DIY Spotlight: Writer/Director Jon Hart, AMERICAN SWING

How the writer/co-director of AMERICAN SWING took the bull by the horns and made the damn movie himself!

by Jim Cirile

I’ve never actually met Jon Hart, but I’ve known him seems like forever. It all started with a comedy script he cowrote with my friend, comedian Johnny Lampert, called BEER MAN. A funny and charming screenplay about a washed-up baseball pitcher forced to sell stadium suds who finally gets his mojo back, the script made the rounds in Hollywood, landed those guys a manager and then… well... (crickets chirp.) Yet another one of those “Man, this seems like a natural -– I can’t believe it didn’t sell” stories.

A few years later, I consulted on a fascinating script Jon had written about the rise and fall of the famous ‘70s NYC sex club Plato’s Retreat. This thing had ‘tough sell’ written all over it, but it was also a great piece of writing and research. Whatever happened to that project is an interesting tale. Rather than let it turn into just another script collecting dust on his shelf, Hart decided to DIY. “American Swing” was reborn in spectacular style -- as a documentary. The film went on to land theatrical distribution, stellar reviews in national publications and even screened at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival. We asked Mr. Hart about how this “no-holds-barred exploration of the meaning of sex” (“The Hollywood Reporter”) came about.

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Jim Cirile: Jon, tell us a bit about yourself and your writing background.

Jon Hart: I started off as a journalist, writing for newspapers and magazines. Eventually, I branched out to other genres - screenplays, among others.

JC: I first became aware of you when you and Johnny Lampert were sending out BEER MAN about ten years ago. So whatever happened with that?

JH: Thanks for reminding me on the lengthy timeline. Anyway, I’m still fine-tuning it, talking it up. It’s my Mona Lisa, my piece de resistance. Meanwhile, Lampert has sworn off screenwriting, so we’ve gone our separate ways as far as writing together – but we’re still friends. We’re like the guys from Wham – except not as pretty.

JC: I dunno, have you seen George Michael lately? Then later I read a cool and well-researched script you wrote which was a true story about the founding of famous sex den Plato's Retreat in 1970s NYC. How did you get started on that one and what was your in to the subject matter?

JH: Back in the day, I was working on a newspaper article on cab drivers and I got a lead that the owner of Plato’s, Larry Levenson, was (now working as) a hack. Larry was a rich, complex character. He wanted me to tell his story, and I wanted to tell it. After months of interviews, my profile on Levenson was published in the “Village Voice.” I always believed that the Plato’s story – an untold story – deserved a larger venue though, so I wrote a screenplay... which was basically ignored. You know the drill. As far as rights, I got permission from the individuals involved.

JC: Basically ignored as in...

JH: I was given the Heisman by many low-level, unworthy development people. And I use the word ‘development’ generously.

JC: I hear you, my brother. How/why did you decide to take the Plato's material and DIY as a documentary? And what were the challenges of making it?

JH: Early on, I started collecting archival material on Plato’s. When the screenplay wasn’t able to generate interest, I decided to put my years of research and treasure trove of material to use. It seemed like the logical step.

JC: And so the narrative screenplay morphed into the documentary “American Swing.” Any great (or harrowing) stories from the making of the movie?

JH: The major obstacle was - big surprise – financing. Fortunately, my co-director, Matthew Kaufman, is a real pro in that area. We were introduced through a mutual friend. I'm not a great networker, but the story was so strong that I didn't have to be. When we started, we did not know how much money we needed. We created the trailer and beat the bushes, working the phones. No secret. Nothing fancy. As far as financing, we took what was offered and went from there. One way or another, this documentary was going to get made. That was the attitude. People are more apt to get on a bandwagon that is moving forward rather than an idle idea. OK, I'll get off my soapbox now.

JC: OK, you finish the film — what do you do with it? How did you get Magnolia to come aboard to distribute? And how did you get it into Toronto?

JH: At the beginning, we made a six-minute trailer and got some interest from HDNet Films (billionaire Mark Cuban’s company), which was affiliated with Magnolia Films. It was a matter of getting to the right people at the right time. You've heard it before – but that's the truth. As far as Toronto, we submitted like everyone else – and prayed – a lot.

JC: The film got great reviews including an "A-" from "Entertainment Weekly." That’s amazing! Tell us a bit about the theatrical run.

JH: We had three glorious weeks at the Quad in New York City, one week at the Sunset Five in West Hollywood. Things went exponentially better in New York. But that’s understandable, as Plato’s has much more cache on the east coast. Little known fact, Plato's opened a franchise in LA in the late ‘70s. After a few months, it closed. New York and LA: two different animals.

