Breakfast with Sharks Read online

  A FINAL WORD

  By its very nature, developing a script entails the sometimes painful process of going from personal project to commercial enterprise. Directors are the most crucial part of the equation. You should realize your frustrations are usually process-related. Everyone is trying to make the best film according to his or her abilities. It’s just that few agree on what that film should be. For that reason, no matter what you do, it will be hard to meet all expectations and agendas. Your goal is to survive. Be the defender of the story’s spine, and don’t get embroiled in the politics of power and personalities. Leave actual execution of the movie to the director and producer(s). In football, this is called “staying in your lane.” Despite the many challenges you will face when passions and egos enter the picture, you can tunnel through the process like Clint Eastwood in Escape From Alcatraz, so that you may live to fight another day.

  12

  SECTION 327: ACTORS

  How Actors Find Work

  Attaching Actors to Your Script

  Movie Stars and Actors

  Querying an Actor

  EXTRA CREDIT READING:

  On Acting: Interviews with Actors by Mark Luckhurst and Cloe Veltman

  Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you too, can become great. —MARK TWAIN

  Good scripts attract good directors. Good directors attract actors. Actors are literally the face and breath of a film. Movies cannot be made without them. In an age of CGI special effects, there can be a tendency to treat actors as props—just one more set element. To see your script go from page to scene, you may have to watch actors who are instructed to move from scene to scene like stick figures. Such a method may have worked for Alfred Hitchcock or John Ford, but few of us are of that level of genius or stature. Nothing is more rewarding than watching a fine actor make your words his or her own.

  HOW ACTORS FIND WORK

  Actors find auditions via trade publications like Drama-Logue, Casting Call and Backstage, which is the best way to contact them. They submit their equivalent of business cards, head shots. These are eight-by-ten photos of the actor. Usually actors have a few variations of these head shots, to show their dramatic and comedic sides. A tiny ad for auditions or readers placed in the trades will net you hundreds and sometimes thousands of head shots a week later. Actors have a tough row to hoe because supply always exceeds demand, and because relatively few are college-educated, so they have limited career options to fall back on, although that is changing. Lack of higher education means that actors have very little to fall back on financially. They wait tables and do all of the other stereotypical things, like retail and telemarketing, to earn money.

  Like writers, actors must get used to rejection. On my recent film Hard Scrambled, we received some 2,000 head-shot and less often videotape submissions, resulting in about 100 auditions. In other words, the selection process is both highly selective and idiosyncratic. I saw many good performances, and many actors who were extremely dedicated to their craft. Often it came down to a gut feeling that the director and we producers had.

  How to Sort Actor Head Shots (aka Type Casting)

  Appropriate by type.

  Appropriate by age group.

  Inappropriate but interesting.

  Totally inappropriate and destined for the wastebasket. Seventy-five to ninety percent of the submissions you receive will fall into this category, so, to paraphrase Roy Scheider in Jaws, you’re going to need a bigger wastebasket.

  ATTACHING ACTORS TO YOUR SCRIPT

  Aside from a lucrative paycheck, actors are motivated by good scripts and good directors, as well as the chance to work with esteemed fellow actors. It’s important to keep in mind these motivations when you approach an actor about your project. Actors are at the mercy of the director’s vision. A good director allows an actor to experiment and give colors (delivering dialogue in different ways and allowing different takes of the material, varying tone, speed of delivery, and facial expressions). An actor who only delivers a single color isn’t going to give a director much to work with in the editing room, and isn’t going to make your script come alive, either.

  Many writers who have settled in to Hollywood will move into producing their scripts by attempting to attach to their work actors they’ve met. Likewise, that actor living just down the hall from you will be thinking about how he or she might circumvent the audition process and get in on the ground level of a promising project. As important as an actor’s ability is his name recognition. Attaching talented but unknown actors to your script will impede its chances in the marketplace. That’s because a good producer may wish to attach a “name” in order to set it up. For example, maybe he or she knows of a financier willing to fund a Vin Diesel movie. The only thing missing is the script—your script—which may be unnecessarily encumbered by an actor whose best credit is a Zest commercial. Remember that actors will wish to work with actors of similar (or higher) caliber and “stardom.” Before contractually attaching your karate instructor-turned-actor to your White Belt Fury script, ask yourself how the relationship will benefit the marketing of your work.

