What I am about to tell you was the most significant reason for my success as a screenwriter. I came up with a clever, hands-on approach to creating a contact list of producers, agents and entertainment attorneys that I would later target. What I did was follow the Hollywood trade papers and websites (like DoneDeal.com) [...]
Back in 2009, when I had just begun studying screenwriting, I went to a one-day workshop on the basics of filmmaking that was geared toward first-time directors. I wasn’t attending because I thought I could ever direct a film – that seemed like a mythical goal well out of my reach – but instead I [...]
After twenty-five years of writing screenplays, always while working two jobs, an Ohio woman decides that she has had enough. Along the way, there have been nibbles here – producers who have taken a shine to a particular script, free options, partial financing – and bites there – mangers and agents who have promised the [...]
QUESTION of the day: Let’s show community support today! For those who have experience at pitchfests, please share your advice for everyone pitching at Pitch Slam at Screenwriter’s World Conference on Oct 19th! In my years of screenwriting, I’ve attended many pitchfests and can’t recommend them enough. They are amazing opportunities to grow your network. [...]
How to Sell Your Film & TV Scripts: Treatments, Loglines, Synopses & Marketing Platforms At a Glance Discover the tools that you need to break into the marketplace and sell your work. Learn how to write a successful treatment & the differences between a one-page synopsis, treatment, and coverage. Find out how to use social [...]
The Pitch Slam that is part of the Screenwriter’s World Conference is a golden opportunity to sit face-to-face with potential agents, producers and executives who are looking for good writers, stories and screenplays. To take full advantage of this situation, you must pitch your project in a way that succinctly, emotionally and powerfully conveys both [...]
Question: “How do I break into screenwriting?” It’s the most often-asked question I get at classes and conferences around the country and from my clients. And honestly, I hate this question. There is no ONE answer. Everyone has a different “breaking in” story and everyone gets in a different way. And of course some don’t [...]
Story Analyst Dan Calvisi used to only reveal the inner workings of his method to his students and script consulting clients now but he’s sharing his template in his new eBook: Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay, available as a download purchase directly off his on his Act Four Screenplays website.
When you’re preparing to walk into the meeting room, take a deep breath and remember … The meeting isn’t just about your script; it’s about the impression you make on the person across the table.
