Screenwriter Dale Launer   

 

RULES OF DEVELOPMENT aka HOW TO TALK TO A SCREENWRITER

  • Rule One
    READ THE SCRIPT IMMEDIATELY .
  •  

  • Rule Two
    YOU'VE FINISHED THE SCRIPT, NOW CALL THE WRITER IMMEDIATELY AND PRAISE THEM!
  •  

  • Rule Three
    BEGIN YOUR PRAISE WITH A VAGUE COMPLIMENT, THEN FOLLOW IT UP WITH SOME SPECIFIC POSITIVE COMMENTS.
  •  

  • Rule Four
    SET THE MEETING AND STICK TO IT
  •  

  • Rule Five
    THE MEETING - START A VAGUE POSITIVE STATMENT
  •  

  • Rule Six
    DO YOUR BEST TO TAKE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE SCRIPT
  •  

  • Rule Seven
    GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE SCRIPT PAGE BY PAGE AND TELL THEM SPECIFICALLY ALL THE MOMENTS YOU LIKE!
  •  

  • Rule Eight
    BEING NICE PAYS OFF - AKA THE BENEFITS OF BEING POSITIVE
  •  

  • Rule Nine
    WHEN GIVING A SCRIPT CORRECTION BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE
  •  

  • Rule Ten
    DON'T PUSSYFOOT ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE.
  •  

  • Rule Eleven
    ASK QUESTIONS!
  •  

  • Rule Tweleve
    CONVINCE THE WRITER THERE ACTUALLY IS A PROBLEM
  •  

  • Rule Thirteen
    SOMETIMES YOU WILL BE WRONG.
  •  

  • Rule Fourteen
    THE WRITER IS WRONG AND REFUSES TO SEE IT. WHAT DO I DO?
  •  

  • Rule Fifteen
    DON'T OFFER SOLUTIONS. CONVINCE THE WRITER THERE'S A PROBLEM AND THEN LET THEM COME UP WITH A SOLUTION.

     

  • Rule Sixteen
    DON'T "SPITBALL" IDEAS. (SEE RULE FIFTEEN)
  •  

  • Rule Seventeen
    THE WRITER SHOULD FEEL IT'S THEIR STORY...
  •  

  • Rule Eighteen
    BE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND VAGUE ABOUT GIVING A SOLUTION
  •  

  • Rule Nineteen
    WHAT IF YOU HAVE A GREAT SOLUTION?
  •  

  • Rule Twenty
    THERE'S A PROBLEM AND YOU'VE DROPPED HINTS AND DESCRIBED YOUR GREAT IDEA VAGUELY, BUT THE WRITER CAN'T GRAB THE HINT?
  •  

  • Rule Twenty One
    SUBMIT YOUR IDEA AS A CLICHE THAT SHOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY DISMISSED
  •  

  • Rule Twenty Two
    DANGER! HACK WRITER AHEAD
  •  

  • Rule Twenty Three
    PREFERABLY HAVE ONLY ONE PERSON IN A ROOM, ONE EXCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT EXEC FOR EVERY WRITER
  • 10. DON'T PUSSYFOOT ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE.

    If you really hate something, go ahead say it ! There's nothing productive about a meeting where people are politely telling you what they don't like. In fact the converse is true, if you really despise something, and you show it - they'll know it either has to go, or be fixed. But more than that...the writer will get the point because you've added some unique emotional value to it. "I hate Kenneth in the second act, all he does is complain I wanted James to strangle him!" Well, you've just explained that you don't like Kenneth and why you don't like him. And the writer will then be able to read the script and see it they way you saw it - and make an appropriate corrections.

     

    MORE RULES UNDER CONSTRUCTION

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Entrance * Press * California Living Piece * Premiere Magazine Article * Digital Cinema Article * Bio * Short Dale Launer Bio * Long Dale Launer Bio * Pics * Tom's Nu Heaven Movie Stills * Pictures of Dale * Flicks * Toms Nu Heaven Trailer * Filmography * Words * Creative Hints and Cheats for Writers * The Simple Cure to Writer's Block * National Association of Broadcasters Speech * Response to NAB * Rules of Movie Development * Guestbook * Contact * Sitemap * Links

    © Copyright 2004 dalelauner.com