pitching

Even with help, it’s all on me

Maximum Z 30 Rock, career, determination, manager, perseverance, persistence, pitching, rewriting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, westerns, writing , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Another busy week here at Maximum Z HQ!

-Submissions continue to come in for the 2025 Script Showcase (which posts in exactly two weeks from today, so don’t keep putting off sending in!)

-Got some excellent notes back on both of the scripts that will be overhauled next year

-A few more scenes added to the new spec outline. Still hoping to have that completed by 31 December, but we’ll see

But what may be the biggest development is that I made some minor changes to the pitch deck I’d put together last year for my western, and then sent it to my manager to get his two cents.

He liked it – didn’t love it – and had some recommendations to make it much more effective for both appealing to producers and as a marketing tool.

My initial thought was “That seems like a lot that will also take away from my writing time.” But if this is how to move things forward, then so be it. I can split up how much time gets spent on each and still get results.

And most importantly, it’s not like there’s anybody else who’s going to do it. My script, my effort.

Yes, I know there are people I could hire to do it, but that’s not something I can do at the moment, and it would probably be a good thing to teach myself how to make these kinds of changes.

I was never one of those “I got repped, so now all I have to do is write and they can do all the heavy lifting” types.

My manager’s a busy guy. He’s got other clients. He still works in production. He’s got a family. If anything, I want to make it easier for him to be able to help me. In this case, that’s fine-tuning the pitch deck so he can take it out to potentially interested parties with confidence.

There’s no doubt he’ll have comments about the next version of the pitch deck, and there’ll probably be a lot of back and forth until it’s a solid piece of material. And that’ll be because of the work I put into it.

My career is making some slow and steady progress, and I’ve no intention of easing up on the throttle. I have always and will continue to do what I need to to make things happen. Fortunately, I have a little more help now, but for the most part it all still falls on my shoulders.

A burden I heartily embrace.

There’s a lot more to this than writing

Maximum Z agent, business, career, community, contracts, education, manager, networking, pitching, producer, professionalism, representation, screenwriting, studio, television, writing , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As screenwriters, we’re always trying to hone and develop our writing skills. But how prepared are you for what comes after your script’s written and ready to go?

How familiar are you with the business aspect of “show business”? Maybe you’re thinking “I’ll get an entertainment attorney and let them handle it.” But how do you find the attorney that’s right for you?

Or “All I need to do is write and have my rep deal with all that other stuff.” What if you don’t have a rep and somebody comes along with an offer?

A screenwriter (or TV writer) needs to know these things.

I had the good fortune earlier this year to interview Kaia Alexander as part of the San Francisco Writers Conference. We covered multiple topics about being a screenwriter, including finding your “wolfpack”, to making and maintaining professional connections, how to determine your brand as a writer, and the do’s and don’ts of pitching.

If you’re serious about a career in screenwriting or TV, and these sound like the sort of things you’d like to learn more about, you should look into enrolling Kaia’s upcoming summer session of the Entertainment Business School.

The program begins on August 5th and runs for 9 weeks. Among the other topics covered:

-How studios and streamers make buying decisions
-How attachments work and how to get them
-How to pitch to buyers and reps
-How to network and build your community
-How to get producers for your projects
-The way the industry is changing
-How to negotiate like a pro and not leave money on the table
-Film financing and where to find investors, and how to vet them
-The roles of managers, agents, entertainment attorneys, publicists, producers, and development execs
-Entertainment business etiquette do’s and don’ts
-How to think about budgets

Enrollment opens next week – June 28, through July 28. There are two tiers: Balcony and Orchestra. Both include all access to what EBS has to offer, but Orchestra includes some personalized coaching from Kaia and is limited to 24 students.

One caveat: students who move forward from the application will go to a 1-1 Interview with Kaia. Not all students who apply will be accepted.

Kaia is also offering a special discount for readers of this blog: use the code PZ50S24 to get $50 off the enrollment fee. This code is only valid until July 28, which will be here before you know it, so don’t wait to sign up.

I know several writers who’ve taken the EBS courses and have been quite thrilled with the results. This is a great opportunity for any writer, and I hope you take advantage of it.

And feel free to tell Kaia I sent you.

The “Business” part of “Show…”

Maximum Z development, directing, education, pitching, producer, professionalism, screenplay, screenwriting, script, television, writing , , , , , , , , , ,

A lot of screenwriters just starting out often think “All I need to do is write an amazing script, and the rest will fall into place.”

Not really. Having an amazing script helps, but that’s just the beginning.

Learning how to write a script, let alone an amazing one, is one thing. What to do when the script is done is a whole other topic.

Do you know how to pitch? What about dealing with contracts? How are your negotiating skills? These and many other business-oriented topics are vital. And if you’re thinking “Why should I care? My reps can handle all of that,” think again.

A rep can only do so much. A lot of the time you’ll most likely be doing a lot of the work yourself, so it’s smart and practical to know what’s expected.

If you want to further develop your business savvy, here’s a special offer you should seriously consider.

Seasoned writer/development executive Kaia Alexander runs the Entertainment Business League, which features a specially designed virtual course to help you prepare for working in the industry.

The Entertainment Business School Winter session is a 9-week course starting on January 29 running until March 29.

Among the many topics covered:

-If and when you need to create your own production company

-How studios and streamers make buying decisions

-How attachments work and how to get them

-How to pitch to buyers and reps

-How to network and build your community 

-How to get producers for your projects

-The way the pandemic has changed the industry

-How to negotiate like a pro and not leave money on the table

-Film financing and where to find investors, and how to vet them

-The roles of managers, agents, entertainment attorneys, publicists, producers, and development execs

-Entertainment business etiquette do’s and don’ts

-How to think about budgets

Also included are live coaching sessions, mixers, and industry guests.

