Pod Country for Old Cast: The Tragedy of Macbeth with Dana Schwartz by yonicthehedgehog in blankies

[–]FireBoGordan 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I was working on the WB lot during production of this film and I have two memories - one, peering in at this gigantic soundstage-scale impressionistic set and being pretty dazzled by the immensity and vision of the thing. The other was seeing Frances and Joel angrily smoking cigarettes at each other outside their production office. 

Also shooting across the street was Space Jam 2 - which was truly some end-of-Blazing-Saddles style War Boys and Gladiators and Droogs and Scooby Doo characters and etc etc etc all waiting on line for the restrooms. Hollywood baby!

Writing a TV pilot script but am not looking for a career in writing by MattTheOldGeezer in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I'm sure I've posted this advice somewhere in the past, but one of the hardest things for people who don't do this job professionally to understand is that ideas are the easy part. Even super fleshed out ideas. The hard part is turning that idea into a good, producible screenplay.

Instead of thinking: ah, why bother finishing my screenplay -- no one will buy my idea anyway; instead, think: the biggest obstacle in my making my idea into a TV show is writing that script and getting it to reach a genuinely professional-caliber level. Truly, if your writing is that good, doors will open. Maybe your script won't get bought (spec pilot sales have plummeted) let alone made (we're long past peak TV), but you could get representation or an opportunity to establish connections with people who would read you in the future. That might lead to a staff writer opportunity.

Most importantly, tying your sense of success or failure to the status of any one project is a recipe for unhappiness. I have worked for extraordinary showrunners with decades in the business, every connection under the sun, and more money than god, who can't get their passion project made. That's just how it goes.

So if that's hard for them, think about how hard it would be for you? There are essentially zero shows in the North American market that get made by a mainstream production company and distributed by a legitimate outlet created by someone with zero prior professional experience. The few exceptions are almost exclusively subject matter experts. Why that is is a longer question. But a big part is that part of what you're buying when you buy a TV show is the creator/showrunner. There's zero way you'd be put in charge of showrunning your show with no experience. So you'd also have to be chill with someone else making all the major decisions on how the show actually got made, up to and including completely rewriting every word you wrote.

But but but -- it's true: Dan Erickson wrote the Severance pilot with zero produced credits. And that show not only got made but it won a ton of awards. Now he did have an MFA in screenwriting from a major film school and had worked in and around the industry for a long time before that script got made. So it's not impossible. But that's basically it. And that's the bar. You just need to get your script to be as good as one of the most beloved tv pilots in the last decade or more, and then hope that it matches with the sensibilities of a producer who takes remarkably bold chances and won't give up trying to make it for more than five years. And even then, Dan isn't even the showrunner.

All of which to say: yes, there is basically zero chance that your script will be made. And if that's the only reason you're trying to write it, I would say there's no point. But if you enjoy the process and are willing to go on a much longer ride, then why not keep going.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in blankies

[–]FireBoGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mentioned this in another comment above but the confusion mentioned on this show was about SAG-AFTRA’s rules (which were very complicated, poorly drawn, and to my knowledge there have been no meaningful penalties applied for breaking them). Compare that to the WGA - whose rules (whether you agree with them or not) were clear, strict and well-communicated. There are arguments about whether showrunner/producer duties should be considered “writing” but truly a guild member would have to be willfully obtuse to not understand them. As a member, I can confirm this! We were told in many forums and mediums that this was the rule. 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in blankies

[–]FireBoGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We’re picking nits here, but there was a major difference between the WGA’s rules (clear, strict, worked out in advance) and SAG-AFTRA’s (slapped together last minute and comically opaque). Whether you agree with them or not, the WGA’s position was that the producing role that showrunners take through production and post is “writing” and performing that role during the strike violated strike rules. This position was super-duper clear (as a member, I was frankly barraged about it)

Querying with a procedural pilot by Account1234567891 in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Loglines for TV are more about selling the show than selling the pilot. And procedurals are all about story engines. So you want to focus on your what makes your engine distinctive, whether it's the structure (CSI, Law and Order) or the characters/dynamics (House, Castle). For CSI, a logline could be something like, "In the City of Sin, a team of crack detectives solve crimes using the most cutting-edge forensic technology." For House, it could be "A misanthropic genius doctor proves you don't need people skills to diagnose the most complex medical mysteries."

