday.

Alessia: I actually like classes for structure and it is a great way to meet other writers. Also if you are the kind of person who needs to be under deadlines, classes are definitely helpful.

Bill: In every writer's room the slang will be different. Executive Producers and writers will make up words. For example, a clam is what we will call an over-used/bad joke.

Alessia: Yeah, we use "clam" as well. We actually have a clam stuffed animal that we'll throw at people!

Scott: You need to have an innate talent for storytelling, but you don't have to know how to wield that ability right away. Sometimes you need a mentor or someone to cultivate adn teach you how to use your talent. This is what a class might be good for.

Bill: If the writing is good, then format isn't so much of an issue.

Scott: How we work in our writer's room is to first figure out what the character's arc is going to be and then we work backwards to find just the right story to bring this out.

Bill: The process of telling stories is to be able to draw from our own experiences. So you need to have life experiences to be able to write. Entertainmetn is an artistic endeavor and people often get lost in the process, forgetting to focus on the story.

Scott: I had to read over 400 scripts to staff "V". He's what I look for. I don't expect everyone to be good at everything. But you have to have a voice and that should should in the material you write. And if your particular voice is what I'm needing on the show, I'll hire you. On "The Shield", each writer kind of had a character that they could relate to emotionally and psychologically. So its so important that you have a voice and viewpoint that is different than the other writers in the room. Always ask yourself - why are we writing this episode? And from there the theme will emerge. If the script has a unique voice, it will stand out.

Can you describe the hierarchy in the writer's room?

Dennis: Well you have your Executive Producer on top, from there down it goes Co-Exec Producer --> Supervising Producer --> Producer --> Co-Producer --> Story Editor --> Staff Writer --> Writer's Assistants. Staff writers make WGA scale, about 3500/week. Story Editors make about 5000/week. And above Story Editor you can negotiate feeds. It differs between cable and network TV. With Staff writers, writing a script is included in the weekly fee, but for Story Editors and above you get additional compensation for writing a script.

How has the television business changed over the years?

Brad: Cable. It was a struggle to bring writers over because it wasn't sexy to work in cable. But there is a lot of freedom with cable that you don't get with network television. You can show and do anything you want in cable. Which is great because writers can really have the opportunity to show their voice.

How do you take/get feedback and hone your craft?

Scott: Every showrunner is different, and its rare to find someone who wants to be a teacher. I was lucky to have one. But watching and reading can show you what's getting people jobs. The more you read good writing, the more it bleeds off onto you.

Bill: To succeed in telelvision you need to be able to explain why a scene worked or didn't work. Because at some point someone will ask you to do that. If you can't, you will get replaced. Execs are always terrified of losing money so you gotta know something is gonna work. Always watch television with a critical eye.

Can you describe the types of writing samples that come to you?

Bill: There are two kinds of writing samples: specs of shows already on the air and original material. Somebody wrote a spec of a show as if it got to the 30th season and the concept was really original and interesting to read because it was different. Good writing is effortless to read. If you have writing that people aren't finishing, that's a problem!

Can you describe teh politics of a writer's room?

Alessia: I learned a lot as a writer's assistant. To be successful you have to LISTEN. Don't think about your pitch while someone else is talking, listen to them. It will make you better in the long run.

Bill: There is a hierarchy--especially with who can say "this isn't working." The Executive Producer is one of those people and he has a few people he can trust that are allowed to speak up as well. If you aren't one of those guys, just wait patiently and be prepared to help when someone brings up the problem. If you are a low level staff writer than you better not bring it up unless you have a completely fabulous fix for the issue. Writers rooms are raw and very personal. You require beyond thick skin to work there. People think your job is glamorous, but really, it's not. You are stuck in a room for hours upon hours that smells of Indian take out with people who haven't showered in days. So you gotta love it.

Scott: My rule of thumb is that you should never say you don't like an idea or that something isn't working if you don't have a solution. Television writing is a collaborative effort and so you need to help fix the problem. Say "here's what I want to change to ____, and here's why." It's hard being in a writer's room because there are always going to be people who are smarter than you and you want your joke or line to make it into the episode. Some people aren't good at speaking up in the moment, so go home and write your ideas down so you can be prepared--if that's you. But just make sure you are always bringing new ideas to the table.

