Shelley Stuart

Numbers

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Tue, 18 Mar 08 09:15:00 UT

I'm not talking about the TV show, but I am talking about TV shows. There's quite an eye-opening blog post at http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/ -- look for "Lessons From the Script Pile". This blog is written by a working showrunner.

One hundred twenty scripts submitted for four slots. The professional showrunner doesn't think he could get hired on his own show. Holy crap.

The number of slots for TV writers keeps dwindling, the quality of the competition keeps increasing, and the problem of "who you know" gets worse.

I love my TV specs, I love our pilots, but I don't love these numbers. I started my Hollywood adventure focusing on features instead of novels partly because of numbers (then finally because of desire). I don't want to fight statistics, I want to fight writer's block.

What will this mean for the future of television? All of those talented writers, seeking outlet -- where will these outlets open? Will they open? Will I even see the new frontier and be one of the pioneers?

One thing's for sure; since I apparently have a primal urge to create story, I need to keep my eyes open for opportunity, no matter what form (or format) it takes.

"Accounting chicanery"

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Tue, 12 Feb 08 08:57:00 UT

This may be my new favorite phrase. I steal it from the recently announced New Line/Tolkein lawsuit over how much Lord of the Rings made (6 billion), and how much New Line has paid ($0).

And with no particular segue... Jennise and I just finished the first draft of our 80's throwback TV pilot, The MacGuffin Capers. Jennise still hates the name, but since she hasn't come up with anything better I get to keep it. It's totally a Hollywood insider reference, which I hope gives any exec who hears the title and pitch an exact snapshot of the show. Jo-Ann *loves* the concept, and now that the strike is pretty much over, we should get some action soon.

Despite the marketability of TMC, I fear that the strike's impact on how studios pick, choose and buy pilots may be disastrous for new writers. There have been many articles on how studios will reduce the number of pilots they buy and make, though they are likely to make more episodes of those that they do. While it will be good to have more long-term support for shows, squeezing the buy-side market in an already tight field I think will result in the veteran showrunners and writers getting all the work (they are, after all, known and proven), and peeps like Jennise and I will end on the sidelines again. Fewer shows means fewer jobs, and there's ever more writers vying for them.

Yet we soldier on, fools that we are.

I hope that we'll have some further updates in the next couple of weeks. Maybe a meeting or two with regards to TMC, or our other work. Maybe more submissions for our pilots and my features. If that happens, I'll let you know!

PS: If you want to take a gander at TMC, e-mail me. We may be looking for a few critical eyes.

People are messy

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Tue, 13 Nov 07 11:56:00 UT

Downright messy. They are full of arrogance, pride, hurt, bitter, love, hope, offense, delight... Just plain messy.

Messy people are currently glaring at each other across a non-existent negotiating table, grinding production to a halt, and forcing my career into a stall, just as I had forward momentum again.

Messy people are what make for interesting drama. I'm not sure my 'Pokes folks are messy enough. That throws me into a messy area of insecurity and nailbiting, which only time, reviews and rewrites will fix. Straight drama is messy. It's supposed to be messy.

It's hard for me to write messy people. If I've realized only one thing in writing 'Pokes, it's that one thing. I dearly want to get 'Pokes done and out so that I can go on to a more fun action movie. Action movies need messy people, but they need heroes and action much more. I can do heroes and action. I love heroes. I love action. I can do a little bit of mess for a lot of heart-thumping, nail-biting (in a good way) story.

On the plus side, my little slightly-messy 'Pokes is perfectly suitable for the non-WGA-signatory market, meaning I can get it out and read -- just to the right folks -- without scabbing during the strike. Which is exactly what I'm going to do, once it's mess-ified enough.

As a writer, I have to embrace the messiness of people. It is the bread and butter of what I do. But my next script is going for Bounty-level messy, not mop-level!

Meetings

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Thu, 27 Sep 07 16:34:00 UT

A bit of good news came my way today. Jo-Ann has set us up with a meeting at NBC in two weeks. It's just a meet-and-greet, a get to know you/get to know me event, but that means we well get to be known. We had a meeting a while back while repped by the It Company, but that exec left to be a full-time mommy (so the grapevine says), and we've been without that door since.

Jo-Ann's also trying to confirm a meeting possibly next week with another production company. This one is also a meet-and-greet with a development exec, but at this meeting we can keep our ears open for the invitation to (I won't say pitch) discuss projects we have in development. Jennise and I are working on a fun idea, and (with some feedback from Jo-Ann) may be able to mention it. I also have Spacetime to offer, and will keep the ear open for the opportunity.

