Screenwriting : Member Generated AMA tonight (2/22) from 6pm-8pmPST (Or ask NOW if you can't make it) by Travis Seppala

Cool that you're doing an AMA, Travis Seppala. Thanks. Here's my questions for tonight:

#1) How do you outline?

#2) Do you know the theme when you outline?

Travis - How did you get your first script sale?

I'd love to know more about your journey with representation. Are you repped? At what stage in your career did you get repped? How have reps helped you or steered your career for the better? What are things about getting repped that writers don't realize?

OK, party people! It's 6pm! I'm here for 2 hours answering all y'all's questions! : LEt's do this!

Maurice Vaughan

How do I outline?

That sort of depends on who I'm outlining for!

If it's an outline for a spec project, that means nobody is even going to see the outline by myself! I typicallydo these written out by hand in a notebook. I literally just write the story out beat by beat in paragraph form, usually with slugs for each new setting. Later, when writing the script, I'll have the notebook outline in front of me, crossing out each scene/beat/etc as I put it in the script.

If it's an outline for a producer, I'll do it in Word. Similar process - making my way through the story, start to finish, beat by beat and scene by scene, including sluglines. If the outline is based on source material (for instance, the adaptation job I'm currently doing), I'll color code the initial outline as well - one color for what's coming from the source material as-is, and another color for material that originated in my brain.

Maurice Vaughan Looks like you had 2 questions, so here's the second...

Do I know the theme when I outline?

Simple answer: no.

Longer answer: I'm not a big fan of "theme". If one appears in the script, fine. But I literally never sit down with a specific theme or deeper message or anything like that when I start.

Do you see yourself moving into a director or producer position with any of your upcoming ideas or material?

Richard Buzzell

How did I get my first sale?

The thing here to remember is that sales and options are two different but related things. You may already know that, but for people who read this and don't know...

An OPTION is sort of a "rent-to-own" situation. The producer pays the writer a small fee to get exclusive rights to the material for a set period of time (typically anywhere from 6 months to 18 months). During that time, the write can not pitch the project anywhere else. The producer with the option has exclusive rights to pitch the project around to studios, networks, other producer, investors, talent, etc. Their goal is to get interested parties to fund the project to get it made, and then once tehy have the money and know they're making the movie, they will pay the agreed upon purchase price. This when an option turns into a SALE.

Sometimes, you might get lucky and sell the project out right with no option involved. But this typically only happens for big projects. Very seldom do newer writers have a full sale without an option first.

That being said, I had my first OPTION in 2013. It was the last year that Inktip did their Pitch Fest. A company dug one of my scripts, sent a contract a couple weeks later, I got an entertainment attorney to look it over for me, and BOOM! My first option.

I've had dozens of options over the years.

My first SALE happened in 2020 when CAPTIVE - which had been under option for about a year - wnet into production and became a sale. It was actually the very first film that New Mexico allowed to start filming after the big Covid lockdown. The movie is now available on Tubi (it's a "Tubi Original").

Pat Alexander

Wow, that's a LOT of questions about reps! Let's see if I can answer all that efficiently.

Yes, I am repped. The agency that reps me is Sovereign Talent Group. I also have an entertainment attorney.

I've gone through a few reps previously. I've had the same entertainment attorney since 2013, when I got my first option agreement. I've gone through a couple managers, though.

My first manager was only repping me for a couple months when he decided he'd rather be a writer than a manager.

My second manager was enthusiastic at first, but she a) didn't live in the L.A. area (or even CA for that matter) and b) didn't have many connections in the genres I write in. After a little over a year, I fired her.

My third manager is a total sweetheart, but sadly - like the previous manager - didn't have enough connections in my genres to really help me out. She sent my material to WAY more places, but a lot of those were her cold-querying on my behalf. After a little over a year and a half, we both mutually agreed to part ways.

Between managers #2 and #3, I also had a couple reps "hip-pocket" me... meaning they sent stuff out from time to time, but weren't officially my manager.

And now I have an agent, which I've already mentioned. Unfortunately, she hasn't had an opportunity to do a whole lot for me because of the Writer's strike last year... but we're gearing up to start trying to make a splash for me.

And the #1 thing I'd say about getting repped that writers may not know is that having a rep DOES NOT mean you're done and can just sit back and let them do all the work for you. YES, you get more time to focus on writing, but you also need to be pitching yourself, networking, and bringing new connections in on your own.

Deb Havener

Do I see myself becoming a director or producer?

No.

I used to direct and producer many years ago (my early-to-mid 20s) and have won awards for those things... but I'm honestly not a fan of directing (I don't like having to tell other people how to do their jobs) and I straight up HATE producing!