"American Swing" is a rags to riches to rags story. When I met him, Levenson was driving a cab. Ten years earlier, Levenson owned one of the hottest, most insane clubs in the world. His journey was very compelling - funny and sad. I found Levenson to be extremely likable. What's it like to have the world by the balls and lose it all? As far as I was concerned, Levenson's tale had to be told. Sadly, Levenson passed away in 1999 following quadruple bypass surgery. He would have enjoyed the documentary.

JC: Where can folks get a copy of “American Swing”?

JH: It’s available on On Demand and Amazon. It’s also available at DVD outlets, including Netflix. If someone wants to catch “American Swing,” it’s right at your fingertips.

JC: Thanks, man. What's next for you? Any final words of encouragement/advice to our readers who may also get fed up with pursuing the spec script game and seize the means of production?

JH: I’m leaning towards fiction – but you never know. I’ve written a few screenplays. You know how that is. I very well might be calling on Coverage Ink. for a quick tune-up. As far as advice, disregard all advice. Follow your heart and tell the story that you have to tell. As far as leisure, hey, Lampert just got a boat. He must be doing something right. Anyway, I hope to spend some time on it. During which, I'll definitely harangue him about Beer Man – how he's missing out on the next big screenplay. Lampert – great guy.

Check out the official “American Swing” website HERE.

WOTS QUARTERFINALS SO FAR (seriously!)

Writers on the Storm is not even over, but we already have some quarterfinalists. How can this be so?, you might ask. Allow us to explain!

Here's how it works. Anyone who submits their scripts to Coverage, Ink for analysis is automatically entered in the contest. Entries submitted directly to the contest (at www.writerstorm.com or www.withoutabox.com) are judged after the contest’s final deadline (8/10). But scripts sent in to CI for analysis get judged in advance – so if you score a ‘consider with reservations’ or better for script (roughly top 10%), you lock in quarterfinalist status early on. You can then let it ride, or polish it up and resubmit, theoretically bettering your odds.

Thus we now have five quarterfinalists in the running for the $28,500 cash and prizes!

Presenting our rockin’ quarterfinalists thus far:

The Enginist by Tim McGrath
Macau Twilight by Tony Shyu
Nightmare in the Ardennes by Walt Malinowski
Shades of Grey by Michael Morra
Svengali Effect by Jeremy Shipp

Great work, guys! (Hey, all men so far? What gives? Come on, ladies!)

Join the Writers on the Storm Facebook group right HERE.

Writers on the Storm update - a note from Portia

Greetings, Stormies!

We’re now in month two of our Writers on the Storm screenwriting competition, which means… the deluge is upon us! As the submissions start to pour in, so do the questions. Is my script going to be disqualified if it's got a few typos? Can I include the research I did for my historical epic for reference? Am I going to lose just because I'm a guy and I wrote a RomCom? The answers, Of Course, are Nah, Please Don't, and, Uh...What? ;)

I wanted to take a moment to discuss one of my favorite — and least favorite — types of scripts — Romantic Comedies. Let me explain. Often maligned, tragically misunderstood, this genre is the warm and fuzzy cockroach of the screenwriting world – it's the genre that cannot be killed. No matter what the state of the industry, RomComs persist, adapting to their environment, but never disappearing entirely. But they are deceptively difficult to write – how hard could it be to come up with a twist on "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back?" Show of hands, how many of you have stared down your RomCom and wanted to hurl the laptop out the window? See, the main problem is that the audience KNOWS everything. Y’all have SEEN everything – cute and quirky guy with self-esteem issues or self-confident jerk with a good heart who needs to be taken down a peg meets bohemian artsy chick or tough-as-nails businessgal who really only needs to be loved. Insert infidelity or misunderstanding, add a meet/cute, and stir.

So what's a RomCom writer in search of originality to do? How do you mix it up enough to make it different without losing the audience?

A) Adjust the focus. More often we see the love story taking a backseat to the protag's journey - SEX AND THE CITY is far more about the women's friendship than it is about their relationships; HIGH FIDELITY is about John Cusack learning how to grow up, but there are still romantic hijinks throughout the story.

B) Change the audience. Judd Apatow came along and upended everyone’s notion of what the genre should be with The 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN and KNOCKED UP. There's no reason a great Romantic Comedy has to be something girls have to drag their boyfriends to. There's no reason men can't write a funny, heartfelt love story from their perspective and have it appeal to a wide audience of men and women. In fact, what’s in demand right now are what’s called ‘bromances’— AKA male-driven romantic comedies!

So don't be afraid to try new things with your RomCom! Be creative! Try new angles and settings, play with the genre. The readers, and ultimately the audience, will appreciate it. Sad to say but the old paradigms — the SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLES, etc. — just aren’t going to fly anymore. I know, Ilove those movies, too. It’s just, if it seems like a Meg Ryan movie, well, no offense to Ms. Ryan, but that is no longer what the town wants.

