Sold it! My screenplay--finalized deal this week!

Hey Kyle,

I know you've got your head screwed on, you know what is what when it comes to screenwriting. I'm just curious about your stratergy after this sale. Are you working towards landing agency rep? Or do you plan on still pushing material thru your lawyer? Etc.

You've not mentioned anything in any detail, and was just wondering...

EJ
 
crobs808 said:
ha, i just want money, i dont care if i sell a crap production or a good one. im a video editor not a writer, even though ive always been good at writing, and actually minored in english/lit. ha, maybe i'll give it a go. i've written a childerens book, maybe ill just sell the rights to that to be made into a short film or movie. ha. money money money!

the people who say money can't buy happiness, have never been poor. i mean read the original post. he wouldn't have said "i can't ever remember being this happy in my life" if they had offered him $10 bucks for his work. money talks people...and money will make you happy. as long as you never get greedy then money will ALWAYS make you happy. for example, if i won the lotto, le'ts say a big one like 200million, and after taxes got like 125-150million, i would not go out and buy a porche, i wouldnt go out an buy a bigger house, i would just not work for the rest of my life, and be happy for not having to work. id have plenty of money for my family, and even great great grandkids college funds for years after.

so, we've learned two things. money creates happiness, but the secret to keeping happiness is all in how manage it.
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This is such a load of crap. As an editor, I'm embarrassed for you. You don't care if what you do is good or not? No wonder you write such garbage. Maybe he's happy because someone liked his work? That's not a crazy thought.
Money is the source of our slavery, our destruction of the planet, and our source of unhappiness. It is soulless. You can't buy that empty feeling in your soul that something is wrong. And if you don't think something is wrong, you're REALLY NOT PAYING ATTENTION. You don't look at the oxygen you breathe do you? Do you value it? It doesn't have money attached to it, because it's priceless. Same as the feeling of peace. If you think that money is the source of happiness, you are not looking out at the world, and seeing what it causes people to do. Go visit a cancer ward. That's the end result of money. We never had cancer until the start of the chemical age. Why chemicals you ask? Money. Nothing more than money. And then they use vehicles of media to sell you the ****. Your head is on backwards. You've been way too programmed and your vision is totally myopic and introverted. You need to start looking at the concept of the planet that you live in by walking around in it, not watching it on television. Time to get out of the cubbyhole dude.
Oh, and I've been poor and rich, both by choice. And not because of my parents.
 
EJ Pennypacker said:
Hey Kyle,

I know you've got your head screwed on, you know what is what when it comes to screenwriting. I'm just curious about your stratergy after this sale. Are you working towards landing agency rep? Or do you plan on still pushing material thru your lawyer? Etc.

You've not mentioned anything in any detail, and was just wondering...

EJ
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Well, I don't want to say too much... because nothing is finalized. My new entertainment attorney has put me a contact with a few people in the biz and I've been pitching a few ideas for scripts. Don't want to jinx it. I'll keep you guys posted.
 
Kyle,

How much forethought do you give your characters before writing the first draft of your screenplay? Any exercises/prewriting that is typical of your regimen? Would you say you fall on the side of Lajos Egri (know your characters down to the change in their pockets), the other extreme where you discover your characters as you write? Or somewhere in the middle?
 
Somewhere in the middle.

I didn't write lengthy character histories for The Lemon Tree. At most 2-3 pages on the main players, and I did that only after clearly defining the theme and figuring out the plot. Then I matched character to premise (Egri)/theme. In the late 90's, after studying Syd Field's book/DVD, it wasn't unusual for me to write pages and pages of character notes.

NO MORE.

Now, I concentrate on pertinent backstory--the events (both important and mundane) occurring just before the story kicks off. I also focus on the main character's ghost/need (for character arc). Later during rewrites, I sprinkle on additional bits of character history to add depth.

The goal of the first draft is TO GET IT DONE FAST. I am a "rewriter" just like most screenwriters. Remember, the first draft is the VOMIT DRAFT. Just get it done. And know that... no matter what you do with it, no matter who you are, it's going to suck. Don't become discouraged; understand that you're right on pace with everyone else. Just get it done so you can start the real work.
 
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kylekmd said:
Remember, the first draft is the VOMIT DRAFT. Get it done fast. And know that... no matter what you do with it, no matter who you are, it's going to suck. .
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More words of wisdom.

I saw a lecture by Tom Schulman, he wrote the first draft of DEAD POETS SOCIETY in a single weekend. By Monday morning he had something that would only vaguely resemble the shooting script, nonetheless, he had something with a beginning, middle and end.
I'm like a lot of people that will get to the end of act I and instead of barreling forward will start massaging what's already done. It becomes two steps backward for every step forward. Much better what Kyle advises, cough up that furball asap. That way you actually end up with a completed script.
 
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Hey guys--

This whole theme idea we've been discussing--how it should direct and shape every creative decision you make in your story--is VERY NICELY detailed in a book I came across this week. Recommended by a friend, Inside Story is insightful and inspiring, and I devoured it in 2 days. Check it out if you'd like...

http://www.daramarks.com/inside.php

Tell me what you think.

BTW, Brian, I think most of us do that incessant-rewriting-of-ACT 1 crap. It's a hard habit to break. Liberating, though, once you do. So just forget about it and get that first shi* draft done.:beer:
 
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kylekmd said:
Hey guys--

This whole theme idea we've been discussing--how it should direct and shape every creative decision you make in your story--is VERY NICELY detailed in a book I came across this week. Recommended by a friend, I devoured it in 2 days, as usual. Check it out if you'd like...

http://www.daramarks.com/inside.php

Tell me what you think.
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Just ordered it. Theme/Premise is exactly what I know I must handle much better in my next screenplay. Egri's book was excellent although (quite forgivably) dated. This one looks very promising. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Here's a couple samples from her website. Don't know her, just like the book.
 
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deinitely congrats and also thank you for sharing the tutorial and im sure your script into a feature. Question though, why didnt you try and shoot the feature yourself and sell the whole movie for more. (assuming you're not just a screenwriter)
 
lhmaloney said:
deinitely congrats and also thank you for sharing the tutorial and im sure your script into a feature. Question though, why didnt you try and shoot the feature yourself and sell the whole movie for more. (assuming you're not just a screenwriter)
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The answer: Time constraints. It's that simple.

Although I get 12 weeks vacation with my regular day job (seems like a lot, right?), the problem is the max time off the group allows at one time is 2 consecutive weeks. Could I shoot The Lemon Tree in 2 weeks? Maybe. But would I be happy with the results? Absolutely not.

Maybe someday I'll strike a deal where I'm writer AND director. That would be very cool, and then I might consider leaving the day job altogether.
 
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lhmaloney said:
deinitely congrats and also thank you for sharing the tutorial and im sure your script into a feature. Question though, why didnt you try and shoot the feature yourself and sell the whole movie for more. (assuming you're not just a screenwriter)
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Oh my gosh... whatever you do, do NOT ask this perfectly-logical question on the Absolute Write forums if you don't want to be maimed.
 
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