What Screenwriters Should Know About Packaging Their Scripts - Steve Douglas-Craig
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- In this Film Courage video interview, we ask Steve Douglas-Craig about what screenwriters should know about packaging their scripts and how/if they can compete with writers who have a team behind them.
After graduating from the AFI, Steve was recruited by Sony Pictures Entertainment to work as a Story Editor & Acquisitions Executive for the Worldwide Acquisitions team in Los Angeles where he received an induction into story & business development, feature film packaging, domestic & international distribution, theatrical marketing & product acquisition. He helped develop & shepherd film titles including Terminator: Salvation, The Book of Eli, Django Unchained, War Room, Don’t Breathe (Sequel current in post-production), the Insidious horror movie franchise, Manchester By The Sea, The Grudge (reboot), Searching, Arrival, Whiplash, The Call, Attack The Block & many others (including TV releases - The Tudors, House of Cards).
Steve's tenure at Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions was followed with a promotion to Senior Story Editor & Creative Executive at Screen Gems where he was involved in the development & release of theatrical titles like the recent releases of Monster Hunter & the adaptation of James Herbert’s novel - The Unholy. Before that he helped shepherd Black & Blue, The Intruder, Possession of Hannah Grace, Brightburn, & Slender Man. He was also heavily involved in developing content strategies that attracted financiers & talent to specific projects for the studio.
Steve is also a professional screenwriter having worked as a freelance staff writer for the hit CBS TV series Hawaii Five-O over a number of seasons & currently has a pilot & several feature films (including a creature feature) going out through his literary managers in Los Angeles.
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Here is our full interview with Steve - czcams.com/video/adVxPaj17rU/video.html
good interview explaining the element (Packaging)
Thanks John!
Where is the full podcast? I can’t find it on Apple Podcasts.
What do you like about this video?
It's inspiring to be honest
The reality check is super helpful to keep in mind. “Control what you can” is a great mantra for having a focussed enough impact to actually get somewhere. If that’s what you care about. Some people literally WANT to live in a dream state where they always write big budget screenplays and they enjoy fantasizing about getting picked up as a first-timer, no matter how unrealistic that dream is. Like why so many people buy lottery tickets. They don’t actually think they’ll win. They just enjoy the hope. But yeah, this is a kind way of popping that bubble, for those who actually want to arrive somewhere concrete.
The very vivid example of Barbie as the perfect packaging model. Also the idea of thinking ahead to a producers' budgeting concerns while you're writing.
One thing I don’t get is why a producer won’t take on a medium/high budget screenplay purely because it’s from a first time writer? Surely if you read the script and it’s amazing then it shouldn’t matter if it’s from a first timer.
I can understand not bothering to read it, because you might assume it’ll be crap, but if you do read it and it’s exceptional then why should the writers previous credits/experience matter. Doesn’t make sense to me…
Cause money, they believe in backing known commodities even if said known commodities have had some stinkers story-wise if their numbers are good more than bad over the existence of their career they are more bankable to producers than a complete unknown. That's why I loved when A24 originally started or companies like lionsgate who take more risks cause they can now afford to. Same with the likes of Film 4 films, the BFI in London,
Good question! Making a film is a collaborative process, and producers often prefer to work with writers who are experienced collaborators and open to feedback and revisions. While a first-time writer may have created a great script, they may lack the experience or flexibility to navigate the collaborative aspects of the filmmaking process effectively. Also, established writers often have networks and connections within the industry that can facilitate the production process. They may have relationships with big-name directors, producers and actors, that can help get a project off the ground more smoothly.
Very annoying, yes, but film is a business as much as it an art, investors want be sure they'll be getting their millions back. Don't let this deter you though! Get as much small time experience as you can first - prove that you could handle large scale projects.
@@MissMimimimimost writers would not have the kind of reach a production company would have though regarding connections. Do writers often say “oh I know a director we can get for this, and he’s an a list talent!” I seriously doubt that happens with 99% of the writers out there.
@@jimjo8541Yes exactly, most writers don’t have those sort of connections, so production companies prefer the 1% that do.
There's a lot of contradictory information here. He says, Don't Shoot For The Moon, but also make High Concept stuff to show off to potential buyers. I guess it's the nature of the beast that there's nothing that really makes sense here except 1. Write well 2. Win Contests 3. Get Read by as many folks as you can 4. Have Connections 5. Write A Lot 6. Don't Avoid Lower Level Breadbasket Genres...... 😂😂😂 Jesus if I had any common sense I wouldn't have tried to be an artist anyways😂😂😂 But it makes you think, if the Money Men always knew in every case what they were going to spend money on, then they wouldn't have ANY need for new writers to hire with ideas they'd never heard of.
I think MOST of this stuff is superfluous and gets us bogged down with not actually writing/creating.
If you’ve got a banger of an idea for a sci fi movie, you’re not going to not write it because it would be expensive. Sure it might never get read or made, but you still owe it to yourself to write it. You never know when you might use it. You could even adapt it into a novel, comic book, etc.
so important to package. it’s the whole idea, a script on its own doesn’t have the magic it needs
Wrong smart guy
@@stevenheights5180 a script can have magic but the magic is meant to attract the right actors and director.
the package is when the idea becomes a reality. a script on its own is an illusion. get the best script ever and throw in random people and it sucks. get a decent script and throw in natalie portman, will ferrell and timothee chalamet and suddenly it’s a great movie you would pay to see
Why is he constantly talking about Barbie? Does he not know who’s watching this channel? Low budget filmmakers that’s who. None of us have those kind of actors attached so why doesn’t he know that? He keeps talking about packaging a project but failed to realize none of us have anything close to Barbie. Matter or fact no one does. Did he have anything to do with Barbie? Is that why he keeps bribing it up?
He spent all of 1-2 minutes on it--but that was enough to keep you stewing over it, right? Barbie is a bright pink blot in the drab Hollywood landscape. And I'll remember the lesson about packaging for years to come because he associated it with the subject of packaging a movie. Like it or not, so will you.