no young heroes nor were there any of the other elements that are so necessary in a commercial script. I was dumbfounded that he had written this without discussing it with me first and that he had brought it in to me in a condition that practically screamed that he would not do any rewriting. It was the end of our professional relationship and I'm sorry to say that his career never took off.
There are so many sticky situations that arise in your decision-making process. Arguing vociferously with your producer or development executive in a notes meeting is another one. You can only go so far defending your creative choices. Once a deal has been made, once you are writing on someone else's dime, they have the final say, even if it's wrong. Certainly you may present your case and even try to find a middle ground, but the person behind the desk is the one in power. If you begin by making enemies, you will be replaced on your own film and get a terrible reputation in this very small town.
There's no such thing as “common sense” when it comes to navigating a career in Hollywood. It's better to discuss your situation or problem with someone who has some experience in your field. If possible you must find mentors and ask their advice. People love to give advice. Just be careful to ask a pro.
Another big decision is when to write another spec script. Perhaps your career has been going along fairly well. You have a pretty good agent and you have optioned a couple of scripts and had the good fortune of being paid for a couple of rewrites on other people's scripts. You may have met with lots of good development people and some fine producers, maybe even a studio executive or two. Then, one day it dawns on you that it has been awfully quiet for a few months. Nothing is happening. You call your agent and ask the inevitable questions: “What's going on? Can't you get me another assignment? Is anything happening on my old scripts?” Obviously the answer to all of the above is a resounding “No.” Your agent asks, “What are you working on now?” He wants to know if you have any new pitches. You realize that you have been waiting for him to find you the next job. It's easier to blame your agent than to take responsibility for your own inaction. As I've mentioned previously you must always be working on a new spec script. This means at any time in your career. When the going gets tough you better get yourself to your computer. I once worked for a wonderful agent named Mel Bloom. When told by a client that he'd already paid his dues, Mel replied, “Have you paid them this year?”
All of the above are potentially serious problems in a writer's life. Pay attention to the big picture of your career. Be sensible and sensitive to the business you are in. Certainly there are more problem areas than these, but these are amazingly common and have destroyed many writers. Try to weigh your decisions carefully, and be open to listening to folks who have been swimming in these waters before you. We can't avoid making mistakes in this life; however, perhaps you will be able to sidestep a few.
WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT'S NOT 5
Every agent in town is waiting for you to bring them the next big saleable screenplay that will knock the business off its axis. They want you to bring them that piece that will have producers and studios panting at their doors with their tongues hanging out and with huge offers of money and multiple deals for future movie writing assignments. Agents want the best for you, because it means the best for them. I happen to believe that the agent-writer relationship is a great one. It is an honest quid pro quo — if you are successful… I am successful. How bad is that?
Okay, so how do you make that happen? How do you deliver a perfectly written project that will make the town sit up and take notice? It's not as difficult as it sounds. The first thing you have to do is to stop thinking that you must write the most unusual script of all time. This kind of thinking will destroy your chances of not only selling the script, but of keeping your agent. Yes, you search endlessly for that “different” story, for that unusual and fantastic arena that you are sure no one else has done or will do. I've found that new writers often have the tendency to try to impress people by “thinking outside the box.” Well folks, the “box” is there for a reason — it works. Stay grounded in reality and tell a good and entertaining story, in an established genre, that has some believability. Throughout movie history, audiences have loved certain types of films. They go to see them over and over again. Certain genres, such as thrillers, love stories, adventures, and great dramas are evergreen; they are the fodder we live on. When you are working to get into the business, go with the flow. Perhaps, after you've established yourself as a player, you might be able to expand your horizons, but it's not the way to get into the mainstream of your chosen field.
Insofar as your early spec scripts are concerned, here are eleven rules to live by:
1. NO TOGAS ALLOWED
By this I'm referring to period pieces. Keep your early scripts contemporary. Period pieces are extremely difficult to sell. They go in and out of favor with the studios by the minute. You never know whether you are too early or too late with your piece. You may want to write a great western but very few are developed and produced. I loved Gladiator as well as 3:10 to Yuma, both of which starred Russell Crowe, and naturally I love all films based on Jane Austen's novels, but movies centered in these eras are few and far between. They are not good as writing samples since they are too dependent on very specific eras. This means manners, customs, morals, societal relationships, styles of speech, costumes, etc. Period pieces are also extremely expensive to produce.
2. KEEP IT SIMPLE
Stay away from twins. Don't make a script too complicated to produce. As soon as a development executive or producer sees this he or she will toss it into the “circular file.” It is too much of a pain in the neck. Try not to write a script that is so complicated that it would make the casting a horror or the locations (see #4 on page 25) impossible to get to. Another example (besides twins) is a multigenerational story involving a large and diverse cast. This means a nightmare of casting as well as costume and set changes that are a financial pain. Don't go there. Besides, no one really wants to watch a bunch of people age before his or her eyes. Of course the antithesis of this statement would be that wonderful movie, Cocoon, where the older people became young and there were young stars in it. That film caught the imagination of its audience in a very favorable way. After all, who doesn't want to stay alive and youthful forever?
3. KEEP'EM YOUNG
If you really want to kick-start your writing career, try to have your early scripts feature a fairly young cast. In my mind the term “young” means up to twenty-nine years old. Not one minute older. Even in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the main character grew younger.
The youth market is what is most viable today. Actually if you can write a script for nine-to-twelve-year-old boys and their young parents, you are really in good shape. The research shows that this demographic will return to see the same film over and over again, with different friends and family members. Recidivism is the word. Let's not forget our little friends Harry Potter, Wolverine, Spider-Man, and Superman, ad infinitum.
4. LOCATION, LOCATION, AND LOCATION
This is not simply a rule in real estate. This is a real consideration in movie-making. A studio never has a problem putting its money in a viable movie star who can “open” a movie. Opening a movie means a guarantee of big bucks at the box office in the film's opening weekend. Foreign or multiple locations do not promise this type of income for the film and they are very expensive. You don't have to keep everything set in one city, but you should remember that this option could be an attractive one to those who might purchase your screenplay. You always want to be realistic in your writing. Think bottom line about locations but think expensive with starring roles and action sequences.
