Archive for the 'Pitching' Category
Friday, November 20th, 2009
Introducing your Character
I’ve been doing a lot of scriptreading work lately and have spotted a recurring problem that sometimes we can all forget about.
A while ago, we talked about the concept of Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances and how it’s maybe easier to get an audience on side with a ‘normal’ character only for them to get sucked down a magic wyrmhole etc. This is all very well, but what I’ve been noticing in a lot of what I’ve been reading is that that ordinary character is often quite dull until the fun happens at the inciting incident. Which is pretty bad! So I was trying to think of some better examples:
Yes, he’s using Ghostbusters as an example. Again. 
Thing is though, it’s ‘cos it’s good. Take Venkman: His inciting incident is when he’s kicked out of the University and starts up his own Paranormal Investigations & Eliminations service (”some call it fate, some call it luck, some call it karma...”) But before any of that happens, he’s already interesting. Not only is he using a telepathy test to pick up girls, someone has painted ‘Venkman, Burn in Hell‘ on his door. I’m intrigued by this guy - and that’s before we know the world’s in peril.
On the other end of the scale, ‘Se7en‘ opens with Morgan Freeman as Det. Somerset routinely picking lint off his jacket, placing his well-ordered badge, notebook, pen and flick knife into all the correct pockets - ready for work as the sounds and sirens of the city emanate from outside. When a fellow officer describes a murder scene as a simple crime of passion, Somerset’s response of ‘Just look at the passion all over this wall’ shows he sees things differently. But his methodical, well-ordered approach and his soothing metronome show he has set up his own barriers to protect himself from the horror of the city he seems to love and hate.
While the plot hasn’t got going yet, both these characters become fascinating and that’s partly because we get a good glimpse of their flaws (or their ‘character need’, if you like). Venkman needs to start taking what he does seriously if he’s ever going to save the world and Somerset has perhaps become too guarded and detached from the world to stop himself despairing.
Both are very different, one funny, the other foreboding. But both really make the characters captivating long before the high-concept turns up. Also, perhaps more importantly, we’re hooked long before page 10 which is when, as a reader, I can put the script down if the writer hasn’t grabbed me!
Any other good examples you can think of how the character hooks you before the plot? Genre and non-genre ones are all welcome. Happy writing!
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
Choosing your Battles
If you’re an aspiring writer type like me, you probably lament the lack of writing opportunities only to then see a competition or writing scheme at the BBC Writersroom with only three weeks until the deadline. And then do some more lamenting. And possibly some lamenating? (optional).
Much to my initial chagrin, I will be watching opportunities to submit new scripts for CBBC Drama as well as for the Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award sail past me. While you ‘have to be in it to win it’, I also think that’s a bit of a moot point - maybe if I had suitable scripts on file that I could do a final polish on before submitting. But I haven’t. So I’m chickening out.
Does this sound a bit pessimisitc/cowardly? Shouldn’t I actually just be cutting the chord and taking the plunge? Maybe, but only if upon reading about a certain script competition the right idea suddenly hit me, inspired by the perameters of the scheme. In that case, go for it.
When these competitions appear, I’m usually in the middle of working on something else and just get muddled. I’ve been engrossed getting my last draft of theatre spectacle ‘Beyond the Front Line’ handed in as well as concentrating on another online project (involving vampires!) for Slung Low which we’ll be unveiling shortly. There just wasn’t room in my head for anything else!
So while I will miss this competition now, I hopefully still have plenty of chances to come up with the perfect children’s show ideas down the line. Until then, I really am concentrating on laying out specific projects for myself: actual commissioned work and upcoming schemes as well as setting my own deadlines for those perfect calling card scripts. It’s all about getting the balance right.