  MOVIE STARS AND ACTORS

  Actors with marquee status come in two categories: Those who are intimately involved in the development process of every project that comes their way, and those whose major concern is the money behind the deal. When pitching to an actor’s production company, it’s crucial to know whether the actor is doing legitimate development or merely housekeeping, meaning maintaining an office on the studio lot mainly so that he or she has a private place to go for lunch. These actors sometimes use discretionary monies given to them by the studio to option material with a vague notion of developing it. However, the purchase is mainly intended to keep loyal staffers busy in between lunches. This latter arrangement is known as a vanity deal and can needlessly tie up your project for a year or longer because the lack of a true development process means your project is predetermined to gather dust on a shelf. Writers concerned about such a scenario should make inquiries with the actor’s director of development regarding what projects they have in development and what movies they have produced in the past twenty-four months. Actors who are heavily involved in the development of projects they appear in have a strong sense of aesthetic. For example, it’s hard to imagine an actor like Dustin Hoffman or Sean Penn just showing up for principal photography to utter the lines they’ve been given. Such actors gravitate toward character-driven as opposed to action-driven material, then mold it to fit their on-screen personae.

  Writer’s Tip

  Many writers specifically write small, personal stories, hoping to target an actor they admire. However, almost always, the nicely told story of “How Mom Survived Cancer” will be considered too soft for development and a very tough sell unless it’s woven into a bigger story. Think Terms of Endearment or Lorenzo’s Oil. In the latter instance, a true-life family’s anguish led them to defy established medical opinion in search of a cure for cancer. It’s easy to see how such emotional tours de force would garner passionate commitment from actors.

  QUERYING AN ACTOR

  Approach an actor or his development executive the same way you would an agent, a producer, or an executive. On a single sheet of paper or in a three-minute phone call, state who you are (brief summary of your credits), the project you have, and why you think the actor would be right for the part. If you have an agent or manager, consult with them about making the pitch for you. Your representation will also discuss with you the merits and viability of approaching the proposed actor.

  My Foray into Acting School

  An actor friend asked me if I was interested in tagging along to his class at a legendary acting school in New York. He assured me that I could just hang out and watch the proceedings. My friend lied. Before I knew it, I was alone on a tiny stage telling twenty or so strangers “a little about myself.” A toothpick was t
he only thing that saved me from having to fake heat stroke to escape. The toothpick was in my front pants pocket, and I fidgeted with it so much that about thirty seconds into my “monologue,” it pushed through and was free-floating around somewhere inside my boxer shorts. The threat of an imminent “kebabbing” distracted me so much that I finished the exercise without trouble, then walked very carefully back to my seat. Since then I’ve sat in with several groups. I often am inspired and humbled by the talent of actors.

  13

  SECTION 329: AGENTS

  Who Are Agents

  The Agent Roster

  Meeting an Agent

  Five Ways to Impress Your Agent

  How to Become a Client

  Being a Pocket Client and Rising Above That Status

  The Role of Query Letters and Query Calls

  Form for All Queries

  Keeping an Agent

  How to Avoid Sticking with a Bad Agent

  Deciding Whether to Leave Your Agent

  Marketing Your Script Without an Agent

  The Benefits of a Good Agent

  ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:

  The Mailroom: Hollywood from the Bottom Up by David Rensin The Script Is Finished, Now What Do I Do? by K. Callan

  I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term Natural Selection.

  —CHARLES DARWIN

  WHO ARE AGENTS?

  Each year, thousands of Hollywood hopefuls plunk down hundreds of dollars each, trying to unlock the mysteries of one topic: Agents. With that in mind, I will take a little extra time with this complex subject.

  Hollywood agents come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are ex-lawyers and some never went to college. Almost all started out in talent agency mail rooms where they sorted mail and delivered packages and learned who is who in the industry. Following about six months of long days of tedious work for little pay, a select few are invited into the agency’s training program, where they work as assistants to agents. This rigorous landing-at-a-desk training period features even longer hours and more stress, and can last up to about two years. Following that time period, either the assistant will be fired to make way for the next crop of trainees, or if lucky, he will be invited to become a junior agent in the firm. An assistant who feels that she won’t be offered a junior agent position will preempt the process by finding an agent vacancy at a smaller firm than where she trained. Small agencies employing fewer than twenty agents are called boutiques. They offer clients greater personal attention in exchange for the decreased standing they hold in the industry. Agents may also create their own firms and work alone. Such agencies are referred to as one-man bands. Usually, such an agent must have at least one star client in order to be worth your time.

  The business side of Hollywood is a volatile mix of high-octane deals and combustible personalities. The agent profession in particular seems to attract type-A personalities. For agents, the pressures to land the best client and make the deal happen are enormous. Thus all agents share certain characteristics. Usually they are young and aggressive and come fully equipped with the famous killer instinct that barely needs mentioning. They are dealmakers and sale-closers. Agents prowl the Hollywood waters for promising material they can sell with a minimal expenditure of energy. Agents must sell projects in order to survive. Until a decade ago (ancient history in Tinseltown time), agents were seen as cultivators of talent and sounding boards for both creative and personal issues. Many had literary backgrounds and were prolific readers. They cared about all aspects of the client’s life and were good hand-holders who might even loan you a few bucks when times were tight. However, the increasing corporatization of the entertainment industry has made such “caring and sharing” obsolete. For instance, my previous agent didn’t even know I was married. It just never came up.