Both meetings are good, strong forward steps. Both have different potential to do different things for our careers. My giddy excitement is tempered with calm expectation. I find myself just looking forward to meeting these folks, finding out what kind of people they are, and just getting to know them.

More updates as they happen!

D/B/A B.S.

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Mon, 10 Sep 07 20:48:00 UT

The other day I received a notice in the mail reminding me that if I've filed a fictitious business name ("doing business as"), in California that has to be renewed every 5 years or the business name becomes null and void. Fill in the form, send it along, and it'll be taken care of.

For the mere cost of $125.

What the heck?!?! It may have cost about $30 to register the DBA, and that included posting the notice in newspapers. Demo Reel Scenes may clear $125 this year, but it's still a hefty price to keep a name on paper!

Looking at the fine print I see "not an official government notice" and "this is a solicitation". Uh-huh.

Do a little more research with the correct LA city department Yes, I do have to re-register my DBA within 5 years of initial registration. No, I don't have to re-post the DBA announcement in the papers. Total re-registration cost?

Eighteen dollars.

Look back in my files. I registered my DBA in 2003. Not only is this "service" asking for 700% more than the actual cost, but they're offering to do so a year before the renewal is due.

The paper scam is alive and well. If you have a d/b/a in the LA City area, let www.lavote.net be your guide. Keep your hard-earned money in your hard-won business.

It pays to be an organized pack-rat

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Tue, 24 Jul 07 22:28:00 UT

Those who care have probably already heard Henson and Sci-Fi teamed up again to create 10 webisodes of the TV show Farscape. The article I found today said, essentially, that they didn't yet have writers.

In speaking with Jo-Ann about this, I remembered dealing with a creative TV exec at Henson, once upon a time. Omar somebody. The name rang a bell with her as well, so I promised Jo-Ann I'd see if I had anything more, and she will then get in touch.

I searched my e-mails, and no hits. However, when I make my cold calls, I use a notebook, and a page for each company, and make notes as I progress through the endless door-knocking that is the life of a pre-pro writer. Searching through book after book, I grew more convinced that I'd recycled the pages after they bore no fruit. Then I checked my filing cabinet.

"Phone Logs 2001"

Waaay back when I had my first agent, Fred Price. Omar Camacho. Jim Henson Company. Phone number, notes, all the good stuff. A quick web search shows that Omar is probably now over at Nickelodeon, but I found the new TV person at Henson, and forwarded my findings to Jo-Ann. The number I have is not the general number, so with luck the number stayed with the office and will bear fruit. If not, there's always the switchboard.

In 2001 I made a contact. Six years later, I need the information again.

Now I know why I have a folder called "Phone Logs 2001".

How time flies!

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Tue, 17 Jul 07 16:42:00 UT

Truth be told, I've thought about posting several times. However, the task of putting down something even moderately interesting (which I know I fall short of on many a post) has been too much for me to face. There are so many interesting journals out there, full of so much good screenwriting info and advice, that my selfishly public foray into the blogosphere is but a leaf-drop in a hurricane. Heck, some folks I know can infect me with their wonders over a black-and-white anime pig!

So, here's for the mundane leaf-drop, the explanation on the silence, and a quick update.

[Plink]

My agent had to be away for three weeks, and is now just getting back into the swing of things again. Her meeting with Sci-Fi had to be postponed, and her business bits put on hold. Hopefully now we'll be able to get our pilots out to places, and Spacetime over to SciFi.

I'm starting a partnership with a director do craft custom demo scenes for actors doing demo reels. This is a for-fee service, on-demand, and using the client's wishes as to the scene material. The first went pretty well (or so I've heard) and it looks like I'll have another two or three due within the next couple of weeks. I find them very fun to do! I'm utilizing my talent to highlight the actor's talents. It's very satisfying to hear that the client is happy with the script they're commissioning. One is even being submitted to film festivals! I hope that on will appear on YouTube in the near future; if it does, I'll link it.

I'm also working on a low-budget drama that I started during ScriptFrenzy. It's about 1/3 done in terms of pages and story. I had an outline, which survived to a record 15 pages (and is now a dodo). However, there are lines I very much like, scenes I hope that actors will very much like, and 60 blank pages to go ere I sleep...

