Hollywood's Gatekeepers

Last ride with the Transalp, Turnagain Arm

You're an amateur screenwriter and you believe your screenplay is finally ready for the real world -- or you've simply grown tired of the actual work it takes to write and re-write -- but either way, you've long suffered the crap Hollywood puts out week after week until that fateful day it struck you, "My God! I can write better than this!"

And now here you are, script in hand. Ready to cash in.

Maybe create some art on the side.

Maybe even... Nah, it ain't that good, is it? Well, that final scene did make my mom cry... Oscar nom?

You weren't born into the industry. Your Kevin Bacon number is in the hundreds, so no connections you can work there.

You have to get it to a big-time producer. Or, even a middle-time producer...

Does the porn industry buy scripts? The soft-core kind, though -- you are a storyteller after all.

OK, OK, you're not that guy. You're serious. Even took a class.

But, your Kevin Bacon number is in the hundreds, and in order to get your sweat, blood, and tears into the hands of someone who can turn them into gold, you have to get past the gatekeepers.

Aka Readers.

Aka "Bitter."

Why bitter?

Because of the slush-pile.

This All Began When

I became engaged in a discussion over on screenwriter John August's site (Charlie's Angels, Big Fish, Corpse Bride) with another of the site's readers.

Turned out this reader, was a "reader."

I brought up the, "What do readers have to be bitter about?" question.

Hitting him with, "In my old job I was bled and vomited upon," before ending with, "How cool it would be to get paid while still in my robe with a pot of coffee nearby."

Really, reader-dude, what's there to complain about?

The Slush Pile

"That's because you're not thinking of scripts as weapons ... That just comes with understanding what the slush-pile really is. If you think you can take it because of your samurai training, you are sadly fucking mistaken and shall fall like the rest of us. For it is an unearthly Hell Mouth, and the very physical manifestation of the bottomless pits of hell. If you’re laughing right now, then it is simply because you have mistaken my warnings for frivolity. Warn your village, dude."

I was laughing, but I also had to concede I have never sifted through a slush pile.

Remember how, you, the hopeful screenwriter, suffered through all those bad movies week after week? Until that fateful day you realized, "I can write better than this," and sat down to give it a shot?

You weren't alone.

Numbers I've found show anywhere from 17,000 to 50,000 scripts are registered with the Writer's Guild every year. And those numbers don't include the thousands of scripts that aren't being registered, but still make it into "readers" slush-piles.

And slush-piles can take their toll.

As the reader alluded to in one response, there is more than one way to be vomited upon:

"Try to envision taking your old day job, only imagine that what they're throwing up on is your soul ... An endless row of strangers, throwing up on your soul."

"They're Just That Rare"

Whether it's a submission to a production company, or an entry to a screenwriting competition, your script will more than likely pass into the hands of one of these bitter strangers whose soul is drenched with vomit.

And, if they perceive they are about to be wretched upon again, they may just stop reading long before they get to that really good scene that made your mom cry.

So, take your time. Read some more. Write some more.

Once it is submitted, one of three words will be stamped somewhere on your script's coverage: Pass, Consider, or Recommend

You don't want "Pass," so, you re-write.

You don't really even want "Consider," so, another re-write.

"Recommend" is the key to the kingdom. One more re-write should do it.

Now that you've put in the really tough, extra hours, the hours you know the other guy didn't put in, you're sure to get that "Recommend."

How hard can it be?

"I now share with you, the most glorious fact of my experience as a reader: I never wrote a Recommend. – It never happened. – And while you might think with my attitude that’s because I quite obviously hate everything and couldn’t tell when a great script was in my hand to begin with, (a fear that very slowly occurred to me as well)… I then took a short break to go and see if screenplays were what I remembered. And guess what? Good writing was still good writing and I could still see it plain as day. 'Back To The Future' is a perfect script. – 'The Postman' is a perfect script. – 'Schindler’s List' is a perfect script. Which is the single most searing and irreplaceable lesson of the slush pile, and the cattle-branding realization you go there to get: They’re just… that… rare."

Don't Fret Yet

Oh ye with no "uncle in the business." There may still be a place for you at (or, at least under) the dinner table.

To help with your (and my) journey, a Q&A with three Hollywood gatekeepers will be posted here in the coming week. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, stop watching anything on TV that involves a ball or puck, and get back to work on your script.

