Writer for Hire - A Platypus Movie

 

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."  -- Walt Disney 

A typical storyline in a Western is that a new sheriff or sharpshooter comes to town hired to do one job, and instead, he's asked to do something different. In Quigley Down Under, Marston informs Quigley his sharpshooting skills will be used to eradicate Aboriginal Australians. In Blazing Saddles, Bart is hired as the sheriff to anger the townspeople. I love these two movies!

I have found that a Writer for Hire engagement can start with an understanding that you'll use your creative skills to adapt a book or write a screenplay from a treatment, or rewrite an existing script. The typical Writer for Hire agreement contains standard industry provisions giving full creative control to the producer while requiring the writer to comply with all directions. Under these terms, the producer owns all rights to the material in perpetuity, can make unlimited changes without writer's approval, and has no obligation to actually produce the screenplay.

This type of agreement has led to several notable disputes in the entertainment industry. Art Buchwald's case against Paramount in 1990 became a landmark example when he submitted a treatment that became the basis for Coming to America. Despite contractual similarities to his concept, the studio claimed independent development. The court ultimately ruled in Buchwald's favor, exposing problematic "Hollywood accounting" practices.

Another significant case involved David Elliot and Paul Lovett's dispute with Disney over Pirates of the Caribbean. The writers claimed the script derived from their submission but faced significant hurdles in proving ownership after signing a work-for-hire agreement. Similarly, Wes Craven's estate engaged in a prolonged battle with New Line Cinema over rights to A Nightmare on Elm Street, highlighting the challenges of termination rights under copyright law.

I have performed under five different writers' agreements, and I found one common thread: creativity is not encouraged. Even after submitting a detailed treatment and sitting through Zoom calls, taking notes and asking questions, like "Can I add new material?" and being encouraged to just that -- I ended up having to delete characters and scenes that were in my treatment.

Tip: Always write the first act and get the producer's approval before continuing! 

Fortunately, I'm from the software industry and we get requests like, "Could you move the Enter button to the left side of the screen?" Everyone agrees and we make the change. But then the users scream (or the script gets bad coverage) because nothing is where the audience or users are expecting it to be. In the technology world,  we end up having to rollback the update and put the Enter button back where it was. It does no good to remind them that THEY wanted the change. If you watch the film, The Majestic, the executives "brainstorm" and rewrite the script, "What if we gave the kid a disease? Then later, "People love dogs...always gross high, so instead of a disease, we give the kid a dog?"

But as screenwriters, we have certain rules that we've been taught; never open a movie with someone waking up - and never end it with someone saying, "It was all a dream." However, just as in the software industry, we make the changes without reminding the producer that they had encouraged us to alter the storyline and create new characters during our original meeting. But like Walt Disney said, "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing," which highlights his belief in taking action over mere words. Thank goodness I'm no longer a 30-year-old warrior trying to win arguments! It is so much faster to merely keep the old version and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.

This is one of the reasons why I prefer emails or texts over group Zoom meetings, or phone conferences -- where everyone wants to create a movie "by committee." The platypus's odd combination of features evokes the idea of something "created by committee."  

I've seen so many movies that are a collection of great ideas - but they don't follow the required beats, sequences, act breaks that a movie needs and the structure that we're trained to follow. This was one of the problems with Electric State, a recent Netflix offering. Some of the comments were that the film was "incoherent," with critics finding the plot muddled, the action scenes repetitive, and the characters underdeveloped - a platypus.

It might be helpful for you to obtain coverage for the treatment or previous script before starting your Writer for Hire job, or simply ask the producer exactly what changes they want made. Otherwise you might be writing a platypus screenplay that is incoherent.

In my former tech career we had a saying; "you can have it cheap, good, or fast - pick 2 out of those 3," My "brand" in screenwriting is to provide producers with all three! I have high tech skills and know Final Draft and AI software, can type as fast as I talk. I'm well-educated in screenwriting and open to changes. Change the cat to a dog -- I can handle it!

Chasing Chickens

How many of you can say that you have a picture of yourself holding a chicken?
 
My parents raised chickens, and I'd often be the "go-to person" to catch the chickens that escaped from the chicken house. It was an important job because if nightfall came -  the coyotes would get them. 

I was a fast kid with boundless energy - so my parents thought I was the perfect person for the job -- or they just wanted me out of the house!