Finally, last night I flashed my next action movie. No details yet, only an opening sequence which I believe might tap into a huge zeitgeist (if a zeitgeist can be huge). A modern-day action/adventure, with everyday heroes and romance and a happy ending. That may be my challenge for a September script, so I've got to finish the current one by then. There's nothing like a deadline for a writer!

[/Plink]

My writing has changed

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Mon, 18 Jun 07 10:42:00 UT

For various reasons, I decided to participate in ScriptFrenzy, which is basically a challenge to write a feature screenplay in a month. In order to meet the goal, you need to write approximately four pages to day.

Eighteen days in, and I'm barely scraping to 19 pages!

I've devoted time to write, but it appears that I'm now writing slower. I lack the ability (did I ever have it? I no longer know) to forge through and just type like a freight train on a downhill run.

Looking over what I wrote, I like what's there so far. I discovered a couple of things that my outline didn't tell me, and I pinpointed character conflict that was too light. I won't make the goal to have a finished script by June 30, but I'm pretty sure the 20 or so pages I will have will provide a bedrock for my story.

If that's what it means to write slower, it's a good thing.

Getting stuff read

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Tue, 29 May 07 16:36:00 UT

Jo-Ann has our material for TV out to diversity contacts at Fox, NBC and Warner Bros., with more pending, and Sci-Fi coming up later in June for my pilot.

We're also starting to work my features, as well as explore other avenues like reality and small-screen scripting (for cell phone-type media). Whether or not there is a market for the mini-show, there are people out there trying, and they need writers, and Jo-Ann is starting to tap into that market.

Yes, it's good to be repped.

Project inventory

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Tue, 1 May 07 22:43:00 UT

Sitting here installing updates on my computer, I took the opportunity to complete some homework for Jo-Ann. I just hustled off to her synopses of my scripts and updates on all the pies I'm dabbling my fingers in. I hope this gives her the ammo to get my material in front of the folks who want it. I know they're out there, somewhere!

The independent project is pretty much done at this point. I did a treatment, plus one with an alternate ending. I dragged my feet on the alt ending, because I wasn't 100% behind the requested change. But in this case it's not my job to be behind the change, but to make the change work. So I did my job.

Dammit if I don't really, really, really like a couple of very good character moments that came up out of this alternative. Now I don't know if I want to go back.

That'll learn me to do my job well.

One of the things that Jo-Ann mentioned is that she doesn't feel Jennise and I need to add the Grey's Anatomy spec to our portfolio -- it's strong enough as-is. That relieves both of us, since we've reached a particularly vexing moment that we haven't been inspired to write through. It takes the stress off of producing the spec, and we can attack it at our inspiration and leisure.

Now it's off to the Fork-Tailed Devil ghost story and my new cowboy movie, plus keeping an eye out for opportunities to get our scripts out to places -- now that we're repped!

Repped again

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Fri, 27 Apr 07 23:17:00 UT

I'm repped again. By Joann Carol at the Monteiro Rose Agency. She was my original agent with whom I parted was just after getting the managers. She actually approached my writing partner and I, one thing led to another, and we're meeting tomorrow to talk about our scripts and strategize.

Never burn your bridges.

In other news, I fininished the treatment for the rewrite, which went over smashingly well. The two fellows in charge are taking the treatment out to hopefully get money. I'm doing a version 2 of it with an alternate ending at the producer's request, so we'll see what happens and which makes it to the final draft. He'd like to start shooting in two months or so. But, as always, the film follows the money, and without the money it's so much words on paper.

Now I can turn my attention to the Grey's Anatomy spec, running the Cornell Club of LA's short film festival, and working on a new treatment of Fork-Tailed Devil, which went to the back burner with this other project.

Mostly, I'm just relieved to be repped again!

Might as well start off 2007 posts on a good note

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Fri, 9 Mar 07 11:17:00 UT

Big gap since the last time, which was filled with the same-old and thus dreadfully boring to journal or read. However...

I just got off the phone with a production company that likes to take true stories and make them into movies. It's one of those rare, RARE places that lets unrepped writers submit with a release form. I sent Fork-Tailed Devil over on December 21, 2006. Fire & forget. I forgot.

I just got off the phone with one of their producers. He loved my writing.

Validation. Third, disinterested, professional party. A little nugget of gold for today.

Now comes the "but". It's not an unexpected "but" -- with the failure of Flyboys he doesn't think he could sell FTD.

To my surprise, the call doesn't end in a "send us more stuff when you have it, and thanks for letting me read".