If I ever am able to get "big" in TV, I understand that I'll HAVE to produce. But I've got quite a ways to go until I have to worry about that - if ever!

As for directing, I do have a couple projects I've written that I wouldn't mind directing if the opportunity were to present itself.... but it is not my intended career trajectory.

I might try outlining in a notebook, Travis Seppala. About 100% of the time I know the theme before writing a script, but sometimes the theme changes as I write. And sometimes sub-themes show up.

Maurice Vaughan

For the notebook - I often find my mind flows the story better when writing longhand like that. Although that 2-page pitch I did the other day? That was all in Word after a couple days thinking about the story and character elements.

As for theme... like I said, I never really have a theme in mind. It always amuses me when people read my script and goes "There's a strong theme of XX that really works here" and I'm just like "Oh, yeah? Glad you thought so!" because it was 100% UNintentional. ;P

It reminds me of high school English class when they'd have us analyze the books we read. I once got in trouble for saying "It is what it is! Why are you so convinced the writer had some deeper meaning here?" and the teacher was like "Travis, I'm ashamed. You're a straight-A student and should know better." And I was all "YOU should know better! Sometimes a cool story is JUST a cool story. Not everything has to be a symbolic allegory to the meaning of life!"

We're at the half-way point, people! Hour 1 of 2 is complete! If you're lurking, ask me stuff! Already asked a question? Ask some more!

"Sometimes a cool story is JUST a cool story. Not everything has to be a symbolic allegory to the meaning of life!" I'm kicking around part of a script idea in my head that's just that, Travis Seppala. A cool story without a theme or symbolism. I might end up writing it.

Have you ever made sizzle reels for your scripts or hired someone to make them?

Maurice Vaughan

Have I made sizzle reels for my scripts or hired someone to make them?

No, I have not.

Due to the unfortunate rise in popularity of pitch decks, I have started creating those for my scripts. I've only done a few so far but I can already tell you.... I suck at it! lol I'm a screenwriter, not a graphic designer. Alas, producers have found another new way to read as little as possible and I've encountered at least TWO producers now who won't even consider a script unless there's a pitch deck with it. sigh

Down to the finally 30 min. Anyone have any more questions? Anything you want to know about ANYTHING?

I've been thinking about making sizzle reels for my feature scripts, Travis Seppala. I think they'll help my scripts stand out.

I've had the same experience. Producers won't consider a script unless there's a pitch deck with it. I started making pitch decks a while back. I use Canva. I sucked at making pitch decks too, but I got better the more I did it. After a while, people started thinking I used Photoshop.

Thanks again for having this AMA.

Speaking of sizzle reels, do you think it helps in pitching/queries?

Maurice Vaughan Good luck! Given that I have no experience with that, I wouldn't even know where to start with giving advise on it.

No problem, Travis Seppala. Best to you with your projects.

Maurice Vaughan You edited your last post afer I'd replied to it (or during?)

I've never used Canva. I TRIED... I just couldn't figure out how to do.... anything on it! My wife keeps saying she'll teach me, but never does.

For the few decks I've done, I've created in them in Power Point.

Tasha McLemore

Do I think sizzle reels help with pitching and queries?

Like I told Maurice, I have zero experience with sizzle reels. So I don't even know what producers think of them. But I would say that I can't see it hurting your project... unless it's poorly made. I could see a producer watching something that is incoherent and/or poorly created that turns them off. For instance, I've seen a few on Youtube where the story sounded like it COULD be interesting... but the way the sizzle reel was put together made me completely UNinterested.

FIVE MINUTE WARNING! Got questions? Get them in. I'll stick around later to answer if I need to!

Yeah, I edited my other comment, Travis Seppala. I'm on my phone and the name tag doesn't show up on my phone's web browser, so I have to type my first sentence in the Stage 32 app and add the name tag, then edit my comment in the web browser (adding the rest of the comment). If I type anything after the name tag in the app, the tag doesn't show up. Stage 32 is working on the name tagging though. Goodnight.

Alright, class. Pencils down. That's the bell. ;)

Hope those of you who asked questions found my answers helpful.

Hope those who stumble upon this after-the-fact find it an informative thread.

My inbox is always open if anyone wants to discuss anything at length.

Have a great night and weekend! And happy writing!

"Due to the unfortunate rise in the popularity of pitch decks" ... "producers have found another new way to read as little as possible." Couldn't agree more Travis.

Travis Seppala Thank for that awesome response! I love hearing stories like yours, not because of all the fits and starts, but because it provides so much perspective to up and coming writers that getting a rep isn't the end all be all. And a lot of times reps can not really help you. Writing great scripts is the thing. Nail that and the rest will fall into place, like it seems it did for you!