I could either chase, chase after them until they tired - I've always been overactive, or I could surround them by making various mazes and traps. 

My parents owned an avocado ranch and there were hundreds of wooden boxes stored next to the chicken house. I was a smart kid, so after a few tries at outrunning the chickens, I started building traps to corner the intelligence-challenged birds. That worked. It was easier and more efficient.

I found in my first 20 years of screenwriting that chasing my dream of getting to see my name up on the big screen is a lot like chasing chickens. I've been writing and writing and not catching any producers, agents, or managers. I was getting tired. 

Two years ago - I had the resources I needed - a "fixed" income  after selling my software company, which meant I didn't have to chase after clients and investors, and I had the funds, although limited - to spend on my "boxes." 

Since I don't have unlimited funds, I create a budget each month of what I can spend. I've been using my children's book writing, screenplay contests, listing services, pitching fees, editors, marketing, experts etc., as my boxes and now with a manager - I think that chicken is almost surrounded! I'm very close to getting a writing gig for adapting an amazing book. 

Tune in next month to learn more.

Did I catch the chicken?  I like to think so, but upon reflection of my childhood, I think the fun was in the chase and planning, setting up my boxes - doing the work - and, of course, running. A big part of life is to always be chasing the chickens!

How to Choose?

My manager is taking a few of my scripts to the Cannes Film Festival next month. The problem is that I have thirteen feature scripts ready to go, and she can only showcase three of them in her book that goes out to 500+ producers, studios, etc. How to choose? Thank goodness that is not my problem; she's the professional and will figure it out. I've been working with Alexia since February, and the first thing she does it send the scripts with the most marketability out for coverage. The person who does the coverage reads the script - maybe a few times and ranks it on a score of 1-10.  A score of  1-4 means to Pass on the script. A better score of 5-7 earns a Consider, and the best score of 8-10 - means that the executive should Read the script. I have two so far that have earned a 9 and four that are 7s. Three more are on the way to getting coverage. At first, I thought a 7 was a low score since I was thinking 70% on a test, but it is actually pretty good to be a "Consider" and outstanding to be a 9. 

The next process is to get a professional pitch deck created. The first thing that I do is to structure out the script and write a pitch. That sometimes causes some rewriting because when I'm telling the story in the form of a pitch - something might stand out as being in the wrong place. This pitch is then put into Canva, and off it goes to a designer who makes it look amazing. My pitch deck guru is Annalisa Giolo Dunker of https://www.betterearthproductions.com/. You can see her work on my new website - SandraJerome.com.

You might wonder how I can have so many unsold scripts. Easy - I've been writing for a long time, but only been a full-time screenwriter for a year. If you've been following me, you might remember that I retired two years ago, so what have I been doing for the other year?  After I retired, I thought I wanted to be a novelist. I spent a year learning how to write kidlit - middle-grade and young adult books. I wrote three of them, joined SCBWI and attended seminars and workshops. I started querying agents and publishers and did get a few requests for my books. But one problem - the publishing business is extremely slow. A typical wait time is six months before you get a response to a query - if ever. That doesn't stop me - I'm working on my 4th novel, but I remembered fondly that when I first started writing screenplays, there were many, many contests to enter. I'd get immediate feedback on my work. Plus, I needed a hobby while I was waiting be be a famous novelist. What do I like to do in my spare time?  You guessed it - storytelling!  There is no easier way to tell a story than a screenplay. It is like writing computer programming (my trained profession.) Lots of instructions to the talent and dialogue. 

I trained professionally to be a screenwriter two decades ago. I graduated from UCLA's advanced screenwriting program but then tragedy struck, and I had to abandon my dream of writing movies. Those who know me well know what happened and what I accomplished - including helping to raise my four granddaughters. Now that "my watch" is over and I'm writing full-time - the timing is perfect for a great 2025. The existing IP concept is huge. Studios prefer to reduce their risk by greenlighting a project based on something already "out there."  I have books already published and now I'm writing a book based on my most highly-ranked screenplay, Blood Moon Wolf. My "job" and hobby have joined together.  In addition, producers also want projects based on material in the public domain, and I'm working on a historical screenplay based on a book by Lady Churchill, Jennie Jerome, Keith's fourth cousin, twice removed. I'm also writing my 2nd Christmas movie and I'm thinking that might be my passion - I love Christmas. The acorn didn't fall from the tree because my mother was Christmas-crazy. I miss her so much.

