Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

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  • #76
    Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

    I agree with docgonzo and Bono... good ideas as well.
    Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

    Comment


    • #77
      Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

      Originally posted by Friday View Post
      Yes.




















      I keed. I keed!
      Ha!
      Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

      Comment


      • #78
        Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

        Originally posted by Friday View Post
        In your opinion, how high do you have to place in these major contests (that are not Nicholl) to realistically garner the attention of the top managers?
        This isn't meant to be snarky, just realistic: what does it matter? If you hear that "only the top 5 get attention," will you write your script any differently?

        I'm a big believer in "put as many irons in the fire as possible." Enter contests you think matter, send out queries if you get good results, and do everything else, all at the same time.

        And I would never be afraid of going after the best rep possible. Some top reps won't do much for you, but some will... and if a top rep believes in you, they have contacts that newer reps don't.

        If you're lucky enough to end up at a UTA or CAA, you'll usually have a team - a more senior person who doesn't do the day to day, and a newer rep that does.

        Comment


        • #79
          Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

          I should add:

          When I was at Gotham, my ex was my lead manager. But, the truth is a new manager was the dude out hustling. He was ON IT. Young and hungry. Dude was only 25, but he got result. Real meetings about jobs with legit people right away.

          Unfortunately my ex turned out to be a b!tch and demanded they drop me. So that was that. I did like his hustle. I would have stayed to see where it went.

          Young reps are SUPER EXCITED to actually get to play the game for real. Older reps only get excited about huge deals.

          Example in the difference:

          YOUNG REP: Great news! Got you a meeting with ___! Trying to confirm times. Have a great weekend! (Tone is... LET'S DO THIS!)

          ESTABLISHED REP: ___ wants to meet with you. Will have assistant set up a time. (Tone is... meh.)
          Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

          Comment


          • #80
            Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

            Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
            This isn't meant to be snarky, just realistic: what does it matter? If you hear that "only the top 5 get attention," will you write your script any differently?

            I'm a big believer in "put as many irons in the fire as possible." Enter contests you think matter, send out queries if you get good results, and do everything else, all at the same time.

            And I would never be afraid of going after the best rep possible. Some top reps won't do much for you, but some will... and if a top rep believes in you, they have contacts that newer reps don't.

            If you're lucky enough to end up at a UTA or CAA, you'll usually have a team - a more senior person who doesn't do the day to day, and a newer rep that does.

            Agreed. Mind if I add to that.

            Yeah, that's part of the rub. I noticed that when I was at CAA the agent was big enough that the script would bypass lower levels and go straight to THE DUDE. And the dude (chick?) would read it themselves. Why am I positive? Because one of them read it on a plane back from NYC and responded the second he landed. No time to have it covered. A-list producer.

            But, true, I technically had 3 agents there: my ex, my lead agent, and a lower level agent. Then if you're working with an A-list producer at the same place they have 3 ultra high level agents there themselves. That's a lot of man power for one script. Their intel is world class. They can get it to anyone and you're probably going high on the stack if they can say 6 CAA agents are behind this project.

            Btw - a monster like CAA. Man, if someone needs something for a client. Agency wide intel comes in handy.

            Agreed. Try everything simultaneously.
            Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

            Comment


            • #81
              Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

              Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
              No great ideas of how to do that. But...

              1) If it were me I'd start by calling shops and trying to get assistants on the phone and ask them if they are friends with any newer managers on the rise looking for new clients that they could recommend. You might have to make 100 calls but I bet sooner or later you'd have a decent list. I think many assistants would appreciate you trying to do business with THEM instead of trying to get to their boss. You could try that with agencies and management firms. And you'd probably have more success over the phone vs email as it's more personal. (I'd start with the big shops and work my way down as those assistants are probably more connected. Who knows, maybe an assistant will ask for the script and want to hip pocket you. I've seen that happen, then by the time the person made agent they'd already gotten the client a job and now they're folded into the company.)

              2) I'd look online to see if there's any lists spotlighting young managers on the rise. Maybe a "30 under 30- list or something like that. But those rep's rosters might already be full. Who knows?

              3) Newer reps are normally the ones who attend pitch conferences and such. The bigs tend to not need to. Research if there's anyone legit in that list.

              4) Are there any managers on TBL that aren't household names. Maybe try them, or their assistant (who could possibly hip pocket you before turning manager themselves.)

              Plenty of assistants already act like mini agents and managers, they know the game, they just haven't done it for real yet, like their boss. I'd bet it's a faster way in than contests.

              That's all I got off the top of my head.

              Good thoughts Gucci. I like the 30 under 30 idea.

              Comment


              • #82
                Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
                This isn't meant to be snarky, just realistic: what does it matter? If you hear that "only the top 5 get attention," will you write your script any differently?

                I'm a big believer in "put as many irons in the fire as possible." Enter contests you think matter, send out queries if you get good results, and do everything else, all at the same time.

                And I would never be afraid of going after the best rep possible. Some top reps won't do much for you, but some will... and if a top rep believes in you, they have contacts that newer reps don't.

                If you're lucky enough to end up at a UTA or CAA, you'll usually have a team - a more senior person who doesn't do the day to day, and a newer rep that does.

                Thanks Jeff. That's good advice. I appreciate it.


                I guess a part of me was just agonizing over the question of "how close am I...or not." If I had just placed slightly better, what would be the result. I get what you're saying. I should just focus on putting more irons in the fire.

                Comment


                • #83
                  Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                  Hope it helps! The other thing I'd say is keep churning out scripts. A lot of people write a script... and rewrite it... and rewrite it...