And remember, we’ve only got a little more than 6 weeks till our regular deadline! I expect y’all to bring the greatness. Everyone here at Writers on the Storm, we are hungry to find great scripts, we really are, one that gets us really excited, makes us want to jump up and go, yeah! I got a live one here! So bring it, y’all!

Smoochies!

--Portia

Writers on the Storm 4
Regular deadline: 7/27
$10,000 Grand Prize
Over $28,500 total prizes - 140 companies - - Producer meetings - top ten finish in the money - top 50 receive prizes - all entries receive feedback!
Enter online right HERE!

Michael Lent's Belly of the Beast - INDIEWOOD

Boy, do we miss Michael Lent's Belly of the Beast column, which ran in "Creative Screenwriting" for years until 2007. We asked Michael if he could bang one out for us for old time's sake... and he did! Enjoy, folks!

Oh, and if you haven't checked out Lent's great BREAKFAST WITH SHARKS, do so! This is the only book on screenwriting that tells you how to navigate the dangerous shoals of Hollywood for those serious about making screenwriting a career. Highly recommended by Coverage, Ink.

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WELCOME TO INDIEWOOD

Have the Career You Want Right Now

Recently, I received an industry email with a headline reading “Get it together. Start fresh!”

I don’t want a fresh start. I don’t want, um, “Change.”

Despite all of the Skittles and nitro java-fueled resolutions we make periodically, all that reorganization of the mental deck chairs can leave a writer as creatively fallow as the Siege of Leningrad. After seminars and pitch fests, we feel tremendous pressure to reinvent ourselves, to cast out the old in favor of the new. Often the problem goes beyond our typical writers’ malaise and lies in trying to make too many “jump to light speed,” across-the-board changes at once. A “hot” new spec written in a new style with a new partner intended for a new agent is a few too many quantum leaps, sure to slam us into the side of a high-rise building a few months from now. Much like the old analogy of the butterfly flapping its wings in China, I believe that a few carefully crafted micro-adjustments will reap the more dramatic effect. When our writing and business sense is 95% there, it’s that last 5% that can make all the difference in creating the right access, opportunity and result. In other words, you may be closer to the gold ring than you think. The right simple change can have a profound impact RIGHT NOW. Proof of this is all around us. In fact, I owe my career as a working writer/producer to this simple principle.

Put a group of writers together for an extended period of time and invariably one will break out of the pack. Some of the others will lament their sour grapes that “there’s virtually no difference between that writer and me. I’m just as talented as he/she.” And they are right. The distinction is infinitesimal. Four years into my foray to be a professional writer, I was subsisting on $500 indie prodco options, big budget specs that didn’t quite sell and studio assignments that I didn’t quite get. All of my friends were basically in the same boat. Then I decided to make one small adjustment: I would stop waiting for career validation from the Joel Silvers of the world and immediately be the writer I wanted to be with the career I wanted to have. That was the one change. To repeat, I would stop waiting and start treating my work with the respect it deserved.

Immediately, I slew those internal dragons that ostensibly guarded my self-esteem but in fact roared at me at all hours of the night with enough self-doubt to keep me from changing the state of my career. While I realized that some self-doubt can be a good motivator, from that point on, nothing was out of my league. And yet, the league that I was already in was chockablock with opportunity. So the gritty little $500 options and assignments I managed to scrape together were no longer depressing stop gaps, or as one colleague referred to them, “cabana boy gigs.” Instead they were legitimate opportunities to lock down future relationships. For the next one that came my way, I sought out an entertainment accountant, as well as a top-rated attorney who charged $250 just to look over the deal memo. That meant the lawyer got half of my contract. Meanwhile, the accountant charged me three times what H & R Block did to do my taxes. Yikes! But fine. The accountant soon had me form a corporation that got most of my money back including her fees. And the lawyer proceeded to put a couple of key protections into the deal memo - language that more than paid for itself in terms of peace of mind. Plus, our professional relationship was off and running.

