Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Thursday, December 04, 2014

GET REPPED NOW! SCRIPT SELLS TO DISNEY FOR 6 FIGURES

This is the little secret we could not divulge for all of the most recent Get Repped Now! promotion, and it was killing us! While we *could* announce that Coverage Ink's Get Repped Now! landed writer Brandon Barker at Benderspink and then subsequently got him signed at UTA -- we couldn't announce the freaking SPEC SALE until now!

www.coverageink.com

So there it is. Brandon Barker's script NOTTINGHAM + HOOD has sold to Disney for an undisclosed 6-figure amount. Read all about it at Deadline.

The script concerns The Sheriff of Nottingham's capture of Robin Hood and subsequent tumultuous road trip to bring his man to justice. It's Midnight Run in Sherwood Forest. 

"Coverage Ink is what started it all!," enthuses Barker. "I cannot thank you guys enough. Major dream come true!" 

 Special thanks to Jake Wagner from Benderspink for making it all happen.

We're still working our way through the big pile of Get Repped Now! submissions from November, looking for the next Brandon Barker. If you missed it, don't worry -- Coverage Ink's Get Repped Now! returns in the spring. In the meantime, get to work, writers! 

www.coverageink.com



Tuesday, December 02, 2014

CI Senior Story Analyst Kevin O'Hare Sells Pilot to ABC

O'Hare
Coverage Ink senior story analyst Kevin O'Hare, an accomplished writer/producer with numerous TV sales under his belt, put another notch in his gunbelt with the sale of ASCENSION to ABC, The Hollywood reporter recently announced.

O'Hare, who has been a consultant to Coverage Ink since 2005, describes the pilot as an FBI procedural with a female lead. 

"I literally just found out about the sale on Thursday -- I did network pitches and left the spec pilot and series outline behind the week before. Had Brillstein attached, and they took it into ABC Studios -- then the studio focused on the network, and they bit. Additionally, I have a blind script deal with Universal I'm going to be commencing in the next few weeks as well, so things are going to be awesome but crazy (feels like it's always feast or famine, doesn't it?) I'm thrilled."

As well he should be.  Brillstein Entertainment is attached to executive produce. O'Hare is repped by Verve and Underground. KICK ASS, KEVIN!

www.coverageink.com

Monday, November 10, 2014

GET REPPED NOW! Extended - Must End Midnight 11/16/14

http://coverageink.com/getrepped.html

 

GET REPPED NOW EXTENDED -- FINAL WEEK!

All "considers" read by TWO top Hollywood Lit Managers -- Guaranteed.


Coverage Ink's Get Repped Now! scored big time earlier this year when client Brandon Barker's script "Nottingham & Hood," which scored a "consider/consider" rating, drew the eye of Benderspink Head of Lit Jake Wagner. Wagner signed Barker, who has since signed with UTA and is now a working writer. 

Are you NEXT?

http://coverageink.com/getrepped.html

Get Repped Now! is a unique promotion from leading independent screenplay analysis/development service Coverage Ink. You submit your screenplay or pilot for coverage, and you receive back a detailed 10-14-page analysis showing exactly how close to the bull's-eye you are. All scripts are graded Pass, Consider With Reservations, Consider, Strong Consider, or Recommend for both screenplay and writer. 

Top literary managers Jake Wagner, Chris Mills and Jeff Belkin have agreed to read all the scripts that receive a 'consider' for script. Wagner and Mills will read the pilots; and Wagner and Belkin will read the features. It's that simple.

For more info and complete rules, please visit Coverage Ink. And hurry -- Get Repped Now! must end midnight 11/16/14. There will be no further extensions. So if you've got the goods, we want your script. Good luck!

http://coverageink.com/release.php

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Since 2002, Coverage Ink has been a leading independent screenplay analysis and development service for emerging writers as well as management and production companies. We handle everything from screenplay and manuscript analysis to ghost-writing, copy editing, and more. We are also a production company with several projects in production. For more about us please visit www.coverageink.com.

www.coverageink.com


Thursday, October 23, 2014

Interview with Brandon Barker

Brandon Barker is on a roll. As a result of his scoring a “consider” for his feature script "Nottingham + Hood" in our Get Repped Now! promotion in fall 2014, we hooked him up with Benderspink’s Jake Wagner, who signed him and launched his career with a bang. Incredible things happened for Barker very quickly. We caught up with the now in-demand scribe to find out how things are going (the answer: pretty damn great.)