  Good and Bad Agents

  Good Agent . . .

  has a passion for the deal

  is detail-oriented

  remembers the little things

  remains in constant contact

  follows up by calling around for feedback after you take a meeting

  Bad Agent . . .

  doesn’t return calls

  loses submissions

  is dishonest

  promises the moon but can’t deliver the cheese

  is unprepared for meetings, then tries to fake his or her way through discussions of your work

  Success for an agent is determined by the number of projects they sell. The writing, directing, and other creative input they leave to you. For this reason, few agents speak in terms of whether a particular property is “good” or “bad,” but rather address whether or not they feel they can sell it immediately. Until you are an earning client, most agents are bad about returning calls, reading material, or answering e-mail. The best thing you can do is not take any of it personally. Agents read hundreds of mostly bad scripts in a given year, which is more than enough to darken even the most sunny agent’s disposition.

  Let’s Do Lunch . . .

  If you want to see what agents look like and how they sound and smell, go to Kate Mantilini’s industry haunt at lunchtime. You’ll pay exorbitant prices for glorified diner food, but will also glean invaluable reconnaissance. Kate’s is located on Wilshire Boulevard, a stone’s throw from uber agency ICM. I recommend that you bring your best hearing aid and go eat lunch there every day for a week. The experience will be very enlightening. Of course, if an agent offers to take you out to lunch, you can expect them to pick up the check. The same goes for a producer.

  THE AGENT ROSTER

  The average agent may have a dozen or so working writers at the midlevel, who command low to high five figures per project. Most writers who persevere reach this next level in about two to five years. When a writer sells a high-profile spec or consistently strings together enough midlevel assignments, that writer is said to be pulling his or her weight. Unless the agency is a powerhouse, most agents are lucky to have more than one writer of this caliber. Such writers command the undivided attention of the agent. I once saw a client list at a midsized agency where some agents were handling thirty-five writers. You can bet that only about five of those writers are working at any given time, and only one was A-list.

  TIP: Never take a meeting with a prospective agent without knowing who his or her key clients are. You can locate such information on the website whoRepresents.com or via a Google search.

  MEETING AN AGENT

  Many writers are apprehensive about how they should behave when meeting with an agent, particularly in the initial phases of the relationship. First, be sure to dress casually. Don’t try too hard to impress via your wardrobe. Jeans and a shirt are enough, while a suit will have you competing with your intended rep. It sounds superficial, but Hollywood expects screenwriters to look like they were typing away or more likely, goofing off ten minutes prior to the sit-down. The agent will assume you sleep in your clothes, anyway. During the meeting, anticipate a general consensus on the direction and marketability of your work, or what those business types call a “market overview.” Knowing exactly what expectations you have is critical going in. What is the agent’s perspective of your work? This one’s crucial, since an agent’s best asset is his or her judgment. How many writers does the agent rep? Ten to twelve working writers is ideal, with a couple of high-powered names thrown into the mix. The writer-to-agent ratio indicates the likelihood that the agent will work aggressively for you.

  Is there synergy between you and the prospective agent? Some agent types have a habit of rephrasing tough questions into something they’d rather answer. Ideally, the actual meeting should be held in a conference room where you won’t be interrupted. Look for signs that calls are being held. Fifteen minutes is reasonable to expect. Any conversation that ends with “What are you, some kinda freak?” probably doesn’t bode well for the relationship. Realistic expectations are important, and one unspoken expectation by an agent is tha
t you’ll continue to aggressively market your own career. Simply writing and providing an address where to send the Big Giant Checks, while leaving the business end up to your representation, is a sure way to jeopardize your career.

  The follow-up after a first meeting provides key information for the writer. Is the agent aggressive in contacting you afterwards? Does he or she return each new round of calls promptly? For your part, send a thank-you note that includes an elaboration or reference to something memorable from the meeting. Then watch to see if the agent acknowledges receiving your thank-you, script, or other follow-up mailed materials.

  FIVE WAYS TO IMPRESS YOUR AGENT

  Many writers go to great lengths to procure an agent, only to let their promising relationship slip away through lack of due diligence. Usually this occurs when a beginning writer assumes that all his or her hard work on the business side is over, and now the agent will be 100 percent responsible for generating opportunities and deals. Problems can arise when the same writer then turns in a new spec that’s less than a home run, then sits at home and waits for the phone to ring, berating the agent when it doesn’t. A healthy client/ management relationship evolves and matures over time following the initial honeymoon period, and a good client stays involved in helping to shape his or her career. Here are five ways to ensure that your relationship stays positive and continues to grow: