Life of a Hollywood Assistant

A friend at UTA sent this to me. It's pretty funny (and sadly, sometimes accurate) portrayal of life as a Hollywood assistant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmB_nnQALCI

The Office vs. The Set

Well hello friends. Sorry for the extended absence. Life has been quite busy--I spent a couple months as a director's assistant for Alloy Entertainment's digital division during the pre-production of a rather large scale webseries, and then during production acted as script supervisor. The crew was great and I really am looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Now I am just pondering my next big move. I have long since heard that going the agency route is a wonderful way to learn about the industry, as well as to get to know future power players in the film world. The big agencies seem to be at the center of this industry, with scripts, actors, filmmakers coming into them and packages flowing out of them. Producers have told me over and over again that it is a great first stepping stone to take after getting out of film school.

At this time, I have an opportunity for a job at one of the big agencies. However, in spite of all the advantages, I am a little leery. Taking long term jobs is scary. So far everything I have done has been freelance....which is nice, because even if the gig sucks, you are done with it after several weeks and can go on to something else.

I guess the big decision right now, is the office vs. the set. I love being on set, but the freelance lifestyle can get a bit stressful--never knowing where your next paycheck will come from. However, on set, I get to perform a job that has a bit more prestige than being someone's assistant. As script supervisor on set, I have people bringing me coffee; as an assistant in an office, I will be bringing other people coffee. I am fine with that, but it is definitely something to think about.

Here is how it breaks down:

Agency (The Office):

• Great opportunity to network
• Fabulous learning experience that teaches you about all phases of the industry
• Rigorous, but really prepares you for any job you get afterwards
• Opens doors to many other career opportunities, thru the people you meet
• Many studio execs, agents, managers, and producers have started in the mailrooms at big agencies
• Consistant Pay
• Job security & consistency--knowledge of exactly where you are going to work each day and at what time
• Long hours but less than on set
• Low hourly rate (9-10/hour in mailroom, small bump once you become an assistant on a desk)
• Administrative work that does not have much of a creative component
• Possibility of interacting with difficult personalities and being subjected to subhuman treatment (not a guarantee, but one does hear stories....)

Production (The Set):

• Exciting and exhilarating atmosphere
• Getting to be an important part of a film and having a direct impact on the outcome of the film
• Opportunity to work hard for several weeks and then take time for yourself....can book appointments during the day and get things done on your off periods
• Each project brings with it new people to meet and contacts to be made
• Better hourly rate than most office-based assistant positions + lots of money for overtime
• There is a good chance of extended time periods with no work
• Very long hours (12+ hours a day)
• Being a key player on set right out of college is great, but there is not much upward mobility since Script Supervisors are the only ones in their department - so the experience does not lend itself to other jobs

Journey to the Biz

I am a host on Fox Movie Channel's "Life After Film School" program, where current film students interview current filmmakers. I thought I'd share a blog I wrote for the Fox Movie Channel website about my experience talking with Graham Yost.

If interested, check out one of my past episodes here! http://www.foxmoviechannel.com/screening.php?vid=50085527

And so goes by another episode of “Life After Film School.” This past week, I had the opportunity to interview Graham Yost, along with two other students. As a recent graduate of USC’s Cinema-Television Production program, these interviews are of utmost interest to me. It is scary trying to break into this business and talking to current filmmakers—who really are just normal people—that have effectively broken into entertainment, is incredibly encouraging. Every route is different, but hearing their various journeys to success is enlightening and something I will take with me as I, too, depart on a professional career.

The film business is unique in that there is no direct career path to becoming a director, or a producer, or a writer. It’s not like becoming a doctor—where one gets good grades in college, aces the MCATs, goes to medical school, and wakes up one morning as a full fledged doctor (forgive me for simplying what I actually do know is a grueling process). But the point is, you know exactly how to become a doctor from square one—and that you’ll be promised a healthy living when you emerge on the other end. I’ve never been a risk-taker and the road more travelled has always looked appealing to me. But my enormous love for I cinema is enough to make me gamble at entertainment. During his interview, Graham mentioned that everyone he had met, who really wanted it and kept at it, eventually found success. Words such as these give me immense hope, as I have always been one of the most hard-working and determined people you’ll ever meet.

While we were chatting in between filming, Graham mentioned that he had come from an acting background, the same as me! He said that understanding the actor’s perspective and how lines are prepared and spoken, was incredibly helpful to being a writer. This is something that I have always felt deep down, so it is great hearing an actual writer validate my theory. I will always be thankful that at 5-years-old, I decided to be an actress. My theatre and speech & debate background, I feel, made me a better writer and director when in film school, it also made me far more respectful towards actors—something that I sadly, don’t always see in filmmakers. When you first get to film school, everyone wants to be a director. But as the years pass and the scope of filmmaking broadens, your classmates start to realize that maybe they aren’t as good at directing as they once thought and maybe their true interests lie elsewhere….editing, sound, cinematography, etc. I didn’t come into USC necessarily wanting to be a director, but I, as well as my peers, was surprised to find that I was actually surprisingly good at directing. Something that I attribute whole-heartedly to my acting background.

So all in all, I’d say it that Episode 9 was a successful day, I walked away with new writing tips and hints to aid me on my own journey…. AND an invitation to go check out the writer’s room on “Justified”! I really do feel so lucky to be a part of Life After Film School., not only have a I gained a wealth of knowledge, but I’ve had the opportunity to meet some amazing filmmakers, as well as some future great filmmakers among my co-hosts as well! I wish Graham Yost the best in all his endeavors, and hopefully our paths will cross again someday shortly.

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.....!