But most of all, I just don’t want to churn out what I think people want and then not really pleasing anyone. That’s how you end up with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. So good luck to everyone entering the CBBC or any other schemes. I like to think I’ve done you a favour - not because I would have been your competition, but rather that now my hastily churned-out last-minute waste-of-everyone’s-time script will no longer have the chance to put the judges in a bad mood before they get to read yours 
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
Pitching Pet Projects
I’ve sent two TV drama pitches off this week. One idea is brand new, the other is probably my oldest idea that I actually think is any good. But the fact I’ve been working on it for years makes me raise the following question…
When do you let an idea die?
My friend Tom who drew me this cool picture for my pitch (check his other cool pics here) has always liked the idea. So has my brother, my girlfriend and all of the people you would expect to be on my side when I present them with my typed-up drivel. But interestingly, so have half the production companies and producers who’ve read it. So why haven’t you seen it on TV yet, you might ask?
Well, it’s because I’m not a good enough writer. Now, that might sound like the sort of self-pitying self-deprecation that drives my lovely other half Heather into one of her violent rages (which I probably deserve…because I’m so rubbish ) but it’s true. But I’m also a NEW writer and I feel that every script I write is technically better than the ones that came before it (give or take a few awful ones, obviously!)
But readers, producers etc have liked the characters, tone and central concept of the series. It’s something that stands on the shoulders of a few other shows but I don’t think I’ve seen elsewhere before. More importantly, it’s something that I really WANT to see on television and I think that it shows in my scripts for it.
I just haven’t gotten that script quite right.
So I don’t feel like I’m ice-skating up hill as I think the idea, however offbeat, is one that has caught people’s attention. I just haven’t convinced them that I can pull it off with the sample script I provide. Yet. But that’s why I keep trying. Alternatively, maybe someone’ll like the idea enough to hire a proper writer to do the scripts 
…oop, better go. Self-deprecation Police want a word. Wish me luck!
Friday, June 5th, 2009
POLL: Procedural vs Serial
I have an idea for a TV show. Alright, I have several - but there’s one that’s been gestating and evolving for a few years. It’s my favourite and I think it shows. It’s the one whose treatment gets me more meetings and whose pilot script gets me further through the door. But not quite far enough. It’s not quite ready. But I’m working on it
When pitching, do I emphasise more what will happen in each episode? Or the goal the series is making its ways towards? I know the best shows combine both but which side of the fence do they fall on to really sell themselves?
I enjoy watching The Mentalist when I remember it’s on. But the fact I don’t make a point of being in front of the television when it is on probably says something about its episodic format not ensnaring the viewer. Last night’s episode was billed by Channel 5 as ‘must-see Mentalist’ as it gave new clues in protagonist’s ongoing torment at the hands of serial killer ‘Red John’. However, having been thrown a few crumbs, I now know it’ll be at least a few more episodes before I get my next measly morsel.
On the other hand, for me House is must-see television every week - providing Gregory House himself is in it. But I know he’ll mis-diagnose the patient at least twice (usually just before the ad breaks too) but that’s not why I watch it. It’s down to the charactors. Is that the acting and writing? But how much of that was in the initial pitch? What was there in the format that hooked the commisioners or its audience?
Oh look. He’s using Lost as an example again Yup, that’s right. I know that answering questions with more questions isn’t to everyone’s taste. But while those viewers got bored waiting for answers, I think the others thrive in being trapped in the purgatory. Will the final revelation ever be as good as the mystery?
In terms of serial arcs, I think Six Feet Under did a pretty good job of using its story/body of the week to push forward the ongoing arcs. But are a lot of the more serial shows also ensembles? That way, in every episode, someone story will always have a beginning, middle and end whilst the other characters are still in their sprawling purgatory (see Lost again).
Procedurals get more viewers in repeats but Serials sell far more DVD box sets and other merchandise. Procedurals encourage new viewers whereas Serials encourage viewer loyalty (and hardcore geekery ) So in pitching my own TV project, should I err on episodic or ongoing storytelling?