[Quoted conversation taken from this dialogue on John August site]

AK Shorts (the films, not the pants)

Fireweed along road to Inuvik

Alaska's Public TV Short-Film Program

Fast fact: AlaskaOne is a statewide public broadcasting station formed during the 1990s when stations in Bethel, Fairbanks, and Juneau combined to better serve public television viewers outside the South-Central region with 24-hour programming.

One of AlaskaOne's newer programs is "AK Shorts."

Designed to showcase the work of amateur Alaskan filmmakers, AK Shorts puts together half-hour episodes of short-films of any genre, including documentary, animation, and experimental.

There have been three episodes broadcast to date, with a fourth currently in the works.

At least one film showcased in the AK Shorts program has also found success outside of Alaska. "OUTspoken: Being Gay in Fairbanks, Alaska" by Alaskan filmmaker Kelly Gitter, is currently being screened at the Boston 27th Annual LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) Film Festival.

Recently, television producer Deb Lawton answered a few questions about AK Shorts. Based in Fairbanks where she works for station KUAC, Deb helps oversee programming and submissions for AK Shorts.

Q&A

(Anyone got animation...)

Matt Shields: How long has AK Shorts been running?

Deb Lawton: We began seeking submissions about a year ago, and our first episode aired in late January. Episode three aired on May 2nd.

MS: What, or who, inspired the program?

Lawton: We were regularly receiving requests to air films produced by Alaskans and were frustrated by our inability to air them for a variety of reasons. AK Shorts was the result of a lot of internal discussion about how to overcome those issues preventing us from broadcasting many of the submissions we were receiving from Alaskans.

MS: What has the response been like?

Lawton: As with anything, it takes a while to establish a presence, and in this particular instance we are not shooting for any particular demographic, or genre, so that may muddy the waters a bit. We are truly interested in providing a venue for as broad a cross section of filmmakers out there.

Our first episode featured the shorts "Chuck Norris and the Chopsticks of Doom" by Tyler Williams. Will Bowman's "Apple Insanity," a music video, "Stumbling Upon A Dream," by Brian and Yelena Palmer, and Takashi Sakurai's "Where The River Begins," a documentary about an Alaska Native elder. Our second episode contained one longer film, "OUTspoken: Being Gay in Fairbanks, Alaska." [referenced in intro]

MS: Are you receiving submissions from all around the state?

Lawton: We have had submissions from around the state. Our last episode featured the work of young filmmakers from the village of Nikolai, Van Hanson of Sitka, and Marc Osborne of Ketchikan.

MS: Are you working with other film programs in Alaska? Such as "JUMP Society" in Juneau, or the recently formed "Open Projector Night" in Anchorage?

Lawton: Well, I've been aware of Pat Race and JUMP Society, and some of what they have been doing, and was excited to see them in [49th Films recent write-up on them]... But I don't really know much about those other programs. They sound interesting, and when you first mentioned them I started to think of ways something could be worked together with them in the future.

MS: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Lawton: I would really love to see more animation submissions! [hint]

(If you would like to submit your film please visit AK Shorts for submission guidelines. They would love to hear from you!)

Chuck Keen Documentary

Happy to be here

A motorcycle accident last Saturday has put me off my work all week. My bike is totaled, my body is sore, and I'm three stories behind.

So, to tide you over, please take a moment to enjoy the story of one of Alaska's former pioneering filmmakers -- Chuck Keen.

Chuck Keen Fast Facts

Died in 2003 at the age of 65.

First came to Alaska to work in the timber industry, and later began to work as a screenwriter, producer, and cinematographer of films in Alaska.

Feature film credits include Claws, Challenge To Be Free, and Timber Tramps starring Claude Akins.

Now, sit back and enjoy this entertaining short documentary, which was created by the JUMP Society crew for the International Documentary Challenge.

Check Out "Go Into The Story"

Sadie prefers to "Go Into The Ocean"

Scott Myers, who runs the screenwriting blog "Go Into The Story" (which you may have noticed I like to promote) gave me permission to re-post the story below.

I could have linked to the story, but then you could have just skipped over it, and I really think if you are interested in screenwriting you should give his site a visit.

Besides having sold screenplays to Hollywood, Scott also works as a screenwriting instructor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -- Two of my favorite coffee-shops ever are in that area, by the way. Worth the trip down from Alaska...

Speaking of Alaska, Scott has visited here. Twice. He even wrote the script for the film Alaska. And, yes, some of it was shot up here.

But, I digress.

There are plenty of sites, books, classes, on the subject of screenwriting. The reason I recommend a visit to Go Into The Story is that it contains a nice balance of information. Some original, some pulled from other sources, and all of it relevant to the screenwriting world.

