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  • #46
    Re: When you query ...

    Originally posted by Merrick View Post
    Are you sure about this? Is consensus really achievable?

    There are plenty of stories of material getting shot down for various reasons, such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Back to the Future, The Terminator, Star Wars, Boogie Nights, all of Tarantino's early work.

    I'm not comparing mine to these only that there are many examples to the contrary where it just took one or two people to believe in it. I feel like sometimes trying to please everybody can suck the life out of your work.

    The bigger thing I'd agree with is if you get many comments on the same issue, you need to either decide if it was intentional ... or fix it.
    I think there should be some consensus, yes. It doesn't have to be unanimous.

    Originally posted by finalact4 View Post
    this is not true.

    there are a lot of factors that can cause a pass. finding representation is never simple, even if your material is strong. many reps receive queries and just delete them unopened-- that's not a reflection of your skills or craft.

    many reps now will ONLY accept references and if you have not built a network of contacts that can refer you, then you're SOL.

    you can receive an option agreement from a reputable production company an be unable to come to equitable terms to sign the option.

    there can be a consensus that your writing is exceptional and execs love your style and voice, but the specific material itself, for one reason or another, doesn't fit with the company's mandates or goals.

    are there writers who think they're ready but aren't? yes, i'm sure there are.

    i am speaking from experience.
    I had an agent when I was 21 when I was as naive as most writers in LA today. That was 10 years ago. Recently sent out several queries and got several requests for the script and got 2 offers for representation (1 asked for a second sample) and I signed with one of these reps last week. People on this site make it to be difficult. When you spend 8 years writing 2 scripts, getting someone to help you showcase them should not be difficult. I see many people trying to go out with work that's not ready. I don't have the skills of a pro who can write a script in 16 weeks. Maybe you do. Maybe you are more skilled than me. I spend an entire day writing one sentence sometimes. It must be perfect, or I will not put it out into the world.

    Originally posted by figment View Post
    I legit just laughed out loud. Oh, man. Trust me when I tell you -- you are completely mistaken.
    If you say so. You have your philosophy, and I have mine. There doesn't always have to be right and wrong.

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    • #47
      Re: When you query ...

      Originally posted by Merrick View Post
      Are you sure about this? Is consensus really achievable?

      There are plenty of stories of material getting shot down for various reasons, such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Back to the Future, The Terminator, Star Wars, Boogie Nights, all of Tarantino's early work.

      I'm not comparing mine to these only that there are many examples to the contrary where it just took one or two people to believe in it. I feel like sometimes trying to please everybody can suck the life out of your work.

      The bigger thing I'd agree with is if you get many comments on the same issue, you need to either decide if it was intentional ... or fix it.
      Also just would add, the films you mentioned, there was more than 1 or 2 people behind them. Films are a huge collaborative effort, the greatest form of collaborative art in the world. There are producers, associate producers, actors, directors, people who are actually financing the movie whether studios or independents -- all of these people must believe in the script. There is a consensus that "this will show off my acting chops," "this can win me an academy award," "this can profit us big money," "this gives me an opportunity to use some cool camera techniques."

      Everyone goes into the project for their own personal reasons. If the script is not catering to each of these individuals, in my opinion, it is not ready.

      My two cents.

      Not here to argue. Just to share thoughts.

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      • #48
        Re: When you query ...

        I had an agent when I was 21 when I was as naive as most writers in LA today. That was 10 years ago. Recently sent out several queries and got several requests for the script and got 2 offers for representation (1 asked for a second sample) and I signed with one of these reps last week. People on this site make it to be difficult. When you spend 8 years writing 2 scripts, getting someone to help you showcase them should not be difficult. I see many people trying to go out with work that's not ready. I don't have the skills of a pro who can write a script in 16 weeks. Maybe you do. Maybe you are more skilled than me. I spend an entire day writing one sentence sometimes. It must be perfect, or I will not put it out into the world.
        yeah, that happened to me my first time out, too (two years ago). that exact scenario. but it doesn't always happen that way. in fact, most of the time it doesn't.

        it's not always that easy.

        people on this site make it sound difficult because it is difficult. that isn't a reflection of their skills, it's a reflection on the industry and the landscape. they may be targeting managers that are more difficult to access. they may not have the material that that's right for the rep. there can be any number of reasons why. i can definitely write to the industry standard-- you have to if you want to do assignment work. no one is going to wait years to deliver a draft they've hired you to write. i never compare my skills to any other writer.

        congrats on getting a representation.
        Last edited by finalact4; 11-14-2019, 10:42 PM.
        "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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        • #49
          Re: When you query ...

          Originally posted by Vango View Post
          Also just would add, the films you mentioned, there was more than 1 or 2 people behind them. Films are a huge collaborative effort, the greatest form of collaborative art in the world. There are producers, associate producers, actors, directors, people who are actually financing the movie whether studios or independents -- all of these people must believe in the script. There is a consensus that "this will show off my acting chops," "this can win me an academy award," "this can profit us big money," "this gives me an opportunity to use some cool camera techniques."

          Everyone goes into the project for their own personal reasons. If the script is not catering to each of these individuals, in my opinion, it is not ready.

          My two cents.

          Not here to argue. Just to share thoughts.
          Adam Kolbrenner tells the story of PRISONERS and how long it took (20 drafts) to get a draft they thought was good enough to send out and everyone in town passed on it. It wasn't until they sent it to an agent at one of the big 4 that that one agent got involved and with a lot of hard work and perseverance they finally got it made. But at the start it was just the writer and his manager and a script that took 20 drafts.

          the consensus was that is wasn't makable.

          imo, this is the flaw in your philosophy, because you can't possibly cater to everyone, that's why they call it "development hell," because even when they do sign up for the project the powers that be still CAN'T agree. and those people don't magically all at once get involved, it can take years to package a project.

          It takes one person to champion it. But sometimes it's hard to find that one person. It's about how the material hits the reader, it's not always rejected because of craft, but rather because of how appealing the concept.
          Last edited by finalact4; 11-15-2019, 05:03 PM. Reason: correction to manager name
          "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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