Anything Goes

20+-year WGA writer here. Also been a partner in a prodco. I've sat on both sides of the table.

Here's the gap:

WRITERS THINK PRODUCERS WANT:

High-concept loglines | Explosive set pieces | Familiar IP | "It's X meets Y"

WHAT PRODUCERS ACTUALLY WANT/NEED:

A script they can shoot for the money they have | Roles actors will fight to play | A story that survives a 30% budget cut | Proof you understand the machine

The brutal truth:

A producer would rather make a "B+" script they can finance tomorrow than an "A+" script they can't afford to make.

Here's what actually happens in that room:

When a producer reads your script, they're not just reading story. They're running mental math:

"If I lose that warehouse, can I consolidate into the apartment?"

"Will this role attract an actor whose name unlocks foreign pre-sales?"

"If I have to cut two days, what scenes die first?"

That's what they're thinking while you're waiting to hear "I loved it."

Three things that make a producer's eyes light up:

1. YOU LEAD WITH THE MATH

When I pitch, the first sentence is: "This is a three-week shoot, five actors, two locations."

That gets a meeting. A logline gets a maybe.

You're pitching a production plan, not just a script..

2. YOU WROTE ROLES, NOT JUST CHARACTERS

Producers need attachments. Actors need material.

If your script has two killer audition scenes and three roles with transformative arcs? You're not just writing a story—you're building a package.

Insider move: A producer I worked with would only option scripts where at least two roles could be offer-only to actors they had relationships with. No audition-worthy scenes = no package = no financing.

3. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SELLING

Are you selling a calling card or a blueprint? Both are valid. Confusing them kills deals.

Calling card: Showcases your voice. Budget is irrelevant.

Blueprint: Designed to be made. Every choice serves production reality.

The mistake? Pitching a calling card as a blueprint. The producer thinks you're solving their problem. You're solving yours.

The stuff nobody tells you:

Soft money is strategy. If your script requires Manhattan but could work in Atlanta, you just killed the deal. Tax credits aren't a bonus—they're the budget.

Foreign pre-sales are driven by cast, not concept. No "travelable" star role? It's a non-starter. Producers know this by page 10.

Gap financing is gone. That last 20% from a rich film lover? Dried up. Everything must pencil out on paper first. Your job is to make the math work.

The scripts that get made aren't the "best" scripts.

They're the ones where the writer solved the producer's problem, not just their own.

What's the biggest disconnect you've seen between a writer's vision and a producer's reality? Drop it in the comments. I'm collecting war stories.

And if you have a script that reads great but won't close financing, send it over. I can tell you where the bodies are buried in one pass.

I've ghostwritten for producers who needed a writer who speaks both languages. I've rewritten specs to be investor-ready without gutting the soul.

I fix. I polish. I ghost. I speak both languages.

Studio craft. Indie reality. No ego.

Producers don't buy scripts. They buy solutions.

P.S. I've worked on both studio-level union projects and indie non-union films throughout my career, so I understand both worlds. Currently available for non-union work.

#Screenwriting #ScriptDoctor #IndieFilm #Filmmaking #BudgetReality

Unfortunate series of events. I went down to Los Angeles to network. Sold the house in Florida. Was supposed to make a family connection in Vegas. Flew directly from L.A. to Las Vegas, but missed my family connection. I went partying on the first night with a bunch of rock stars at the Virgin instead of checking into the hotel I booked. My cellphone was stolen at the Horseshoe. Somewhere between the Sphere and the Wynn, my wallet was also lost or stolen. I've tried lost and found and filed a police report and checked with a lot of lost and founds. Anyway, without I.D. or a phone things were set to be difficult for me. I was holding out for meeting up with the family as planned in Las Vegas and figured I could get by for a few nights, but they never showed up. Most of my sources of potential income are routed through my family's bank account (proceeds from sales of art/photography/writing). Only my streaming was set to deposit in my account. Lost access to all the credit cards and other financial institutions. Regrettably, my writer's room subscription was impacted. 

Obviously, I cannot get "legitimate" work during this time because I lack the proper identification. Small amounts of money come and go. 

I arrived in Vegas on 11/15. It is now December 9. I've been mainly living on the "casino' floor. I would check into McDonald's every night to sleep. Last night, I finally entered the "outdoor shelter" for the first time last night- an abomination to our shared humanity. Nothing compared to war, but still uncivilized.

At this point, I'm trying to stay focused. I do some pitching now and again. Stay out late until 3 or 4 a.m. and get a few hours of sleep. 

I'm hoping not to get involved in the issues confronting the homeless population despite the core strategic weaknesses of Vegas. I've had a few skirmishes over transit issues.

Most of my problems stem from a single source of terror that wears the vile mask of concern, but makes every treacherous move it can to hurt me. 

Plenty of material for another screenplay, should I recover all of my belongings in storage, save a chance for buying a house, and resist.

I could question all my decisions, or I could question the response to those decisions. 

My limited access to lines of communication may not allow me to respond, but I'd thought I'd update people on why I'm not currently attending pitch practices or spending time on Stage32. 

I have tried 3 different times to set up an IMDB Pro account. Every time it prevents me from finalizing the account because it indicates my phone number for billing purposes is invalid. I have tried nearly every phone number in my history and NOTHING works. Have people encountered similar issues? Resolutions?

So, I got my first scorecard from the written pitch session. The score turned out lower than I expected. Despite some positive comments, it seemed to me that the manager wasn’t really looking for an idea or a plot, but rather for whoever can make the prettiest two-page letter. They literally wrote: “The cursed instructional video is a classic hook that fans of the genre will like. However, the pitch feels more like a summary than a dramatic story.” I thought a synopsis was supposed to be a concise outline of the sequence of events, no? And honestly, I don’t understand why every second supporting character has to emphasize the importance of growth in a horror story when I clearly described what their role is. I wrote a letter following the Star Wars example I found on Stage32, but it turned out that wasn’t the best model. Could anyone suggest other places where I could find examples for a written pitch session? I’d really appreciate it.

The educationalist had this to say about transformative technology and whilst many think that AI’s intrusion into our lives is a case for human redundancy, it is only inevitable if we sit back and do nothing.

No one can know at this point, if we ought to celebrate its emergence or warn people about it.

Whichever way it goes, his final idea of implanting devices into our bodies, gives the writers amongst our community some great storylines!

What are your thoughts about this video? Are you excited about your impending redundancy?

https://youtube.com/shorts/C9_L-4U3kyE

Is it possible to ask if fans of a film or series could help track down or make contact with an actor or director, or producer in an effort to share your idea? I mean I believe fandom could be a way to use Market Research as companies can learn what fans like and want and use it to make movie or series.

Today, I watched AmbuLAnce on Netflix, and I must say as with many of his previous films, Michael Bay has an extraordinary, explicit attention to detail quite unsurpassed.