Indiewood is a state of mind. It means that just like a studio production company, you have a slate of projects in various stages of development. Typically, the average prodco might have acquired pitches, specs, books to adapt, video games and comic books. They might also have their hands in webisode productions. Likewise, in the past two three years I have been involved in the following: producing a horror film; co-producing a documentary; writer on two video games; co-ghost writing a sci-fi novel; developing television and webisode series, writer/producer on 3 graphic novels, author of two books. I also write spec scripts; however, they are generally linked with compatible material like graphic novels. I’ve also written and produced three animated short films or trailers used in support of other projects. Sounds like a lot but isn’t much different than doing rewrite after rewrite on the same two or three spec screenplays in the same period. Of course, all of the above means learning about things beyond writing. It means actually being in production, working actors, directors, composers, animators, effects people, etc, all the while expanding my skill set, which is not a bad thing in a down economy. And when the budget doesn’t allow for hiring some of those people, it means being resourceful or sometimes doing it yourself. Above all else, Indiewood means lean and mean and taking chances. Many of my projects were produced for pennies on the dollar. Remember that anything worth doing involves a certain amount of risk. Without risk there is no reward. Recently, I sold a pitch to the publishing division of Disney. Within weeks it meant that I was on a plane headed for the Arctic Circle as part of my research. Talk about holy friggin’ wow!

Of course, I still write specs and pitch on assignments, but I find that I don’t have time to hold my breath waiting to see what happens. I move on and it’s on them to catch up. The balance of power has shifted. All too often the Bill Clinton adage of “Wrong & Strong will always beat Weak & Right” applies to us writers and our Gilliganesque “L’il Buddy” status in this hazy, crazy movie business. Having a team behind me felt different, better than having gel inserts in my boxer briefs, and more like having a special key to a suitcase of nitroglycerin. I also noticed that I was more confident and less inclined to be “Weak & Right” in meetings with “all-powerful” producers. Suspect personal hygiene was no longer my biggest private fear. Later, I even felt confident enough to assume the co-producer reigns on a feature film project when the opportunity came. But before that, I landed a studio assignment at Miramax - a tough place I’d already tried to crack a couple of times earlier.


Be the writer you want to be right now.

Lots of times we think the next level is about someone else having more resources or more access. Yet there are plenty of people bopping around this planet, with incredible access who can’t make a go of it. They seem to have it all and don’t do anything with it. Here in Hollywood, it’s common to come across the children of legendary actors, directors or producers. The personal legacy of many of these privileged progeny is little more than some compromising photos taken outside of the Viper Room.

We have to carry ourselves as the writer we aspire to be BEFORE we put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, before we pick up that phone to set up our meeting. One time a producer who was stressing the importance of execution said to me, “Good ideas are like assholes, everybody’s got at least one.” Very profound. But I don’t agree with that idea, or even the idea that thoughts are in easy, limitless supply. Thoughts aren’t free in the sense that they take up space in the brain. We can only hold onto so many. Hence the invention of paper and post-it notes. Ideally, we want our brain filled with stuff pertaining to that amazing new project. Fine, but all too often our brain is filled with less inspirational matters like, “If I don’t sell this timely blockbuster on the dangers of acid reflux, how will I afford to be buried in a paupers’ grave?” or less charitable thoughts about how that aforementioned “friggin’ no-talent” colleague might be hit by a Mr. Tasty Ice Cream truck and thus, restore some sense of order in the Cosmos. Cynicism is a very dubious currency that’s only honored in the black markets of a tortured psyche.

Work on personal projects that are worthy of the writer you see yourself becoming.

We start our process of Indiewood and butterfly effects right now by truly believing we are gifted writers with limitless capabilities. Here those of us steeped in the Power of Negative Thought will say, “Hey, Mental Lental! None of that gifted shmifted stuff matters unless you’ve actually written a brilliant script.” Let me say this: to date I’ve been a judge of eight script and film competitions. For one contest alone I once read 135 scripts. One thing I noticed is that a disproportionate number of those screenplays featured protracted shootouts in warehouses. Seven utilized this one specific tired convention that seemed to go on and on. It occurred to me that if those writers truly believed they were gifted, would they really write about vampire rock bands or drug deals [with vampires] in warehouses gone bad? Or would they risk sharing just a little more insight with their audience? Wouldn’t they feel free to TRULY express themselves and trust their craft to deliver something no one had ever quite put on paper before? At the very least, a new way into Hitchcock or a screwball comedy? As a writing instructor I used to ask students to name their five favorite films. Often a student who was writing Count Chocula: The Movie would proclaim his favorite film of all time to be The Godfather. That’s a disconnect of confidence and ambition.

The well-known Sly Stallone story is apt here. As an actor, he was once so destitute that he reduced to doing porn and I’m pretty sure it was a non-speaking part. Yet, he had this one script that he truly believed in. Even when Stallone was offered $300,000 (big, big money back in the ‘70s) to sell the Rocky script and walk away from starring in it, his belief in himself as both writer AND actor was so strong, he turned down the money. The rest is history. Unfortunately, that history includes Spy Kids 3-D, Driven and Stop! Or Mom Will Shoot, as well as other films that may have included warehouse scenes, but that’s a different story. Bad things like Rocky V, or worse, or losing the opportunity to write Rocky V happen to us screenwriters all the time. But they don’t happen ALL of the time. Instead, these kind of Rocky (I) stories occur every day, all around us. That’s what we need to focus on instead of concern over losing a few heat shield tiles from one’s ego.

