Getting Past The Gatekeepers
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Webinar hosted by: Rachel Chervin
Broadway Video Entertainment
Rachel Chervin is an industry veteran who formerly worked in development for Broadway Video (Saturday Night Live, Portlandia, Man Seeking Woman) in both features and television, to find and promote up-and-coming voices in the industry. She previously worked for Imagine Entertainment and the Gersh Agency, and assisted executive producers of several feature films including The Rite (2011) and Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012). While at the Gersh Agency, she worked closely with three partners in the motion picture literary department to evaluate potential new clients, some of whom now have their successfully produced scripts playing in theaters across the country. After having been on both the buying and selling sides of the business, she has extensive experience with what industry executives are really looking for and the language they use to talk about scripts under consideration. Rachel's specialty is creative development of material for writers and she has been giving suggestions for how to improve other people's writing since before she can remember. Her main focus is in comedy but she also enjoys sci-fi movies, TV shows about superheroes, and Game of Thrones. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
Learn directly from Rachel Chervin, former Development Department at Broadway Video (Saturday Night Live, Portlandia, Man Seeking Woman), Gersh Agency and Imagine Entertainment!
A screenwriting journey of a thousand miles begins with a single page, to paraphrase an old saying. Well, more accurately, ten pages - that's the amount of space a typical writer has to grab the attention of the anonymous, overworked reader that picked their script off a pile for evaluation. If a writer's sample script is excellent enough, the pieces start to fall into place: an entire script read, the writer recommended, the agent's decision to represent, the long and fruitful thousand-mile career. None of it happens, though, if the script never makes it to the agent's desk.
But who are these mysterious readers? Who decides which scripts go on to consideration or representation - and maybe one day fame and fortune - while others get a stone-cold pass? It's not exactly who you might think: while the agents and managers of Hollywood excel at their jobs, they only have so much time in the day and most of it is not spent seeking out new talent. That job falls to the Gatekeepers, the assistants and pro readers who tackle stacks of scripts every week hoping to find the diamond in the rough: a script they can confidently recommend.
In this Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, host Rachel Chervin will bring you an insider's perspective on agency submissions and what you can do to maximize the impact of your writing on the unsung decision makers of Hollywood. Rachel will discuss fun and informative strategies for giving yourself the best chance possible to make a lasting impression on everyone who reads your script. There are so many ways that writers can take themselves out of the running with easily avoidable mistakes, but fortunately, there are just as many ways to stand out from the pack and deliver a calling card script that demands recognition. The key, besides great writing, is knowing the Gatekeepers' game plan - and then blowing it out of the water.
Rachel Chervin has been on both the buying and selling sides of the business and has extensive experience with what industry executives are really looking for and the language they use to talk about scripts under consideration. She has worked in development for Broadway Video (Saturday Night Live, Portlandia, Man Seeking Woman) in both features and television, working to find and promote up-and-coming comedic voices in the industry. She has previously worked for several years at Imagine Entertainment and the Gersh Agency on several feature films including The Rite (2011) and Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012).
What You'll Learn
- What does the typical script reader look like? What happens to a script once it’s submitted?
- Behind the scenes on how agents and managers evaluate new material
- Getting your script to a real live reader: a primer
- Writing samples that DEMAND a reader's attention
- Common sample script mistakes that 98% of writers make
- How to craft a script that stands out from the pack
- Clean up your act: avoiding the dreaded "automatic pass"
- The good news! How to be the 2% - the script that gets recommended
- Understanding how screenwriters appear from a reader's perspective
- Conclusion and Inspiration - Get Motivated!
- Recorded, in-depth Q&A with Rachel!
About Your Instructor
Rachel Chervin
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Arthur Blum Great information of how to get your foot in the door. What to do and what not to do.
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