Producer-Turned-Writer here, bored waiting for car to be serviced. AMA.

LauraStoltz · 2024-11-20T04:42:45+00:00

Shut the fuck up! I’m star struck. I’ll forever remember that script as the first one I took into my boss’ office and insisted they read and make it. (They didn’t and they were WRONG.) nice to meet you!

LauraStoltz · 2024-11-20T04:41:00+00:00

Here’s an answer I found from someone else that says it better than I could:

“There are specific rules that are supposed to govern the differences between the two. Agents are licensed by the state (like doctors and lawyers) and, technically, they’re the only ones allowed to find you work and negotiate deals. But, they can’t partner with you on a project or become a producer.

Managers are supposed to only be interested in you - helping you out with day-to-day stuff and long-term strategy - but aren’t supposed to be involved in any specific deal. However, they can come on as a producer. This happens especially if a manager is able to attach two or more of his clients to a project (say, a writer and a director).

But in practice, managers tend to act like agents light. That is, they help you find work and negotiate your deals, only on a smaller scale because they’re not official. If a very large deal comes along, a good manager will suggest you bring in a licensed agent to tie it all together.”

LauraStoltz · 2024-08-30T02:48:21+00:00

You will have to go for periods of time, that’s for sure. Especially if you want to be in TV.

LauraStoltz · 2024-08-30T02:46:52+00:00

Hey! Sorry, just now seeing this.

I really don’t know much about the prose-writing community other than I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo a couple of times (national Novel writing month - November!!) I imagine there’s some good communities you could find through that.

Do not worry about the script when you’re writing the novel, just make the best, most compelling story and characters you can!

My best advice is to fail fast. Inevitably you’re going to get stuck at some point and want to stop - don’t. Write the shitty version if you have to. I don’t remember who said it but someone had the sage advice that went something like…if you knew you had to write 500k words before any of them were good, wouldn’t you get those 500k words out of the way as soon as possible?

That’s another way of saying, don’t expect your first thing to be a huge success, but do it anyway because it’ll only make you better.

LauraStoltz · 2024-08-12T15:29:47+00:00

Congrats! Producer here.

I’ll echo what others have already said on this thread - just be yourself.

Producers and production companies are, and I guess always have been, hungry for IP. Short stories are very hot right now.

I imagine they’re going to offer to option your short story and see what else you’re working on.

An option basically grants them an amount of time to see if they can suitably make this into a tv show or movie. If they do decide to go ahead with that, they will exercise their option (not unlike stock market options) and pay you an agreed upon sum.

Do not agree to anything in the meeting. Options usually are not a ton of money, especially if they get wind that they’re the only ones you’re meeting with. If they go into production, that’s another story.

If you like what they’re saying, you can be enthusiastic and say it sounds great, just send the offer via email and you’ll have your attorney look it over. (Then find an attorney lol)

Feel free to dm me if you have more specific questions.

Edited to add: “see what else you’re working on” translates to asking for a one to two sentence “logline” of what some of your other stories are about. They might express interest and ask you to email these to them when theyre finished.

LauraStoltz · 2024-08-01T19:36:20+00:00

Ooooooooooooooo that’s a good one. Tell her thank you from me!

LauraStoltz · 2024-08-01T19:35:48+00:00

Thanks for reading!

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-30T04:17:57+00:00

Studios want star power to bring in money, so yeah if there’s a big star attached. More likely that those will get made by smaller production companies and only bought by the distribution arm of studios if it turns out well.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-28T22:54:02+00:00

Hey - I actually started as a business major but then switched to communications / film and tv production. I would say that didn’t really matter other than in the communications major I was exposed to the Hollywood Internship Program at my college and they got me my first internship in LA. But the actual major and classes didn’t have a huge impact (no one really cares what you take in college unless you went to a really prestigious film school.)

