Su-City Pictures East, LLC

Screenplay & Film Consulting By Susan Kouguell

Page 13 of 34

Susan’s ‘SCREENPLAY SUBMISSIONS: Is Your Script Really Ready?’ for SCRIPT MAGAZINE

April 8, 2016 / / Comments Off on Susan’s ‘SCREENPLAY SUBMISSIONS: Is Your Script Really Ready?’ for SCRIPT MAGAZINE

SCREENPLAY SUBMISSIONS: Is Your Script Really Ready?

By: |

SCREENPLAY SUBMISSIONS: Is Your Script Really Ready? by Susan Kouguell | Script Magazine #scriptchat #screenwriting

 

The Truth

Are you really telling yourself the truth?  Be honest — when you are considering sending out your script to film executives, agents, competitions, and so on — are you thinking that your screenplay “is good enough as is” OR “I can’t look at it anymore, I’ll just send it out”?  If that’s what you’re thinking (and you’re not alone) — then you know in your gut what the answer is.  The truth is this — your script definitely needs another rewrite or several more rewrites.

The Consequences

Here are the tough facts. Once you submit your script to a company and it’s been rejected, the likelihood of that company reading the script once again even after a brilliant rewrite is nearly impossible.  It’s challenging enough to get a screenplay into the hands of film industry folks, so don’t blow your chances by being impatient with your writing process.

The Facts

Every writer is different.  Some screenwriters can hammer out a brilliant script in just a few days and a couple of drafts while others take years and dozens upon dozens of drafts.  The amount of drafts screenwriters need to complete a script is no measure of talent; a script takes the time it needs to be good.

Get Feedback from Truth Tellers

Before you submit your screenplay, get feedback from people who will tell you the truth. And nothing but the truth.  So, giving it to people who might sugarcoat their critiques — such as family members and best friends, who probably want to remain on good terms with you, is probably not your best choice.  Knowing what to ask when receiving feedback will help you stay focused and enable you to gain more objectivity with your screenplay.

20 Questions to Ask When Receiving Feedback

  1. Did you care about the story and characters?
  2. Does my plot make sense?
  3. Does my script have a solid three-act structure?
  4. Are the stakes clear?
  5. Is the genre clear and consistent throughout the script?
  6. What elements made the story engaging? Were there places you lost interest or felt were implausible?
  7. Is the subplot (or subplots) overpowering the main plot?
  8. Are the scenes building to a climax?
  9. Have I paid off actions that I set up?
  10. Does the dialogue ring true for each of my characters or does it feel interchangeable?
  11. Is this script a page-turner?
  12. Is each scene advancing the plot forward?
  13. Are there scenes that drag or ramble?
  14. Are my main characters’ journeys clear?
  15. Do any of the characters need to be further developed?Are my characters memorable?
  16. Are my characters’ objectives, motivations, obstacles, and journeys clear and compelling?
  17. Are the characters multi-dimensional?
  18. Did you find the story or characters predictable in a way that was detrimental to the script?
  19. Are the action paragraphs an interesting read or are they too dense?
  20. Is this script a page-turner?
  21. Is each scene advancing the plot forward?
  22. Are there scenes that drag or ramble?
  23. Are my main characters’ journeys clear?
  24. Do any of the characters need to be further developed?
  25. Are my characters memorable?
  26. Are my characters’ objectives, motivations, obstacles, and journeys clear and compelling?
  27. Are the characters multi-dimensional?
  28. Did you find the story or characters predictable in a way that was detrimental to the script?
  29. Are the action paragraphs an interesting read or are they too dense?
    The Truth Be Told – Final TipsOnce you have implemented feedback and feel absolutely certain that your script is absolutely ready to be submitted, you need to do the following:

    • Have someone else proofread your script one last time. Formatting errors will greatly risk your script getting rejected.
    • Register your screenplay with the Writers Guild of America in order to project yourself from theft of ideas. Most film industry folks will not accept your script if it is not registered.
    • Whether submitting to a company, agency or script competition, make sure that you carefully follow all submission guidelines and submit a script only when it has been requested.

    Remember, if you are tired, bored, frustrated, or (fill in the adjective) of your screenplay—so will the agent, manager, producer, script competition reader, and all the film industry folks to whom you are submitting your project.  Your script is your calling card to the film industry so always submit your absolutely best screenplay!

