community

Boundaries, people! Know them

Maximum Z community, experience, feedback, logline, manners, networking, professionalism, relationships, screenplay, screenwriting, script, social media, writing , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s happened again. A writer I connected with on a networking platform sent the initial “Nice to meet you” note, followed very soon after with a pitch deck for one of their scripts.

I skimmed the first page with the intention of not going to the second page, and couldn’t get past the logline.

It needed work, so in an effort to be helpful I offered some suggestions of how it could be improved. This led to several back and forth messages, first my reactions and comments, then their latest attempt. I want to make a point of recognizing that each message ended with a variation on “Thanks so much for this. I really appreciate it!”

In the end, I like to think they finally got what I was trying to explain and figured that was that.

Nope.

Two more messages came in regarding two other projects, asking for my thoughts/feedback.

I wrote “I  helped with the logline. Anything beyond that is getting a little excessive. I suggest becoming part of a writing group and gradually getting your work involved that way. Good luck!”

The response: “Thank you”. Since then – nada.

I get it. You’re an eager just-starting-out screenwriter and you’ve connected with another writer with more experience. Why wouldn’t you want to start seeing if they think your stuff is any good? I was the same way when I started, and learned how to do it and definitely how NOT to do it.

The writer in this most recent scenario started out strong, then let their overzealousness trip themselves up.

I posted about this on social media earlier this week, and one response was along the lines of “When that happens to me, I tell them my rates for any additional work. That usually shuts them down.”

Don’t think I didn’t consider it.

One of the things the screenwriting books and lessons don’t emphasize enough is that relationships in this business are just as important as knowing the craft.

Get to know somebody. Become a peer. Present yourself as somebody worth knowing. Ask to read something of theirs. Offer to help in some capacity (if possible).

Wait until you’ve established a professional connection before asking them to read something, and definitely include “if you have time” – because sometimes they don’t.

BE NICE. AND CONSIDERATE. AND PATIENT.

There is no doubt that this will continue to happen to me and many other writers. I will continue to be as helpful as I can – to a point.

-And for your further reading enjoyment, here are some relevant posts from the archives. Enjoy.

You don’t know me, but can you help me?

At least buy me a drink first

No, no, a thousand times no

Maximum Z community, screenplay, screenwriting, script, writing , , , ,

Got an email earlier this week with the following:

“Hi Paul,

Congrats on The Unlikeliest of Heroes being featured in the Maximum Z Winter 2024 Script Showcase. I recently started testing a small service for screenwriters with a finished feature who want to skip the miserable producer-research step.

For $149 CAD, I research 100 project-specific producer and production-company targets, public contact or submission routes, fit notes, and an organized outreach tracker. You handle the querying and keep control over where the script goes.

Thought it might be useful if you are currently looking for producers for The Unlikeliest of Heroes or another feature.”

There was also a link to the website, which I absolutely refuse to post.

First and foremost, I AM the Maximum Z Script Showcase, so that’s Exhibit A in the “I didn’t do any research whatsoever about this” situation.

Second, any screenwriter who would even consider doing this is making a huge mistake. If you want to query somebody, do your homework and get their info yourself. Yes, it’s a lot of grunt work, but better to spend time on research than discovering you wasted your cash on information that might not even be accurate to begin with.

Several writers who also had their scripts on a few Showcases reached out to me to say “I got this email. What do you know about it?” Before I got the email, I didn’t know squat about it.

I really, really hate when I see this sort of thing. A more seasoned screenwriter will immediately spot this as a scam – WHICH IT IS – but the less experienced could very likely see this as a golden opportunity and fork over the bucks.

THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS OR HIDDEN SECRETS. Making it in this business takes a lot of time and effort, and sometimes just being ready at the right time.

What also bothers me about this is that this person used something I created as a means of hawking their wares. My intent for the Script Showcase is for each writer to point to their listing and tell the world “Here’s something I wrote. Let me know if you’d like to read it.”

(I do plan on doing the Showcase again in a few months, but may give participants the option of having their contact info included or positioning myself as the go-between. Feel free to chime in with your opinion.)

I responded to the person who sent the email, saying that I was actually the guy behind the Showcase and to stop contacting the writers involved. They wrote back, saying they would. The credibility of that statement remains to be seen.

Those seeking to take advantage of the easily duped will always be out there, so I’ll be there as long as I can as hopefully one of many lines of defense.

San Diego Comic-Con: A look back

Maximum Z Batman, comic books, Comic-Con, community, Leonard Maltin, networking, protagonist, Spider-Man, writing , , , , , , , ,

A few days later, and I’ve recovered from my first Comic-Con experience.

