Best spec agent

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  • #61
    Re: Best spec agent

    I co-sign everything keith says here. Also, working on pitches and assignments are just as hard and push your artistic abilities as any spec, if not more.

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    • #62
      Re: Best spec agent

      Originally posted by Hamboogul View Post
      I co-sign everything keith says here. Also, working on pitches and assignments are just as hard and push your artistic abilities as any spec, if not more.
      especially the "lunatic" part

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      • #63
        Re: Best spec agent

        Originally posted by Gary Dragan Milin View Post
        Okay, I clearly need to be real careful about how I present myself, because I really don't want to give people the wrong idea.

        I wrote tons of PRACTICE SCRIPTS while I was developing those ideas. I believe I have 13 completed practice scripts and quite a bit more partial scripts that floundered halfway. I did a HUGE amount of writing. That's really the only way to learn the craft. And I didn't want to ruin a great idea with poor execution, which is why I waited so long to write my first "real spec".

        But even still, I had quite a bit of success with my practice scripts. They got me signed by some small time agents. I've worked with managers, entertainment attorneys, producers. Had an actor attached. Several people told me I was on a brink of success (they were wrong). Plus I won $357,000 in the Amazon Studios competition.

        So I'm really happy as far as what I got out of my practice scripts. They taught me the craft. Gave me some encouragement over the years. And are now paying my bills. But they really weren't all that great as far as scripts go.

        I actually uploaded my best practice script on the BL (KILLER ROLE) and I'm curious to see how that one will compare. It's the script that got me the most attention to date, and the only one that I really marketed extensively. But despite getting some very positive responses, nobody felt strongely enough to take it off the market.

        So I guess I should make it very clear that I've done a lot of writing and achieved some degree of success. I certain don't want people to think I just wrote a single script that took me ten years to do.
        Yeah, my perception was clearly quite off the mark. While you don't need to go telling every agent about your 13 scripts, I definitely think you should be taking some pride in the work you've put in as well as the success you've had with Amazon, etc.
        QUESTICLES -- It's about balls on a mission.

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        • #64
          Re: Best spec agent

          I'm still confused as to what you mean by a PRACTICE SCRIPT. Do you have absolutely no desire to see them produced?

          If so, I think that might be the wrong approach. It takes love of a subject to write a movie, and they should be movies you actually WANT TO SEE on the big screen.

          I would never begin a project thinking, "This is just for practice. It doesn't count."

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          • #65
            Re: Best spec agent

            Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
            especially the "lunatic" part
            Gary,

            Ham's also on the official 2012 Blacklist so as far as writing specs go, that's a pretty BFD. So I'd co-sign what he's posted except he already has a cosigner. (I wasn't asked. Apparently, and transparently my cosigning isn't needed or desired.)

            Not to hi-jack this thread, but, Ham, I want to know when you'll be released from Leavenworth. Wasn't appearing on the official BL enough for the parole board? Didn't it show some sign of rehabilitation?

            I'm getting a bit tired of holding this FREE HAMBOOGUL placard.
            Last edited by Ire; 01-23-2013, 04:18 AM.
            #writinginaStarbucks #re-thinkingmyexistence #notanotherweaklogline #thinkingwhatwouldWilldo

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            • #66
              Re: Best spec agent

              Originally posted by Ire View Post
              Gary,

              Ham's also on the official 2012 Blacklist so as far as writing specs go, that's a pretty BFD. So I'd co-sign what he's posted except he already has a cosigner. (I wasn't asked. Apparently, and transparently my cosigning isn't needed or desired.)

              Not to hi-hack this thread, but, Ham, I want to know when you'll be released from Leavenworth. Wasn't appearing on the official BL enough for the parole board? Didn't it show some sign of rehabilitation?

              I'm getting a bit tired of holding this FREE HAMBOOGUL placard.
              Which script from the BL was HAM's?

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              • #67
                Re: Best spec agent

                This was the fastest, greatest, lost/hijacked thread I've seen in a long time.

                I kept reading, reading, to find more on Best Spec Agent... and, then- zilch.
                Hmm. Oh well.
                " Don't really like writing. But I do like having written." Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad.