    More articles by Susan Kouguell

    READ MORE HERE

Susan’s LIVE WEBINAR: Write and Sell Nonlinear Screenplays

March 2, 2016 / / Comments Off on Susan’s LIVE WEBINAR: Write and Sell Nonlinear Screenplays

LIVE WEBINAR: Write and Sell Nonlinear Screenplays: Nolan, Kaufman, Tarantino, and More — with Susan Kouguell

Monday, March 14, 2016 1:00 PM PT / 4:00 PM ET

At a Glance

  • A live webinar detailing the essential elements for writing a nonlinear narrative screenplay.
  • Reveals film executives’ evaluating process to determine if a nonlinear narrative script is successful.
  • Discover specific tools on strengthening and writing nonlinear narrative screenplays.

Please note: If you purchase any webinar, you will get a recorded version of the webinar sent to you after the presentation day. So if you can’t attend live, you will still get all the materials.

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

Writing a nonlinear narrative feature screenplay demands a comprehensive understanding of storytelling structure. This webinar will discuss nonlinear storytelling with an eye to the theory that screenwriters must understand the conventional rules of screenwriting in order to successfully break them. Anticipating and understanding what film industry folks require is essential to writing a screenplay that breaks the rules of the traditional three-act structure.

During this live webinar, Susan Kouguell will offer specific tips for creating nonlinear narrative scripts. Advice and discussion will include analyses of both traditional and nonlinear structures seen in various films, strengthening visual storytelling, developing and implementing character and plot conflicts, and genre consistency. Discussion will also cover understanding film executives’ expectations without compromising the writer’s vision and creativity.

READ MORE HERE

A Conversation with Sheila Nevins President HBO Documentary Films for SCRIPT MAGAZINE

March 2, 2016 / / Comments Off on A Conversation with Sheila Nevins President HBO Documentary Films for SCRIPT MAGAZINE

A Conversation with Sheila Nevins
President HBO Documentary Films

by Susan Kouguell

Click to tweet this article to your friends and followers!

A Conversation with Sheila Nevins President HBO Documentary Films by Susan Kouguell | Script Magazine #screenwriting

“Diversity is economically intelligent.  And it turns out that excellence is diverse.”
— Sheila Nevins

At the 2016 Athena Film Festival held at Barnard College in New York City, Sheila Nevins, President of HBO Documentary Films, presented a poignant and often funny Master Class to the audience of screenwriters and filmmakers, moderated by Athena Film Festival co-founder Melissa Silverstein.

Sheila Nevins is responsible for overseeing the development and production of all documentaries for HBO, HBO2, and Cinemax.  As an executive producer or producer, she has received 28 Primetime Emmy Awards, 32 News and Documentary Emmys, and 40 George Foster Peabody Awards. During her tenure, HBO’s critically acclaimed documentaries have gone on to win 23 Academy Awards.

What Nevins Looks For in a Project

“What makes a great documentary for me is something human.  It’s finding empathy for people you might never meet; it’s something in you that relates very closely to them. I sometimes look for the little stories, people you might not know. People you might forget. I’m interested in average, ordinary things. I’m not name or celebrity conscious. I’m people conscious. I’m particularly interested in original experiences. Ordinary people have extraordinary tales.”

An Unlikely Mentor

“I was constantly aware of ugliness and sadness. My mother was ill and had an arm amputation below her elbow.  Many years ago we were in Chock Full o’Nuts, and it was very hot. My mother had a knot tied at the end of her sleeve and I said, ‘Let’s pull up the sleeve.’ And we did.  And the woman next to us said, ‘I can’t eat if I have to look at that.’ That woman was my mentor.  I’m ashamed to say I tied that knot on my mother’s sleeve back on.  Maybe I’m making up for that. Nothing is too ugly or too true for me.”

Portraying Disabilities

“In the HBO documentary Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq we stressed survival, not the disability.  It’s our job to introduce the disability after you’ve met the person. In the film Life According to Sam, Sam explains his illness Progeria so brilliantly. The opening we see a kid playing, we don’t see his face. You see his toys. You notice his hands are a bit different and you’re invited into the world you know, the Lego world. And slowly you go through Lego land, you hear his voice. This child is 28 years old.”

Getting Your Movie to HBO

“We re open to ideas. We don’t assume that experience duplicates itself just because you had a hit. You’re as good as your last film. We have a lot of first-time filmmakers. There are so many outlets for documentaries now.  We are interested in ideas from the outside so no one else gets them.

The interpretation of ideas is precious and what your access to these ideas and how close you are to that experience is important.”