UPDATE: WAGNER'S SCRIPT SOLD TO DISNEY FOR SIX FIGURES! And he is now repped by UTA. 



Barker
Jim Cirile:  Dude! Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? How did you get into writing?

Brandon Barker:  I grew up in the suburbs of San Diego on Nintendo, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars. I've been writing and making movies since I was eight. I don't think a month went by where I wasn't working on some movie thing with the kids in the neighborhood. I grew up a big Spielberg and Lucas freak and still am. 


In high school I was a drama geek, a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. Went to UC Santa Cruz which was a magical place and then transferred to NYU film school. Moved to LA after graduation. Met my wife on a blind date at Disneyland. I did not have a lot of incredibly interesting jobs save for a year as a sixth grade teacher. That was just way too interesting. 

JC:  What was the inspiration for "Nottingham + Hood"? 

BB:  I wanted to do "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" in the middle ages. I had never seen a buddy movie in that time period and thought it sounded fun. The story evolved from a generic knight and rogue character to the Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood. I rewatched "Midnight Run" and thought it was an even better template. Just kept evolving from there.

JC:  The mash-up is definitely "Midnight Run" meets Sherwood Forest. How does it feel to be at Benderspink? What's that ride been like?


BB:  Feels great! I am really impressed with Jake Wagner, his smooth moves, his network, and his relationships - that's what it's all about. I was not an obvious choice and he really took a chance on me. And meeting Jake would have never been possible without Coverage Ink. Honestly, out of all the services, you guys had the smartest coverage. Some very exciting things are happening that I can't even talk about and it's killing me not to, but hopefully I can spill it soon!

JC:  Okay, before everyone hates you for having this amazing good fortune, you'd better give us an "always darkest before the dawn" moment. We all have a time when everything writing-wise looks bleak and we're ready to throw in the towel.

BB:  I had a little success right after film school with an option that got pretty far up the chain. Unfortunately, the execs I was dealing with were let go, and there went my project. At the time I did not know this was a common experience. I thought it was unique to me and such a tragedy that I gave up writing for about five days. It made me realize how hard it is to make a living as a writer and how long it takes and that's when I started getting into teaching. Though I never stopped writing after that. I believe in the whole "Outliers" 10,000 hours thing. That book should be required reading. It's all about hard work and falling on your face over and over and over again. Luck, timing, and talent are all factors but pale in comparison to hard work... and meeting Jake Wagner.

JC:  Right on. What are your favorite genres to watch and/or write?

BB:  Action/adventure with a sense of humor. That's what I want to do. "Guardians of the Galaxy" is a perfect example. That was my kind of movie. Great balancing act between organic, believable characters and a goofy sense of humor. More than one friend said that movie was totally me!

JC:  Now I know there's all sorts of coolness going on with "Nottingham & Hood" that you can't talk about yet. What else are you cooking up?
 

BB:  A sci-fi actioner... with a sense of humor!

JC: I walked right into that one. Continued success and thanks for your time.

BB: No, thank you! You really got the ball rolling for me, man. Seriously - THANK YOU!! Query letters did not work for me - it was your site and promotion that really did the trick!!

+++


www.coverageink.com


Coverage Ink's Get Repped Now! runs from 10/13 to 11/9/14. Enter now!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Paul Zeidman Interviews CI's Jim Cirile

For some bizarre reason, Paul Zeidman thought it would be wise to interview ME for his Maximum Z blog as part of his series of grilling screenplay consultants...

Ask a Straight-Talkin’ Script Consultant!

Jim Cirile - Coverage Ink

The latest in a series of interviews with script readers and consultants who would be worth your while to work with if you want to get your script in shape. Today’s spotlight is on Jim Cirile of Coverage Ink.

1. What’s the last thing you read/watched that you thought was incredibly well-written?
After binge-watching “Sons of Anarchy” season 6, you really have to marvel at the craftsmanship. The upheaval and complications are so constant as to be ludicrous, yet it’s so devilishly well-written that you just strap in and hold on tight. And blowing our own horn a bit, the last script I read which was truly special was Brandon Barker’s “Nottingham and Hood,” which we found as part of our last Get Repped Now! promotion this summer. We got him into Benderspink, where he’s now working with their head of lit Jake Wagner. So, win-win. A real talented guy with a bitingly funny comic voice.

