Month: July 2015

Thoughts About Writing Queries…and Coverage Too

The Bitter Script Reader’s blog is one of the best resources on the web for aspiring script, um, writers. Here are some examples of why:

by The Bitter Script Reader

The Bitter Script Reader wrote this very funny book, and we all should buy it
The Bitter Script Reader wrote this very funny book, and we all should buy it

R asks:

I’ve read the feedback on all the online sites, BL, Inktip, ISA, et all, and found none of them seem to be worth the money or effort. So, in your humble opinion, for someone not located in California, what is the best way to approach an agent, manger or producer? Send a logline only? A logline and synopsis? Hold their children hostage? Threaten to send them back if they don’t read it?

If you don’t have feet on the ground in LA, then I’d first try reaching out through any connections you might have through your college’s alumni network. The next thing I’d do is research managers and (assuming your script is low budget enough) smaller producers who might accept queries. read article

A Couple of Questions for LB

by Larry Brody

I know, I know. The backlog of career questions I’ve promised to answer but haven’t gotten around to yet is almost as big as Donald Trump’s ego. I’m genuinely sorry about not through them all (or even making a dent). I mean, who doesn’t want a chance to tell old war stories carefully making her or himself the hero?

Now that the People’s Pilot Winners have been announced and I have a (very) short breathing space until plunging into the Feedback, let me reach into ye olde emailbag and see what I can say:

Fp-i-crom SZ: read article

What you need to start your first film

While clicking around the interwebs recently we found this primer for novice filmmakers. And when we say “primer,” we mean “basic.”

And when we say “basic,” we mean “in a webiverse where we often assume visitors to sites like TVWriter™ know way more than they really do, this article is unexpectedly essential to all those who’ve never gone through any form of video-creation process before:”

What-Do-You-Need-To-Start-Your-First-Filmby Bhushan Mahadani

If You want to start your first film what resources do you need? I am writing just random thoughts. Lets say next week you want to start your first film what will you need. Today you can start filming anytime you want. There are numerous opportunities for upcoming filmmakers and I wanted to discuss here and thats why I ask ,what do you need  Start Your First Film? The answer is very simple. Please also watch the following video. read article

Leesa Dean on a Death in the Web Series “Family”

Adventures in Digital Series Land #107
by Leesa Dean

blip_logo1BLIP is being shuttered on August 15th. I knew it was gonna happen ultimately, but still, am sad to see it go.

BLIP was one of the early platforms that showed and monetized web series.Chilltown, my series, was on there and I received nearly 50,000 views on just one episode when they featured it on their front page for just one day. And that amounted to cash. Which was great. It wasn’t a huge amount, but way more than YouTube’s payout.

The people there also were actively very supportive of the series on their platform. They promoted my show on Google + and Twitter. Which was really helpful and cool.

When Maker Studios purchased it in 2013, right in the middle of Chilltown’s run it didn’t affect things for me but I knew something was going to shift. At the time, they publicly stated (and sent letters to creators on BLIP) that they’d be dropping a lot of web series. I wasn’t dropped but a about seven months later, Disney bought Maker for $500 million and I was certain I’d be dropped. Mostly cause I thought the cursing in my series just didn’t fit the Disney brand. Surprisingly, I wasn’t. And even though I stopped adding content, I continued to receive some views. read article

Cartoons: “Your Words”

Words don’t do justice to the genius of Grant Snider and Incidental Comics. For example:

Click to see much more
Click here to see much more