Anything Goes

20+-year WGA writer here. Also been a partner in a prodco. I've sat on both sides of the table.

Here's the gap:

WRITERS THINK PRODUCERS WANT:

High-concept loglines | Explosive set pieces | Familiar IP | "It's X meets Y"

WHAT PRODUCERS ACTUALLY WANT/NEED:

A script they can shoot for the money they have | Roles actors will fight to play | A story that survives a 30% budget cut | Proof you understand the machine

The brutal truth:

A producer would rather make a "B+" script they can finance tomorrow than an "A+" script they can't afford to make.

Here's what actually happens in that room:

When a producer reads your script, they're not just reading story. They're running mental math:

"If I lose that warehouse, can I consolidate into the apartment?"

"Will this role attract an actor whose name unlocks foreign pre-sales?"

"If I have to cut two days, what scenes die first?"

That's what they're thinking while you're waiting to hear "I loved it."

Three things that make a producer's eyes light up:

1. YOU LEAD WITH THE MATH

When I pitch, the first sentence is: "This is a three-week shoot, five actors, two locations."

That gets a meeting. A logline gets a maybe.

You're pitching a production plan, not just a script..

2. YOU WROTE ROLES, NOT JUST CHARACTERS

Producers need attachments. Actors need material.

If your script has two killer audition scenes and three roles with transformative arcs? You're not just writing a story—you're building a package.

Insider move: A producer I worked with would only option scripts where at least two roles could be offer-only to actors they had relationships with. No audition-worthy scenes = no package = no financing.

3. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SELLING

Are you selling a calling card or a blueprint? Both are valid. Confusing them kills deals.

Calling card: Showcases your voice. Budget is irrelevant.

Blueprint: Designed to be made. Every choice serves production reality.

The mistake? Pitching a calling card as a blueprint. The producer thinks you're solving their problem. You're solving yours.

The stuff nobody tells you:

Soft money is strategy. If your script requires Manhattan but could work in Atlanta, you just killed the deal. Tax credits aren't a bonus—they're the budget.

Foreign pre-sales are driven by cast, not concept. No "travelable" star role? It's a non-starter. Producers know this by page 10.

Gap financing is gone. That last 20% from a rich film lover? Dried up. Everything must pencil out on paper first. Your job is to make the math work.

The scripts that get made aren't the "best" scripts.

They're the ones where the writer solved the producer's problem, not just their own.

What's the biggest disconnect you've seen between a writer's vision and a producer's reality? Drop it in the comments. I'm collecting war stories.

And if you have a script that reads great but won't close financing, send it over. I can tell you where the bodies are buried in one pass.

I've ghostwritten for producers who needed a writer who speaks both languages. I've rewritten specs to be investor-ready without gutting the soul.

I fix. I polish. I ghost. I speak both languages.

Studio craft. Indie reality. No ego.

Producers don't buy scripts. They buy solutions.

P.S. I've worked on both studio-level union projects and indie non-union films throughout my career, so I understand both worlds. Currently available for non-union work.

#Screenwriting #ScriptDoctor #IndieFilm #Filmmaking #BudgetReality

Unfortunate series of events. I went down to Los Angeles to network. Sold the house in Florida. Was supposed to make a family connection in Vegas. Flew directly from L.A. to Las Vegas, but missed my family connection. I went partying on the first night with a bunch of rock stars at the Virgin instead of checking into the hotel I booked. My cellphone was stolen at the Horseshoe. Somewhere between the Sphere and the Wynn, my wallet was also lost or stolen. I've tried lost and found and filed a police report and checked with a lot of lost and founds. Anyway, without I.D. or a phone things were set to be difficult for me. I was holding out for meeting up with the family as planned in Las Vegas and figured I could get by for a few nights, but they never showed up. Most of my sources of potential income are routed through my family's bank account (proceeds from sales of art/photography/writing). Only my streaming was set to deposit in my account. Lost access to all the credit cards and other financial institutions. Regrettably, my writer's room subscription was impacted. 

Obviously, I cannot get "legitimate" work during this time because I lack the proper identification. Small amounts of money come and go. 

I arrived in Vegas on 11/15. It is now December 9. I've been mainly living on the "casino' floor. I would check into McDonald's every night to sleep. Last night, I finally entered the "outdoor shelter" for the first time last night- an abomination to our shared humanity. Nothing compared to war, but still uncivilized.

At this point, I'm trying to stay focused. I do some pitching now and again. Stay out late until 3 or 4 a.m. and get a few hours of sleep. 

I'm hoping not to get involved in the issues confronting the homeless population despite the core strategic weaknesses of Vegas. I've had a few skirmishes over transit issues.