2. How’d you get your start reading scripts?
Kind of fell into it, really. I originally founded Coverage Ink to offer my small handful of analysts, whom I’d assembled to help develop my own material, to other writers at low cost. Getting feedback from smart readers is a major part of my process and always has been. In fact, the very first person I met when I moved to Los Angeles 20 years ago was a union studio reader, and that fellow was enormously gracious in giving me feedback and teaching me how the biz really works. Over time, as a writer myself, I gave feedback to plenty of other writers and realized I had a lot to say in that regard. Our approach is based around writer empowerment – giving constructive feedback as opposed to humiliation. This is in part a reaction to some of the astonishingly humiliating and unhelpful coverage I’ve received on my own scripts and have seen others receive over the years. I figured there had to be a way to give helpful guidance without belittling the writer. So all of that combined to get the CI ball rolling in 2002.

Read the rest right here!

www.coverageink.com

Monday, October 13, 2014

Coverage Ink's GET REPPED NOW! Returns

http://coverageink.com/release.php
We got Brandon Barker into BENDERSPINK. Are you next?

***ALL SCRIPTS THAT RECEIVE A CONSIDER, SUBMITTED BETWEEN 10/13 and 11/9, WILL BE READ BY A TOP LIT MANAGER - GUARANTEED.***

Summer 2014 we launched our first Coverage Ink's Get Repped Now! The response was tremendous. Five scripts were judged “considers” – four features and one TV pilot. We’re enormously pleased to report that Benderspink head of lit Jake Wagner is now working with writer Brandon Barker based on the strength of his feature spec “Nottingham and Hood.”


For a limited time only, three incredible literary representatives:

http://coverageink.com/release.php

Jake Wagner (Benderspink) Chris Mills (Magnet Management), and Jeff Belkin (Zero Gravity) will personally read any scripts submitted to Coverage Ink for script analysis that garner a "Consider" for script (roughly the top 5% of submissions on average.) Wagner and Belkin will read the feature scripts; Wagner and Mills will read the TV pilots.

That’s all there is to it.  The door is open.  If you've got the goods, you've got a real shot of getting a kick-ass manager. Bring it!


+++


HOW TO ENTER

 
http://coverageink.com/release.php
1) Click the SUBMIT IT button.
 


2)  Fill out the online release and order form and then upload your screenplay or teleplay.

3) You will receive a confirmation and a Paypal invoice from CI
for the screenplay analysis within 24 hours .

4) You will receive your analysis back within ten calendar days*. If you wish to receive it faster, select semi-rush ($25 additional, 5-day turnaround) or RUSH ($59 additional, 48-hour turnaround.) 


*NOTE: If we are at capacity, we may have to push your coverage delivery back. Due to the huge response last time we were running about 4-5 days behind at the end of the Get Repped Now! promotion. We’ll let you know when you submit if we anticipate a delay.


Considers will be sent to Belkin, Mills and Wagner with our recommendations and the coverage. Script submissions that score below consider ('Consider with Reservations' and 'Pass') will not be forwarded, but you will have a solid road map for how to make your script rock in the form of a detailed, thoughtful and empowering script coverage report. 


Please note that if you enter early enough, or select rush or semi-rush, you may have a chance to polish and resubmit before the 11/9 deadline, giving you a second chance (please check on rush availability before submitting)


STANDARD COVERAGE COST: $129 for features, $99 for 1-hrs and $79 for 1/2 hrs. This includes a detailed 10-14 page coverage report analyzing every aspect of the screenplay. For more info please see the FAQ page at www.coverageink.com.


We're very excited to be offering this, and we hope this will be the first of many such opportunities for writers. Good luck, everyone!


RULES


* You may submit as many screenplays or teleplays as you wish before the deadline.


* All scripts entered will receive full screenplay coverage from an experienced analyst from the Coverage Ink (CI) team.


* Only screenplays and teleplays that receive a "consider" for script will be forwarded to Wagner and Belkin for features or Mills and Wagner for TV.


* Offer ends at 12:01 AM 11/10/14.


* Offer only valid on screenplays submitted for coverage to Coverage Ink.com between 10/13/14 and 11/9/14.


* Allow 10-14 days to receive your standard analysis back from CI.


* Offer open to everyone over the age of 18 worldwide where permitted.


* All genres are accepted.


