Advice — expert series

Growth is the by-product of a cycle that occurs in nature; that which flowers and fruits will also eventually wither and go to seed. The seed, of course, contains the potential for renewal, but does not guarantee it, nor does the seed instantly spring to new life. There is a necessary dormancy where the possibility of death holds life in suspended animation. In the cycles of our own lives, these near-death moments are rich with heightened dramatic possibilities that the writer wants to capitalize upon.These are the moments in the human drama where the stakes are the highest, where our...

Selling a screenplay or a novel is simple. It's not easy, but it's simple.First: write a great story. Then: get lots and lots of people to read it.You can have the greatest, most commercial, most brilliantly written screenplay or manuscript since The Godfather, but if you don't get dozens of agents, managers, producers, editors and executives in the film or publishing industries to look at it, it'll never get produced, and you'll never reach the wide audience you long for.So how do you do that? How do you persuade all those powerful people that your work is worth their time,...

In his new book, Independent Film Distribution, film journalist Phil Hall offers an unflinching look into the world of independent film distribution. In the excerpt below, Phil interviews expert Gregory Hatanaka, who provides a bevy of insider tips for filmmakers seeking a distribution deal. Q: Do you recommend that filmmakers approach distributors with unsolicited inquiries? Or is there more clout if they come recommended by a third party, such as a producer's rep, agent, publicist, etc.? GREGORY HATANAKA: With the distribution marketplace being extremely competitive, acquisitions execs are taking a harder look in every corner and keep an eye on...

As a produced screenwriter and script consultant, I have had the privilege of interviewing and working with dozens of studio and production company script readers. And what I've discovered are a handful of key things that they look for when judging a script - things other than overall storytelling - things that get you rejected, or seriously discredited, before they even get into the heart of your script. Let's dive into a few of the basics: Amateur Mistakes Some of you already know these, but the question is, are you implementing them? The major signs of an amateur are: *...

This year, reviewers have consistently complained about a lack of character emotional development in the movies. At the same time, Hollywood reports a slump in box office sales. Are the two related? Perhaps. Even the top five moneymaking movies for the summer of 2006 were without significant character emotional development. "Although he slams into stationary objects with his customary zeal, Tom Cruise [in Mission: Impossible III] is off his game here, sabotaged by a misguided attempt to shade his character with gray." Manohla Dargis, NEW YORK TIMES Storytelling involves more than lining up the action pieces, arranging them in a...