advice – The Story Department

A passionate, knowledgeable teacher will help take you from amateur to pro, and a hack teacher will take you nowhere and leave you running to outside sources to fill the gaping holes in your education. And from what I’ve heard from people who studied at USC and UCLA, even the best of courses have a mix of both.

In my frustration I have turned to podcasts, interviews, articles, and sometimes a good book leaves me wondering why I bother going to uni at all. In fact, I’ve skipped mediocre classes to stay home and read.

One such book I’ve devoured in my truancy is Emmy-nominated Ellen Sandler’s THE TV WRITER’S WORKBOOK. Ellen has a warm style, and invites you into her world of being a staff writer for Coach and Everybody Loves Raymond. Even if you don’t remotely like Raymond, this book is a little goldmine. The scripted introduction is twee, but once you get past that, you’re in for some tasty learning that will help you in all areas of your writing.

Dubbed as a TV comedy and drama book, I found it was really more a sitcom-writing book, as the examples were comedy focused, though it won’t teach you how to be funny. And it’s not even so much a book for creating original material, though that’s what I used it for.

Ellen has a warm style, and invites you into her world.

The real strengths of Ellen’s book are the sections showing you how to analyse scripts of a series in order to set forth writing a spec for it, as well as her insights into drawing story concepts from inside yourself (using the 7 Deadly Sins) – to write with authenticity and emotion rather than from amusing but impersonal plot concepts.

She explains the importance of premise lines, and shares her format of story structure (based on an original concept by Mark Ganzel), which is essentially the traditional Inciting Incident, First Turning Point, Mid-Point, Second Turning Point, Climax, Resolution structure, but not as clearly laid out or easy to use. I adapted her format and employed it to structure stories, and even used it to help me pitch in L.A.

The difference between plot and theme is nicely explained, and Ellen encourages writers to know their theme early so they may draw plot from it. She also drives home that all steps along the path of your screenplay must focus on your protagonist, which can often be an easy thing to forget while writing.

She explains the importance of premise lines.

After she’s taught you the process for moving between concept, to synopsis, to treatment, to outline, to script, Ellen shares invaluable tips on getting your foot in the door and paints in broad strokes a portrait of the industry.

There are books more in-depth on the workings of the American television system (like Chad Gervich’s Small Screen, Big Picture), and books better at explaining structure (Sheldon Bull’s Elephant Bucks for sitcom writing), but if you’re serious about working intelevision, The TV Writer’s Workbook will show you your craft from a different angle, clue you in on how to make your scenes as dynamic as possible, and most certainly shorten (and de-stress) your writing process.

And at a RRP of US $16, it’s a university course you can hold in your hands without making your wallet violently weep.

You can learn from Ellen Sandler in person! She’ll be in Melbourne (Feb 23-25) and Sydney (Feb 28-March 2) as a part of the 2013 Television Writers Studio, along with other U.S. television-writing experts like Steve Kaplan, and Walking Dead showrunner Glen Mazzara. Book your ticket at Epiphany.

-Ingrid Elkner

Ingrid Elkner exists in human form and as a finger-puppet.

She’s had fiction printed in anthologies, articles published on comedy sites, creates sketches and comics for her own comedy blog 10 Minutes Later, and is the writer of new short film, THE PROWLER, starring Colette O’Neil.

Ingrid studies screenwriting in Melbourne and shakes her fist at offensively-shaped clouds.

Photo Credits: Ingrid Elkner

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

Understanding the Agent

Steven Fernandez — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:00:31 +0000

Hollywood agents: to trust or not to trust?

What is the reality of an agent’s role in your screenwriting career?

Our Hollywood insider, Steven Fernandez gives us the low down…

One of the many learnings I gained from my 4½ month sabbatical at LA was a reality check about what an agent delivers. In my experience over there both Australian and American unsold screenwriters had harmfully naïve expectations about what agents do.

I should make one formal disclaimer however: I am not an entertainment attorney, nor am I a seasoned expert on agents. Therefore you should not be basing critical career decisions on this essay alone. Seek the advice of others as well!

