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Showbiz 101: Not-quite 62 Rules for Negotiating Hollywood (Part 2)

Showbiz 101: Not-quite 62 Rules for Negotiating Hollywood (Part 2)

Last updated on: February 8, 2015 at 11:43 pm by Kate O'Hare

Showbiz 101: Not-quite 62 Rules for Negotiating Hollywood (Part 2) 2015-02-08T23:43:29-08:00 Kate O'Hare

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On Friday, Feb. 6, entertainment lawyer Peter Kaufman, from his @Dealfatigue Twitter account, sent out 61 tweets (they’re numbered to 62, but he missed number 6) about how to give your screenplay its best chance of being bought and produced.

In the previous post, I listed up to number 34, and we pick up where I left off (edited for grammar and clarity):

35: Do they stick their necks out if they think they’ve found the next “Birdman”? I truly doubt that. What if they are wrong?

36: What if their boss thinks they’re wrong? What if their work environment runs on fear and hostility (see e.g., “Swimming With Sharks”)?

37: Much easier to pass on the next “Birdman” or “Boyhood” than for them to stick their necks out and risk getting hurt.

38: So, these, writers, artists, producers, are what you are up against: access controlled by inexperienced 20-somethings with limited training, ….

39: … fear of being wrong or called out as unfit; trying to read everything, with limited resources and limited time.

40: These folks are the ones who decide if your project gets made. Not a very efficient process or proper filter of material, is it?

41: Even so, go right ahead and think you’re making progress — mailing out screenplays, following up. It sure feels like progress.

42: How could anything truly ground-breaking and important survive that system?

43: There are striking similarities between casino gambling and one’s approach to this business. The odds in both are stacked against you.

44: But there are successful gamblers. And there are even more folks who ultimately lose but have a great couple of days gambling in Vegas.

45: The question you need to ask is: How do I increase the odds in my favor? How do I get an edge?

46: Clearly, blind-mailing scripts is like a lottery or a raffle. That’s assuming they even read anything. Many have submission policies.

47: Like a successful gambler, you need to know the basic strategy/rules of the game you are playing.

48: Then you need to start thinking about how to increase the odds in your favor.

49: Step 1: Get coverage [a review and summary of your script] from a credible and experienced source (there are well-regarded folks who do this).

50: Step 1 (cont’d): If the coverage is good, get a second opinion from another coverage source. If the coverage is bad, make sure you get …

51: Step 1 (cont’d): … very specific notes on how to fix whatever needs fixing. Repeat Step 1.

52: Step 2: If you insist on blind-shopping scripts, then include the coverage with your pitch. Read. Everything in the trades.

53: Step 2 (cont’d): You can’t just say that your screenplay is like “Ghostbusters” and “50 Shades of Grey.” Better be able to add that …

54: Step 2 (cont’d): … a such-and-such spec just got picked up by Universal that resonates (be careful! is not too similar) with your project.

55: Recap: You’ve now got a screenplay that not only your mother likes but that someone whom people can confirm knows what they are talking …

56: … about writes coverage that is authentic and validates your project. If you don’t have that, then you’e re-written it in line with …

57: … the coverage. So you’ve got a tight script, a compelling (and potentially commercial) idea and coverage that validates the script.

58: Step 3: Consider using a service like @theblcklst. Full disclosure: I read for them occasionally. They charge a fee, but you may …

59: Step 3 (cont’d): … get feedback from their readers; you may get promoted by them; & you may rise through the ranks of the projects reviewed.

60: Step 3 (cont’d): All of this — the tighter script; the coverage; doing well on @theblklst or in well-regarded screenplay competitions — help.

61: You have now set up the marketing for your screen play. Note that if this is all that happens, I’ll understand that you’ll be disappointed, but …

62: … I assure you the empowerment you will feel in your craft will be palpable.

Kaufman is a font of wisdom and inside info, so I recommend following him. And while you’re at it, you can also read his blog.

In a future post, I’ll recommend more folks like Kaufman to follow on Twitter. But in the meantime, feel free to put your own suggestions down in the comments.

Image: Twitter: @Dealfatigue

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