Familiarize yourself with what is being produced overseas. Watch the credits at the end of foreign films and develop a matrix of recurring themes and genres within the various production companies.
Read the trades. International film magazines and newsletters are where you’ll find interviews with directors and production staff. Not only do they discuss their current and upcoming movie projects but oftentimes yield insight into favorite causes, pet peeves, and early beginnings.
Foreign Film Commissions. Just like state film commissions that exist throughout the United States, foreign countries have comparable agencies that facilitate the workings of imported and exported movies. To do an Internet search, type in the name of the country you’d like to research. For instance, “Scottish Film Commission” or, in a broader sense, “United Kingdom Film Commissions.”
Keep in mind, of course, that priority tends to be given to those screenwriters who reside in the same country as the production company that is soliciting scripts. Contracts negotiated will also be subject to the industry laws and regulations of that country as well as the employment fees paid and taxes collected for specified services.
CHAPTER 16: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PLOTS
Before that masterpiece script ever leaves your sight, you need to take the appropriate steps to ensure no one tries to steal it. This chapter explains the basics of how to do that.
FORGET THE POOR MAN’S COPYRIGHT
Gathering dust in hall closets across America are probably plenty of self-addressed envelopes bulging with manuscripts that the authors were either too lazy or too cheap to officially register as original material. As proof of authenticity, this practice known as “the poor man’s copyright” would legally hold up in court.
The question is, though, why run the risk of tearing that envelope open by accident or misplacing it altogether when the procedures to establish ownership and date of completion are so easy?
Furthermore, over half the screenwriting contests you’ll ever enter—not to mention the number of markets you’ll want to submit your work to—require that the material be registered prior to submission.
Here’s where to do it and what it will cost, a small investment compared to what you would have to spend if your screenplay’s originality was ever challenged.
u.s. copyright office
http://www.copyright.gov
Once upon a time if writers wanted to call upon Uncle Sam to help them protect their creative projects from unscrupulous idea thieves, they had to send away to Washington DC for an information package and copious forms. Not only did it take a long time to receive these materials by mail, but it took even longer to actually get manuscripts processed through the system.
The bad news is that it still takes a long time to receive a copyright certificate, even though the effective date of registration is the date that the application, the manuscript and the fees are received for processing. On the brighter side, however, the Copyright Office can now save time at the front-end of the submission procedure by having all of the requisite forms accessible on-line, along with the most frequently asked questions regarding what copyright means. The $30 filing fee will protect your work for your lifetime plus 70 years thereafter.
Note: While you’re certainly welcome to include the copyright symbol, ©, after your title, do not include the year of registration. “Dated” material puts forth an immediate bias that the content isn’t “fresh.”
writers’ guild of america
http://www.wga.org
Registration with WGA is available to both members and non-members, and covers all stages of script development for radio, television, and feature films. In the event that legal action is ever initiated against a registered work, it is helpful to have had the submission date duly logged with the Guild as evidence of its origination. It should be noted that many screenwriting contests now require WGA registration as a prerequisite to participate. This registration is valid for five years and may be renewed for an additional five years. Cost to members is $10; nonmembers pay $20.
Note: Novice writers often include their Writers’ Guild registration number on the front cover of their scripts. Don’t.
PROTECT RITE
http://www.protectrite.com
Protect Rite is another online registration service which was established to protect intellectual properties. Treatments, drafts, and completed scripts created with any word-processing program can be submitted electronically to this site and placed in ten-year storage at the cost of $18.95. Once the received material is encrypted and filed, only the author has access to registration. Just as with First Use, participants are e-mailed confirmation receipts establishing the submission date of their material. It should also be noted that files cannot be modified or altered once they have been electronically filed with this service.
A WARNING ABOUT WEB SITES
It used to be believed that if a company had business cards and professional-looking letterhead, they were obviously legitimate. After all, why would they have gone to the time and expense of investing in such lovely stationery if they were just a fly-by-night operation?
Suffice it to say, that investment in paper PR products is a small price to someone unscrupulous. After all, the amounts that can be brought in by preying on the gullibility of the public will not only be an easy return on their print-shop payment but quite a bit of long-term profit as well.
