Events and WorkshopsDo I look bemused? Maybe I heard a writer tell me about pitching without knowing how to do it. Or maybe that writer hasn't written a commercial script. There are no shortcuts. You have to learn the craft, and how to sell in Hollywood. (If you want easy, click under my picture.) Beginners don't realize that scripts are usually bought from established writers. Most beginners have to sell works that are great, not just good. Once you're established, it's easier, believe me. I don't seek out workshops or go on the road with dog and pony shows. I probably lost a lot of money that way, but I chose to stay home and be available for my kids. I'm a bit weary of the Hollywood shuffle and only recommend or participate in things I fully trust. I'll come do a workshop anywhere if someone wants to set it up, and they can take 50% if they want. I still need to write another book that explains a lot more than story, but that's another discussion altogether... If you're interested in my doing a workshop for your festival or writers' group, just send me an email and let's discuss it. Send your phone number if you want to talk about it. Using some of the work I've been doing with other writers using my "Shaping Force" and some aspects of the Elliott Wave, as well as new discoveries about story, I've worked out a workshop for writers who want to take their writing to a new level. That's for any kind of writing - articles, short stories, novels, non-fiction plays or screenplays. Get in touch if you want details - as Chris Vogler of "The Writer's Journey" fame told me after hearing me at Pepperdine in March of 2007: "You blew my mind, man!" Apparently, my lecture was the favorite one at the Pepperdine Entrepreneurial Weekend in 2008, as well. I'd be happy to share it with you. I've had a distinct pleasure in appearing with a lot of amazing speakers at the Pepperdine University events. The weekend is the brainchild of my genius friend Elliot McGucken. Click on the link and see what I mean. Some truly impressive people were the; why they had me along, who knows... Sherwood Oaks College lets anyone learn from top Hollywood professionals face to face, often at movie studios. Take a look at the Testimonials page. I presented seminars at the Screenwriting Expos from 2002 to 2007, each time improving on my talk "The Shaping Force of Your Career." One writer from Canada told me that all the other seminars she attended had given her drips and drops, while my talk was a flood. In 2008, I wasn't interested. There are, frankly, just too damned many people telling others how to write screenplays, when only 112 major studio movies were made in 2008. There are other ways writers can make money. Another place I've enjoyed speaking is Larry Brody's annual "Brodystock" event in Las Vegas. Check out everything Larry has to offer - he knows his stuff. He also has ongoing contests that might result in your landing an agent, and he offers classes that can make a difference in your writing. In addition, he has monthly contests that can result in your script (in different categories) being read by an agent. That's me speaking at a San Diego Film Festival panel about "10 Stupid Things Filmmakers Do to Mess Up Their Movies." From left: Chris Gore, writer/director Pete "Project Greenlight" Jones, Skip Press, director Jude Pauline Eberhard, writer/producer Bo Zenga. |
Whenever I'm impressed by pitches they usually come from people who are confident in their craft and know storytelling. For example, at one Sherwood Oaks College event in L.A. I spoke on a panel about how to pitch that was held at the L.A. Film School on Sunset Blvd. near the Cinerama Dome movie theater. Every single pitch I heard was a commercial movie, and most of them came from students in the L.A. Film School's one-year program. I had almost as much luck after speaking on another Sherwood Oaks pitching event panel. You need to know how to sell, because Hollywood studios are thinking about that the minute they entertain buying and/ |
||
|