READ MORE HERE

 

A CONVERSATION WITH KARYN KUSAMA – Athena Film Festival for INDIEWIRE

March 1, 2016 / / Comments Off on A CONVERSATION WITH KARYN KUSAMA – Athena Film Festival for INDIEWIRE

 

Karyn Kusama
Karyn Kusama

By Susan Kouguell

At the 2016 Athena Film Festival held at Barnard College in New York City, writer and director Karyn Kusama presented a Master Class in directing. Offering honest and often humorous anecdotes about working and surviving in the film industry, (it took her ten years after graduating from NYU film school to find representation), Kusama shared insightful advice to the audience of screenwriters and filmmakers.

 

Kusama wrote and directed her first feature film, “Girlfight,” in 1999, which won the Director’s Prize and shared the Grand Jury Prize at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. In 2004, Karyn directed the science fiction love story “Aeon Flux” for Paramount Pictures and her third feature, comedy-horror film “Jennifer’s Body,” written by Diablo Cody, was released by Twentieth Century Fox. Her latest feature, “The Invitation,” won the Grand Prize at the Sitges Film Festival, among other awards, and will be released in March 2016 by Drafthouse Films. Kusama’s television directing credits include “Billions” and “The Man in High Castle.”

Emphasizing the importance of being authentic and bringing something different into the room (a meeting, on a film set), Kusama stated, “Know how to say no and be specific on what you need. All these things take practice. ”

About “Girlfight”

“I was open and willing to sit with studio heads. I kept hearing the words ‘NO’ and ‘WHY’? People couldn’t wrap themselves around the story. ‘Why does this Latina need to be a boxer? Can she be a grownup white girl?’ I was more interested in the girls I rode the subway with every day. I started boxing myself in a well-known gym called Gleason’s, and saw a lot of guys who found so much family and serenity in the ring, and I thought what an incredible opportunity it was giving them. What about their sisters and girlfriends? Boxing is almost its own trope. “

I was open and willing to sit with studio heads. I kept hearing the words ‘NO’ and ‘WHY’? People couldn’t wrap themselves around the story. ‘Why does this
Latina need to be a boxer? Can she be a grownup white girl?’ I was more interested in the girls I rode the subway with every day. I started boxing myself
in a well-known gym called Gleason’s, and saw a lot of guys who found so much family and serenity in the ring, and I thought what an incredible opportunity
it was giving them. What about their sisters and girlfriends? Boxing is almost its own trope. “

The Studio’s Genre Shift for “Jennifer’s Body”

“It was a horror film and a girl comedy. My pitch to the studio was: ‘It’s a horror movie about toxic female friendships and when they get too close it’s
monstrous.’ As I was shooting the film, Screen Gems Studios released a remake of “Prom Night.” It was #1 of the weekend and I got a call from the
Fox executives — they said ‘We want to be sure you understand your film is a horror film.’ If your movie is framed as a lie, people smell a rat. And I was
like — my movie is not a rat. I couldn’t communicate that; I was just the director.”

Film Marketing

“The notion of marketing, the expense of getting films out to the public is as big a part of the conversation itself. It’s disheartening to have to talk
about how you frame something, and how essentially you reduce something in meaning, but ultimately, the better you can be at saying, ‘This is what this
thing is. This is how it reaches people. This is who it reaches,’ — the more you can articulate that to another person, the better. It makes them feel
like they’re in good hands and also it helps you understand the thing you’re making.”

Directing for Television

“I don’t feel any sense of snobbery anymore directing for television. There’s value in all stories and in all sorts of forms. As the director, you are
executing a vision that is the vision of the show. As much as you’re given some freedoms, you’re still working in that vision. “

Getting Screenplay Feedback

“If you feel that there’s some truth to what others are saying, listen. There’s no shame in walking away from something (a script) that’s going to pull you
down to the bottom of the ocean and make you drown. Perseverance is key.”

Working in and Surviving the Film Business

“If you don’t have the stamina for it and you can’t enjoy the process itself, and can’t find an interesting challenge in what feels like getting punched in
the face routinely or having a sense of failure, then this isn’t the job for you. Because what you’re facing all the time are obstacles and people saying
“no” to you. ‘No, terrible idea. No, hasn’t been done. No it has been done.’ All of these reasons. You just have to get used to people saying “No.” It’s
part of the process. I understand that NO is part of the process. I have to learn when I want to say, ‘No not for me.’

It’s important what stories you want to tell and not about who you want to be. There’s a lot of aspirational language; look at your gut and look into your
heart about what you enjoy.

