Author of the upcoming Michael Wiese Productions' Getting It Write: An Insider's Guide To A Screenwriting Career, Lee Jessup is a career coach for screenwriters, with an exclusive focus on the screenwriter's professional development. Her clients include WGA members, Golden Globe and Emmy nominated screenwriters, writers who sold screenplays and pitches to major studios, best-selling authors, contest winners, as well as novice and emerging screenwriters. Lee spent 6+ years as director of ScriptShark.com. During her time with ScriptShark, Lee introduced hundreds of screenplays to entertainment industry professionals, and spearheaded a national Business of Screenwriting seminar series launched in partnership with Final Draft and sponsored by The New York Times Company. An invited speaker at screenwriting conferences and festivals both in the US and Europe, Lee is a regular contributor to Script Magazines and was the interview subject for a number of film-centric television and web programs. To learn more about Lee and her services, visit leejessup.com. Blog Posts by Lee Jessup: "Dude, Where Is My Option?" "Making Your Mark: The Same-But-Different Conundrum" "New Realities of Breaking In" "The Importance of Rejection" Read more posts at leejessup.com Full Bio »
Learn directly from Lee Jessup, a career coach for screenwriters with an exclusive focus on the screenwriter's professional development. Her clients include WGA members, Golden Globe and Emmy nominated screenwriters, writers who sold screenplays and pitches to major studios, best-selling authors, contest winners, as well as novice and emerging screenwriters!
Everyone wants to find representation but... What are reps actually looking for? Strong specs? TV pilots? The million dollar idea? The industry has changed rapidly over the past 5 years, and so has the representation game.
Discover how to create a winning brand, develop both creatively and professionally, identify the representation that would be right for you and become the writer agents want to sign, managers want to develop, and executives want to hire.
Stage 32 Next Level Webinars is honored to have brought in Lee Jessup, one of the leading screenwriting consultants, with an exclusive focus on the screenwriter's professional development. Her clients include WGA members, Golden Globe and Emmy nominated screenwriters, writers who sold screenplays and pitches to major studios, best-selling authors, contest winners, as well as novice and emerging screenwriters.
Lee Jessup
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"Lee's the real deal, folks. Took her class at GAPF and it's some of the most helpful advice I've gotten in my emerging screenwriting career. Sign up, 32ers -- you won't regret it!" - Adam Pachter
"It was brilliant!! Great info. Thanks!!" - Lyse Beck
"Loved the webinar!!! Thanks so much." - Anna Elias
4 part class taught by award winning screenwriting career coach and author Lee Jessup! AVAILABLE ON DEMAND! Finishing your script may be one of the hardest steps, but it's only the first! Now what? Despite its reputation, many writers are still surprised at how hard it is to not only break into the entertainment industry, but sustain a screenwriting career once inside. What you need is a proven mentor, someone who can give you the know-how to help you break into Hollywood with stunning success. Stage 32 Happy Writers is excited to bring you the previously-recorded 4 part class: Breaking Into the Industry – Creating and Maintaining a Screenwriting Career taught by Lee Jessup, award winning Screenwriting Career Coach and author of the best-selling screenwriting book, Getting it Write. Learn everything you need to know to help jump-start your screenwriting career from a seasoned veteran who has coached WGA members, Golden Globe and Emmy nominated writers, best-selling authors, and contest winners. Purchasing gives you access to the previously-recorded live class. Although Lee is no longer reviewing the assignments, we still encourage all listeners to participate!
Filmmaking isn’t just an artform, it’s a business. As a creative, you might not be aware of how you can ensure you receive your fair share of the revenue or properly negotiate for it. With the right agreement in place, you can focus on producing a great story that audiences will love without worrying about how the money will come later. What you need is a CAM Agreement. The CAM Agreement, short for Collection Account Management, is a multiparty agreement that handles the receipt, allocation, and disbursement of revenues generated by the distribution of a project. In short, a CAM Agreement is how you get paid when the project sells. It protects everyone’s interests and eliminates misunderstandings between partners by ensuring everyone enters the project on the same page and puts everyone on a Recoupment Schedule so that you know when and how you’re getting paid. With so many platforms and distribution markets to consider, revenue is never as simple as selling the project one time. It covers payment of revenues, commissions, expenses, recoupment investments, deferments, bonuses, and profits. David Zannoni is a consultant for Fintage House, where he's seen first-hand the benefit of these agreements through his work negotiating for films and television series internationally, regularly attending the major film festivals like Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and more. David will walk you and the other attendees of this Stage 32 webinar exclusively through the key elements of the CAM Agreement, what’s covered, standard clauses, the different kinds of CAM Agreements you’ll need for the different guilds, and how the agreement will evolve and be used in the future. By knowing the benefits of these agreements from someone who regularly uses them, you’ll have the ability to negotiate better for yourself and your project, empowering you to stress less about how you’ll make your money back and focus instead on telling a great story.