Most of my problems stem from a single source of terror that wears the vile mask of concern, but makes every treacherous move it can to hurt me. 

Plenty of material for another screenplay, should I recover all of my belongings in storage, save a chance for buying a house, and resist.

I could question all my decisions, or I could question the response to those decisions. 

My limited access to lines of communication may not allow me to respond, but I'd thought I'd update people on why I'm not currently attending pitch practices or spending time on Stage32. 

I have tried 3 different times to set up an IMDB Pro account. Every time it prevents me from finalizing the account because it indicates my phone number for billing purposes is invalid. I have tried nearly every phone number in my history and NOTHING works. Have people encountered similar issues? Resolutions?

So, I got my first scorecard from the written pitch session. The score turned out lower than I expected. Despite some positive comments, it seemed to me that the manager wasn’t really looking for an idea or a plot, but rather for whoever can make the prettiest two-page letter. They literally wrote: “The cursed instructional video is a classic hook that fans of the genre will like. However, the pitch feels more like a summary than a dramatic story.” I thought a synopsis was supposed to be a concise outline of the sequence of events, no? And honestly, I don’t understand why every second supporting character has to emphasize the importance of growth in a horror story when I clearly described what their role is. I wrote a letter following the Star Wars example I found on Stage32, but it turned out that wasn’t the best model. Could anyone suggest other places where I could find examples for a written pitch session? I’d really appreciate it.

The educationalist had this to say about transformative technology and whilst many think that AI’s intrusion into our lives is a case for human redundancy, it is only inevitable if we sit back and do nothing.

No one can know at this point, if we ought to celebrate its emergence or warn people about it.

Whichever way it goes, his final idea of implanting devices into our bodies, gives the writers amongst our community some great storylines!

What are your thoughts about this video? Are you excited about your impending redundancy?

https://youtube.com/shorts/C9_L-4U3kyE

Is it possible to ask if fans of a film or series could help track down or make contact with an actor or director, or producer in an effort to share your idea? I mean I believe fandom could be a way to use Market Research as companies can learn what fans like and want and use it to make movie or series.

Today, I watched AmbuLAnce on Netflix, and I must say as with many of his previous films, Michael Bay has an extraordinary, explicit attention to detail quite unsurpassed.

The ability to talk meaningfully with anyone is one of the most powerful and underrated human skills there is. It opens doors in business, deepens personal relationships, defuses conflict, and builds trust faster than credentials ever will. Yet most people treat conversation as something that should either “just happen naturally” or as a performance in which they must impress.

Both approaches miss the point.

The art of conversation is not about winning, performing, or dominating. At its highest level, it is about connection with intent, creating a space where another person feels seen, respected, and safe enough to be themselves. This is where the idea of the conversationalist becomes important.

A conversationalist is not simply someone who talks well. A conversationalist is someone who:

• Draws meaning out of others rather than pushing views

• Bridges differences instead of widening

• Builds momentum in stalled rooms

• Leaves people feeling clearer, lighter, and more understood

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What Conversation Really Is

Conversation is not the exchange of information. It is the exchange of meaning, emotion, and perspective. The people who do this best are rarely the loudest or the most impressive in the room. They are the most attuned.

True conversational skill allows you to:

• Build trust quickly

• Influence without force

• Lead without authority

• Learn without ego

At its core, meaningful conversation rests on one ability:

Genuine, disciplined curiosity about another human being.

Not performative interest. Not waiting your turn to speak. But real curiosity with the willingness to understand how someone else experiences the world. This is the spine of the conversationalist.

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Why Conversation Triggers Make You More Authentic, Not Less

Many people fear that having ready-made conversation lines makes them sound fake. In reality, the opposite is true.

Prepared lines:

• Reduce social hesitation

• Lower anxiety in new settings

• Prevent awkward, forced beginnings

• Free your attention to actually listen

A conversationalist prepares not to perform, but to remove friction to enable presence, not self-consciousness, but encourages the exchange. Like a musician learning scales, preparation creates the freedom to improvise naturally and effortlessly.

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The Universal Conversation Framework

Nearly every meaningful conversation follows the same quiet sequence:

1. Open with Neutral Observation

Not jokes. Not opinions. Observations feel safe.

• “You seem to know your way around this place.”

• “That was handled cleverly.”

• “You look like you’ve done this before.”

2. Invite Story, Not Status

Instead of “What do you do?” try:

• “What keeps you busy these days?”

• “How did you end up in that field?”

• “What do you enjoy most when it’s going well?”

Now you’re in human territory, not hierarchy.

3. Listen for Energy, Not Just Words

People reveal what matters through:

• What excites them

• What frustrates them

• What they defend

• What they fear losing

A conversationalist follows energy, not just logic.