I realize that the idea of butterfly wings is a bit conceptual. Many writers have more immediate concerns like:

How do we land a meeting?
How do we make sure that it’s a good meeting?
How do we cement our reputation as a talented writer AND walk away with a deal?
How do we earn a consistent and good living with this craft, this hobby, this thing we love so much?

My book Breakfast with Sharks is filled with the answers to these game plan, taking action and taking chances sorts of questions. If it wasn’t, legendary studio head Mike Medavoy wouldn’t have written the Foreword. But going beyond A is to B is to C specifics, what we’re really talking about is turning our desire into our reality. What we’re talking about is going to the next level in our careers. We see it every day happening for others so we know it’s possible. And we’re right. It is our turn. And the good news is that we may be one small change away.

Michael Lent is currently writing 'On Thin Ice' for Disney. He is the author of the industry bestselling book, “Breakfast with Sharks” published by Random House. He has produced the feature films 'Hard Scrambled,' 'Witches’ Night' and 'Naked in America.' He wrote 'Prey: Origin of the Species,' published by Marvel Comics. He was a writer on the Xbox 360 game 'Vigilante 8: Arcade' released in 2008. As a screenwriter, he has sold, optioned or been assigned to ten feature film projects including 'The Hellseeker' for Miramax Studios.

Coverage Ink/Writers Boot Camp Mini Camp 6/23

Hey folks,

We're doing a little mini camp with Writers Boot Camp on Tuesday 6/23 (note: rescheduled from the original date of Weds 6/10) at the WBC campus in Santa Monica, CA. Mini Camp begins at 7:30 PM and runs for 90 minutes and is FREE! Writers Boot Camp founder Jeff Gordon will personally teach the class, which will basically cram about a ton and a half worth of tools and techniques and tips into two short hours.

To RSVP for this tres-cool FREE! event, just e-mail info@coverageink.com and put WBC! in the subject line, and we'll put you on the list. I'll be there, too, along with a couple of folks from the CI team, and we'll hang out afterwards to chat and answer questions. The price is right, so come on down and be a part of a great night of learning.

--Jim Cirile

WRITERS BOOT CAMP
L.A. Headquarters
Bergamot Station Arts Center
2525 Michigan Ave., Bldg. I
Santa Monica, CA 90404
800.800.1733

SAVING MORE CATS THAN THE SPCA

The Blake Snyder Interview

By Jim Cirile

The first place I ever heard of Blake Snyder was in the UCLA Professional Program. Teacher Kris Young was explaining the “pet the dog” concept, and noted with some amusement that this was interchangeable with “save the cat,” and indeed there was a new book out about that very subject. And I thought, what the hell is he talking about? Turns out ‘pet the dog’ and ‘save the cat’ both refer to a scene early on in a screenplay where the protagonist does something unexpectedly selfless. It’s a technique used in many movies to make the audience like the hero -- especially if said hero is a criminal or exhibiting some unlikable behavior they are going to need to arc out of later on.

The next thing I thought was, Oh, joy, another book on screenwriting. Yawn. Some time later I saw the book at my local bookopolis and browsed it… for, like, an hour. There’s something about its elegant simplicity that just grabs you. I don’t know how to better describe it. I mean, I’ve read an awful lot of books on screenwriting and am as jaded as they come. But “Save the Cat!” is a grabber. Blake Snyder knows his stuff and conveys it in an incredibly effective, punchy way that just makes you go, of course! NOW I get it!

Snyder has sold big specs (“Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot”) and had big studio movies produced. He knows what the town wants. But his passion, amazingly enough, is imparting his secrets unto the likes of us. How cool is that? He now has two “Save the Cat!” books out with a third on the way, and his Save the Cat! software is an indispensable tool that forces you to structure your script properly. Oh, and he does seminars, too. Visit him online at blakesnyder.com.

Jim Cirile: Great to talk to you, Blake. Can you tell everyone a little about your background?

Blake Snyder: I’m third generation film business. My uncle was a publicist for RKO, and my dad was a TV producer for children’s television. He did shows like “Roger Ramjet” and “Big Blue Marble.”

JC: Wow, “Big Blue Marble”! PBS. I still remember the theme song.

BS: Oh, cool. Yeah, it was a beautiful show. So I grew up in the business, and when I graduated from college, I wanted to become a screenwriter. I came to Los Angeles and did all the jobs we do -- you know, assistant on sitcoms, I was a page at NBC and such.

JC: Kenneth the page! Where were you living before LA?