Find your creative tribe and work with others who share your sensibility.”

To learn more about the Athena Film Festival: http://athenafilmfestival.com/

READ MORE HERE

The World is Your Characters’ Stage (SCRIPT MAGAZINE)

January 21, 2016 / / Comments Off on The World is Your Characters’ Stage (SCRIPT MAGAZINE)

THE WORLD IS YOUR CHARACTERS’ STAGE:
Top Ten Tips on Creating a Character’s World 

by

Susan Kouguell

Susan Kouguell is an award-winning screenwriter, filmmaker, and chairperson of the screenplay and post-production consulting company Su-City Pictures East She is the author of The Savvy Screenwriter: How to Sell Your Screenplay (and Yourself ). Follow Susan on Twitter: @SKouguell

Click to tweet this article to your friends and followers!

THE WORLD IS YOUR CHARACTERS’ STAGE: Top Ten Tips on Creating a Character's World by Susan Kouguell | Script Magazine #scriptchat #amwriting

Where are we?  Why are we here?  What does this place really look like?

These are just a few of the questions you don’t want film executives asking themselves about your script because they are confused rather than intrigued.  If these film industry folks are questioning these ‘where, why, and what‘ issues, then you are risking your script getting rejected.

This is a topic I also detail in my book Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! – which I have summarized in my top 10 points below.

Top Ten Tips

  1. Effectively establish your settings so the reader can step into the world you have created with a complete understanding of how it looks and feels.
  2. Be faithful and consistent to the world you have created and its rules.
  3. Research the various settings and time periods in your script for accuracy and plausibility. For example, if your script is set in medieval times, indicate if the setting is a realistic down-and-dirty, muddy, smelly village or a genteel mythic pristine village.
  4. Action paragraphs should briefly describe elements, such as the technology used, barren wastelands, flying horses, and so on.
  5. Always keep in mind that action paragraphs should be as an interesting to read as your dialogue. Readers must quickly get a visual picture of the world you have created.
  6. If your screenplay is set in the past, don’t forget to include the year that your story takes place, otherwise you will confuse the reader.
  7. If your screenplay is set in the present day but jumps forward or backwards in time, always include the year or a reference to that particular change.
  8. Keep in mind that setting your script in a major city or a small town should not be a random decision — each setting will further define what your story is about and how your characters will behave and feel in this specific environment.
  9. Interior settings are equally important as exterior settings. Inform your reader by offering some details, such as specific trinkets in a living room; this will help define your characters and story.
  10. Settings can be an integral part of the plot; they can be specifically named, such as the Atlantic City setting in Louis Malle’s film Atlantic City, where the characters are defined by and are metaphors of this setting, or they can be generic settings which are equally specific in how they are defined, as seen in American Beauty (directed by Sam Mendes) where the picture perfect American suburb informs the plot and is a metaphor for the American Dream.

    The more plausible and/or logical things are, the more real your world will be for the film executive to want to turn the page.  Take the time to set the stage in your screenplay and indicate how your characters relate to their various environments. Well-executed settings will not only add an extra layer of depth to your screenplay, it will make your script shine in the eyes of film industry folks.

READ MORE HERE

Happy Holidays to Your Screenplay’s Characters (SCRIPT MAGAZINE)

December 28, 2015 / / Comments Off on Happy Holidays to Your Screenplay’s Characters (SCRIPT MAGAZINE)

Happy Holidays to Your Screenplay’s Characters

By: |

  

Happy Holidays to Your Screenplay’s Characters by Susan Kouguell | Script Magazine #scriptchat

With the holidays underway, families are gathering to share in good cheer.  Or at least that’s what many families in the movies are attempting to do.  Yes, that’s their ‘goal’ — but what actually ensues when the parties get underway, is often filled with hilarity or drama — and sometimes both.  A variety of films such as Home for the Holidays (directed by Jody Foster), Home Alone (directed by Chris Columbus), Love Actually (directed by Richard Curtis), and It’s a Wonderful Life (directed by Frank Capra) continue to be found on many ‘best of’ lists. While their genres might differ, they share something poignant in common; they’ve touched upon some universal and relatable family issues and relationships.

Making the Most of Capturing the Holiday Family Dynamics in Your Screenplay

The ways in which characters relate to each other and the types of relationships they have, add the necessary layers of depth and conflict in a screenplay. Characters’ specific needs and goals can motivate them to seek help from one character for advice and assistance, or slyly befriend another character to achieve a goal. Relationships can be judgmental or nonjudgmental, one character can hold the other accountable for his or her actions, or assist the other through a challenging time. One character may have a hidden agenda and take advantage of another character, who is led to believe that he or she is being helped to achieve a goal, or characters can form an alliance to achieve a specific goal.