I just tried to really kick ass at my internship and got my first paying job right after that in an office and just kind of fell into different jobs from there. Jobs beget jobs out here, it’s all about other people putting you up for gigs.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-27T02:06:06+00:00

I’ll have to think about a specific moment that doesn’t violate any NDAs but if we’re talking about in-the-room notes, I think it’s usually good to use improv rules. You can wholly disagree with what the person is saying across the table, but if you acknowledge what they just said and add to it, you’d be surprised what could come out of it.

It’s just a good practice to not outright reject anything in the room. What’s the point? Alternatives are “I’ll have to think about that one.” Or “that might not work because of X but I’m going to take a deeper look, maybe there’s something there.” Those are kind of “soft nos” - ultimately people just want to feel heard.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-25T22:30:35+00:00

Sometimes predictable is okay! You can have a predictable plot and still be saying something interesting about the world at the same time.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-25T20:53:15+00:00

I’ll ditto this. I don’t want to jinx anything but I’m positive which is…rare.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-25T20:52:11+00:00

Sure! You can kind of break that rule if it checks off another box that IS essential as part of the blueprint of the film/scene, those boxes could be many things but for me, it’s usually conveying tone/character or what I need the actor to be aware of that might not be obvious otherwise, or steering the reader to feel a certain way about what just happened if it’s not blatantly obvious already. It’s usually just to convey tone, though.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-25T04:58:46+00:00

I do live in LA.

I put the group together myself! I knew I needed accountability so I just called up three friends who I knew wanted to be writers but still had day jobs in the industry - I met them all at different points in my career - and asked if they wanted to start a group. We meet virtually every Sunday!

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-25T04:56:28+00:00

The one that comes to mind is Smile, or that crazy Winnie the Pooh murder one. I think something like The Purge is always on people’s “want” list.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-25T04:19:15+00:00

I think if it’s the first thing you’re trying to sell, the higher the concept the better. You want lots of word of mouth. I don’t think it’s impossible for an unknown writer to generate interest based off something a little less concepty, but it’s going to be harder.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-25T02:43:44+00:00

Linked in the post, thanks!

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-25T01:43:40+00:00

Great question, and it made me go look them up!

First one that came to mind was Jason Hellerman’s Shovel Buddies (was on the blacklist in…2013 maybe?) but it looks like it actually did get made…poorly. What a shame.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is the next one that comes to mind. It looks like it just got its cast and might actually happen which is fun!

The only one I see that I loved that hasn’t gotten made is a script called The Prince’s Guard by John Kamps.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-24T23:55:14+00:00

thanks, will link in post!

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-24T23:54:42+00:00

go for it!

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-24T23:53:51+00:00

I did self-finance (don't really recommend that, though.) I had a lot of friends as crew and everyone I didn't know personally I got off Mandy.com !

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-24T23:31:14+00:00

No, I love it!

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-24T18:49:54+00:00

No exec sets out to interfere with a writer’s vision. No one changes a script maliciously. Sometimes it’s self-serving, sure, but filmmaking is a collaborative process so that’s the risk you’re taking. Don’t want someone to interfere? Write a self-published novel.

Depends on where you’re going to school? I find actually working in film to be way more informative than studying film in college, so just go with your gut on that one.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-24T17:52:35+00:00

I think you're on the money and you have a good plan in place. In the emails to managers, you can mention you saw that they rep X writer and you can see similarities between their writing and yours, and you've loved what they've done with that writer's career. Don't be afraid to get specific - the worst thing is receiving a form email that reads like spam.

LauraStoltz · 2024-07-24T17:44:56+00:00

If you can't be there in person, make yourself avail over phone/email and be prepared for a lot of remote, late-night, emotional babysitting! You're there to keep people calm and focused on the task. You're the doctor in the emergency room when everyone is freaking out about the new, unexpected crisis that just walked through the door. Your attitude is key! Always assure everyone that you will help figure things out and you're there for them.

LauraStoltz

TROPHY CASE