There is a lot of information on his site. His post below will help guide you through it, as well as give you a good introduction.

Enjoy!

Welcome to Go Into The Story (re-posted courtesy of Scott Myers)

During the last few months, the site has had a noticeable increase in visitors, so I'd like to resurrect a practice I do occasionally at the beginning of the month: Welcome folks and provide a tour of the site. So grab this virtual steaming macchiato and join me for a journey through the wonderful world of GITS!

First off, it should be noted I post on average six items per day. Why? (A) Because I'm just this shy of crazy. (B) Because if your writing habits are anything like mine, you like to take a break every couple of hours or so. Therefore I post here at 6AM, 10AM, 12PM, 2PM, 4PM, and 6PM (Eastern time zone), giving writers a chance to drop by for news and inspiration.

Being a military brat, I even have a schedule for the type of posts I do. Here it is:

Mondays-Sundays (6AM): Daily Dialogue
Monday (10AM): On Writing
Tuesday (10AM): Hollywood Tales
Wednesday (10AM): Screenwriting 101
Thursday (10AM): The Business of Screenwriting
Friday (10AM): Great Characters
Saturday (10AM): Interviews (written)
Sunday (10AM): Interviews (video)

In addition, during the week I collect all sorts of articles, a combination of informative, humorous, and sometimes downright weird, and post a weekly Saturday Hot Links.

Having worked for many years in Hollywood, I know how little attention screenwriters get and how much we deserve. Therefore GITS honors and promotes the work of professional screenwriters.

However as the site has evolved, a major focus has become an ongoing dialogue about the craft of screenwriting. To wit on the right-hand side of the blog, if you scroll down you'll see something called Lists. It is a veritable treasure trove of information about the screenwriting craft with literally thousands of posts on almost every conceivable topic. Here are just a few you should check out:

2008 Spec Script Sales Analysis

2009 Spec Script Sales Analysis

2010 Spec Script Sales Analysis

Every day I track the sales of spec scripts in Hollywood. At the end of each year, I do an analysis of sales trends breaking them down by genre, studio, representation, first-timers, and big dollar deals. If you want to know what the studios are buying, GITS is perhaps the best single free site on the Web as I offer solid, up-to-date inside information.

GITS Q&A Interviews

Here you will find exclusive interviews I have done with Hollywood professionals with an emphasis on screenwriters including several 'first-timers' (writers who broke into The Biz by selling a spec script). Combined with the hundreds of other interviews for which I have links -- here, here, and here -- you have a massive resource of first-person wisdom from actual professional screenwriters.

GITS Reader Questions

Early on after I launched this site, readers started asking me questions about screenwriting and the movie business. In response, I provided my two cents worth. Since then I have fielded around 200 questions ranging from minor matters such as screenplay style to big ones like how to get an agent. If you have a question about the craft, chances are I've touched on it, so it's worth your time to check out GITS Reader Questions to see what information is available there.

How They Write A Script

If you get sick of hearing me pontificate about screenwriting, why not check out what some notable screenwriters, past and present, have to say on the subject? That's what How They Write A Script is about, excerpts from interviews with such writing luminaries as Paddy Chayefsky and Diablo Cody, Alvin Sargent and Sterling Silliphant, and dozens of others.

The Business of Screenwriting

After innumerable requests from readers to hear more about my own personal experiences in Hollywood as a screenwriter, last year I started a weekly column: "The Business of Screenwriting is a weekly series of GITS posts based upon my experiences as a complete Hollywood outsider who sold a spec script for a lot of money, parlayed that into a screenwriting career during which time I've made some good choices, some okay decisions, and some really stupid ones. Hopefully you'll be the wiser for what you learn here." To date there are 30 columns. Look for a new one each week.

The GITS Club

Moderated by the inimitable Michael Scherer, The GITS Club is a peer review site where members read and critique each other's stories in all stages of development.

These are just a few of the resources GITS makes available to you about screenwriting and the movie business. And in a demented bit of anti-capitalism, they are all free and without any yucky web ads to frag your creativity.

There are also links to other screenwriter blogs, movie blogs and news sites, and tons of other bloggers who have interesting things to say.

So there you have it -- a quick trek through the mysteries that constitute GITS.

One aspect that is most definitely not a mystery is the GITS community, an amazing array of writers and readers from around the world. And to that end, if you are a frequent or even irregular visitor to the site, but have yet to post a question or comments, let me give you this chance to introduce yourself!