Of course the best answer would be ‘a bit of both’. But even the most acclaimed series seem to lean towards one or the other…
POLL: Think of a favourite TV show (just the one). It probably mixes both serial and episodic story strands. But what keeps you coming back? Please vote below and let me know in the comments which series you’re thinking of.
Loading ...Thursday, June 4th, 2009
Scripting with Directors
Doesn’t matter whether they’re hands are both full of Oscars or grasping empty-handed for an angora sweater, as a writer the director is your boss.
Particularly in the world of film and short film, the director is overlord. You are but the word-monkey. However, having a director in your corner while you’re writing is a tremendous ally to have on your side. I’ve worked on a few projects with directors right from the beginning or they have approached me or I have approached them with an initial pitch/first draft and built it from there.
But as with any collaboration, things can get lost in translation so here are a few thoughts on working with the person who may one day make your film…and maybe your career!
1. Get them to TELL you the idea. Not the whole plot, just the basic story in three or four sentences. Beginning, middle and end. If it’s their idea, this will help you understand what they think is the most important spine of their story. And if it’s your idea, this will reassure you that they understand what you have in mind. Don’t just let them give you the script and make you guess.
2. What bits can they already imagine? Following getting the story straight, whether it’s your idea or theirs, let them talk about what they can already see clearly in their head. Chances are these set-pieces, scenes, moments of suspense or visual motifs are the bits that could easily translate from script to screen.
3. What other films is it like? It’s easy to throw around buzzwords like dark, gritty and muesli (okay, that last one might be me-specific) but using existing movies that you’ve both seen (and like!) is a good short-hand.
4. How do they want the audience to feel? Especially with film, nailing the audience at the end is all-important. So do you and the director agree on how you want the audience to feel when they’ve finished watching?
5. How do you like your notes? Work out the best creative process for the back and forth of various drafts. For example, I think it’s better to start with more ‘headline’ notes in earlier drafts (eg- ‘this character is a bit dull’ or ‘the first act is a bit slow’) and then move into comments on specific scenes or lines of dialogue. I once had a 1st draft back from a producer with notes on every page but none relating to the actual story or characters. Not helpful.
6. Work on the pitch together. As a writer, writing supporting material is usually left to me. But producers aren’t hiring me. They’re buying my idea. It’s the director they’re hiring and trusting with their money. Make sure that the director does their share of the pitch work as, ultimately, they’ll be the one selling the idea as well as being one of the selling points themselves. Their take on the script is what will make this film theirs!
It can be very rewarding to have a collaborater in the early stages but who isn’t a co-writer. But if it all falls apart between the two of you, you can always BOTH become writer-directors and have some sort of constant, competitive movie feud
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
Worth a thousand Words…
Just a brief post today. As mentioned in this blog from last week, I’ve been writing some new pitches and my good and very talented friend Tom has been doing some amazing pics to go in the pitch documents.
As far as I know, there are no strict rules on attaching pictures to pitches. But whether you think it’s a good idea or not, there’s no denying that this is a good picture! Thank you, Tom.
Click here for a larger version.
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Namedropping: Using other Films/TV shows to pitch your project.
It’s taken me a while to get my head around this as ‘What other films/TV shows is your project like?‘ is an often asked, sometimes difficult to answer question. It took longer still to get used to being told what films/TV shows my script was like. But then I understood. It’s not a slur. They’re not saying your project is unoriginal. It’s just shorthand. So here are some of the things I’ve been thinking about in this regard:
We’ve all heard that Ridley Scott’s Alien was pitched as ‘Jaws…in space’ and that Jaws 2 was subsequently pitched as ‘Alien…but in the ocean’ (this may possibly not be true ) but this blog post isn’t just about coming up with your high concept pitch for the plot (ie - ‘Romeo & Juliet…but with Batman and the Joker…maybe in space’), but perhaps more about choosing the right series of films to set the appeal, audience and marketing potential for your project .