I’ve been asked to mention this as a warning by nearly every professional who contributed his or her expertise to the making of this book. Internet Web sites have replaced letterhead and business cards as a powerful medium through which to attract new business…and new victims. Not a day goes by that we don’t read in the paper about string operations which reveal the identity of individuals pretending to be something or someone they’re not in order to gain the trust of those with whom they correspond. The most prevalent, of course, are those which promise romance, masking the darker intentions of sexual predators, con artists, and those behind bars seeking some easy cash, sympathy, and a new place to call ‘home’ when they get out.
While the lonely hearts category takes a lion’s share of victims of all ages, the biggest bait for wannabe screenwriters resides in the category of “I Can Make You a Star.” It’s a con that works because of the “instant now” society in which we live. Whether one dreams of fame and fortune as a rock star, actor, model or scriptician, we don’t want to have to wait for it to happen.
Who wouldn’t be lured by Web sites that promise immediate delivery of our highest expectations, especially if they’re accompanied by eye-popping graphics, interactive demos, and “testimonials” alluding to a close and personal relationship with Britney, Jennifer Lopez, Matt Damon, etc.
“You, too,” they hint, “can join the in-crowd elite and be the envy of all your friends.” The catch, of course, is that it means you’ll have to part with some money up front (“good faith” is usually the excuse given) and/or act quickly because only a select few are being “invited” to participate in this opportunity to have their work—or themselves—discovered by talent scouts.
If an offer sounds too perfect to be true—well, there’s a good reason for that. Success in anything rarely comes overnight but is, instead, the end result of years of hard work and persistence. Tempting as it may be to enter every contest and answer every cattle call for new scripts, learn to be discriminating about what you’re getting into.
If it’s an agency or production company, do your homework in finding out what—if anything—they have actually gotten produced. If it’s a contest, who is sponsoring it and how many years has it been running? You’ll also want to check out the www.moviebytes.com “report card” on screenwriting competitions, as well as post inquiries at screenwriter chatrooms. This is an industry where word travels fast; if others have been burned by an Internet scam, they’re quick to get out the warning to their peers.
Last but not least, never sign a contract unless you have a thorough u
nderstanding of what the whole thing means.
SECTION IV:
WINNING THEM OVER
CHAPTER 17: ALL ABOUT AGENTS
If you were seeking a date for an upcoming social event, would you flip open a phone book and call the first name your pencil-point dropped on? Of course not! Yet many writers use the same technique when seeking an agent to represent their screenplays.
Truth be told, there’s actually a lot of similarity between courting a prospective film agent for your work and testing the waters of a new relationship. Specifically, (1) do you have enough in common to sustain a long-term association with one another, (2) were you introduced by someone who knows both of you, and (3) how do you get out of it if it doesn’t make you happy?
Time and again, I’ve counseled writers who have been so thrilled that someone has finally agreed to pay attention to them that they end up sabotaging themselves and/or tolerating all manner of shoddy treatment. Just like those who have been out of romantic circulation for awhile, their approach to reps is often nervous, desperate, and too unfocused to inspire confidence.
Herein are some guidelines for not only ensuring call-backs from the right people but heeding warning signals about the wrong ones. (If they work for your love life, too, consider it a bonus!)
MAKING THE RIGHT MATCH
Different agents represent different markets and genres. This enables them to establish a solid contact base as well as bank on a good reputation. Studios, networks, and independent producers recognize that scripts which have crossed these agents’ desks and been forwarded for consideration are not only the cream of the crop but are in keeping with current trends and sensibilities.
That said, it’s essential that you do your homework in researching the best agent to put in your corner. If you want to write romantic comedies, for instance, you need to seek out a rep who’s familiar with that genre and knows who to sell it to. Forget whatever you’ve heard about mailing a glut of query letters to everyone you can find. The only thing that a scatter-gun approach will get you is faster word-of-mouth that you’re too lazy to tailor a submissions list.
There are also two different types of agencies. The one you have probably heard the most about is the literary or “boutique” agency. These organizations exist to serve the interests of the writer and are delineated by areas of specialization (i.e., fiction, non-fiction, theatrical scripts, screenplays, etc.). The job of the agent in this venue is to promote, pitch, negotiate and oversee the author’s project, as well as make recommendations on what that author should be doing next to advance his/her writing career.
A packaging or talent management agency represents writers, too, but in concert with the management of actors, directors, musicians, and producers. The agent’s role in this type of operation is to pull together all the elements of a viable “team” and present it to a studio or network for a fee. Because they have access to all the necessary ingredients for a successful enterprise, the cost and time savings to a potential buyer can be enormous.
