Advice

Last summer I was forlornly staring at my computer, a feature spec on the screen and came to the realization in my mind it would likely never sell. As I mourned the loss of my creative baby and remembered the good times, I just couldn’t pull the plug on the first five pages. So I turned them into a short, which I was fortunate enough to have produced. Since then I’ve written many more. I’m finding that not only does it really help hammer home disciplines I should be applying to my feature wr...

I'm thrilled that so many of you found my first blog Making It worthwhile. Today I bring you some Building Blocks of Success for the Theatre Scene. You can use these whether you’re based in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, London, Ireland, Australia….anywhere in the world. Now get out and make things happen! 1)The agent/manager dilemmas? First, I'm more of a believer of an agent or manager coming to you at the right time; whether it be through a friend, them seeing you in a sho...

Entertainment is a social, cultural, and educational phenomenon in whatever form it happens to be – a film, live performance, game, or any interactive channel or device.  Whatever it is, it is part of our lives and doesn’t discriminate as to age, culture, or locale. Entertainment allows us to suspend our beliefs, makes us aware of different points of view, provides new insights, and experience new feelings. And today we are not confined to our homes, theatres or other venues. We can access a...

In publishing, you hear the word NO a lot. From your own critique partners and beta readers --"NO, this scene doesn't work." From agents -- "NO, this isn't right for me to represent." From editors and publishers -- "NO, we don't have room in our line for this."  Sometimes, NO is a good thing. For example, when your scene could use a little more work or when you're career is heading down the wrong path that isn't right for you anyway. But sometimes, NO has nothing to do with your book and your...

This story first appeared in the Nov. 22 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. In the mid-1990s, Ben Stiller spent some time sleeping on David O. Russell's couch. That's when both were struggling to make a name for themselves and working on Russell's second feature, Flirting With Disaster (1996), in which Stiller starred. Decades later, they're two of America's most versatile directors -- Stiller, 47, is responsible for this year's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, while Russell, 55,...

The professional performer has to learn so much, so fast. Nimble doesn't begin to describe how we have to move through our entire careers. You better be fast. It's why they pay us the big bucks when we do get those very precious network TV jobs or feature films or commercials. I got paid a disproportionate day rate for a network comedy in 2012, and I just got the same bloated check again in 2013, because it aired on the network again in prime time. Double pay for doing nothing. I just be myself...

The crowdfunding revolution has taken hold and is showing no signs of slowing down.  Seems as if every creative you run into from actors, to producers, to playwrights, has a campaign rolling.  This past weekend, while speaking at Screenwriters World West, I was fascinated by how many aspiring screenwriters wanted to talk to me not about landing a manager or hooking a producer, but for tips on how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign. And why not?  Seems simple enough.  Write a killer syno...

What is the deal? If you're over 35, are you as good as dead? Do you really absolutely have to pick a genre? And is the spec market really dead? There are some rumors that seem to have become truths out there, while other realities have been written about again and again. Yes, you can make it if you're over 35. And, for the launch of your career, you are indeed better off picking a genre and sticking to it. As for the spec market, look no further than The Scoggins Report to confirm that the spec...

So you arrive on Planet Earth, take a look around, think about what you want to be when you grow up. Jewish, huh? OK, we have the legal profession or playing the violin. Hmm. Well, since I had a grudge against my mother, I chose the violin. (And no, she isn't deaf, she just forgot to remove the earplugs). Music college, subsequent engagement as music director for a satirical stage show. Starts to write material and becomes the show's script editor. Directs several productions, including two s...

“But that I, turning, call to thee O soul, thou actual Me…” - Walt Whitman “Passage to India” Once upon a time, I was living a completely different life. I was in a small town running the family auto dealership that was founded by my grandfather in 1938. I was doing pretty well financially and it was important to me to make sure that the family business would continue to be a success in the decades to come. I lived with my beloved wife Emily on a small ten-acre hobby farm just outside of to...