Good evening fellow Writers. This is the first time I’ve included myself as a “fellow” and not a spectator. This comes on the tails of a Stage 32 premium coverage service result that has shifted my perspective. For six months, I have been teaching myself how to write for the screen via mentors and The Black List. With the BL, I liked the experience of being vulnerable and allowing myself to ride the emotional roller coaster that is the public feedback systems available to unknown wanna-be scribes. No matter how maddening some of it can be, you can find value, but it has a ceiling. After the highs of receiving three consecutive 8s on BL and the lows of watching those fall to 6s and then to 5s with revisions, I decide that chasing ratings on the BL had hampered my creativity. So it was time to invest and get real coverage. I secured an executive through Happy Writers, submitted and went on with life. 3 weeks later, I was surprised with the result; he loved it, not the project, the writer. Stamped in green, WRITER - RECOMMEND. For the past half-year, I’ve been project focused. The story was all that mattered. I figured as a neophyte with a story, people would be drawn to the project, not my style, because I’m not a writer, even though a 25+ year industry professional thinks I am. He “loved” every aspect of the story but believes in order to retain it’s integrity, it must be a studio feature and advises me to do just that; push forward to the studios...now. He passed solely on budget and does not think he can do it as an indie without compromise. What is this new Writer to do? I have no illusions of breaking into an industry with a studio feature of this story, but some have stated to do just that. I open it up to the group; what does “pushing it to the studios” look like? I’m not represented...at all. Hell, I still use Legal Zoom for lawyer things and barely know the difference between a manager and an agent. Should I even be thinking about stuff like that? What about contests for this project? I defer to the Sages. Let me have it. Cheers
Screenwriting : Unexpected Coverage Result by Chris Jackson
Unexpected Coverage Result
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Chris: I feel your pain. I can only speak from my experience. I have found that folks I've connected with, including several via Inktip, Happy Writers and some with plain old luck, tend to be focused on specific projects, rather than looking for a great writer to represent. Having just signed the biggest agreement of my career last week, I have no illusions that if the project being shopped generates no interest, I'll be kicked to the curb. I also have three other projects being shopped with a similar outlook.
Therefore, I recommend that you use your spec script as a calling card to make connections with some indie and small budget producers and see if you can get one to work with you. You may not make money up front but you'll gain some experience. Hone your pitch, your script and keep trying. It's a long haul proposition.
Best of luck and let me know if I can help in any way.
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