With that out of the way, I would like to confront head-on the most universal (and dangerous) wrong belief that unsold screenwriters have about agents. The belief that they are going to be your career ‘daddy’. That is, the presumption that once you have secured representation you will thence be ‘looked after’ and have all the business side of your occupation ‘taken care of’ for you.

If you learn nothing else from this essay, unlearn this fairy tale!

Get rid of the presumption that an agent will be your career ‘daddy’.

Firstly, at a fundamental life level, if you are not prepared to sit in the pilot seat of your life, then you’re not a genuine adult. Quite frankly! To surrender the pilot seat to someone else and adopt the view that that person will make all the ‘hard’ decisions for you is not just childish, it’s plain retarded!

That’s exactly how scamsters make their profits: by counting on the smucks never asking many questions. Leave your unquestioning faith for Sunday mornings – not your vocation or investments.

Secondly, an agent should never be seen as your boss. Instead, they are your sales facilitator. You are the CEO of your writing enterprise. They work for you. Not the other way around!

Now don’t get me wrong here: By all means listen to what they have to say. Chances are they have industry savviness that you should pay much heed to. But never abdicate the executive decisions to them. For example, if a studio or production company wants to do sodomous changes to your screenplay, then you make the final call whether to fold or walk away. That is never a decision an agent should make for you.

So how do you approach an agent when you have yet to sell your first screenplay?

My advice is that you wait until a producer or production company makes a definite offer to either buy your screenplay, or an option on it. If you think that is bad advice, consider life from an agent’s point of view.

An agent is paid by commission (15% being typical in Hollywood) and, just like any other salesperson, needs to close frequent and regular sales to take home enough net cash to pay rent. Necessarily this means that they must represent a stable of high-value writers who each produce at least four screenplays per year.

For them to contemplate including a new writer into their client list, their bottom line consideration will be will this guy produce saleable product several times a year, year on year? If they are not convinced the prospective writer can be that productive, it simply is not worth their while having him as one of their regulars. This is true even if the writer is unquestionably talented.

For example, if Jim has the talent to produce a Lord Of The Rings calibre story once a year, but that is the only screenplay he can deliver in the whole year, then Jim is a fifty-fifty prospect for most agents. Purely on practical business cash flow grounds.

Do you now get why most agents are so hesitant to take on unsold writers? Without a proven track record, it’s a big ask for any agent to take the risk.

That is why I advise you invest your time wooing a producer or production company first. Once you have a definite buyer for your work then you can approach a mid-tier agency with real credibility. Don’t try to woo the agent first, because in that case you’ll come across as just another wannabe (which LA is full of).

The exception to this rule is when you are networking. In which case, by all means chat and build rapport with several agents … So long as you make it clear that you’re not seeking any heavy favours or commitments from them at this stage.

Without a proven track record, it’s a big ask for any agent to take the risk.

Importantly, even when you have a buyer for your work, you still must be sensible and realistic with your demands on any agent. Ask them for a ‘hip pocket’ deal. ‘Hip pocket’ means that they’ll represent you for this one sale, but is not expected to ‘look after you’ thereafter. (At least not yet.) They get a quick extra injection in their revenue stream while you get the services of a professional. It may not be your first choice arrangement, but it is a realistic ask for a first sale. Also (and importantly) it forms the beginning of a business relationship that can evolve over time. Certainly they will be more receptive of you on your next script sale.

If you are now wondering how on earth you are supposed to woo a producer without the benefit of an agent, the short answer is: by pitching well. See my essay on pitching for pointers.

One last and very important thing: no legitimate agent in LA charges you an upfront fee to sign up with them. If you ever encounter one that does try to slug you, be assured that they are a shark and walk away. That simple!

In summary, an agent is your savvy sales rep. Nothing more, nothing less.

Steven Fernandez is a writer-director of short films and theatrical shows in Sydney, Australia. He is currently writing Human Liberation – an epic novel and screenplay package set in mythic ancient Greece.