BS: I graduated from Georgetown with an English degree.

JC: Were you doing creative writing, short stories in school?

BS: Absolutely. I was editor of the high school newspaper and worked on the college paper and such. I was always interested in writing. I just happen to hit it at a time here in Los Angeles when the spec screenplay was king.

JC: So is this the early ‘90s, mid ‘90s we’re talking?

BS: Yes. I had good success. I worked with a cowriter named Colby Carr. We sold a script called “Blank Check,” then went on to sell a lot of screenplays and still do that actively. Recently,. I wrote one a couple of years ago called “Granny,” which is a slasher movie (laughs.) She kills teenagers who violate the rules of etiquette.

JC: As well she should!

BS: (laughs) And then another script called “Bones,” which is a nice family film. It’s about a boy and his ghost dog named Bones.

JC: Aw. I love that.

BS: But my real passion is helping other writers. I like to think of myself as a good screenwriter, but I think what I’m really good at is teaching. I really have a passion for it, and that’s what I discovered writing “Save the Cat!” I wrote it in 2003. It was published in 2005, and it was just an immediate kind of viral thing. It just took off.

JC: Okay, so let’s talk a little bit about the genesis of “Save the Cat!” Even in 2003, there were plenty of screenwriting books out there. What made you think you could stand out from the pack?

BS: I think it’s because of my experience in entertainment and in film. What really struck me about all the books that were out there was that they were excellent -- you could learn from all of those books. I love them all. But what was lacking to me was kind of an inside baseball approach. What are they really looking for, and what is this really about? I’ve been to many courses for screenwriting where they say, “Follow your muse.” Well… maybe. (laughs) A screenplay is a blueprint for further action. It is not in and of itself a final product. You’re going to have to attract somebody to partner up with you in some sense to go make that *proposal* a reality. So that’s what my angle was.


“Save the cat” and all the terms I use are just kind of slangy shorthand me and my friends use to get to the point of, what’s wrong with the script? What’s wrong with the idea? What’s wrong with the structure? It’s practical to me -- like, here’s something you can do *today.* The courses I took and the books I read, they were interesting, but they didn’t really give me a course of action. I think one of the best things about the book is the Blake Snyder beat sheet. It’s like fifteen beats -- just fill in those blanks.

JC: It’s a template for how movies are actually structured and what you will typically find in most movies. You can spend months plowing through “Story” and at the end of it have no idea what to do. What are the studios actually looking for? This is it, laid out in very concise, easy-to-understand format -- do this, this and this. I’ve never seen it all coalesce like that before.

BS: Thank you very much. That’s a real compliment. That’s what I was trying to do. I think story is story. We can go back to the (ancient) Greeks and find these same principles. But for me, a busy guy trying to figure out how to write a screenplay, I want to know, what do I do now? I tried to make it easy to read and fun and keep it light. I’m very appreciative of all the experiences I’ve had and was very ready to give back to others but also to have fun. I think many screenwriting courses are, “this is for only a privileged few of you who understand these principles.” No, let’s just jump in and play. You may sell your screenplay, you may not, but you’ll certainly understand how these principles work and have more fun doing it this way, I think.

JC: Give us a heads-up on what attending one of your seminars is like.

BS: It’s the most fun I have all week. It’s two days, Saturday and Sunday. The first class we call the Beats Weekend. A maximum of 12 writers come in to the room. They each have two or three movie ideas. We talk about pitching and loglines on Saturday morning, and we just jump in and beat out the story. By the end of the weekend, each writer stands in front of the group and pitches a 15-beat outline of their story. It’s just remarkable what happens in there.

As an objective listener to a pitch, I have no emotional involvement. I can hear the flaws. I’m not going to get you on them in a critical way, but I’ll say, here’s something I think you’re missing, or here’s a title suggestion or here’s a theme suggestion. That kind of peer-to-peer review is what we use in our workshops, and it’s just amazing. That’s the Beats Weekend. Then the next one, what we call the Board, is for six writers only. We take the 15 beats and we work out the 40 scenes that they’ll need to actually write the script. The sales that have come out of that workshop, I’ll talk about some of those in book three. And then for free after the class, we have Save the Cat! writers groups all over the world. If I go into a town -- Vancouver, Barcelona, London, give a workshop, and then someone volunteers to lead that writing group. Those writers then continue to meet and work on their stories using these tools. It’s empowering stuff.

JC: Talk a bit about the software.

BS: In the book, I talk about “the Board,” the four roads of Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3, Act 2 being twice as long as the other two acts and the layout of how all that works. It’s the bulletin board method, but it’s never been codified or explained in a software program like this.

