Another Company seeking scripts / InkTip presents John Truby.

Dear Michael, Another company is looking for scripts.  Please see below. And here's a special interview with John Truby, who will be giving an exclusive seminar for passholders only at InkTip Pitch & Networking Summit III - Friday, Feb 17th is the deadline to register (See below for details). --------------- John Truby Interview --------------- We are very pleased to announce the legendary John Truby, Hollywood’s premier and most sought-after screenwriting instructor and story consultant, will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming InkTip Pitching and Networking Summit! John will be teaching two exclusive master classes on Friday, March 30th, 2012. Over the last 25 years, more than 35,000 writers have attended Truby’s sold-out seminars around the world, with the American Film Institute declaring that “Truby’s course allows a writer to succeed in the fiercely competitive climate of Hollywood.” Called “the most authoritative voice on story in film and TV,” Truby regularly serves as a story consultant for major studios and production companies worldwide, and has been a script doctor on more than 1,000 movies, sitcoms and television dramas for the likes of Disney, Sony Pictures, FOX, HBO, Alliance Atlantis, Paramount, the BBC, MTV and more. Truby’s former students’ work includes the writers, directors and producers of such blockbusters as In Treatment, Pirates of the Caribbean, District 9, Mary Mother of Christ (2012 with Al Pacino), The Family Guy, Ratatouille, X–Men I/II/III, Shrek, The Academy Awards, The Surrogate, House, Lost, Planet of the Apes, Scream, The West Wing, The Fantastic Four, The Negotiator, Star Wars, Sleepless in Seattle, Outbreak, African Cats (which Truby co-wrote for Disney in 2011) and more. Truby’s class is known as the “writer’s writing class” because it’s taken by so many top working writers in television and film. Check out this fantastic interview with Truby where he discusses what it takes for InkTip writers to write a great script. For the full, unabridged interview, please visit Truby’s site and don’t forget to sign up for John’s upcoming classes in LA (March 9-11, 2012) and NY (March 23-25, 2012). Question: What questions should a writer ask him or herself prior to crafting their story? John Truby: Most writers can't tell at the premise stage whether they've got a good story because they don't have the training to see the deep structural problems in the idea before writing it as a script. The extraordinary fact is 99% of writers fail at the premise. This is the great unknown gatekeeper that keeps most writers from being successful. If you screw up the premise, nothing you do later in the writing process will make any difference. The game's already over. The biggest mistakes writers make at the premise: 1. The idea is not original. 2. The idea doesn't have a clear desire line for the hero that extends throughout the story. 3. The idea doesn't have a strong main opponent. Question: You've consulted on over 1,000 movie and TV scripts. What are the typical weaknesses you find in scripts? John Truby: I'll give you five. 1. The story idea the writer comes up with is not original. Biggest mistake writers make. 2. Writers often use the wrong genre to develop the idea, or they impose a bunch of pre-determined genre beats onto the idea instead of finding the story events that are original to the idea. 3. They think a script is all about finding the "high concept" premise, but they don't realize that high concept only gives you two or three big scenes. So they don't know how to extend the high concept into a 100-page script. 4. They don't know how to build the story on the seven major story structure steps, so the plot fails to come out of character and the main character doesn't change. 5. They think of the hero as a separate individual with a list of superficial character traits. Instead they should think of the hero as part of a web of characters, all connected in some way but with each character being structurally different from the others. Question: How much time and effort should a writer put into outlining their script and fleshing out their characters before actually writing the script? John Truby: Much more time and effort than most writers think. For every hour you put into prep work on your story, you save ten when it comes to writing, and rewriting, it. Don't make the mistake so many writers make of thinking, "I'll fix it in the rewrite." They never do. A good story is linked under the surface so it builds steadily from beginning to end. But amateurs don't know that, so when they get an idea, they immediately start writing script pages, and they inevitably write themselves into a dead-end 20-30 pages in. Also, writer's block is almost always caused by not knowing where the story is going. That's why, before writing script pages, you always want to start by figuring out the seven steps of your story. The seven steps are in your story right now. It's your job to find them, dig them out and make them say what you want them to say. Question: Why is it so important to master genres? John Truby: It goes back to the 1st rule of the entertainment business: it doesn't buy stars, directors or writers. It buys and sells genres. If you don't know what Hollywood is really buying, you have no chance of selling them your script. Genres are different kinds of stories. More importantly, genres are really good stories. They are the all-stars of the story world. That's why Hollywood buys and sells them. That's why you have to know these genres cold. The game is won by mastering story structure and genres. And mastering genres comes from specializing in 2 or 3 forms that highlight your strengths as a writer and express your philosophy of life. Question: How do you determine what genre or genres your story is? John Truby: This can be very tricky, and most writers end up choosing the wrong genre for their story idea. Each genre takes the basic steps of story structure and twists them in unique ways. Also, each genre has its own set of unique story beats - anywhere from 8-15 - that must be included in your script if you are to tell the story right. Because genre is the single most important decision you make in developing a story idea, I spend a great deal of time in my Master Class talking about how you tell which are the right genres for your unique idea. Some of the elements that determine the right genres for your story are the hero, the opponent, the key thematic question, the hero's goal in the story, and the unique story strategy