Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. I took the week off, and I am excited to get back to it with you all. I have received my marching orders from a couple of people and have been moving along with them. The first set of marching orders came from Richard Lawson, and the second from my Slamdance Screenplay Clinic reader.
On July 23rd, I held a table read in class at the Richard Lawson Studios for the first ten pages of a screenplay that I recently resurrected and dusted off. It felt wonderful to hear my words read out loud by the talented actors I selected. I received a great assessment from Richard that covered the artistic and business aspects of my script. At the end of his assessment, he gave me an assignment to complete in the next three weeks, and I have since made wonderful progress with it:
1) He wanted me to get clear on the casting for these characters. (If you can see people playing these characters, then you can understand how to write them better.) This assignment came about because Richard asked me who I saw playing these Latino characters, and I couldn’t name any actors. I said that while it’s easy for me to envision white actors in specific roles when I write, I struggle to do the same with Latino actors. I said, “I need to find my people because they are out there.” So, I researched different Latino actors that I could see playing the protagonist and antagonist. I then created a folder on my Google Drive to house some of their photos and links to interviews that capture the essence of these characters. I will continue this process for two more Latino characters in the script. I will also watch more films featuring Latino actors and creatives to continue expanding my awareness. The other reason he wanted me to identify actors for these roles is so I can pitch the script to them and obtain LOIs (letters of intent). These letters are important and valuable because they prove a project’s marketability and they help to secure funding from investors.
2) Get more specific with the type of dance and music that exists in this world. (When you write, play the music of the world because it will help the rhythm, feelings, emotions, and passion of how you write. It will inform your protagonist. It will irritate your antagonist.) I became more specific with the type of dance and music that exists in this world. I always heard the music and had a sense of the dance style that existed in this world; it was just about including it more specifically into the script. I reached out to a friend for help on a scene that I wanted to make more specific in terms of the dance steps that the protagonist executes. She offered great suggestions, and as I read through them, I realized that they were more for ballet, whereas I wanted jazz funk dance moves. I did additional research to include these specific steps within this particular scene. In terms of the music, I created a playlist of the songs that exist in this world, and I played that music when doing a few rewrites.
3) Raise the stakes a little more in those first ten pages. (We’re looking for the hook. What hooks us and makes us lean forward? What’s the hook, and is it strong enough to pull us forward with this journey?) I raised the stakes within the first ten pages of the script by setting up the impending peril a little more clearly. I also raised the stakes on page 11 where the inciting incident occurs.
4) Finally, he wanted me to keep putting myself out there and meeting people so that I didn’t stay out of sight and out of mind. (Find those Latino filmmaker groups and Latino writer groups. Get out of the comfort of your bubble and get out there.) I did a quick and simple Google search on Latino writer and filmmaker groups in LA. I plan to review each suggestion to see what each group offers. I also receive emails from NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers), and I will be more diligent about exploring the various events that they host. The Black List (while not Latino-specific) hosts a writers’ happy hour once a month that I would like to look into as well. Also, in my last blog entry, I mentioned settling on a writers’ group that is currently on summer hiatus. I look forward to sitting in as a guest when they resume sessions in September.
The second set of marching orders came from my Slamdance Screenplay Clinic reader. In my last blog entry, I mentioned pulling the trigger and paying for a consultation on my latest feature film script. Within six days of making payment, I received six pages of wonderful coverage from my reader. They feel that my script is a good and important piece. They provided macro and micro notes to add more layers, conflicts, and struggles, as well as to clarify a few story and character logistics. We are meeting on August 17th via Zoom to go over their notes and any questions I have. To prepare for this meeting, I have been reading through their notes over and over again, organizing them, and highlighting and bolding sections so I know what I want to address. I am excited for our Zoom meeting. I know that this investment I made will be so worth it! And…their notes feel doable!
See you next week!
Chasing The George 