JC: And it reminds you every step of the way through the process of where this material should be according to your methods, and it’s all very logical. It doesn’t let you just slap some random material anywhere into the script. It’s sort of like an intelligent, interactive bulletin board. I think it’s important to note that it holds your hand through the whole process.

BS: I appreciate that. That’s exactly right. The book and the software are the same in the sense that, “Proceed no further until you have the logline. Proceed no further until you have these beats or until these beats are arranged the right way.”

JC: I recommend “Save the Cat!” to our clients all the time. 99% of them are ecstatic and become STC! advocates themselves. But occasionally I hear, “This is not the kind of movie I want to write,” or “this is too limiting to me,” or “I’m much more of an indie guy than this.” My response is always that this paradigm is equally applicable to studio and most indie movies. If you want to do something experimental, then yeah, maybe it’s not for you. I think it’s a lot more universal than some people might give it credit for, if you really understand the way movies are made.

BS: Thank you for that, and it’s because you’re a professional who knows that this is the way the world works. This is one reason I wrote book two, “Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies.” In there I’ve included many indies that use the very same beats that I’m talking about here. The Save the Cat! method can kind be like cold water splashed on people who are kind of living in a dream world. (laughs) I think the pushback from people is because they’ve been awakened, and they don’t like it. They’d rather hit the snooze button and keep on dreaming. I’m not saying necessarily that they’re misleading themselves, and I’m not trying to squash their creativity. I’m just trying to get them to have success with it. The method is not a straitjacket or formula -- I hate the word “formula.” It’s freeing, completely freeing. (In any story,) you have to maintain certain principles, and you are better armed if you know them. All the great modernist painters, for instance -- they all studied the classics before they went off and did their own thing. That way their experimental work was much more insightful. I think for any career, you have to know what came before you and study how structure works in order to make yours work, too. Charlie Kaufman -- “Eternal Sunshine” is one of his most successful movies. It’s because he follows the beats.

##

Check out Blake’s web site at http://www.blakesnyder.com

CS OPEN TOURNAMENT ON HOLD

A bit of sad news for fans of the venerable CS Open, the live writing tournament we’ve been coordinating since the very first Screenwriting Expo in 1754. Over the past 7 years, thousands of writers have participated in Erik Bauer's brainchild, a fiendishly challenging live writing competition where participants get 90 minutes to write a brand-new, original scene -- in pencil -- based on parameters we give them. We’ve found tons of amazing talent along the way and reinvigorated the writing passion of more than a few. Alas, the economics of the situation have caused Creative Screenwriting to put the Open officially in limbo. It’s almost certain it won’t be back for Expo 2009.

The good news is that Coverage, Ink in conjunction with Great American Pitchfest are cooking up a whole new kind of live writing tournament called THE WORLD SERIES OF SCREENWRITING. This event will premiere at Pitchfest 2010 (yep, that’s a year from now. Visit pitchfest.com for info on this year's event, coming up in June.)

So from all of us here at CI, we wish you well, CS Open, as you make your long journey onto the shelf, at least for the time being. I’m fairly confident we’ll find a way to revive you in some form or another. We here at CI all love you too much to let you die.
Coverage Ink's Jim Cirile with the 2008 CS Open Top 13.

Writers on the Storm 4 Ready for Launch!

Hey, kiddles! It's me, Portia, and I am back for another year here running this crazy party we call Writers on the Storm. WOTS is sponsored by Coverage Ink and Writers Boot Camp, along with 20 other companies!

This year we have out best-ever prize package. We worked hard to bring in a lot of great companies into the mix. As of now we've got over $27,500 cash and prizes, including our 10 grand cash prize to the winner. Plus this year everyone in the top 10 finish in the money, and our top 50 (that would be the semifinalists) all get subscriptions to Moviemaker magazine. And of course, our entry fee is still $40 ($75 for two submissions of the same script) or free if you enter the contest through Coverage Ink.

We launch sometime on 4/27. Not sure exactly when -- basically when our web guy finishes testing all the submission forms and all that techie stuff. Don't worry, we run for three months so y'all have plenty of time to get in!

One more thing. We're ecstatic to bring you this bit of news: Writers on the Storm honorable mention Dale Shuen, writer of the hot comedy spec THE BRYCE LEE STORY, has been generating all sorts of interest with this script. He's been hip-pocketed by a well-known manager, and his script has generated meetings and a bunch of companies interested in him as a writer as a result of his placement in WOTS and our marketing efforts. Kick butt, Dale! For more on our contest winners please visit the WINNERS page at writerstorm.com.

Let's see what you all got for me!

Lova ya!

