by Voyage | Apr 20, 2012 | Uncategorized
“THE SECRET TO PROJECTS THAT SELL” It’s scary how much time, energy, and money is expended every year on films that will never be released, or even made at all, for that matter. Just think about all the films that are submitted Sundance and don’t end up getting distribution. At last count in 2011, this was about 3,775 films. If each one costs $300,000 to make (some cost less, some far more), then those 3,775 represent an investment of over $1 billion. That’s $1 billion those filmmakers probably couldn’t afford to lose. These staggering numbers show the amount of waste in the entertainment industry. If you aspire to have a career you love in entertainment the real question you need to answer in 2012 is how to build projects professionally – so that they don’t end up in the reject pile at great expense. Here’s something you should know before you spend any more of your time and money: The Number One Reason why film and TV projects fail is that their creators haven’t done their research to find out if their project is right for the market, or to find out who their competition is and who might beat them to the punch. There’s a lot more information on this topic that could give you a serious leg up on the competition. One of the most knowledgeable and articulate producers in the business on choosing ideas that sell is Elizabeth Kushman. Elizabeth is a 10-year veteran of the entertainment industry who got her start as Creative Executive for Wes Craven, developing such films as PULSE, CURSED and THE...
by Voyage | Apr 10, 2012 | Uncategorized
“THE 3 DIMENSIONS” THAT KEEP PEOPLE TALKING It seems like everyone has an idea that would make a great film or TV show these days. Hopefully you do too! But do you ever wonder what your chances are of actually being able to quit your day job? Well, let’s take a look at what’s going on with the famous Writers Guild in LA-the WGA. To be a member you have to be a working writer at a professional level already-their total membership is about 7,900. And do you have any guesses as to how many of these competitive and connected professionals are actually being paid to write in any given year? In reality it’s only about 3,850. Yes, that is only HALF of the writers in the guild who are working and getting paid. This means that for every two writers who have proven their talent, made the cut, stood out, and been hired once by an established TV or film company, ONE OF THEM WILL NOT FIND EVEN ONE MORE PAYING GIG! No wonder it’s hard to get representation these days. What’s more, there is a lot less work going around: the already sluggish writer employment fell by another 11% as a result of the recession, with 226 professional screenwriters out of a job. These statistics are staggering. Yeah, it’s competitive out there, and it’s getting more so all the time. So where does that leave you and the other emerging talent? The ones who are either just starting out professionally or who are making a move toward their ideal creative career? The odds are stacked against you....