Getting to Know Your Characters Under Pressure

loveactually

Love Actually

Understanding and conveying what makes your characters act and behave the way they do is imperative in a successful screenplay.

I follow my own advice that I offer my consulting clients and students, which is to write character biographies in your character’s voices (in the first person.)  Make it a fun exercise for yourself — once it becomes a chore, you’ll lose interest and it won’t truly help you bring the best out of your characters.

Choose whatever setting you feel will tap into the truths and minds of your characters.  Put your characters on a therapist’s couch, on a tense television talk show set, or even trapped in an in-law’s attic — the sky’s (the locations) the limit.

Here are some interview questions excerpted from my book Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! Your characters can answer some or all of the suggested questions below and/or you can invent some of your own.

Interviewer’s Questions

  • How do you feel being interviewed?
  • What are your hopes and dreams?
  • Describe the home where you grew up.
  • If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would it be?
  • What are your secrets?
  • Why are you keeping those secrets?
  • Describe your adversary, and explain how this person became your adversary.
  • Who makes you angry?
  • Who makes you happy?
  • Describe your family members.
  • Are you close to your family?
  • Is there one member of your family with whom you are particularly close?
  • Why do you feel close to this family member?
  • Is there one family member you despise and if so, why do you despise him or her?
  • Who are the most important people in your life, and why are they important to you?
When Harry Met Sally

When Harry Met Sally

Let’s close out 2015 with some holiday cheer from Nora Ephron’s When Harry Met Sally. Here, Harry and Sally finally reunite at a New Year’s Eve party, and Harry proclaims:

“And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve.  I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

Happy Holidays!

READ MORE

Tips on Writing Love Relationships (SCRIPT MAGAZINE)

December 10, 2015 / / Comments Off on Tips on Writing Love Relationships (SCRIPT MAGAZINE)

5 Tips on Writing Love Relationships

By:

Click to tweet this article to your friends and followers!

Tips on Writing Love Relationships by Susan Kouguell | Script Magazine #scriptchat #amwritingLove stories can be found in all genres and this year’s films are no exception. From mainstream Hollywood  to independent movies, the quest for love can be found in such films, including Brooklyn, Paper Towns, Far from the Madding Crowd, Carol, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and Trainwreck.

While not all these films contain the formula of boy meets girl, boy loses girl (complications break them apart) and boy gets girl, these narratives do contain empathetic characters — characters the audience cares about and are rooting for them to succeed in their journey.

In my book Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays I write:

Misunderstandings, mistaken identity, and embarrassing and awkward moments are just some situations couples can find themselves in when it comes to romantic relationships. The love interests can be polar opposites, unknowing soul mates, come from different social classes or backgrounds, have different temperaments, and/or find themselves brought together by an unusual set of circumstances without which they would not have normally met or spoken. The obstacles the couple must face can bring them together or force them apart.

In It Happened One Night (Directed by Frank Capra, Screenplay by Robert Riskin) this classic romantic comedy set in the 1930s Depression-era, protagonists Ellie Andrews and Peter Warne are brought together in an unusual and funny set of circumstances.  Ellie Andrews is a spoiled, stubborn, headstrong heiress, who, against her father’s wishes, just married King Westley, a fortune-hunter playboy.  Escaping her father’s clutches she runs away—and onto a bus to return to King only to meet Peter Warne, an arrogant and self-centered recently fired newspaper reporter, who drinks, gambles, and chases women. Recognizing Ellie, Peter sees this as his opportunity to get his job back and presents her with an ultimatum: Give him an exclusive on her story and he will help her reunite with King or he will tell her father where she is and collect the reward. Ellie reluctantly agrees. Adventures ensue, as they travel by bus, on foot, and hitchhike, surviving exhaustion, hunger, adversity, class differences, and assorted calamities, which ultimately brings them together and they fall in love.

Five Love Relationship Writing Tips

  1. Establish your characters’ needs and wants for finding and/or losing love.
  2. Empathetic characters with definitive identities and specific hopes and dreams, will inspire the reader to root for them to succeed in their relationship
  3. Indicate how your couple will benefit from this romance.
  4. Invent clever obstacles that break up your love interests and find innovative ways to reunite them.
  5. Keep in mind that the two lead characters don’t have to end up together in the end like in My Best Friend’s Wedding.Whether you’re writing a tear-jerker or rip-roaring comedic love story, film executives want to be moved, entertained, and believe in your characters’ love relationships.