The advantages and disadvantages to both types of representation, of course, are dependent on what kind of relationship you want to establish—that of a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond.
Boutique agencies recognize that writers are gold. Accordingly, they work hard to nurture and develop a promising talent who will, hopefully, fulfill all of their expectations with a stream of steady hits. While it may take longer to orchestrate an option or sale, they enter into relationships with the premise of grooming an author for literary stardom.
In contrast, a packaging agency is dealing with elements of the equation that, from their standpoint, inspire more jaw-dropping awe than you do. To them, the script itself is just a cog in a much larger wheel. While that’s not to say that the wheel won’t spin into some pretty exciting opportunities for you, there is already formidable competition in place before you ever walk in the door; specifically, a stable of experienced scripticians they keep on retainer to pen things in a jiffy for Russell Crowe or Angelina Jolie.
WHERE THE AGENTS ARE
HOLLYWOOD REPRESENTATION DIRECTORY
Publisher: Hollywood Creative Directory
DONE DEAL – Agents and Managers link
http://www.donedealpro.com/default.aspx
WRITER’S MARKET – Script Agents Chapter
Publisher: Writer’s Digest Books (Annual publication, also available as CD-Rom)
WRITERS NET: LITERARY AGENTS
www.writers.net/agents.html
WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA
www.wga.org
SCREENWRITING ON THE INTERNET By Christopher Wehner
Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions, 2001
STORM WARNINGS
Would you pursue someone who wasn’t gainfully employed or was evasive about what he/she did for a livelihood? Would you raise an eyebrow of suspicion if they only wanted to meet you at doughnut shops or in alleys? Would you feel secure with someone who had either (1) never sustained any long-term relationships, (2) blamed all past failures on the other party, or (3) couldn’t remember any names because none of them stayed in the picture long enough?
What many people don’t realize is that virtually anyone can hang out a shingle, throw together a Web site, and start calling themselves an agent. While there are professional organizations and membership guilds that many reps belong to, it is not a mandatory requirement for conducting business, nor is a college degree or special license a prerequisite to hawking scripts.
Will your agent expect you to foot the bill for all of the postage, script photocopying, long distance phone calls, and wardrobes for schmoozing at Hollywood parties? Likewise, will you be expected to shell out large sums of money in order for your agent to keep telling you what a stellar writer you are?
These and other questions need to be asked before you enter into a contractual agreement. This isn’t the time to be shy about asking your prospective representative what, exactly, he or she has done in terms of actual sales and options. How long have they been in business? Do they provide a written contract that specifies their terms and timeframes? How difficult or expensive will it be for you to extricate yourself from a liaison that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere? If the rep belongs to an agency and decides to move to a different one, what provisions will be made for you as the screenwriter (i.e., will you be assigned to someone else at the original agency or will you be expected to tag along to the new address).
Watch out for makeover artists as well. How many times have you found yourself in the position of being besotted with someone who had a never-ending list of “improvements” you should make to yourself—a new hairdo, different clothes, revised viewpoints—only to be subsequently dumped for someone uncannily similar to whoever you were originally?
Agents can be just as judgmental. While constructive advice is always helpful in tweaking a diamond-in-the-rough script, beware of someone who tries to reshape your entire style to fit the limitations of their own sales ability. Early in my book-writing career, I had such an agent who tried to turn every mainstream plot into a formulaic romance. Why? Because the romance market was the only one she knew how to sell to.
Always remember that even though an agent may have a map to get you to your star-studded destination, the car still belongs to you.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ
Screenwriters who have been burned by bad agents are always generous about sharing their experience with others. One of the best places to read these “beware’s” is Predators and Editors at http://pred-ed.com.
INDUSTRY REFERRALS
Back in the 1970’s, I often found myself coaxed into blind dates by well meaning friends who thought I should be attached. I usually said yes, thinking that the odds of being hooked up with a loser were remote and that my friends knew me well enough to facilitate a few quality matches. The reality, of course, was that Mr. Right never materialized from any of these introductions, nor are any of these friends still in my address book
.
Fortunately for those of you who are unattached screenwriters, the film business is a little more promising. The reason is that there is more at stake in the professional arena than around the water-cooler. For an industry expert to vouch for an author who has neither the product, the focus nor the right attitude to be of value to a prospective agent translates to only one thing—a diminishment of trust. Even if the next “gem” is a match made in heaven, it only takes one dud to produce eyebrow-raising skepticism ever after.
Could It Be a Movie Page 20