Biggest takeaways:

-huge crowd

-even bigger venue

-didn’t see as many cosplayers as expected

-lots of panels covering numerous topics from which to choose. More than a few at the same time, so had to pick which one to attend

-planning out your schedule ahead of time makes a major difference

-figuring out dining options ahead of time also really helped

-comfortable shoes and hydration cannot be emphasized enough

-give yourself a big window of time to wait in line to get into pretty much anything. I was lucky to make it into a few panels that had to turn people away

-most vendors will not say no to cash; only a handful only accepted credit cards

-if I decide to go again, leave the jeans home and bring shorts. San Diego was hotter than predicted

-not as many comic-oriented vendors as expected. If you’re looking for older (and more expensive) stuff, you’re set. A few of the books I’d hoped to purchase – nobody had them.

Among the highlights:

-attending two panels featuring the legendary Leonard Maltin. I took advantage of the opportunity to get a photo with him (taken by his daughter Jessie)

-got to meet a Marvel/DC comic book artist and ask him about character designs while he signed an issue he drew

But what was probably one of the best parts was discovering the work of several writers and writer-artists and talking to them about it.

A majority started by their display catching my eye. Full disclosure – I enjoy art featuring an attractive female protagonist.

I’d approach and ask “Tell me about NAME OF PROJECT”. They’d go into their well-rehearsed pitch. I might have a couple of follow-up questions (i.e. “What was the inspiration for this?” was a common one). My interest piqued, I’d fork over the cash and ask them to sign the book, which they were more than happy to do.

Apart from the obvious satisfaction of making a sale, I got the strong sense that all were very appreciative to not only have somebody ask about their work, but to show a genuine interest in the material.

I bought more stuff than expected, but they were all books. Fortunately, my luggage was able to handle them without any difficulty.

Others will no doubt fondly recall waiting several hours to catch a panel in Hall H (no thank you) or acquiring some exclusive convention swag (pass), but I thoroughly enjoyed working my way up and down the aisles – mostly in the Small Press area – and talking to creators about their work.

No idea if I’ll ever return, but if that does happen, I’ll have a much better idea of what to expect and how to go about it.

And to wear shorts. Definitely shorts.

San Diego, here I come

Maximum Z comic books, Comic-Con, community, film festival, Mel Brooks, movies, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, television, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,

Apart from all the work on scripts and beginning the process of entering my short into film festivals, I’m currently getting ready to attend Comic-Con in San Diego.

First time going, and pretty psyched about it. This is one of those events I’ve always wanted to attend, but never had the opportunity. So when a friend offered me a badge, my ever-supportive sweetie said “You should go”, I decided to take the plunge.

For those unfamiliar, Comic-Con is a HUGE event that takes over that part of San Diego over the course of several days. All things comics, movies, TV, video games, toys, games, and beyond. Not to mention the vast number of cosplayers. Hundreds of thousands will be in attendance, including yours truly.

(Full disclosure – it was always a dream/fantasy that the first time I’d get to go would be to promote a movie that I’d written. Not the case, but still thrilled to be going.)

I’ve been putting together a list of panels I’d like to attend, books and maybe some merch I’ll try to get, and creatives of all sorts I’m hoping to meet – especially writers.

I originally considered panels about writing-oriented careers in various industries, but I’d also like just enjoy myself, so swapped some of those out for Q&As with industry vets and topics I like.

One thing I won’t be doing – waiting in line for hours to get into the canyon-esque Hall H (although I would do it for the Spaceballs 2 panel in the event that Mel Brooks shows up, which I suspect he will), or seeking out “exclusives” (i.e. specialty items only available here). I found a “first-timers” group on Facebook, and 95 percent of the posts were all about that sort of stuff (e.g. “We need somebody to hold a spot in line for the Marvel panel!”), so no thanks. That’s not why I’m going or how I want to spend my time there.

I just like the idea of attending this massive event that features a lot of things I’m interested in. No doubt it’ll be initially overwhelming, but the primary goal is to simply enjoy myself while taking it all in. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

And if you spot me out and about, feel free to say hi.

Helping > hindering

Maximum Z books, community, encouragement, networking, professionalism, screenplay, screenwriting, script, support, writing , , , , , , , , ,

I got an email earlier this week from a writer I’ve never met or interacted with asking for some help/guidance in getting their script out there.

My first thought was “Why me? I’m pretty much in the same position as you are.” But decency won out and I offered up some suggestions of paths they could take, along with asking that very question.

They appreciated what I had to say, and explained they reached out because “I saw that you had interviewed people in the industry and wrote books about it, impressive! I watched you on a podcast and perceived that you were a sharp guy….”

I don’t know about sharp, but it was still nice to hear (along with a shoutout for my books).

As I’ve written here many times, establishing and maintaining your writing community are truly invaluable resources. A key factor is that being open to helping others, especially when you’re not looking for something in return.

It’s just about being a nice person that people enjoy and appreciate interacting with.

Here are a few posts from the archives about that very topic.

Enjoy.

Happy to help

Still happy to help

That’s me – the human flying buttress

Still flying, still buttressing

My brain’s helping hands are ready to go