Filmmakers, producers, and financiers can really be held back by distribution contracts. If they don’t understand the language or terms, are passive or held hostage by a feeling that they may be getting ripped off, or simply do not have the support system to advise them or the knowledge to know what to fight for, they can find themselves at an extreme disadvantage. In many cases, the excitement of the "someone likes my movie/let's get it out there" mentality supersedes common sense. And that alone can lead you into giving away your rights, accepting horrendous percentages or agreeing to terms that lock you and your project up. Don't fall into these traps! You worked hard on your film. You sacrificed time and likely money to get to this point. While most might think this is time to hit the gas pedal, it's actually time to tap the brakes. You want to be sure you're doing everything humanly possible to not only protect yourself, your investors and your team, but maximizing your film's potential in the marketplace. Anna Darrah is an experienced film buyer, negotiating with and licensing over 800 films in her 12 years working for Gaiam and Spiritual Cinema Circle. She has been an active player on the festival circuit and currently advises filmmakers on custom distribution strategies. Anna is also a filmmaker who produced two documentaries that aired on The Sundance Channel, and directed a music video and the short film THE MATTER OF MAGIC. She also produced a feature-length documentary about Helen Schreider (www.THEHELENMOVIE.com) while also making short films for the ZILLOW.COM series, HOMEMAKERS. Anna has enjoyed jurying and participating in film festival panels and workshops here and abroad and is currently offering a Film Distribution Workshop co-taught with Jilann Spitzmiller. Now Anna brings her knowledge and teaching prowess to Stage 32. Anna will begin by breaking down theatrical and broadcast rights as well as exclusive and non-exclusive deals. She'll dive into breaking down deal points including term, territory, rights and compensation. She'll discuss standard terms and point out red flags within and speak to what you should negotiate to assure you get the best, and most fair, deal. She will even look at the negotiation process from the other side of the table so you can understand what a distributor truly wants out of a deal. Thinking outside the box, Anna will even discuss going the DIY distribution route or a hybrid DIY/traditional distribution path. All this and much more. It’s incredible how each contract is like a snowflake -- totally unique and yet similar in some very important ways. I will help you understand the entire distribution arena so you can sleep well knowing you've made the best deal for you, your partners and, most importantly, your film. - Anna Darrah PRAISE FOR ANNA'S TEACHINGS: "Excellent overview of terms to be aware of when negotiating or reviewing a distribution agreement." - Valerie N. "Anna was great, the information she shared was so very useful!" - Christian C. "For a complex subject, Anna made it all so simple and easy to follow. Excellent webinar!" - Drea P. "A knockout." - Mana W.
In Stage 32's continued effort to shine the light on women in the entertainment industry we have partnered with Female Voices Rock for a thrilling virtual event. On March 8, International Women's Day, some of the industry's top leaders who are dedicated to empowering women will be coming together to host an inspiring webcast celebrating women in entertainment. The panel features five powerhouse female voices of entertainment, including: Carmen Carbana - Cinematographer, Marvel & Disney Plus Ms. Marvel; Hulu's High Fidelity; Lionsgate/Starz LatinX hit show Vida, Netflix's Narcos Robyn Watson - Director, WarnerMedia Distribution & Board President of Women in Film & Television, Atlanta (WIFTA) Kristi Shuton - Walt Disney Television, Creative Talent Development & Inclusion Amanda Toney - Stage 32, Managing Director Moderator: Catherine Delaloye - Female Voices Rock,Founder & Executive Director After our live panel, join us for an exciting networking happy hour! We will break off into smaller groups and meet and toast your fellow female filmmakers, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, production designers, and entertainment creatives & professionals from all over the world.