Go into Comments on this thread and tell us a bit about yourself -- your interest in writing, what type of movies you like, what aspirations you have as a screenwriter, TV writer, novelist, playwright, and/or filmmaker. If you have a blog you think might be of interest to the GITS community, please post your url and I'll add it to the Friends blogroll list.

And while you're at it, please consider signing up to follow GITS. At a very basic level, the number of GITS followers lets me know you dig what I do here and keeps me motivated to stick with it.

Again welcome to all you newcomers. And to my loyal readers, some of whom have been following the site since May 2008, I thank you for making GITS a part of your daily or weekly routine.

Let me end with a writing mantra: Trust the process.

Be well. Write well. Live well!

P.S.: If you have any suggestions for the site or requests in terms of subjects you'd like to see covered, please post those in comments.

Juneau's JUMP Society (Q&A)

Stop watching, start creating

Ok, these guys are fun.

I've yet to meet them in person, but after perusing their work on-line, and having a two-minute "name spell-check" phone call morph into a one-hour discussion on Alaska filmmaking history, I'm looking forward to it.

They remind me of the more light-hearted approach to filmmaking that I (and probably some of you) had before walking away from my own films to work in the larger, and often grumpier, film "industry."

Who are "they?"

Pat Race, Aaron Suring, and Lou Logan (A fourth musketeer, Sarah Asper-Smith, is away working on a Master's degree). Together, they are an integral part of Juneau's film community...

• Alive and kicking since the summer of 2002, The JUMP (Juneau Underground Motion Picture) Society showcases and promotes works of local filmmakers via two film festivals (winter and summer). They also provide workshops and guest lectures, which have included: Stewart Stern (screenwriter, "Rebel Without A Cause"), Chris Appelhans (storyboard artist & illustrator on "Coraline" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox"), Bill Plympton (Academy Award nominated animator), Warren Etheredge (Scholar, filmmaker), and Georgina Hayns (supervising puppet-maker for "Coraline").
  

• Where do Pat, Aaron, and Lou turn for more personal creative projects, such as comics and short films? ... Alaska Robotics. As Pat says, "This is the most important part of what I do, and I don't get to spend nearly enough time on these projects."

• And, yes, they all have a real job, but even that sounds fun - Lucid Reverie. Co-owners Pat and Aaron brought their cohort, Lou, on board, and Lucid Reverie is where the three of them engage in website development and video production.

All three organized film festivals in Fairbanks while attending college there. In addition to The JUMP Society they had the television show "The Alaska Short Forum," which featured Alaska-made short films and was broadcast statewide on KTOO.

The Q&A

(A flexible schedule and thin wallet are great for posture...)

Matt Shields: "Stop Watching, Start Creating" is posted in the header of the JUMP website. I love it. Many of us watch sports rather than play them, and grow fat, lazy and unhealthy... but with creating viewing content, now that everyone can shoot films on their cell-phone and post it various places, how do you compete for viewers?

Pat Race: "Stop Watching, Start Creating" is our battle cry. I think creative expression is important to communication... As a filmmaker, yeah, I feel lost in the crowd, but I also realize it's incredibly selfish and egotistical to flash a bunch of lights on a screen and expect other people to care about what I'm doing.

Lou Logan: We are still fat, lazy, and unhealthy. Also, JUMP is very local and people like to see their movies on a big screen with a bunch of their friends.

Aaron Suring: With the JUMP Society we found a local audience, but when we take the show on the road sometimes it's a complete flop. You're more interested in what your neighbor is doing if you know who your neighbor is, and Juneau's a good size for that.

Pat: I believe the really important work gets seen. The competition for eyeballs is an easy trap to fall into, but the number of times something has been seen doesn't equate to quality, or substance, or anything else that matters. It's a hollow achievement.

MS: You mention an earlier venture, the Alaska Short Forum, never really got off the ground because you had difficulty finding enough content to keep it going. Was it lack of interest in making films, or more lack of a certain quality with the films you were finding?

Pat: We were broadcasting on television so we had some strict limitations on content, both because of copyright issues and rating restrictions. Also, a lot of the better filmmakers expect to get paid for their work if you're going to broadcast it and we were doing it all for free. I think maybe we got $200 for five episodes, but at least we kept the rights to the show... We needed to get paid in love or money and we got neither. The JUMP Society exists because the community loves it, and The Short Forum failed because no one really cared about it.

Lou: I think ASF took more time and work to put together than we expected. I suck at remembering lines for the introductions, so those took about 140 takes... It's not easy to get enough submissions from around the state and adhere to the content restrictions of the station.