Getting back to my huge inventory of completed projects, during the past two decades, I flew hundreds of thousands of miles and writing my screenplays and novels kept me company. I might be stuck in the middle of nowhere, far away from my family - but my characters were always with me - even when I was alone. I could drop my mind into their world and get away from the yucky hotel, cramped airplane, or stressful job. Then, I'd enter scripts into contests, get feedback, then rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. I read recently that quantity does equate to quality when it comes to screenplays. If you keep writing and rewriting – you get better. I know so many screenwriters who only have 1-2 scripts, and they are precious to them. They only want certain producers and platforms to take on their projects and expect millions. I don't think that - I want my work to be aired - streaming, network, turned in TV - even YouTube! I plan to write 100 screenplays by the time I'm a hundred. Based on the ten thousand outliner hours that I've spent so far, I'm on the way there, and I have one sold and in production, with another two being optioned and a manager taking a few to Cannes. Better get back to writing - lots more to say before next month. Here's my IMDB page - Sandi Jerome

Two Quarts Low of Patience

 “Grant me the serenity to accept that which cannot be changed, courage to change what I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”  

 

This is one of my favorite pictures of my granddaughter, Chandra.  She is grown now and I admire her mindfulness. 

We are born with no patience. A baby gets tossed into this world from a warm, dark, soft, and constantly fed environment into a loud, cold, and noisy room. Doctors used to hold the baby upside down and slap its behind to stimulate it to cry and take its first breath on its own. It makes sense that we started our lives being impatient for everything we needed.  

I believe that everyone then builds up a certain amount of patience after their caring parents respond to their needs, and they trust in the universe for things to be fair. Unfortunately, it is a hard lesson to learn that things are not fair. My parents treated my brother and me differently. I remember asking why Stan could ride his bike to the store alone, and I couldn’t. My mom used the 1950s phrase, “because he is a boy.” 

Today, I feel like I’m about 2 quarts low in patience. I’m trying to figure out why and overcome it. I seek out the shortest line at the grocery store, even when I have plenty of time. Keith and I prefer Mobile Orders and Quick Service at the Disney Parks in order to get our food faster. We’re not starved; we’re merely impatient. If someone doesn’t respond to my email that day, I wonder why and start worrying. Did my email get blocked? Is the person okay? Did I say something wrong? Worry, worry, and 2 quarts of patience draining out of my system.

 My New Year’s resolution is to cure my impatience. Cure it? Well, that might be rather ambitious, but I’m going to try. Here are the things that I’m going to try;

Being in a line. At the grocery store, I’m going to use this time to give my brain a workout. I’m going to try to guess the total of items that I’m buying or look at the candy bars and see how many words I can make out of “Snickers.” When I’m in a long line for the PeopleMover at Disney Parks, I’m going to get out my iPhone and click on the Fitness App and do my Breathing, which I often forget to do for one minute.  

No response to letters and emails. I’m going to ask myself if I need a response to enjoy the day. If I sent a gift, Do I really NEED a thank you or acknowledgment? If they got the check and cashed it, then I know they are okay. If I sent an email, was a response required? If so, I’ll ask for that in the email and put a date. Otherwise, I’ll forget about it. I did my part, and I’ll forget about it.

My writing career. My last job had instant gratification. I sold a product, booked an engagement, or signed a contract – usually within hours of my proposal. This new writing career tries my patience. I will send a query and don’t hear a reply (if any) for months or years. I must remind myself that JK Rowling got rejected 12 times for the best synopsis that I’ve ever read. She is now a billionaire. I don’t need to be a billionaire, and I’m not as talented as she is. I’m analyzing my need to write and leave a part of me in this world. I’ve already done that; my bookshelf at Amazon is full of things I’ve written, and I am proud of my two unpublished middle-grade books, and anytime I want, I can self-publish. You can read these at sandijerome.com, click on Books, then notice the links. Time for me to remember the serenity prayer, “Grant me the serenity to accept that which cannot be changed, courage to change what I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”  Please grant me patience too!

Amazon Writer's page   Sandra Jerome 

https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Jerome/e/B09S3RNRKL/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_2