                  You've got to put them to bed and move on. You never know what idea will grab someone, and your execution will continue to improve. Good luck!

                  Comment


                  • #84
                    Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                    Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
                    Hope it helps! The other thing I'd say is keep churning out scripts. A lot of people write a script... and rewrite it... and rewrite it...

                    You've got to put them to bed and move on. You never know what idea will grab someone, and your execution will continue to improve. Good luck!

                    It really helps. Thanks Jeff.

                    Comment


                    • #85
                      Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                      Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
                      This isn't meant to be snarky, just realistic: what does it matter? If you hear that "only the top 5 get attention," will you write your script any differently?

                      I'm a big believer in "put as many irons in the fire as possible." Enter contests you think matter, send out queries if you get good results, and do everything else, all at the same time.

                      And I would never be afraid of going after the best rep possible. Some top reps won't do much for you, but some will... and if a top rep believes in you, they have contacts that newer reps don't.

                      If you're lucky enough to end up at a UTA or CAA, you'll usually have a team - a more senior person who doesn't do the day to day, and a newer rep that does.
                      Exactly. You try anything that isn't illegal, immoral, or stupid. This is a long game and marketing yourself is hard grinding work. All it takes is finding that one person who believes in you or your script. That doesn't just happen without trying every avenue that's open.

                      Comment


                      • #86
                        Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                        Originally posted by EdFury View Post
                        This is the truth under the surface of the original quote. There are too many contests now and too many really bad scripts make the semis and quarters. I read for one of the better ones a couple of years ago. We couldn't find 10 scripts good enough for the finals. The winner was a script no one would make from a writer no one would hire. Reps know this. Nothing but the Nicholl, semis and finalists, is significant, unless you include a win at Austin.

                        Contests quarterfinals or semis for the 100 or so screenwriting contests out there that mean nothing? A red flag for reps. Why? Because the really do mean nothing. Used to. Not any more.
                        Francis Ford Coppola's contest results in the finalists all being considered for representation at all the major talent agencies, with meetings set up I believe, and the winning script being sent to numerous production companies for development consideration. I also believe you get to meet Coppola himself, who is responsible for deciding on the winning script, although I am unsure about this. Either way, this all sounds like something significant for a contest.

                        Comment


                        • #87
                          Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                          Reiterating...

                          But, yeah, dude I've seen 2 hit films first hand almost not sell. I did the math the other day $700,000,000 gross. Bruh... that's almost a billion bucks. DUDE WHAT??? Almost didn't sell???? WOW!

                          This town man... it's fukkin nutz.

                          I'm not trying to grandstand when I say this: But I think I was maybe part of one of the biggest sales EVER in Hollywood history. But, dude, it almost didn't sell. The actual fukk? That's when you SUPER-DUPER FUKKING ***GET*** how hard it is to sell anything in this town. Holy FUKK an Oscar/Globe contender for best pic almost didn't sell? WOOOOOW! True sh!t.

                          That was fo sho my "bruh... TRUST ME... this industry will never make any sense" moment. I just made someone, what, 5-6 million bucks? And it almost didn't happen. Fukk me! How does this work? No idea!
                          Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                          Comment


                          • #88
                            Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                            And some of these properties are hit books and other IP so it's even more WTF from the outside looking in...

                            Like it seems they option every book that become a YA novel before it's even written these days...

                            Comment


                            • #89
                              Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                              Originally posted by Bono View Post
                              And some of these properties are hit books and other IP so it's even more WTF from the outside looking in...

                              Like it seems they option every book that become a YA novel before it's even written these days...
                              Yup...

                              My ex sold lots of sh!t based on half (HALF!) a manuscript. The book wasn't even done yet, already sold the film rights. Fukkin WHAT???

                              They look at that as more valuable than a completed screenplay. Book hasn't even come out yet to know what the fukk it's gonna do on the market. BOOM! FUKK IT. SOLD! "Let's hire someone to adapt it." DUDE, WHAT IN THE FUKK????

                              Yup, put the gun in your mouth... RIGHT NOW! Ha!
                              Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                              Comment


                              • #90
                                Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                                Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
                                Reiterating...

                                But, yeah, dude I've seen 2 hit films first hand almost not sell. I did the math the other day $700,000,000 gross. Bruh... that's almost a billion bucks. DUDE WHAT??? Almost didn't sell???? WOW!

                                This town man... it's fukkin nutz.

                                I'm not trying to grandstand when I say this: But I think I was maybe part of one of the biggest sales EVER in Hollywood history. But, dude, it almost didn't sell. The actual fukk? That's when you SUPER-DUPER FUKKING ***GET*** how hard it is to sell anything in this town. Holy FUKK an Oscar/Globe contender for best pic almost didn't sell? WOOOOOW! True sh!t.

                                That was fo sho my "bruh... TRUST ME... this industry will never make any sense" moment. I just made someone, what, 5-6 million bucks? And it almost didn't happen. Fukk me! How does this work? No idea!

                                I get that it's mind-blowing, except that taste is subjective and that that's been happening since the dawn of time In terms of books, I mean come on, we all know about HARRY POTTER not finding a publisher at first, GONE WITH THE WIND, Stephen King's CARRIE, etc. Wasn't STAR WARS an indie flick?


                                Point is, there's no telling what people in power will respond to or what they think will make them money. One person's trash, another's treasure,yada yada.


                                Those stories are a dime a dozen. Personally, I choose to find them hopeful.

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