It's hard to get past the gatekeepers and know your script is in a decision maker's hands. If a writer's sample script is excellent enough, the pieces start to fall into place: an entire script read, the writer recommended, the manager's decision to represent, the long and fruitful thousand-mile career. If a producer's script is perfect for the marketplace, a reader will get excited, move it up the ladder and then the wheels start in motion for finding financing, attaching talent and going into pre-production. None of it happens, though, if the script never makes it to the decision maker's desk. 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. So, who are these gatekeepers, how do you even get to them and, more importantly, how do you win their endorsement to help move your script up the ladder? It's time to find out. Gabriel Chu works with artists, writers, and directors to identify and develop new ideas and stories, shepherding them from page to screen. As a story analyst at Sony Pictures, he works on current projects alongside the executive team and helps to field incoming submissions and identify new talent for the studio. Prior to joining Sony Pictures, he was an executive at Vertigo Entertainment, working closely with award winning directors and writers on both animated and live action film projects for Warner Bros., Lionsgate, and Fox Animation. Gabriel started his career at Bad Hat Harry Productions, and has also worked at Summit Entertainment and Mandalay Pictures. Through his career, Gabriel has served as a gatekeeper in multiple roles and knows intimately what it takes for a script to break through and make it to the right person’s desk, and he’s ready to share what he knows with the Stage 32 community. Gabriel will give you a rundown of how gatekeepers manage script submissions and what you can do to give your own script the best chance to be noticed and make it past those first rounds of coverage to make it to the eyeballs you’re aiming for. Gabriel will begin by explaining how scripts are able to get submitted to studios and other gatekeepers in the first place, including through agents and manager, through script competitions, other types of referrals, and through networking. He will also explain how taking the assistant route at an agency could help your chances of getting that script noticed. Next he’ll outline how coverage actually works at production companies and studios. He’ll explain the differences between the procedures at production companies, studios, and other organizations and what their differing expectations might be. He’ll delve into what roles read your script at what point in the process, focusing on the verticals at production companies and studios. He’ll explain the roles of interns and assistants, coordinators, story analysts, and finally executives, and what each role looks for when reading scripts. Gabriel will teach you the common formatting errors that knock scripts out of the running before people even start reading for content, including title page expectations, font and spacing, dialogue formatting, and other issues. He will share real examples of scripts that exhibit these errors to share what they look like on the page. Next he will go over narrative issues that can also sideline a submitted script. Finally, he’ll share other strategies that can make your script stand out to readers in these positions. Through demystifying the process of script reading and coverage as well as the people behind it, Gabriel will leave you with a concrete sense of how to get your script in front of the people you want to read it, and practical ways to help your chances. Praise for Gabriel's Stage 32 Webinar: I was very pleased with the webinar. The speaker got right to the point and explained exactly how the screenplay selling process works. Steven W. I loved how Gabriel didn't pull any punches and gave a realistic assessment of the realities of breaking into the industry as a writer. -Peter M. I loved this webinar because Gabriel talked about a variety of things from how to approach agents/managers/producers, to what not to do in a script. I learned a lot! -Melissa P. Amazing. I liked the "no sugar coating" approach. -Candice E.
Over the past few years, studios, independent production companies, networks and streamers have been turning to stories based on IP (Intellectual Property). Often times screenwriters, filmmakers and producers find great source material based on a book, article, life or public domain and the next part is struggling to figure out how to adapt it. You want to make sure that you are able to tell your story in the best possible way. Could it make a good movie? Or, do you have more elements that could make it extend longer into a full TV show? Or, what about creating a podcast that could sell? Making this crucial decision on how to adapt your story can help accelerate your path toward success. When embarking on a strategy to figure out how to adapt your IP, it's important to understand the potential and the limitations within the material. This includes considering many variables including the genre, budget, and story beats. Although you may have begun with a specific format in mind, sometimes you may find that your material may inherently lend itself to one format or another. So, how do you truncate a story into a 110 page script? Should you include more characters and write a pilot that can serve multiple seasons? Could you write a podcast to help your characters come to life? Understanding your audience and where that audience consumes content today might alter your thinking. And, most importantly, you must be paying attention to the marketplace - what's selling, who it sold to, where it will live - so that you don't waste time and navigate the landscape in a productive, more successful manner. Jim Young of Animus Films is a leading independent non-fiction producer, with almost two dozen films under his belt. Jim has created a successful career producing true-story films such as THE CATCHER WAS A SPY with Paul Rudd, LIFE OF A KING with Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr., THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY with Oscar-nominee Dev Patel, LOVELACE with Oscar-nominee James Franco and Amanda Seyfried, and the upcoming film, THE PEOPLE VS. VEGAS DAVE. Jim has a long history of producing critically acclaimed features and documentaries including YEAR OF THE BULL at Showtime, THE WORDS with Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana. Almost all of Jim's projects are based off of IP and he has a clear grip on what adapts best to what medium and what the marketplace is currently looking for. Jim will go over how determine your objective for your project whether you're a director, writer, actor or a hybrid. He'll go over what is important to you in the overall process in order to help you be clear on what you want to get out of adapting your IP into a film, television pilot or podcast - whether it be creative satisfaction, financial gain or proof of concept. He'll go over what the flow of your story is - open ended or single climax, event vs. character driven and visual vs. storytelling. He'll help you determine your writing style to help cater to which format will work best for your project, discussing comparisons between X-FILES, DIE HARD, STAR WARS and STAR TREK. You'll learn how different genres and budgets play into a project based off of IP. And, most helpful, Jim will go over the current marketplace in terms of popularity of projects based on IP, and break down the pros and cons of working in each medium - film, television and podcast. You will have a clear direction on which format will work best for your project. Like what you heard from Jim from during this webcast? Send your script to Jim and speak with him for an hour by clicking here. Praise for Jim's Stage 32 Webinars: "This was my first webinar and I learned so much. I thought Jim was thorough in his descriptions of what each medium has to offer regarding IP" -Marietta K. "Jim opened up new avenues for our IP that I didn't realize existed. He was a great presenter and shared his own experience with relevant info. It was really motivating." -Ricki L. "Thoughtful way of exploring options. Using podcasts was inspirational." -JoAnne E. "Tons of new information. Thanks!" -Jacqueline L.