1. ONLY USE SUCCESSFUL/POPULAR EXAMPLES.
This is meant to be shorthand. If you have to explain what the example is to who you’re pitching to, you’re wasting time. It might be slightly crass, but if you’re pitching a more sensitive ghost story that explores emotional themes through the supernatural, it’s better to use the Oscar-nominated, multi-million-making ‘ The Sixth Sense ‘ rather than ‘The Orphanage‘, regardless of which film you prefer. (I love them both!)
2. IS YOUR TV SERIES AN EXISTING FILM?
Despite all of the films being made of old TV shows, I wouldn’t pitch your original film as being like a particular series (unless you are actually adapting the series). However, it does work the other way round - especially as most TV shows like to throw round that they are making a ‘mini-movie’ each week and most films are trying to be ongoing franchises these days (ie - series!). So for all its likenings to TV shows like ‘The Sweeney’ etc, I gather the writers of ‘Life on Mars‘ pitched it a different way…
3. GENRE-SMASHING BY DIRECTOR?
One of the worst scripts I’ve ever read came with the tagline (not pitch but actual tag-line) of
…like a slasher-movie directed by Mike Leigh…
This naturally meant that it was just a bog-standard slasher but set in a run-down housing estate. However, one of my favourite ever British films is Shane Meadows’ ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’.
‘Dead Man’s Shoes’ could easily use the above quote in its tag-line… But I’m kinda glad it didn’t! Instead, comparisons were made to Taxi Driver and First Blood by the press. Not only does this set tone, it also tells you we’re seeing the film from the scary person’s point of view. I would hesitate from using phrases such as ‘like ‘Happy Days’ directed by the Coen Brothers’ but describing something as ‘Coen-esque‘ would instantly give a quirky edge to your project.
So, I always feel that there has never been anything like my project before EVER. But this is, of course, rubbish. What’s your project like?
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
Why all good TV drama is the same (Part Two)
Morning all. Here’s the second installment in my list of what I think are the best recurring serial strands found in most good TV shows. This was originally going to just be one post…but I guess the opportunity to write my own drama serial was too good to resist
Right then…
STORY TWO - THE TICKING TIME BOMB SECRET
Is one of your ensemble actually a secret government experiment to be the perfect weapon? Is one of your ensemble responsible for the death of the father of the woman he loves? If so, chances are you’ll be introducing this to your audience in the pilot but keeping it quiet from the the rest of the cast until a later date.
While the examples I’ve given are obviously fairly genre in their origin, I doubt there are many more ‘realistic dramas that don’t also feature this serial story device. Is someone having an affair? Is someone concealing how they really feel? Who they really are? Sometimes even the audience won’t know the truth. We just know something is wrong!
One of my favourite examples is the fantastic depiction of relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis in The West Wing’s President Bartlett. Creator Aaron Sorkin introduces the ensemble cast in the opening minutes all receiving the rather stupid news that the President has ridden his bike into a tree. This is just a device or MacGuffin to show off all the characters and how they react. The reason - it is revealed many many episodes later - that Bartlett actually crashed his bike is because of an attack of MS. If you’ve seen the show, you know important the MS storyline becomes but also how well it’s handled. Many lamer shows would have just become ‘a show about MS’. Not Sorkin. Not Bartlett.
The point is, whatever your genre, this secret is kept because other characters could be hurt or even endangered by discovering the truth. But the longer the truth is concealed, the higher the stakes become in it being discovered!
Any more examples of your favourite secrets being kept by characters?
Monday, April 20th, 2009
New Writers - Persistence is Futile?
It’s difficult. And sometimes it seems harder than others. Today’s post is about keeping going when you feel like you’re ice-skating up hill.
‘Resistance is Futile’ say the alien hive-mind Borg whenever they turn up in Star Trek: The Next Generation, right? And yet, Captain Picard has encountered them on numerous occassions, winning every time. You can tell he’s a gentleman because he’s never mean enough to point out that Resistance seems to work out just fine for him.
