film

No choice but to be determined

Maximum Z community, crowdfunding, determination, film, perseverance, persistence, producer, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films , , , , , , , , , , ,

The crowdfunding for my short film project continues…

**Still plenty of opportunities & tier rewards for donating!**

And it is quite the mountain to climb. Almost comparable to writing a script.

Almost.

With a script, everything is under your control. You are the one determining what happens, what the characters say, and so on.

Raising the funds to make a film based on that script? The only thing under your control about that is how much effort you put into getting those funds.

In theory, the more you work and the more effort you put in, the more likely you are to succeed.

Again – in theory.

You can push what you’re selling all you want, but it only works if they’re willing to pay.

To paraphrase one supportive donor – “Crowdfunding is a full-time job. You EARN that money.”

You certainly do. When they say every little bit helps, they’re not kidding.

I’ve begun reaching out to members of my network of creatives – writers, filmmakers, and industry-adjacent – to ask about chipping in if they can.

Responses so far – not too bad.

I also realize that times are tough, especially in this business. Things haven’t fully recovered since the strikes, and lots of folks are out of work. The last thing I want is for somebody to feel bad for not being able to donate. I’m just happy to have the support.

Even if all you can do is repost the link, that’s great too. The more eyes I can get on this, the better.

We’ve made some good progress since the campaign started, and there’s no sign of letting up.

As the days count down, I’ll be doing everything I can to see this through.

The joy of a crowded reading queue

Maximum Z books, film, ideas, inspiration, movies, pilot, reading, screenplay, screenwriting, script, Shane Black, Tarantino, voice , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In addition to all the work on my scripts, the short film and the recent writing conference, I’ve been making more of an effort to read more scripts. Fortunately, members of my network of trusted colleagues continue to come through and provide me with a constant supply of quality material.

It may be part of a swap, or they ask me to read their latest draft and give notes, and sometimes it’s just for hell of it.

I try to read one per week, preferably in one sitting, but that’s a time management thing. Not having to do notes really speeds things up.

The latest lineup includes two pilots, two features, and the manuscript for a book about screenwriting – all from writers I know, and another writer sent me three scripts from an established pro; one in production, the second just announced, and the third in development.

Sometimes I’ll track down the script for a film I really enjoyed and want to see how the writers had it on the page, and then see how it compares to what’s onscreen. I’ve also started compiling a list of scripts I’d love to read.

Reading scripts can be incredibly helpful. Seeing how somebody else put their story together along with how it reads on the page can influence your own methods. Not that you should try to copy them, but it helps you hone your skills and craft to make your writing more effective, as well as establishing your writer’s voice.

Speaking of voice – check out scripts by Shane Black, Quentin Tarantino and Brian Duffield as shining examples. Great writing, each with a distinctive voice that really engages and involves the reader.

Reading scripts can also help motivate ideas. If I’m feeling stuck, I’ll watch a scene that’s similar to what I have in mind, then find the script to see how it reads on the page, then figure out a different way for mine to go.

I’d forgotten how satisfying it is to take the time to read a script. Doesn’t matter whose it is. Good writing is good writing, great writing is better, and a solid, well-written script is the best.

Script Showcase follow-up: Mercy buckets, chums

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With The Maximum Z Winter ’24 Script Showcase in the books, I’d like to offer a heartfelt thanks to all the amazing writers who sent in their screenplay/TV script.

104 fantastic pieces of material, all of which are still available to check out – and contact the writer about reading. I sincerely hope it leads to great things for everybody, or at least a few leads or read requests.

Bonus – around 500 views (and counting), and that’s saying something for a blog of this miniscule magnitude.

Just about every submission email included the writer thanking me for doing this, or at least presenting the opportunity, and I really appreciate that. I like helping out the writing community in whatever way I can, and this seemed like a good idea.

As has been the case before, a few submissions came in after the Showcase posted, so unfortunately those writers missed out. I’m hoping to do it again next year, probably with a little more time between announcing it and posting it. Fingers crossed all the submissions come in before the deadline.

Thanks again to everybody who took part, and now would probably be a good time to start getting your scripts ready for the ’25 edition.

It’ll be here before you know it!

Maximum Z community, film, genre, logline, networking, proofreading, screenplay, screenwriting, script, social media, television, title, writing , , , , , , , , , ,

Just one week – seven days, and counting – until The Maximum Z Winter ’24 Script Showcase goes live.

Are you a screenwriter or TV writer with a script you’re just itching to show the rest of the world? Well, this is your chance to do exactly that.

Bonus – it’s FREE! Won’t cost you anything to send in the basic details about your script. But hurry – the deadline to do it is Thursday, December 5.

Then on Friday, December 6, a list with all the scripts will be posted. A link to that list will be posted on various social media platforms. If your script is among those listed and you want to spread the word about it, you can copy-and-paste the link and post it on all of your platforms.

Everybody wins.

Here’s the Winter ’23 edition to give you an idea of what it looks like.

The more eyes we can get on this, the better.

And if somebody wants to read a script, each writer’s email is included in their listing, so an interested reader can contact the writer directly and ask.

Here’s how it works:

Email the following info here with the subject line “Maximum Z Winter ’24 Script Showcase”

-Film or TV

-Title

-Writer(s)

-Genre(s)

-Logline

-Awards (if applicable) – limit of 5

-your email

That’s it.

And three very important details to keep in mind:

-ONLY ONE SCRIPT PER PERSON

-DO NOT SEND THE SCRIPT!!

-PROOFREAD YOUR EMAIL BEFORE SENDING! Is all the info correct? Any typos? How it’s written in your email sending it in is how it’ll be listed in the post.

Previously-listed scripts are okay, but new scripts are always encouraged.

Why am I doing this? I’m a big believer in networking and helping out the writing community. I don’t have much pull or influence within the industry, but wanted to do something that could help writers, and this seemed like the most practical way.

Did I mention it was free?

Once again – the window to send in is between right now and Thursday, December 5. Daily reminders will be posted during that time, but isn’t it better to just take care of it RIGHT NOW?

Thanks for sending in!

T-minus 2 weeks and counting

Maximum Z community, film, genre, logline, opportunity, screenplay, screenwriting, script, social media, television, title, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,

The sending-in of info about screenplays and TV scripts continues as more writers want to be included in the upcoming Maximum Z Winter ’24 Script Showcase.

Lots of interest being generated and excitement levels continue to grow, and there’s still 2 weeks to go until the Showcase goes live on December 6.

Here’s how it all works:

The Showcase is a big list of information about spec screenplays and TV scripts. Each listing features the basic details about each script (see info below), including the writer’s email. That’s there in case you’d like to ask them about reading it.

More than a few writers who’ve already sent in appreciate the opportunity to put their work on full display. I’m all about helping out others, and this seems like a fun and effective way to do that.

Bonus – it’s free.

Once the Showcase is up, I’ll do what I can to help spread the word about it, and hope you do the same – especially to shamelessly draw attention to your script being included.

If you want to have your script included, here’s what you need to do:

Send the following info here:

Film or TV?

Title

Writer

Genre(s)

Logline

Awards(s) – if applicable; 5 at the most

Your email

TWO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DETAILS:

–Only one script per person

–DO NOT SEND THE SCRIPT!

I’d also like to stress the importance of proofreading your info before sending. Typos are sneaky little devils that show up when you least expect them – especially after the fact, so double- or triple-checking is highly recommended.

Previously-listed scripts are okay, but new ones are encouraged.

A few writers have asked about short scripts. Those are okay as well.

The deadline for sending in is Thursday, December 5, so don’t put off sending in until the last minute.

Looking forward to seeing what you’ve got.