inherent to each form. Question: You've said writers often underestimate the importance of plot. Why is it so important to learn, and how do you approach teaching it? John Truby: Plot is the most underestimated of the major writing skills. Most writers know the value of a strong main character and lean, hard-hitting dialogue. But when it comes to plot, they think they'll just figure it out as they go, which never happens. • The bad news: Plot has more techniques you need to know than all the other major skills combined. • The good news: Every one of them can be learned as long as you are willing to put in the work. Plot is what makes the character's internal development pleasing to the audience. It's the artistry that sets you apart, that tells the audience you are a real storyteller. Plot is the sequence of events by which the hero tries to defeat the opponent and reach the goal. The two biggest mistakes writers make in plot is 1) Their story is episodic, meaning events stand on their own but don't connect and build under the surface and 2) They hit the same beat, which means the events are superficially different but really all the same. Question: Why do some writers react negatively to the idea of structure? John Truby: They wrongly believe that it hurts creativity. It goes all the way back to the old romantic notion that art comes from divine intervention. The fact is: art comes from craft. And the most important element of craft is structure. When you have the right story structure for your script then each scene you write is moving you along the right path for your particular main character. The results are not comparable. The first way you write yourself into a dead-end about 20-30 pages in. It is practically inevitable and is one of the marks of an amateur. The second way you figure out the story structure so y our creative bursts are linked to the right path. Ironically, structuring your story first is much more creative than just winging it, because you have a strong foundation on which to take creative chances. You know your structure is there to tell you if the creative jump you want to make is going to work. Question: You write that dialogue isn't real talk, rather it's highly selective language that could be real. Could you please explain that? John Truby: If dialogue were real talk, all you would need to do is follow your friends around with a recording device and your dialogue would be guaranteed authentic. It would also be boring. Why? Because it lacks content. Just as a story is a highly selective sequence of events, dialogue is selective, heightened talk. It is packed content. And here's where it gets tricky. Dialogue with lots of content doesn't usually sound like real talk. It sounds written, and that will kill your story. So you need to learn the techniques for making highly selective language sound like it could be real. Question: How do writers unearth stories that want to be told? John Truby:  Stories that want to be told are not "out there." They're in you. In my class, I talk about a number of key writing exercises that help you find what is totally original to you. Incredibly, most writers don't know, and it's a fatal mistake. Then we go through the techniques you must know to turn that original seed into a professionally told story. An original idea professionally told is an unbeatable combination. It's not easy, but it can be done and it's the only recipe I know that works. *************** --------------- Millions of Pixels – Seeking Contemplative, Plot-Driven Samples --------------- We are looking for completed, feature-length, contemplative scripts as samples for a possible writer-for-hire opportunity. The script must portray characters that are contemplative, such as in “Tree of Life,” but also have a strong story structure such as in “Run Lola Run.” The reason is that the script we are developing will have two distinct parts or chapters: one is character-driven and the other is a plot-driven thriller. Thus, we are seeking scripts that display both intelligence (and visually expressive such as in "Melancholia") and strong story structure with crucial plot developments (such as "Run Lola Run"). We would like richly-written characters but not just characters who sit at a bar and talk, which is why we need a sample that displays a grasp of letting a story unfold over various beats in the story (with characters' external objectives, not just internal conflict). This will create two unique chapters to one feature film. Please include a synopsis with your submission. If your pitch interests us, we will request the complete sample script for further consideration. Budget is open. Both WGA and non-WGA writers may submit. Our credits include “The Ideal.” To submit to this lead, please go to: http://www.inktippro.com/leads/ Enter your email address. Copy/Paste this code: f31dwz4t0x NOTE: Please only submit your work if it fits what the lead is looking for exactly. If you aren't sure if your script fits, please ask InkTip first. PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT submit something if you don't have the script completed. DO NOT show up at their doorstep, email or call them with your submission, outside of the submission instructions provided. DO NOT submit your work if it doesn't fit the requirements. If your script fits a lead, be sure to tweak your logline and synopsis to reflect the requirements in the lead. If a writer violates this protocol, it is a sure way to guarantee that company won't consider the writer or script, and we will remove the writer from the InkTip Pitch & Networking Summit email list and will prohibit them from attending current or future InkTip events. --------------- Deadline for Pitch & Networking Summit III: Friday, February 17! Sign up now for a Summit Pass. If you miss this one you'll have to wait until the next one!  Apply here: http://www.inktippitchsummit.com/?page_id=5 InkTip guarantees a 100% refund if you're not completely satisfied with the experience (requests must be made within 7 days after the event). Pitch & Networking Summit I & II have already confirmed more deals closed than any other pitching event (40+ and counting). --------------- If you do not wish to receive emails from us, please click here (http://www.inktippitchsummit.com/?page_id=1128), or let us know via reply Or send a snail mail to: PO Box 12418, La Crescenta, CA 91224 On a lighter note, please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions. Best Wishes, Jerrol LeBaron CEO, InkTip Feburary 8, 2012 Copyright by Jerrol LeBaron, 2012 postmaster@empirecontact.com B1062667662(@YY&W