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

    There is nothing more encouraging to a writer than to get a late night call at home and be given praise. It takes away all the excruciating tension of waiting. Give a biscuit to a dog and you make a friend. (do you get the analogy? You are giving rewards for good behavior). A happy, secure writer will turn in the best work that writer can possibly do. And since you are contributing to their happiness - they will wnat to please you. Any delay will be interpreted as a bad review, that the script is so bad you dread making the call to break the bad news, or that you're trying to collect your wits and say awful things wrapped up in a nice package.

    Or worse; that you don't respect them or what they do.

    2b. COROLLARY - WHAT IF THEY'RE NOT HOME?

    If they're not home, they will either have an answering machine or a service. You are to leave a glowing, heart-warming message of praise on the machine. If you're good at it, they'll keep the message. If they can't keep it, they will remember it. The rest of their lives. Good for you.

    GO TO RULE THREE

     

     

     

     

     

    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 * Guestbook * Contact * Sitemap * Links

    © Copyright 2004 dalelauner.com