4. Reflect, Don’t Compete

Avoid hijacking with your own story. Try:

• “That sounds like it carried real weight.”

• “You didn’t hesitate when you said that.”

• “That must’ve changed how you see things.”

People don’t want to be matched. They want to be seen and heard.

5. Add Value Only After Understanding

Only once rapport exists do you:

• Offer perspective

• Introduce humor

• Challenge gently

• Share insight

Depth is earned, not inflicted.

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High-Value Conversation Triggers You Can Always Use

Openers

• “What’s been taking most of your attention lately?”

• “How did you end up here?”

• “What surprised you most about that?”

Deepeners

• “That sounds like it was important to you.”

• “Most people wouldn’t say that out loud.”

• “That’s a big call — what led you to be that confident?”

Trust Builders

• “I hope I’m right, because it sounds like…”

• “Help me better understand this part…”

• “I hadn’t looked at it that way before.”

Conflict Softeners

• “We may be aiming at the same outcome from different angles.”

• “That’s a fair concern, here’s how I’m seeing it.”

• “I think we’re saying the same thing from different perspectives.”

The sentence opens the door.

The silence afterward lets the other person walk through it.

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The Importance of Being a Conversationalist

A true conversationalist becomes:

• A natural connector between people

• A pressure valve in tense rooms

• A translator between opposing views

• A catalyst for trust, alignment, and optimism

History celebrates leaders, inventors, and warriors. But long before actions shaped outcomes, conversations shaped decisions. The conversationalist operates upstream of power.

This is not a personality trait, it is a trainable and deliberate identity.

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How to Spot People Who Are Not Listening

(The Conversational Narcissist)

Not everyone in a conversation is actually in the conversation. Some are simply waiting for oxygen to speak again. Others convert every exchange into a mirror for themselves. These are the non-listeners and the conversational narcissists.

Here is how to spot them quickly.

1. They Don’t Build on What You Said

A listener responds to your meaning.

A narcissistic conversationalist responds only with:

• A story about themselves

• A bigger or better example

• A stronger opinion

If your point disappears without acknowledgment, you’re not being heard, you’re being used as a launchpad.

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2. They Interrupt with Confidence, Not Curiosity

Healthy interruptions clarify.

Narcissistic interruptions redirect.

They cut in with:

• “Yeah, but…”

• “No, listen…”

• “That’s nothing — one time I…”

This is a control mechanism disguised as enthusiasm.

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3. The Conversation Is Always About Them

You’ll notice a pattern:

• They like to drag the conversation back to being about them

• Their stories get expanded to fill a void

• Your questions get deflected as not relevant

• Their achievements get recycled or glorified

You will leave the conversation knowing far more about them than they know about you, and they prefer it that way. They will feel an achievement, while you feel time has been wasted.

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4. They Don’t Ask Follow-Up Questions

Curiosity is measurable.

If someone:

• Never asks “what happened next?”

• Never asks how something affected you

• Never checks whether they understood correctly

They are not in dialogue. They are in broadcast mode to teach you something.

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5. They React to Your Words, Not Your Meaning

They argue technicalities and semantics

They miss emotional subtext.

They respond to the literal sentence and ignore the human beneath it.

This creates endless friction without resolution.

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How a Conversationalist Deals with Them

A true conversationalist does not confront, they manage the energy.

They:

• Slow the pace

• Narrow the focus

• Reflect instead of compete

• Redirect instead of colliding

Powerful redirect lines include:

• “Let’s come back to that earlier point for a moment.”

• “That’s interesting — I’m still curious about what you said before.”

• “Before we move on, I want to make sure I understood you.”

If redirection fails repeatedly, a conversationalist also knows this truth:

Not every conversation deserves depth.

Some exchanges are for navigation, not connection.

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What Instantly Kills Meaningful Conversation

• Talking to perform instead of to connect

• Turning every exchange into debate

• One-upping others’ stories

• Signalling superiority

• Treating conversation as a transaction or negotiation

People rarely remember what you said.

They always remember how safe or exposed they felt with you.

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The Quiet Power of Conversational Mastery

Those who master conversation quietly become:

• Power brokers without titles

• Leaders without rank

• Influencers without platforms

• Teachers without classrooms

They win trust faster than experts.

They defuse conflict without dominance.

They move rooms without pushing.

Few skills are as universally applicable across business, law, family, politics, diplomacy, and crisis management as being a good conversationalist.

Do you know someone who has been abused? My sister was in an abusive relationship, luckily, she ended it and is now in a better one, and I want to raise awareness to help prevent this kind of thing. But I need help. I have some ideas about that, and some of them can be with Disney, I want to help the No Excuse for Abuse Campaign and I want Disney to help with it to. I know it can be done. So please, help me, this is something I need to do.