You also get access to an impressive online portal with a library of business and finance documents including screenplays, pitch decks, show bibles, streamer/network pitch preferences, financial literacy downloads, legal documents, just to name a few.

Don’t live in Los Angeles? No problem. The class is done virtually, and each session is recorded and available afterward, along with email access to Kaia during the work week.

The early bird window for signing up is Jan 8-13, which includes a $50 discount using the code WOLFPACK50.

Space is limited, so don’t wait too long before signing up.

Embracing my inner Stan

Maximum Z adventure, Austin Screenwriting Competition, creativity, entertainment, fun, Nicholl Fellowship, PAGE International, pitching, rewriting, science fiction, screenplay, screenwriting, Stan Lee, story, writing, writing group , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic book writer while others were building bridges or going on medical careers. Then I realized that entertainment is one of the most important things in people’s lives. I feel if you’re able to entertain, you’re doing a good thing.”

That’s a quote from Stan Lee that has been ringing true a little more often for me lately.

When another writer asks me “What do you write?” or “What do you like to write?”, my go-to answer is “fun, popcorn adventures.”

Serious dramas, character studies, and examination of the human condition just aren’t my thing. If I can give you 100ish minutes of pure escapism, I’m a happy guy.

“Write something you would want to watch” I always tell newer writers. I go to the movies to have fun and enjoy myself, so that’s what I like to write.

I’m a member of an online writing group, and I always felt very self-conscious when I’d submit pages. Other members were PAGE and Nicholl-winning writers, and I’ve got an animated story about a young witch, her talking cat, and the state of New Jersey. Who wouldn’t feel a bit silly about that when other scripts are about dysfunctional families and dissolving marriages?

Interesting side note to that: some readers had a tough time adjusting to the fact that it was an animated story, while others marveled at how fun and creative it was.

I think it was going to Austin that helped me turn the corner on how I viewed the overall picture.

When you get together with a whole lot of other writers, discussing your script is an automatic part of the equation. I was quite proud of how my script had turned out – both as a script and for the competition, and wanted to convey that pride while talking about it. So I did. When somebody would say “What’s your script about?”, I’d smile and tell them without a moment’s hesitation.

It’s safe to say just about every reaction was a positive one. Each person thought it sounded great, plus a few “I’d like to read that”.

My current project is a rewrite of the sci-fi adventure. Similar kind of situation. Scientists. Monsters. Diabolical plots. Typical me kind of stuff. It’s still very rough, but you can see my enthusiasm for it on the page. Why not take it and run with it, head held high, so to speak?

I submitted the first ten pages to the online writing group, pitching it exactly how I wanted to, including the apt descriptor “This is a fun, silly romp.” I wanted the other members to know what kind of story they should be expecting. Hopefully some of them keep that in mind. It’ll be interesting to see what the reactions are.

Like Stan Lee says in his quote, I used to downplay what my scripts were about because I thought people might look down their noses at that sort of thing. But after seeing how others have reacted to my scripts and what I like to write, I realize that a lot of the time people want to hear that sort of thing. They want to be entertained.

There’s just as much of a demand for fun popcorn escapism as there is for serious drama.

I can appreciate the latter, but am much better suited for writing the former.

And in keeping with the spirit of the post – Excelsior!

Is it different for animation?

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It was suggested that I come up with a pitch deck for my animated fantasy-comedy, or at least some character designs and concept art – and maybe a title page.

I’ve never been big on pitch decks. I figure if somebody’s interested enough in the script AND willing to shell out the moolah for it, then it’s out of my hands and they can come up with whatever looks they want. It’s not like they’re going to care about what I envisioned.

But dealing with a story that’s meant to be animated is something entirely different. You want to present at least a general idea of what the characters look like. If you’re trying to skew younger, they’d probably look more cartoon-y or Pixar-ish. If you’re going for a wider audience, they have to look like you weren’t seeing this as primarily a way to sell toys and Happy Meals.

I can honestly say these are things I hadn’t thought about while I was writing it. But since marketing is one of those screenwriting topics that doesn’t get mentioned as often as it should, it’s something requiring my attention.

Especially now.

As for the contents of the pitch deck, that was also me starting with a blank slate. What to include? And not include? How much of the story do I describe? How many pages should it be?

Fortunately, several trusted colleagues offered to send me their pitch decks as points of reference – an offer I eagerly accepted. A majority were for television pilots, which is very different from one for a feature. Some were for animation, so it was at least a start.

Like I mentioned before, my pitch deck would need to include character designs. My drawing skills are lousy, so doing it myself was not an option from the get-go. I need an artist. Thus I made my way to Fiverr and deviantart.com to check out artists whose styles match the vibe I’m going for. Several have been found, so initial contacts are underway.

Unlike some folks in the entertainment industry, I’m a firm believer in paying a creator what they deserve to be paid, but I also need to keep a close eye on how much I have available. No idea what the end cost will be, but hoping it’s not too pricey.

Like with a lot of projects in the early, early development stage, it’s all a lot of info to process, so there’s a general feeling of being overwhelmed. But also like those projects, it just requires dealing with it all a little at a time. It might not get done quickly, but this isn’t something to rush through. It’ll take as long as it takes to get it to be as effective as I can make it.

Wish me luck.