Recently, the Writers Guild of America held a panel on the state of the industry. Here are some bullet points (all culled from John August with my commentary added–look at me being all web 2.0 and remix)
Development slates are being cut in half. Forget ever getting an on-the-lot office w/ secretary.
While theatrical revenue is up, DVD sales have dropped roughly 30%. Does this mean the end of low-budget, direct-to-DVD sequels? Probably not.
The majors need to pump more out of the international markets. That means more big action, star driven movies. Time to dust off that old Stallone action spec and rewrite it for Marky Mark.
If your script doesn’t get the greenlight, it’s over. It’s dead. Bury it. Write something new.
Pre-branded material is king. Apparently Jonathan Hensleigh (The Punisher) had to option a comic similar to an idea he developed just so the executives could have some pre-branded to look at (…so he’s buying properties to kill them so his own can thrive?).
Marketing is getting involved w/ development (for reference, see how the commercial industry works). If the marketing team can’t easily grasp your idea, it’ll never go from script to screen.
Concept is king. Write well executed, big ideas. Ditch all that mushy character stuff you’ve been developing since college.
You’re better off being the mediocre writer that’s good in a room than the opposite. I suggest you practice by trying to pick people up in bar. If you can master that, and can transfer that skill over to pitch meetings, you’ll be unstoppable
Competitions, except the Nicholl, are a waste of time (save your pennies).
If the title can pitch the script, you’re a genius. If you can sell it with a logline, great. If you need a paragraph to set it up, you’re in trouble. Actually, this reminds me of one of my earlier posts.
Should you do free rewrites? Yes.
Are short films a waste of time? Yes.
Is YouTube a waste of time? Yes.
… Okay, are you as depressed as I am? If it’s any consolation, John pointed out that the panel was made up of studio guys that make big movies, not indie filmmakers.
Yeah, that doesn’t make me feel better.
Tags: John August, Screenwriting, WGA
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