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                • #68
                  Re: Best spec agent

                  Ham's script is RODHAM.
                  #writinginaStarbucks #re-thinkingmyexistence #notanotherweaklogline #thinkingwhatwouldWilldo

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                  • #69
                    Re: Best spec agent

                    Originally posted by Ire View Post
                    Ham's script is RODHAM.
                    That's the one where Rodham fights Mothra and Gamera, right?

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                    • #70
                      Re: Best spec agent

                      Originally posted by Richmond Weems View Post
                      That's the one where Rodham fights Mothra and Gamera, right?
                      That's the sequel according to my sources.

                      Rodham is an "origin story."
                      #writinginaStarbucks #re-thinkingmyexistence #notanotherweaklogline #thinkingwhatwouldWilldo

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                      • #71
                        Re: Best spec agent

                        Yes to everything that's been asked and revealed about my script.

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                        • #72
                          Re: Best spec agent

                          Originally posted by Hamboogul View Post
                          Yes to everything that's been asked and revealed about my script.
                          Ham, you never answered me about your avatar, I take it you are an orig POTA fan? I am also...beware the beast man....
                          • Go and do likewise gents..

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                          • #73
                            Re: Best spec agent

                            First off, keith, that was indeed very well put. And I must say I agree with everything you had to say. And yeah, even the lunatic part.

                            But I have to admit, I'm not entirely sure why my career aspirations are causing so much controversy.

                            Let's say I sold a spec script. And it was a big sale. Would it really be unheard of for me to immediately write another spec?

                            And if that one sold for a ton of money too, then would anyone seriously blame me for writing a third? etc. etc. etc.

                            This is what I would LIKE to happen. This is my ideal career path. And I did everything I could to prepare myself for this.

                            But like I said several times before, if my specs don't sell, then of course I'll pursue different options. I may be crazy, but I'm not insane.

                            I know this career path has a very low chance of success. So I hope I didn't come across like my success was a forgone conclusion. It still remains to be seen whether I'll be able to sell multiple specs or not.

                            But selling multiple specs is definitely what I'm aiming at.

                            And in a few weeks, I'll probably start writing a new spec. And it's going to be even better than the one I just finished. Of that, I'm pretty sure. But as for all the rest, that remains to be seen.

                            So, really, I guess the big mistake I'm making is to be upfront about where I'd like my career to go. I should keep that information to myself and just keep writing and see where that takes me.

                            Do you guys agree?

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                            • #74
                              Re: Best spec agent

                              Originally posted by Cinemaas View Post
                              I'm still confused as to what you mean by a PRACTICE SCRIPT. Do you have absolutely no desire to see them produced?

                              If so, I think that might be the wrong approach. It takes love of a subject to write a movie, and they should be movies you actually WANT TO SEE on the big screen.

                              I would never begin a project thinking, "This is just for practice. It doesn't count."
                              Some scripts I wrote just to improve a certain aspect of my writing. Like writing a RomCom to improve my romantic subplots. I have zero ambition to write RomComs. I just did it to improve my writing skills.

                              I remember back when Dreamworks acquired CRIMSON SKIES, I came up with a great way to adapt that property into a movie. So I wrote a similar script to try out some ideas and to get some practice writing big action set pieces. I wasn't very good at that initially. I was hoping my script would turn out well enough so that I could use it as a writing sample and get a chance to pitch for that assignment. And even though I really learned a lot about writing action set pieces from that script, my character work was quite poor, so I decided I wouldn't be able to use that script as a sample. That script was SKY PIRATES and it ended up doing very well on Amazon. But it's still a practice script.

                              Actually, I think my failure to pitch my great CRIMSON SKIES take is what first soured me on the whole assignment thing. From that moment on, I decided to just develop original stories.

                              Mind you, I still hope to one day deliver my CRIMSON SKIES pitch to Dreamworks. It really is a great pitch. I just needed a better sample to get me in the door. And repped of course.

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                              • #75
                                Re: Best spec agent

                                Originally posted by Gary Dragan Milin View Post
                                Mike, I'm well aware of the odds. There's about 100 specs bought each year and thousands of working writers.

                                .
                                And only 10 of those come from writers who haven't sold before....
                                "People who work in Hollywood are the ones who didn't quit." -- Lawrence Kasdan

                                Please visit my website and blog: www.lauridonahue.com.

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