He continues to say that if FTD had a slightly different element to it, it might do really well. So, the fellow says to me, "as I was reading this, I kept thinking this should be a horror movie."

Okay, FTD is a WWII adventure based on a true story. The absolute first thing that pops into my head is the line "a Martian wouldn't say that". (It's a famous quote from a suit to a writer, implying the suit knows more about made-up Martians than the writer who made them up.)

But the guy doesn't seem off his rocker, so I listen. I know that FTD (or any script) will absolutely change once other people start wanting to put their own touches to it, and see different things, and want to make a good movie. I can't be both open to that fact, and close the door on the first suggestion that comes along.

What he has in mind is more of a ghost story -- but in the end there's a real-world (not otherworld) explanation to what's going on. He doesn't believe in ghosts, even though many ghost movies do well. So we started with an airborne equivalent of the Flying Dutchman, and ended up with me thinking of at least two ways I could make it work and (here's the key) still remain passionate about the story. Ideas that we tossed around, and which he thought would work very well, too.

He said that if I'm interested in playing with this as an idea, that I should take some time, and write up an outline, beat or treatment of what I see happening to give FTD this little twist. I can call him at any time to talk ideas, e-mail him or whatever -- the door's wide open for the moment. And he stressed that I should take time and do it well, not rush like he's seen too many other writers do and do it wrong.

I think it's well-worth my time to at least try.

He thinks that a WWII ghost story, based on real events, is something he can develop.

Develop is good.

Validation is good.

Happy Friday.

One last post for 2006

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Wed, 27 Dec 06 15:56:00 UT

I rather enjoy the lull that is Hollywood from Thanksgiving to New Years'. I can takes some time to recoup, regroup, and not feel pressured by the world whizzing by.

The final draft of the horror movie was submitted and approved, so I'm pretty much done on that project. The director is well pleased by my efforts, so now it's time to toss it out into the big, bad world.

Jennise and I have batted around Grey's Anatomy ideas. It may be our most challenging spec yet, since it's 100% drama, without any action-y/adventure-y elements too it. I'm looking forward to that prospect!

The new feature spec continues to niggle at my mind in the gaps of time where my hands may be busy and my mind idle. I'm getting a rather good picture of my four characters, the theme, and how each character relates too it. Soon it will be time to start sketching it out on paper!

I've also been able to take time and read through the posts in The Artful Writer (and forum) and Wordplayer. Not much for me to contribute, but some of the discussions are lively, and some of the posters of unique character.

That pretty much sums up December. I'm already working on January and contacting the manager I met, so here's hoping she likes the scripts and is willing to take me and Jennise on as clients. But for the rest of the week, I'm going to work during the day, play during the night, and toast 2007 with ardor!

First-first draft delivered

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Thu, 2 Nov 06 11:43:00 UT

I e-mailed off the first-first draft of the horror on Tuesday morning. It's more draft-y than I normally send out, so that I can give the director an opportunity to add his scenes and thoughts. It'll come back to me for a rewrite, and THEN I'll be able to finalized and present what I will call my own first draft -- the draft that I will send to my own readers for fresh, unbiased perspectives. At that point, I should have fulfilled my first screenwriting contract.

Now what?

Work on getting a manager, work on getting a manager, work on getting a manager. On that front, my writing partner and I have calls out, one nibble, and more calls to make.

Then, take a short break to refresh, catch up on my movies and TV shows, and figure out which idea rattling around in my head excites me more.

I've got a couple to play with. One is a comedy about retired cowboys, which sprang from overhearing two guys on the Warner Bros. lot comment about how all the guys who played cowboys are all retired. That's pretty much all I have on it, but the idea amuses me.

The other is a sci-fi piece that has its genesis in some WWII bits that I've encountered in connection with Paris Island, first deployments, gung-ho recruits interacting with grizzled/embittered veterans and an image of a female, sax-playing grunt blowing jazz tunes in her bunk just before the first combat drop.

What a choice, eh?

Out, but on

MoviePen@Gmail.com — Fri, 13 Oct 06 07:45:00 UT

Got the official ding from the Warner Bros. workshop last night, which I wasn't too surprised about. They're supposed to be doing interviews this weekend and next week, and since we hadn't gotten a call I had started to expect we didn't make the cut.

However, Jennise was watching an interview with the showrunner of Supernatural. Turns out that one of the episodes they're doing for November sweeps is based on HH Holmes, the first serial killer in the US.

That's *exactly* the subject of our spec.

Well, at least we think like the show.

A small comfort, but I'll take it for now.