Is there anything more pleasing or powerful than an intelligent woman at the top of her game? That is precisely what and who Lee Jessup is. A former screenwriter who is now a coach for all participants in the film and TV world, Lee presented some outstanding insights into how to get noticed and become successful as an aspiring screenwriter.
The biggest takeaway for me: that a passion project may be the key to other things, and getting that first “general” meeting is most important in furthering your career. She then talked about the gatekeeper roles of agents and managers, and how to pitch successfully.
Lee essentially outlined two paths to success: that of working as a paid writer on a TV show, working on assigned material, and that of a straight-to-the-producers marketing strategy. She also commented that age and where are you are in your life will affect which path you choose.
For those perhaps younger writers, getting paid or commissioned work is a traditional path to success in the realm of television. Most often, she declared, producers will like your writing, but may not be interested in the script you are pitching. So they will ask for other work, or will inquire whether you’d like to work on assigned material, a sentiment echoed by Chris Lockhart in the next session. This is a path toward career-building that is centered in LA, which continues as the epicenter for film and television production, despite disruptions from Covid-19.
The other strategy, which is perhaps for older writers who don’t have the luxury of a 20 or 30-year career arc, involves going directly to producers without benefit of representation. The key to getting the all-important “general” meeting is an outstanding query letter, a polished pitch and high scores at contests like the Blacklist and the Nicholl, Austin Film Festival, Pipeline, Tracking Board-Final Draft, Paige and ISA. Your ability to show that you’ve been vetted by some of the best will help your work rise to the top of the “slush pile” and maybe get you that all-important meeting.
It is at that point that you will also need to find representation, especially a manager, which Lee found to be the most helpful of all the people around you. Managers will champion your work and guide you through the process, unlike an agent, who will help you finalize a deal but generally not find work for you. In Lee’s opinion, representation will find you once your work starts getting shared around to different people in the industry. Of course, for those of us still knocking on the door, this still seems like an elusive outcome, but she shared many stories about writers that she had coached to success, despite their age and lack of industry experience.
She then broke down the percentage of a contract that each member of the team would receive – 10% for the manager, 10% for the agent and 5% for the attorney. Those numbers can be a little daunting for those of us that have never sold anything, but that’s the way of it.
A final bit of advice and a critical one – find your support group and lean on them during the process of writing and pitching. This can be a stressful and frustrating process – often, partners or good friends don’t really understand the world that writers inhabit, and so it’s crucial to connect with people that do. She recommended writers groups on Twitter, screenwriters support groups like the one that Wendy Jones runs all year long, Stage 32 and Inside Pitch (my suggestion).
Sometimes I feel like Princess Leia, that Obi-Wan or his film equivalent is my only hope. After Lee’s session, however, I think that R2 and I can do it on our own.
Rebecca Robinson is a screenwriter and author of Piercing Time podcast, now available through her website https://www.piercingtimepodcast.com. She is based in Vancouver, Washington after living for many years in the Bay Area of California. She can be reached through her FB page or through Stage 32 where she is an active member.