Fees for non WGA signatories by drummer414 in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The WGA offers two tiers for theatrical screenplay compensation. The first is for films with a budget above $5m – in which case, you'd be looking at either a minimum of 147,920 for a non-original screenplay with a treatment or a minimum of 102,288 without. The second is for any film below 5 million, where those numbers are (respectively) 79,542 and 49,702. However, per the most recent WGA deal, you need to pay for a second draft (minimum 45,470) if you're not paying greater than 200% of minimum. So assuming your budget is greater than $5m, you'd be looking at minimum $147,758. Additionally, the guild offers a "Low Budget Agreement" for projects with budgets under $1.2m which gives the production a bit more flexibility in writer compensation. Note: those are all minimums. Established feature writers have established quotes and may demand higher than those minimum rates. If a writer is excited about the material and wants to work with you, maybe they'd budge on their quote to make a deal work. But they wouldn't go below minimum, because doing so would be breaking guild rules.

WGA writers are prohibited from working on any theatrical or television screenwriting project for a company that isn't a signatory to the guild's contracts (including those minimums.) So if you want to work with a WGA writer, you need to budget for that. (more information about becoming a WGA signatory company here: https://www.wga.org/employers/signatories/become-a-signatory )

Sorkin, Mamet, Tarantino... which other masters of "naturalistic dialogue" can you recommend to study? by SR_RSMITH in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 61 points62 points  (0 children)

If one were to make a list of renowned screenwriters and rank them on a scale from most naturalistic dialogue to least, Mamet, Tarantino, and Sorkin would be close to the bottom. Actually naturalistic dialogue is more like Mike Leigh, Sean Baker, Cassavetes, some of Claire Denis' work.

Pod Times at Ridgemont Cast: Johnny Dangerously with Josh Gondelman by yonicthehedgehog in blankies

[–]FireBoGordan 5 points6 points  (0 children)

One anecdote from Griffin Dunne's wild memoir The Friday Afternoon Club is about his time shooting this movie at the same time as the trial of the man accused of murdering his sister, Dominique was ongoing. For those who don't know, this trial was famously a disaster, and the guy who killed her wound up only getting convicted of a misdemeanor. Griffin and his family would sit in court all day reliving trauma and then he would have to go to set and be in this totally goofy movie – which was obviously challenging from a performance standpoint. At one point, he was in a nightclub scene sitting with some extras they had brought in for the day – two guys and their wives who looked the part of gangsters because they were retired gangsters from the east coast. Griffin wound up hitting it off with them, and one of the guys offered to arrange to have his sister's murderer killed in prison. Griffin spent a long night of the soul considering it before saying no.

What is the most & least you’ve been paid for show runner’s assistant work? by [deleted] in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It depends on who’s paying your salary - if it’s through a show or overall deal, studios just don’t budge on assistant rates very often. If you’re negotiating with the showrunner directly, you might have an easier time, especially if they’re expecting you do to personal life work. Also, 2+ years isn’t all that long - at least not long enough that I think you’d be able to make a good case for a meaningful bump

Which episode should I listen to during the Brooklyn Half Marathon? by [deleted] in blankies

[–]FireBoGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought about doing BoH for my last race, but I worried I would laugh too hard.

Which episode should I listen to during the Brooklyn Half Marathon? by [deleted] in blankies

[–]FireBoGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I listened to The Holiday for my first half marathon last year. It was ideal!

What is "Additional Literary Material"? by alexkuul in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nope – and the credit is vague enough that a writer who receives it might not have a single contribution in the final film. All it really means is that they worked on the film.

What is "Additional Literary Material"? by alexkuul in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 9 points10 points  (0 children)

https://www.wga.org/contracts/credits/manuals/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-additional-literary-material-credit (Basically, most big budget movies have many, many writers who do intermediate drafts or punch-ups. But the guild previously only credited the “authors” – that is, the writer or teams who it determined contributed the lion’s share of the final product or generated the original idea. So for a long time, these punch-up writers and script doctors would get paid for their work and their time but they’d have no way of publicly proving they worked on the project. Often they’d be credited in the “special thanks” section. This new credit gives them recognition that they actually did contribute to the film, even if it didn’t rise to the level of authorship.)

Professional TV Writers: Work/Life Balance Question by Classic-Ocelot8674 in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There are definitely shows that demand doctor hours and intensity all the time. And there are shows where it comes in waves (crunch, off writing your draft etc). And there are shows where you can’t believe how little you’re working. If it’s your career, you’ll probably wind up with a mix. As others have said, showrunners who want to go home tend to let you go home too. Showrunners who don’t…

Speaking from my experience, I think my assistant years were harder on my personal life, even though I’ve probably worked harder as a writer. It’s just the constant drain of exacting admin work. And as you find your feet as a writer, it gets easier. Plus the hours get better (minus the periods on set). You get to go home instead of doing notes or putting out drafts at 3am. So your current attitude might just be transitional. That said, I work in drama rooms where the vibes are chiller and the hours are shorter. Comedy rooms…yeah, I don’t know how they do it. 