Bill: Yeah, you really have to understand why things work or don't work. I recommend watching something that doesn't work and then coming up with a fix. This is actually great practice. How much more compelling would Titanic have been if she wasn't already turned off to her fiance before boarding the Titanic?" Something like that. Just know how to fix problems.

Alessia: I was so scared to speak up my first couple weeks as a staff writer. I started going home and writing down my ideas so I'd know just what to say when I got to work and wouldn't feel choked up!

Any last words of advice?

Scott: There are some good DVD commentaries from EP's and why they made the creative choices that they did, I recommend watching those.

Also, know that you can't control a lot in Hollywood. But you can control how hard you work. Be the hardest working person in the room and it will pay off. Work your ass off.

Bill: Spend less time being jealous of others' success, it will kill you everyday. There is always gonna be someone that you think doesn't deserve the job they have (that you would do the job so much better), but it doesn't do you any good dwelling on it. Also, keep in mind that there are three stages: Writing, Not Writing, and Pretending to Write. We all pretend to advance our careers, by saying things like "I'm not gonna write til I install the latest version of Final Draft" (Pretending to Write). So just recognize the difference between those states of being and if you find yourself pretending to write, just stop. Choose to NOT write and watch TV. This is better for you in the long run.

Brad: Always be a student. The worst writers are those who want to skip everything and aren't hard working at the bottom. Find mentors to watch.

Alessia: TV writing is collaborative--so many different types of people that are better than you and smarter and funnier. If you just like your own material, then you won't be successful in this business. The whole process is exhilarating and its cool when someone pitches a better joke for your episode. This has to be something you enjoy and can live with. Also, just be yourself. There is a reason you were chosen for that writing team. Don't try to be anyone but you.

Vocabulary Lesson

Since I previously discussed some of the different box office terms, I've decided to take that a step further.

Gross Receipts: This is the theatrical rental from exhibitors, or in the case of TV, the license fees payable to TV licensees (networks, stations).

• In Film, the theatrical rental is roughly 50% of the box office.
• For DVD, 20% of box office.

Gross Proceeds: Gross receipts minus "off the tops"

• Off the Tops are approximately 5% of the gross receipts and go towards checking and collecting costs from exhibitors, MPAA dues, taxes and conversation costs, residuals to guilds, etc.
• So if Gross Receipts are 1,000,000 then the Gross Proceeds would be 950,000.
• Gross Proceeds are only relevant when you start dealing with Gross Participants however.

Net Proceeds: Gross receipts minus....(in this order)....

• Distribution Fees (def. amount distributor gets to deduct for doing the distribution work from the gross)....for domestic theatrical 30%, domestic TV 30%, domestic DVD - NA, foreign theatrical 35%, foreign TV 40%, foreign DVD - NA.
• Distribution Expenses - includes costs of prints, shipping, marketing costs, etc.
• Cost of Production - which includes the Direct Cost (budget), Administration Fee/Studio Overhead, Interest, and Gross Participation (Pre-Break)

= NET PROCEEDS

Financial Break-Down

So explaining stuff like this helps reinforce what I know and someone might find it helpful, so here goes.....

In determining the financial breakdown of money received for a movie, it's essential to understand the basic terms.

Box Office: This is synonymous with ticket sales, or the amount of money a movie earns in movie theatres based on sales of tickets. The movie theatres collect this money and share it with the movie studio. Total Box Office gets divided approximately fifty-fifty by the theatre and the studio.

Film Rentals: The movie studios and theatre owners have agreements which vary from movie to movie and can get quite complex. HOwever, anyone can get a rough estimate of film rentals by dividing the box office in half. This doesn't work for the first week or two of a release, but proves accurate only in considering the long run of the movie in theatres. A movie may open to $70 million and wind up at $200 million after a three month run. The studio probably receives around $100 million in film rentals.

Distribution Fee: For theatrical release of movies in North America, the movie studio deducts a fee of 30-33 1/3% on most movies. They deduct this from the film rentals to cover the studio's expenses distributing the movie. Essentially, the studio charges the movie revenues for its management and overhead (money it takes to run studio). A producer who finances movies in a long-term deal with the studio can negotiate a lower distribution fee, perhaps 15-20% if they are lucky! Or, George Lucas might negotiate a distribution fee of 10% for writing, directing, producing, and financing "Episode One: THe Phantom Menace" and having 20th Fox distribute it (people like that can pretty much get whatever they want because studios know they are still going to get a huge chunk of money!)