Portia Jefferson
Writers on the Storm 4 Coordinator
writerstorm@gmail.com

Meet iScript.com

by Jim Cirile

Here's a note we tend to give a lot here at Coverage, Ink: read your script aloud. As writers, we tend to isolate. We toil in our little stalactite-encrusted caves, hearing the screenplay only within our heads. Dialogue may seem fine, nay, even brilliant, on the page. But unless you're in a writing class or a writer's group, you may not ever hear your words spoken aloud.

See, something interesting happens when a screenplay is performed. Suddenly, passages that were fine moments ago may now seem lugubrious or awkward; speeches that looked eloquent and incisive on paper might seem overwrought or expository when spoken. Fortunately, the solutions to these issues are often immediately apparent. Right away you know what cuts to make, what dialogue needs to be finessed. It's a fantastic development tool.

Enter iScript.com. A new service founded by Lorena David, Mark Roberts, Mark David and Michael Lawrence, iScript.com will actually perform your screenplay for you. Such a brilliantly obvious idea, I can't believe no one had thought of this before. We chatted with cofounder Mark Roberts and got the lowdown on what they do. Check 'em out at iScript.com.

***

Jim Cirile: I love that you guys (iScript.com's partners) have 8 first names--Lorena David, Mark Roberts, Mark David and Michael Lawrence. Tell us about how and when you guys came to found iScript.com. Whose idea was it?

Mark Roberts: Lorena came up with the idea of recording scenes and listening to them for analysis. She would hand me recorded scenes for my drive home. It was a great way to make use of my drive time. I would listen, get home, and send notes based on the recording. It was the best set of notes I have given and it immediately made the project better. A little over a year ago we decided to raise a little money and launch iScript.com.

JC: Can you give us an idea exactly how iScript.com works?

MR: iScript.com uses real, professional readers along with picky sound editors to create your iScript quickly and with the highest quality (as high as an audio book). You go to our site, place your order, tell us any specific directions and then upload a file of your script. After we make your iScript, we send you an e-mail with the link and instructions of how to download your iScript. You can then put it on your mp3 player, burn a CD or send other people the recording through your download page.

JC: Very cool. I'm always telling people it's amazing how dialogue that looks fine on the page may sound awkward or unnatural when read aloud.

MR: Analysis is one way iScript.com is a very useful tool. It's a great way to examine the pacing, dialogue and characters in your script. Not all writers have the time to set up a table read for themselves. iScript.com clients don't like to waste time. They order their iScript and in two days are listening and getting right back to work. When you hear your writing read back to you by a professional reader, you instantly know if your dialogue is working or not.

There are a lot of writers that are so happy with the iScript of their screenplay that they send it out with the PDF and give people the option of reading or listening.


JC: Who are the performers? You have the option of selecting one or more voices, right? MR: One thing we realized early on is not just anyone can be an iScript reader. We interviewed and auditioned hundreds to find our readers. The goal of an iScript reader is to make every character and conversation sound as natural and real as possible.

iScript.com gives you the option of having one reader or two. It's up to the writer. A two-reader iScript is great because you can get a female and male reader so each gender is represented.

JC: Okay, what do you guys do when you get to a section where the dialogue is especially clunky or full of typos--just soldier through as best you can? Do you sometimes correct grammar or edit as you perform?

MR: Our readers are instructed to correct any obvious errors and make note of the corrections. We try not to correct too much. So far it has not been an issue. But we also offer proofreading and text editing services, which have mostly been used so far when writers do not use English as their first language.

JC: In my writing group, we read scripts aloud, and I've noticed that the material's reception can be influenced by the performance -- specifically, a poor or clunky performance can wound a good script, and an enthusiastic one can brighten a weak one. Do you guys just go for a flat read, or do you, say, amp it up a bit in action sequences for example?

MR: iScript allows you to give some direction when ordering your script. For example, you can ask for your script to be read flat or you can tell us about the characters; e.g., my main character sounds like Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. Readers don't impersonate other actors but it gives them an idea of how to read a character. Direction from the writer helps a lot. Our goal is to make each script sound as good as it can so writers can use it to analyze and especially help sell their script.

JC: What's the most surprising thing you've had happen since launching iScript?

MR: A producer ordered an iScript of the film he was producing and gave people the option of listening or reading or both. I thought that was a great use of an iScript.

JC: What sort of reactions have you gotten so far? I see a lot of raves on your site, but I imagine there are some people who may be shocked upon hearing their script performed for the first time, right?

MR: We have had nothing but good reviews, but I'm sure you're right there are no doubt lots of writers shocked at hearing their script read for the first time.

JC: Thanks, Mark. Sounds like a cool service!

MR: Hearing is Believing. Ordering an iScript can get you one step closer to selling your screenplay and ultimately having it made. You are giving investors, agents and producers the option of reading or listening. That’s powerful.