Aaron: Not enough people knew about it; it never really built a buzz in the filmmaker community of Alaska. That's largely our fault for not working harder to get it out there and in front of people, but, well, hard work takes hard work.

Pat: Secretly, I think television is dead and the show wasn't the right format for the web. There's a new show, AK Shorts, I haven't seen it yet, but it sounds similar to what we were trying to do. I really hope it works out because then we'll have a place to submit our films without the headache of organizing.

MS: Is the film/writing/art community tight in Juneau? What is the film community's current state of existence in Southeast Alaska in general?

Pat: I'd say there are pockets of like-minded individuals, small tribes. The JUMP Society works great as a focal point in Juneau, but there isn't much of a Southeast filmmaking community... I know a few filmmakers, but haven't worked with many outside Juneau. I guess there's some potential, but I feel like there's no focal point.

The Panhandle Picture Show in Haines [Film festival, currently defunct] seemed promising, but it didn't last long enough for me to get involved.

Aaron: Pat knows more people than I do. I only know Juneau filmmakers.

MS: Is there anything you really wish you had access to in Juneau that would make your creative world perfect?

Pat: People. Juneau has loads of talented, inspiring, amazing people. I want more.

Lou: We don't have equipment to rent in a pinch. Sometimes the rain is a bitch.

MS: When I lived in Ketchikan I realized no one in Anchorage really thought about us much, yet we were keenly aware of everything going on up there. Do you have a similar experience these days? Have you seen it improve?

Pat: I feel like I have better connections to the Seattle and Portland filmmaking community than I do to Anchorage. I've also spent more time in those places making an effort to connect with people... I don't think Anchorage is ignoring us, they just don't know anything about us.

Lou: Military folk don't take kindly to our kind.

Aaron: I don't really think of Anchorage often. Perhaps an event or two get my attention from time to time, but with all the statewide happenings that occur here as the capital, that seems enough. If anything I look south more than north.

MS: Why Juneau? Why not Anchorage, LA, New York, or Rome even?

Pat: I like Juneau. It's home and my family is here.

Lou: Porkey, Pennsylvania smells bad and I don't like big cities.

MS: JUMP Society screenings sound like a great local success. Have you traveled much with them to other parts of AK?

Pat: The local shows have been amazing. We see about five hundred people at each festival, and that's been pretty consistent for the nine years we've been doing it. We'd love to take the show to other parts of Alaska, but it's always hard to coordinate without someone on the other end taking an active role in organizing. I guess we're waiting for an invite (ahem).

Aaron: JUMP Society has had a few "tours," but not a major statewide run. When we've traveled in the past it's always been difficult to build a local buzz for our stuff. Whether that's just a lack of people on the ground - we generally haven't been there much before the event - or a lack of interest in another place's local fair, I'm not sure, but I do think we have some stuff that would be of interest.

MS: I watched the clip for "Journey On The Wild Coast" and was really drawn in. Was that one of the bigger projects you've featured at JUMP? Or is that par for the course?

Pat: "Journey On The Wild Coast" was something we helped to promote, but we didn't feature it at the JUMP festival. The JUMP festival limits entries to ten minutes, so we only ever screened a pre-release teaser at the film festival.

As far as scope, I'd say yes, it was a bigger film. We don't see a lot of features coming out of Juneau, although some of the shorts are really well made and have won awards, or been featured in other festivals.

MS: What is Alaska Robotics and why are you guys going to Norway for a beard and mustache competition? That's awesome, but seriously, how do you choose your subject matter?

Pat: We have a business, Lucid Reverie, it's what I would describe as a Swiss Army Knife media firm - we do everything. We had been making films for a while and eventually decided we should make a distinction between our personal work and our work for hire, so we started Alaska Robotics as a home to our short films and comics.

We actually tried to fire all of our clients and just make our living off Alaska Robotics for a while, but we lacked discipline and direction, so we weren't able to quit cold turkey. I still want to move in that direction, but I realize there are some steps in between...

How do we choose subject matter? I feel like it chooses us sometimes. Norway. I don't know how that all happened. We grew some beards, we saved some money, we're going to Norway. It's an adventure.

Lou: We have a lot of work and we stay busy, but we also make sure to do something fun once in a while. Being able to prioritize fun things over work allows us to have a flexible schedule and a thin wallet, which, coincidentally, is great for posture.

Aaron: Because Norway is awesome, and so are beards. Does that really need explanation?

(photos courtesy JUMP Society)