Gross: This must always be defined. Generally, gross definitions are based on film rentals and not on box office or ticket sales. While people often say, "Titanic" grossed a billion dollars, they mean ticket sales, or box office, not film rentals, which probably came closer to five hundred million dollars.

Gross From Dollar One: Key players on a film can often negotiate to get a percentage of the first dollar gross, meaning they get a cut of the film's film rental before the studio recoups the production costs.

Marketing Costs: Sometimes called "P&A", for Prints and Ads, this money goes towards advertising for the movie as well as purchasing prints for the theatres which will screen it. The budget for P&A will rise and fall depending on the studio's expectations for the movie's success.

Example:

Saving Private Ryan cost 65 million dollars to make and the studio spend 35 million dollars in marketing. Both Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks receive 25% of the gross at dollar one. The movie makes 400 million dollars worldwide.

So the film rental on this baby would be 200 million (approx half of box office). Both Spielberg and Hanks receive 50 million (25 percent of $200). That leaves a 100 million. Then the studio deducts a 30% distribution fee. So 70 million remain to cover the negative costs (production & marketing)....but alas! Those add up to 100 million, and they only have 70!

In conclusion, even a blockbuster like Saving Private Ryan can leave a studio in the negative!

A Good Day

So just when I was getting tired of waiting around and boredom was setting in....I found another job. Funny how that works. So starting tomorrow I have another script supervising gig!

One of the things that I love about script supervising is that you can go right into the job as a key. No wasting time as an assistant or PA, where the work is flat out banal. Script Supervising, if you are good at it, let's you jump right in as a department head. Which is SUPER. This is not to say that it is for everyone....it's certainly not. But note-taking and intense attention to detail have always been my forte, so I enjoy it a lot! My class notes in school were so detailed that people would pay me for copies....who knew that that skill could continue making me money down the line.....!

Screenplay Beat Sheet

So one of my favorite screenwriting books is Save the Cat. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend investing in it. Its easy to read and spells out the screenwriting process in pretty simple terms. Anyways, I thought it might be helpful to include the beat sheet that Blake Snyder uses in here. I am actually using it right now and finding it quite helpful in my own writing process.

THE BLAKE SNYDER BEAT SHEET:

PROJECT TITLE:

GENRE:

DATE:

1. The Opening Image (pg 1): This is the first impression of what a movie is - it establishes the mood and type of film we are about to watch. The opening image and final image should be opposites, a plus and minus, showing change so dramatic it documents the emotional upheaval that the movie represents.

2. Theme Stated (pg 5): Somewhere in the first five minutes of a well-structured screenplay, someone (usually not the main character) will pose a question or make a statement (usually to the main character) that is the theme of the movie. This statement is the movie's thematic premise.

3. The Set-Up (pg 1-10): The first reel - or the first 10 minutes - sets up the hero, stakes, and the goal of the story...and should do so with vigor! Make a point to introduce or at least hint at introducing every character in the A story. The first 10 page sis also where we start to plant every character tie, exhibit every behavior that needs to be addressed later on and show how and why the hero will need to change in order to win.

4. The Catalyst (pg 12): The catalyst moment that kickstarts the action....these may include telegrams, getting fired, catching a wife in bed with another man, news that you have three days to live, a knock at the door, the messenger, etc. First moment when something happens!

5. Debate (pg 22-25): The debate section is the last chance for the hero to say: This is crazy. Should I go? Dare I go? Sure, it's dangerous out there, but what's my choice? Stay here? The debate section must ask a question of some kind. In Legally Blonde, the catalyst of the fiance dumping Elle Woods quickly segues to her solution: Go to Harvard Law. "But can she get in?" That is the question posed in the debate section of the movie.

6. Break Into Two (pg 25): Act break is the moment where we leave the old world behind and proceed into a world that is upside down version. Something MUST happen on this page.

7. B Story (pg 30): The B story of most screenplays is the "love story." It is also the story that carries the theme of the movie. The B story often introduces a brand new set of characters. Often a friendship story.

8. Fun and Games (pg 30-35): This part of the screenplay is the one that provides the promise of the premise. The fun and games section answers the question: Why did I come to see this movie? What about this premise, this poster, this movie idea, is cool?" This is the place where you include the big set pieces!