 

 

READ MORE

 

Top Ten Tips on Choosing an Agent (SCRIPT MAGAZINE)

November 27, 2015 / / Comments Off on Top Ten Tips on Choosing an Agent (SCRIPT MAGAZINE)

Top Ten Tips on Choosing an Agent

By: |

  

Top Ten Tips on Choosing an Agent by Susan Kouguell | Script Magazine #scriptchat

Congratulations!  You just might have found an agent.  You just got a response from your brilliant query or pitch, and an agent is interested in representing you!  Hallelujah!  Do the happy dance but don’t lose your common sense!

In my book, The Savvy Screenwriter, I write:

When I first got into the film business I uncharacteristically lost my common sense. I didn’t trust my rational gut instincts. Why? I wanted to write. I wanted to see my scripts made into films. If someone had asked me to jump, I would have asked not only, “How high?” but also, “For how long?” Whether dealing with an independent production company, a studio, or agent, I was putty in their hands.

I didn’t ask agents how they planned on working with me or how they thought they could sell my work. (I was represented by agents who wanted me as part of their stable of writers, but they didn’t really know how to place my work. Because I never asked what type of scripts they actually sold, or if any of my scripts might be submitted as writing samples to companies, or if I should write another script in a different genre to show my diversity, or offered suggestions as to where to submit my scripts, I never got hired for assignments and didn’t sell one script.) By not asking questions, I often worked with people who didn’t share my vision of my work or career. If you don’t ask questions, you might just repeat my mistakes!

Top Ten Tips on Choosing an Agent

  1. Choose an agent who is signatory to the Writers Guild of America (wga.org). Guild signatory agents must abide by rules that will best protect you, including fees they charge for both selling your work and finding you writing assignments.
  2. Research the agent to confirm his or her real film industry connections. You want an agent who has established and extensive contacts in the industry in order to increase that agent’s opportunities to sell your spec script and/or find you writing assignments.
  3. The prospective agent should share your sensibility and vision. If he or she doesn’t really understand you and your work, (and certainly vice versa) this relationship will likely not benefit either one of you.
  4. Don’t be afraid to ask agent questions, including what their game plan is for you and your work, and where they intend to submit your projects.
  5. If the agent represents many writers (maybe too many writers) whereby the ratio of writers to agents is high, (for example more than fifty writers to one agent), than you might want to question whether you’ll get enough attention.
  6. The agent / writer relationship is a business relationship, not a friendship. You may like the prospective agent personally, but honestly consider if he or she is truly the best person to represent you.
  7. Ask the prospective agent how you will be working together. For example: Calling or e-mailing an agent once a week or biweekly and scheduling strategy meetings every few months is a reasonable request.
  8. Agents who represent clients who are working steadily, is a positive reflection on the agent’s ability and clout in the film industry.
  9. Ask the prospective agent if he or she will read your new work, and if so, how long you should wait until receiving feedback.
  10. My best advice: Trust your instincts to determine if the potential agent is the best person to champion you and your work.

Remember…Don’t lose your common sense!  It’s great news that an agent has expressed interest in representing you, but do not jump into a relationship without making sure the agent is a good fit for you and your work.

READ MORE HERE

HBO’s “Getting On” Will Scheffer talks collaboration, adaptation, the characters’ evolution & more (SCRIPT MAGAZINE)

November 23, 2015 / / Comments Off on HBO’s “Getting On” Will Scheffer talks collaboration, adaptation, the characters’ evolution & more (SCRIPT MAGAZINE)

Susan Kouguell Interviews HBO'S 'GETTING ON' Creator, Executive Producer and Writer Will Scheffer by Susan Kouguell | Script Magazine

Mark V. Olsen (L) Will Scheffer (R) (Photo credit: Lacey Terrell / HBO)

I spoke with series creator, executive producer and writer Will Scheffer about the third and final season of his Emmy-nominated HBO series GETTING ON.  We talked about his collaboration with his husband Mark V. Olson on this series, adaptation, the characters’ evolution, and more.

Based on the BBC series of the same name, GETTING ON is created for American television by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer (co-creators of the acclaimed HBO series Big Love), the show follows the daily lives of overworked nurses and doctors as they struggle with the darkly comic realities of tending compassionately to their aging charges in a rundown, red-tape-filled hospital extended-care wing, blending outrageous humor with unexpected moments of tenderness.
Susan Kouguell Interviews HBO'S 'GETTING ON' Creator, Executive Producer and Writer Will Scheffer by Susan Kouguell | Script Magazine

KOUGUELL: What did you learn as a writer and producer during these three seasons?

