more on negotiation and scripting

a little child in hollywood, wonder what all he will learn to negotiate as he grows up ?

Good Logline: a paralyzed soldier is given an opportunity to be an alien spy, n he starts to question those who hired him: avatar

Negotiations:

a. Stone wall

b. Attack

c. Trick

d.

Pause and say nothing

Rewind the tape- (repeat what they said)

Go to the balcony - (take a break)

More strategies

1. Stepping to the side

2. Listen actively –

a. Ack their point (but not agreeing with them)

b. Ack their feeling (e.g.-you have every right to be pissed, so would I.)

c. Offer an apology

d. Project confidence.

e. Agree without conceding

i. Agree on the weather

Ii. Agree a compromise has to be made

iii. Get a bunch of yes.

f. Acknowledge the person (go to their office)

g. Acknowledge their confidence and authority.

(Compliment them)

h. Build a working relationship.

Coverage:

Write to explain what happens in the script, should be2 pages long, + w 1 to 2 page of comment + a logline: 1 -3 sentences (best if 1 sentence)

Look for

1. Does the story have an idea, which you can say in one sentence?

2. 5 trailer moments what are they?

3. Is there an identifiable love story? Do you identify with that?

4. Is it episodic (good for TV, bad for films)?

5. Were you ahead of the script (could you predict the script)?

6. Did the writer spring a surprise (something happened which you did not presume will happen)?

7. By page 25 – 35 the big reveal should have happened (story taking a turn)

8. Is there a dialogue or scene or idea that you will not forget?

9. 3 scenes that surprised you.

All the above is the begning of coverage.

Also look for

a. Does movie open on action within page 1 – 3

b. Hero: what’s his problem, and does he come across as an underdog by page 3. (So audience will care for him)

c. How does the hero’s problem convert to need by page 7?

Eg: he is poor. Gambles by habit, n needs to win money to pay off those he owns money or will be killed.

PLOT POINT.

d. What’s the hero’s talent (he has to be good at something, very good)?

e. Meet villain by page 10, if not how can we meet him by then?

f. How has the villain created the problem for the hero before the movie began

g. How is the villa stopping the hero from fulfilling the heroes need

h. If villain and love interest is the same, it will be brilliant

i. What’s the villains talent

j. How does the villains talent put the heroes life in jeopardy

k. Do you despise the villain

l. Who is the love interest, n why do we care about it?

m. Ticking clock, what’s that, by page 25 we should know the device

n. The speed of the ticking clock should double by act 2.

o. The villain he should die 3 times

End of second act, hero should be very vulnerable, at his weakest point