9. The Midpoint (pg 55) - the movie's midpoint is either an "up" where the hero seemingly peaks (though it is a false peak) or a "down" when the world collapses all around the hero (thought it is a false collapse) and it can only get better from here on out. The stakes are raised at the midpoint. The rule is: It's never as good as it seems to be at the midpoint and it's never as bad as it seems at the All is Lost point (see beat 11).

10. Bad Guys Close In (pg 55-75): This is the point where the bad guys decide to regroup and send in the heavy artillery. It's the point where internal dissent, doubt, and jealousy begin to disintegrate the hero's team.

11. All is Lost (pg 75): All is Lost is the matching beat to the Midpoint...these two beats are always inverses of each other. We know it is the opposite of the midpoint in terms of an "up" or a "down." It's also the point of the script that is most often labeled, "false defeat," even though it looks all black, it's just temporary. All aspects of the hero's life are in shambles.

12. Dark Night of the Soul (pg 75-85): This section depicts how your character experiences and feels at the All is Lost point. We've all been there--hopeless, clueless, drunk, and stupid--sitting on the side of the road with a flat tire and four cents, late for the big appointment that will save our lives.

13. Break Into Three (pg 85): Eureka! The Solution! Both in the external story (the A story) and the internal story (the B story), which now meet and intertwine, the hero has prevailed, passed every test, and dug deep to find the solution. Now all he has to do is apply it. An idea to solve the problem has emerged.

14. Finale (pg 85-110): Where the lessons learned are applied. It's where the character tics are mastered. The chief source of "the problem" - a person or thing - must be dispatched completely for the new world order to exist.

15. Final Image (pg 110): The final image of the movie is the opposite of the opening image. It is proof that change has occurred and that it's real.

The Unpaid Intern

I thought this was a good article from the New York Times on unpaid interns.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03intern.html?pagewanted=2

I, myself, recently found myself in a situation where I was being given a ton of responsibility and not receiving pay. It took me a long time to decide what to do, because on one hand, I really enjoyed working at the company and liked all the other people. But on the other hand, I didn't think it was right to depend on someone to make a film and not pay them.

In the end, an inappropriate request involving jumping on a trampoline topless was the tip of the iceberg. I left the company. Another indication of how difficult it is to be a woman in this industry! You've gotta put up with a lot.

The Crazy Life

Long time no write! Life has been beyond crazy.

I did Wardrobe on a movie for SyFy Channel. Then moved into doing Casting with the same company, as well as some production coordination type stuff. Spent two days on that movie and then went to Script Supervise on a film for African distribution. So literally I have had no break. Today is my last day on "Okoto: The Messenger" and its a little sad. Despite all the oddities that have taken place on the Nigerian movie, I have been having a lot of fun and enjoy the company of the cast/crew/random entourage of Nigerians that are always hanging out on set.

Somehow I got pulled into acting in "Okoto"....yes, I am the only white girl in the Nigerian movie. I play a pediatrician to boot too! Haha, even though I kind of look 17. In my first scene, I had to make out with this Nigerian guy....I didn't know he was going to lean in for a makeout sesh after the lines, but he did, so being the professional that I am--I went with it too. He had the biggest lips I'd ever felt.

I also find it interesting that throughout the script there is tons of drinking and when filming, the actors NEVER use fake alcohol--it is always real. So we get a lot of drunks on set. Even in one of my scenes, I got brought a drink--which was then spilled on me by the same actor I had made out with. Yeah, so I smelled like an alci for the rest of the day. Joy.

Maybe I am being closed minded, but I cannot stand the smell of African food. We filmed in an African restaurant and the sight of goat head literally made me gag. Every time I looked at the plate I felt my stomach churn. We also filmed in an African food store and there were DRIED FISH just sitting on the shelves! It was so nasty. I cannot imagine anyone eating that. But I guess its a whole different culture.

I've been learning a lot about culture, and picking up a few words here and there. So that has been really fun; I love learning about different ways of life. I tend to ask a ton of questions, probably to the point of being annoying. But hey, I'm an inquisitive person!

I feel important on the "Okoto" set and that is nice. I always get a good spot within view of the action and the director comes to me a lot with questions such as what we should film next. I'm wearing a lot of hats, but I like that on a small set. I think this was a good experience and will lead to some future gigs. Yay!

Okay well better gear up for my last day on "Okoto"....ciao!