SCREENWRITING DOLLARS (Get Paid to Learn Scriptwriting… 5 Hollywood Fellowships)
by Dov S-S Simens on April 16, 2016
SCREENWRITING FELLOWSHIPS… They are Great.
Hollywood Secret: Shh! Scriptwriting Fellowships & Screenwriting Mentor Programs, offered by major studios and tv networks, are a much better use of your time than applying to Script Contests.
Why?
Simple, 3 Reasons.
(ONE) If accepted you are paid to learn. I hope you just read “paid to learn”.
(TWO) If accepted you many times also get Room-and-Board.
2 CommentsWant to make a successful independent film?
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2,000+ SCREENWRITING & WRITING JOBS (Movie, TV, PR… Staff, Copy & Assignments… Pick one)
by Dov S-S Simens on April 14, 2016
2,000+ WRITING & SCRIPTWRITING JOBS (Staff or Copy or Assignments)
Writing & Selling Screenplays is not difficult… once inside the industry.
(TIP: Write a sample 25 page sitcom spec script of a present running series)
Securing TV staff writing gigs is not difficult… once inside the industry.
Pitching and Selling new ideas is not difficult… once inside the industry.
Now, how does one get “inside the industry”?
6 CommentsPRODUCER-DIRECTOR-WRITER ABSOLUTE MUST (Want to Fail? Then Don’t Do a Script Breakdown… Now Learn How.)
by Dov S-S Simens on April 11, 2016
2 REASONS PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS & WRITERS FAIL AS FILMMAKERS
Poor Script and/or no Production Board (aka: Shooting Schedule) are the two most common reasons why first-time Producers, Directors, and Writers, of feature films F-A-I-L as profitable Filmmakers.
Huh? What do I mean (as if it ain’t obvious).
First is Screenwriting. If “It Ain’t On the Page, It Ain’t On the Stage”. If you have written a screenplay without a proper “Beat Sheet”
26 CommentsNY SCREENWRITING AGENTS (Got a Script? Need an Agent? Here are 50 in NY.)
by Dov S-S Simens on April 10, 2016
NEED A LITERARY AGENT
Screenwriters need Literary Agents. Actors need Talent Agents. Producers need Packaging Agents.
(Although visual states “Hollywood Agent” the below list is solely for NY Agents that make Hollywood deals)
If you are a Screenwriter, with a script that has been Written (Treatment & 2 Drafts), Registered (WGA East or West), Copyrighted (Library of Congress)….and has been written with a structured Beat Sheet (40-60 scenes outlined),
46 Comments$500 MILLION REALITY TV BUSINESS (Top 10 Non-Scripted Buyers & Producers… # 10 is New)
by Dov S-S Simens on April 5, 2016
HAVE AN IDEA? REALITY TV IS ALIVE & WELL.
Tired of “American Idol”, “Survivor”, “Kardashians”, “Real Housewives….”, “Chef from Hell”, “Tiny Houses”, “Tree Houses”, “Garage Houses”, “Anthill Houses”, “Any House, Your House, My House…Duh House”, etc. well stay tuned for another 10 years of new and useless, but affordable and entertaining, non-scripted programming.
Why?
Because last week “NBC’s “LITTLE BIG SHOTS” and “AMERICA’S GOT TALENT”
11 CommentsTHE SUPER-GREAT SCRIPT (Part 2: GAMEPLAN): “A Screenwriter’s Roadmap”
by Dov S-S Simens on April 4, 2016
SCREENWRITER’S GAMEPLAN
Write a Studio Feature Script (110-140 pages)… Write an Independent Feature Screenplay (90-100 pages)… Write a TV Drama (45-55 pages)… Write a TV Sitcom (25-30 pages)…
Where does a screenwriter start?
Remember; If productive, it takes 2-3 years or 5,000 hours to master a skill. So let’s start writing.
Thus, Write. Write. Write. And, when bored or disillusioned Write some more.
5 CommentsGREAT SCREENWRITING (Part 1: FAILURE): 25 Reasons Writers Fail (I love 17 & 29…29?)
by Dov S-S Simens on April 3, 2016
CAN YOU READ MY SCRIPT?
“Dov, can you read my script?” “Dov, I’ve gotten great feedback…now what?”
Sometimes, I even get, “Dov my script has gotten some really good mixed reviews”… “Huh? Good mixed reviews? That’s an oxymoron. What do I do?”
Permit me to Cut-to-the-chase.
ONLY 2 TYPES OF SCRIPTS.
ONE: It’s either “it’s Great & Wonderful” (a page turner) and anyone that reads it “WANTS TO BUY IT” or there’s the other type.
1 CommentNO-BUDGET FILMMAKING (The $5,000 Feature: 8 Secrets…. 3 & 8 Are Super Important )
by Dov S-S Simens on March 31, 2016
8 NO-BUDGET FILM SECRETS
Filmmaking today has 4 worlds where a filmmaker can Produce & Distribute feature films with the hopes of securing Finances & Profits…. they are…
ONE: The Studio System (Studio Deals)
TWO: Global Co-Productions (Cannes Pre-Sales)
THREE: China (Joint Ventures)
FOUR: Micro-Budget (Backyard Independents)
This post will focus solely on the world of “Micro-Budget” which is 99.5 out of 100 times where a filmmaker,
10 CommentsSCHEDULING YOUR SHOOT… THE RIGHT WAY? (1, 2 or 3 Weeks?)
by Dov S-S Simens on March 30, 2016
DIRECT YOUR FIRST FEATURE FILM
Your first feature, unless your mom or dad is a billionaire, 99 out of 100 times, will be either a 1-week, a 2-week or a 3-Week Shoot…. A 3-Week Shoot. Let’s focus on that.
That’s 18 Shooting days…Working Monday-Saturday, 12-15 hours/day, with a 90-Page Screenplay, within limited location moves, and no Exterior-Night setups pencils-out to be a Shooting Schedule of 5 Pages/day. Got It! 5 Pages/Day.
5 CommentsHOLLYWOOD FORMULAS… (3 Common Sense Film Rules… I love #3)
by Dov S-S Simens on March 24, 2016
THE 3 HOLLYWOOD (Common Sense) FORMULAS:
Life, like Hollywood, has very simple rules for happiness to live by (i.e. Be nice; Act with love; Trust God; Work hard. etc.) and if you want to Produce, Write or Direct feature films and be happy…The key is “and be happy”… then be patient, use common sense, apply these very simple 3 Filmmaker Formulas (aka: rules)…. and “Happiness is almost *guaranteed.”
(PS: nothing is ever guaranteed…but it is likely)
(“Happiness”,