But how about for you? I have a drawer full of rejection letters, commissioners seemed wary of the sort of drama I liked even before the recession kicked in and its very easy trying to get yourself wound up trying to second guess what sort of script will sell. Having just gotten through a wobbly patch myself, here are a few thoughts on how to keep going:
1. REMIND YOURSELF WHY YOU’RE DOING THIS
Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski once said that, if you want to be a writer, you would never enjoy watching anything again. If it’s good, you’ll think that you can never reach that level and, if it’s bad, you’ll just get distraught that something so poor was ever made. I only agree with the second part.
If you’re feeling a bit lost, watch, read or listen to those films, TV episodes, plays and radio shows that got you riled up to do this in the first place. Avoid anything that you think is poor because that’s the low level you’ll be trying to beat. Immerse yourself in the stuff that’ll make you aim higher (and, more importantly, remind you what you enjoy!)
2. ‘THEY’ PROBABLY WON’T KNOW WHAT THEY WANT…
…otherwise they’d have come up with it themselves. But can you find out when they want it for and who they want to watch it? I’ve often found that contacting production companies and asking what slots they’re looking to fill on what channels and which audiences they are trying to reach inspires me far more. Especially if it’s not a slot that I usually watch. You might naturally come up with the best gritty Channel 4 style polemic drama in the world, but if Channel 4’s commissioning slots are full for the next year and your friendly production company wants a Sunday night family drama, you could be wasting your effort.
3. KEEP WRITING
This sounds a bit lame but I mean it. I actually enjoy writing. It’s trying to come up with the most commercial but original ideas ever that ties me up in knots but I’m actually a pretty quick writer once I know what I’m doing. So while wrestling with the idea that everyone’s looking for, I really think it’s important to write yourself a one-off radio play, a half-hour drama, a short story, a short film - just to keep your actual writing muscles in shape and keep you enjoying it!
Your mind may not ever conceive of a show like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that doesn’t mean a good portfolio that shows off how you write will mean you never end up as a writer ON a show like Buffy the Vampire Slayer!
(Some of the Buffy and Angel writers. They’re all great - none of them created the show though!)
4. GET A LIFE
Seriously. Go out. Meet friends. Do stuff. Get a hobby that has nothing whatsover do with ‘meeja’. Otherwise you’ll just end up gazing at your own navel and writing ‘Adaptation‘. Life is where you get your ideas from and what makes your characters and scenarios authentic. For all the brilliant ideas that you have, what makes them truly original is that it’ll be YOU writing them. YOU could be the selling point!
So face it, YOU could probably be a bit cooler, couldn’t ya
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
Humour. When nothing’s funny.
By the end of today, I hope the script I’ve been battling for the last two weeks will be ready to send away for Channel 4’s Coming Up scheme for new writers and directors. As I’ve been doing my final tweaks to the script I’ve been deliberating on certain lines that characters have that might seem slightly innapropriate to the scenario of the script. Because they’re funny.
But, this time, they’re staying in the script for a much more important reasons…
The Shawshank Redemption. A film about a man who is wrongly imprisoned for several decades during which time he is supposedly beaten and raped and that even shows us that a man who gets out of prison (Brooks) can’t cope and then hangs himself. Okay, the film does build up to one of the happiest and most triumphant endings ever filmed (and a nice Christ metaphor which seemed appropriate for the Easter season) but it’s a pretty harrowing ride.
Specifically though, it’s a film in which Willam Sadler (pictured) reads Alexandre Dumas’ surname as ‘dumb ass’. Heh heh heh. I wonder that, were it not for those little moments, would we all have endured the two hours twenty minutes to get to the happy ending.
Even ‘Se7en‘ , for its sins, features at least two or three necessary moments of levity to keep the audience from dying of grim-fatigue. Bet you never realised Morgan Freeman was such a comedy giant, didya!
Anyone else think of any other favourite funny moments from (deliberately) unfunny films?