SCHEFFER: I think I always learn the same thing: “It’s about the people, stupid.” I learn it different ways, dealing with different problems and crisis and joys — but it’s about the people you collaborate with in all aspects of the production and also the people you’re doing it for. I also learned you can shoot a TV show in three days and it can still be excellent if you’re working with the right people.

KOUGUELL: Do you feel that your writing and/or collaboration with Mark has changed since Big Love and if so, how has it evolved?

SCHEFFER: It has. A lot. I used to be the first draft guy (and I still am on some or our projects) and then we’d trade drafts from there — but Mark really ran with the drafts of GETTING ON. And I felt more like I was connected to him at the hip, channeling. We talk a lot more now — before and during the drafting and we solve problems together like in a “dialogue” and then he’ll execute that in the writing.

GETTING ON developed in a special way because of time factors and other things, but I did less actual typing and more talking and feeding answers to Mark’s questions. It really felt like a good process for this show. We’ve already written three other “shows” where I did the first draft and Mark is the closer. And then I’ll get it back for some light polish. But GETTING ON was the show where I think I’d say we became a real writing team. With Mark I/we become better. We trust each other. I’ve had almost the same amount of time as a solo act and a duo 15 years and 10 years, respectively — and I know I’d have a body of work and a career without Mark, but I doubt very much I’d have this career. I’m grateful he finally pushed me into collaborating because he made me a better writer and thinker and luckily it’s made our marriage richer, too. We still write some things solo and we help each other on those. I’m a producer on some scripts of Mark’s that I never could have written and I’m just as proud of those as of our work together.

KOUGUELL: How much input, if any, do the actors have on the scripts?

SCHEFFER: I’d say they contribute. They make it better. But we hold the keys to that particular kingdom.

KOUGUELL: On the show’s trailer you mentioned that you are “digging deeper into the characters this season by introducing their family members.”

SCHEFFER: I think the whole season is about allowing the characters to become the patients, in a way. Their stories are what we’d usually call “the patient” stories.” Sure, we have a few great “guest patient” turns — but the show really comes together this year. It takes off like a plane.

KOUGUELL: How have the characters evolved from the first to your final season?

SCHEFFER: Well, like all good TV characters they haven’t evolved too much. I’d say they’ve become more themselves, if anything. Have they grown and learned why they were so f***ed up? No. But maybe they’ve admitted they were a little screwy to begin with. And they all so surprise us this year in ways you’ll have to watch to see. They’ve become more sure of who they are. They have to me, never been more of a joy to behold.

 

In a January 2014 article for this publication, I spoke with Will Scheffer about Season 1of this series in which he also offered insightful tips on pitching projects.

Learn more about GETTING ON:  http://www.hbo.com/getting-on

READ MORE HERE

‘Getting On’ Creator, Executive Producer and Writer, Will Scheffer on the Show’s Final Season (INDIEWIRE/SYDNEYSBUZZ)

November 22, 2015 / / Comments Off on ‘Getting On’ Creator, Executive Producer and Writer, Will Scheffer on the Show’s Final Season (INDIEWIRE/SYDNEYSBUZZ)

HBO’S ‘Getting On’ Creator, Executive Producer and Writer, Will Scheffer on the Show’s Final Season

In our interview, Scheffer looks back at his experiences with the show and talks about collaborating with his husband, Mark V Olsen – creator, executive producer and writer of “Getting On” and their other shows, including “Big Love.”
Mark V Olsen (left) Will Scheffer (right)

In January 2014, I spoke with Will Scheffer about his HBO series “Getting On” for this publication:

You can read that interview HERE

And now we fast forward almost two years later and the show is in its third and final season. In our interview, Scheffer looks back at his experiences with the show and talks about collaborating with his husband, Mark V Olsen – creator, executive producer and writer of “Getting On” and their other shows, including “Big Love.”

In addition to the HBO American cable channel, “Getting On” can be seen on HBO Latin America and HBO Europe and Asia, and through SKY (France, UK, Spain, and so on.)

Kouguell: With the increase of the global cable markets and increasing platforms, reaching a broader audience, how has this affected your shows?