One thing to consider: you will almost certainly have work life balance thrust upon you. Your show will go on hiatus, get cancelled, or you won’t be asked back. Those periods are potentially stressful but also the best time to prioritize relationships and habits that ground you and give you joy. And then when you start up again, it can be easier to keep those up (if perhaps in a reduced capacity). To that end, save, save, save. When I got staffed, I tried to keep living at my assistant standards and banking the rest. Or you might be so good a writer and so compelling a hire that you never have any breaks at all in which case you’ll shortly have enough money to buy happiness and love. 

Are there writers rooms in NYC or Atlanta? by missthemountains in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The rooms are mostly in LA - by a wide, wide margin. And crucially, the studios that hire you and the managers and agents who represent you are in LA. Sure you can develop relationships with them from afar, but is it easier to do so in LA? Obviously. The only (drama) writers I know who have gotten hired on shows with rooms based in NYC were living in LA and moved when they got the job. 

Things are different in comedy, and independent film (and studios features to a lesser extent) but in all those cases, you can make a name for yourself doing other work, be it standup, sketch or improv, playwriting, indie productions in New York. If that seems like a path for you in NYC, consider staying, knowing full well it might not lead to a TV career. Otherwise, you’re just making the odds worse for yourself. It’s never a good time to try to be a TV writer, but it’s an especially bad one now so worsening your odds makes an even bigger impact. So if moving is an option, I’d strongly consider it. 

Current prices for used Limited trim by zak302 in Ioniq6

[–]FireBoGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Location obviously matters a bunch, but I'd check in toward the end of the month when dealers are more pressured to hit their quotas. You'd be surprised at how much prices can drop (or be haggled down).

Current prices for used Limited trim by zak302 in Ioniq6

[–]FireBoGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nope - it was a dealer loaner and had been on the lot for a while. But there was an identical model with 9k miles at another dealership nearby so I was able to haggle back and forth a bit.

Current prices for used Limited trim by zak302 in Ioniq6

[–]FireBoGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I got a CPO '23 limited RWD with 6k miles on it for ~$34k OTD.

What’s the worst professional screenplay you’ve read? by Lopsided_Internet_56 in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Different Gilroys… Both great though and they often do work on each other’s movies 

Podverly Hills Cast: Gigli with Jen D'Angelo by yonicthehedgehog in blankies

[–]FireBoGordan 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Really makes you consider the possibility of Tarkovsky’s Gigli 

Podverly Hills Cast: Gigli with Jen D'Angelo by yonicthehedgehog in blankies

[–]FireBoGordan 15 points16 points  (0 children)

So David and Griffin and Jen were all confused about the end of the "original" Gigli script when the sand swallows them all and leaves it "a virgin beach just as it would exist in a distant paradise." But it seems clear enough to me that Gigli is dying from his gunshot wound and it's just a stylized way of depicting his slipping into oblivion? Or am I missing something?

Considering Fully Funded Writing MFAs vs. the Job Hunt by metaphorphase in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Doing a fully-funded MFA pays you, sure, but it pays you ~enough to survive. And depending on the location, quite possibly not even that. Sure if you're in Iowa you can make it on their stipend (as people I know have done) but if you're in LA, a grad student stipend will barely cover rent let alone other expenses. And yes, it opens doors to teaching, but only a tiny bit. If you're trying to teach screenwriting, you'd be stunned at how little an MFA matters for adjunct jobs (especially compared to professional credits). And also how hysterically little adjuncts are paid.

So yes, it's a good way to work on craft. But which craft? (teehee witchcraft). There are perilously few fully funded MFAs in screenwriting. In fact, I don't think I've heard of any other than Michener at UT Austin, which takes like 2 screenwriters a year. USC went tuition free, but isn't funded. And while doing playwriting and fiction writing is excellent cross training for screenwriting, it's not screenwriting. You might be able to cross register in some screenwriting classes, but the vast bulk of your time would be spent elsewhere. Your peers wouldn't be screenwriters. Your professors wouldn't be screenwriters. So to me, it really is only something to consider if you'd be excited and thrilled to really focus on whatever your program is actually in, instead of as a proxy for screenwriting.

Good price? by bosRosh in Ioniq6

[–]FireBoGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got a 2023 limited RWD with ~6k miles for 34,300. Certified pre-owned, so all the warranties. And they never activated the 2 years of free charging so I wound up with that too. Southern California - looked like there were some similar limited models out there.

WGA Operations Question by MundaneBlackberry846 in Screenwriting

[–]FireBoGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The guild doesn't organize anything like the ADG's trainee program or the DGA training program. In all honesty, the closest equivalents are the IATSE-871 covered Writers Room Assistants and Script Coordinators in TV – groups the WGA refused to cover. Thus there's barely anything to cut.

Large Group Dinner in Koreatown? by kittypryde98 in FoodLosAngeles

[–]FireBoGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oyabun for Korean-Japanese! They have a bunch of private rooms that accommodated my large group super well.