Scheffer: It was gratifying to have read about “Getting On’s” reception in Paris (where they love the show) before the recent attacks and to know that this show speaks particularly to issues of loss and wounding and grief but in a way that enables laughter to mix with heartbreak. This season has so much more resonance to me as it is a comedy. It’s not escapist. It’s healing comedy. You can laugh and cry in the darkest of hours and to me, that’s the greatest service to provide as an artist. To allow people to experience their common humanity. Without self-importance. Experiencing and accepting the fragility of life, of being human, is a wonderful place to begin from.

"Getting On" Creators and Cast
“Getting On” Creators and Cast

Kouguell:Looking back at the three seasons of “Getting On,” what were some of the most poignant and/or memorable moments for you working with the actors and writers?

Scheffer: We felt that by choosing “Getting On” to adapt we were entering into “stewarding” function with our British team. We wrote all of the episodes and the first two seasons had a lot of material from the original series to adapt, but the final season was all original story. Still, we went to London and ran our ideas by the original creators and worked with them. That relationship, receiving their input bonded us in a way that was unique to most adaptations. The fact that Vicki Pepperdine and Joanna Scanlan appear in Episode 4 as their original characters and meet their American counterparts, and vice versa— felt so amazing. It’s something we’d never seen before and it speaks to the way the British show and the American show are so different but like siblings, so connected. We share the same blood. So that’s a long-winded way of saying, going to London for a week to work with “the girls’ was a high point.

It’s hard to single out moments because working with our actors was the greatest experience of my career. Watching Niecy Nash bloom, seeing Mel Rodriguez
and Alex Borstein prove how brilliant they are. Experiencing Laurie Metcalf’s genius (I mean she is a national treasure — beyond, beyond) and then all of
our guest and co-stars. Just this season alone: Harry Dean Stanton, Mary Kay Place, Francis Conroy, Rhea Perlman, June Sqibb, Kristen Johnson, Jonathan
Silverman, Jayma Mays, Daniel Stern, Rita Moreno, Grant Bowler, Janis Ian!!! Meeting Didi’s family — Marsha, Corey, Gloria and Scott — they felt like a
real family. Anne Guilbert as Birdie. Not to mention the other great women we were able to work with like Betty Buckley, Tsai Chin, Jean Smart, Irma P.
Hall, Alia Shawkat, Carrie Preston, Molly Shannon— I can’t even list them all, I know I’m forgetting people and not even mentioning the supporting cast who
were brilliant. These diverse, brilliant actors in just 18 episodes.

Kouguell:
This is the second show you have created for HBO, “Big Love” ran for 5 seasons and like “Getting On,” pushed the envelope in its examination
of timely, hot button issues. For Big Love, the show was not just about polygamy and the power of the church, at its core it was about family. In “Getting On,” some of the major topics/themes you tackle are ageism and the health care system. While “Getting On” is very funny, it also
strikes a major chord of realism. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Scheffer:
I think I mentioned already the theme of human frailty. And I just can’t stress enough how I believe it is an “undervalued” value in our society. I mean we
all get old and die. It’s not sexy but it’s part of life. And it doesn’t have to be shoved out of our consciousness or romanticized or treated
sentimentally or “importantly.” It’s life. And I wish people knew what they were missing by avoiding dealing with their fears about it. It’s like, do you
wanna deal with those fears now or do it later when it’s gonna be a real drag?

It was such a privilege for Mark and me to both be with our moms when they were dying. Sure it was hard, but it was incredibly layered and sometimes funny
and of course heartbreaking — but it was like I wanted to tell everyone: “Hey, you really should experience this, because it’s so amazing, even though it
hurts, too.”

Kouguell: 
The main characters (with the exception of the brilliant Patsy) focus mainly on women and their relationships with their patients and with their
colleagues. There is so much talk in the industry now about the lack of women’s roles particularly in the ‘over 40’ category. What are your thoughts on
this?

Scheffer: 
Yeah. Well. That’s always been the case. And I think it’s finally changing. The volatility in the business is palpable and I think that finally that really
big ugly fact about Hollywood is going to change. It has to. I know we’re going to keep writing great roles for women because, lucky for us, we’re good at
it, I think.

Kouguell:
What can we expect from this final season?

Scheffer: 
Well. It’s the final season. So expect big stories, some big reveals and I’d say that I think the finale is one I will always be very proud of.

Learn more about “Getting On”:
http://www.hbo.com/getting-on

READ MORE

« Older posts Newer posts »

Recent Posts

Search

Categories

© 2025 Su-City Pictures East, LLC

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