* Feature scripts must be below 125 pages to qualify; TV pilots below 65 pages for a one-hour.


* Short film scripts, treatments and outlines, plays and manuscripts are not eligible for the Get Repped Now! promotion (however, we do review these all the time and are happy to do so! Contact us for more info or a quote.)


* Screenplay and Teleplay submissions must be in industry standard format.


* If your script receives a consider, please allow 4-6 weeks to hear back from either Belkin, Wagner or Mills. If they are interested, they will contact you directly. If they are not, Coverage Ink will get back to you with the reason they passed. 


* Coverage Ink is entitled to no compensation for any deals that may occur with your material. We are merely providing an introduction and validation. We are not attaching ourselves in any way.


* By participating in this offer, you agree to have your screenplay sent to Belkin, Mills or Wagner for consideration for possible representation. If you do not wish to have your material sent out, just let us know.


* The decision of the Coverage Ink reader is final. 


* The decision of whether or not to offer representation is up to Belkin, Mills and Wagner.


* If you receive a Consider, you may elect to do a polish draft based on the coverage before submitting to Belkin, Mills or Wagner (strongly recommended. That’s what coverage is for in the first place – to help you iron out all the bugs before making those crucial submissions.)


* Coverage Ink is not affiliated in any way with Zero Gravity, Benderspink or Magnet Management.


* Coverage Ink team members, partners and associates past or present are not eligible. 



http://coverageink.com

Founded in 2002, top-rated Coverage Ink is a leading independent screenplay analysis/development service used by emerging writers, established scribes and management and production companies. Coverage Ink is currently in production on its first animated feature "Malevolent," starring Morena Baccarin, Ray Wise and Bill Moseley. Visit us at www.coverageink.com.

Monday, September 08, 2014

Patrick Tobin's CAKE Premieres at Toronto; Amy Lowe Starbin's KELLY & CAL Platforms Nationally

Patrick Tobin
We're very excited to note that Patrick Tobin's CAKE, which was a Top Ten winner in our Writers on the Storm screenplay competition last year, has premiered at Toronto International Film Festival.

The indie stars Jennifer Aniston in her grittiest role yet -- as a woman with chronic pain issues trying to get her life back on track. The all-star cast includes William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman and Sam Worthington. Check out what The Hollywood Reporter has to say about it right here.

CAKE was directed by Daniel Barnz (Phoebe in Wonderland, Beastly). We'll be keeping an eye on it. Nice going, Patrick!

Jennifer Aniston in "Cake"
On a related note, this is a great time for indie cinema, because CI reader Amy Lowe Starbin's movie KELLY + CAL, starring the radiant Juliette Lewis, opened this week at select cinemas across the US.

Amy Lowe Starbin
Lewis plays a former punk rocker turned suburban mom who finds an unlikely relationship with a 17-year-old disabled boy played by Jonny Weston. The IFC release is drawing spectacular reviews, such as this one here from a little paper you may have heard of called The New York Times, who said, "The performances of Ms. Lewis and Mr. Weston crackle with authenticity. Like a good punk-rock song, this bracingly honest, tough-minded vignette stays true to itself."

And Entertainment Weekly gave it a "A."

Wow.

Watch the trailer for KELLY + CAL right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FejIcLkcabQ

Here's a current list of screenings, so check it out if you can and support great indie cinema. You rock, Amy!

9/5 - IFC Center - New York, NY
9/12 - Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - Houston, TX
9/12 - PFS Theater at the Roxy - Philadelphia, PA
9/19 - Arena Cinema - Hollywood, CA
9/26 - Carolina Asheville - Asheville, NC
9/26 - Wilmette Theaters - Wilmette, IL
9/26 - Shea 14 - Scottsdale, AZ
9/26 - Raleigh Grande 16 - Raleigh, NC
9/26 - Cinema Detroit - Detroit, MI
10/3 - Cosford Cinema - Coral Gables, FL
10/3 - Mary D. Fisher Theatre - Sedona, AZ
10/3 - Jean Cocteau Cinema - Santa Fe, NM
10/3 - SIE Film Center - Denver, CO
10/3 - SIFF Film Center - Seattle, WA
10/17 - Cinema Paradiso - Fort Lauderdale, FL


+++

Writers on the Storm is on hiatus for the time being. In the meantime, we are focusing on our Get Repped Now! promotions, which will be quarterly. The next Coverage Ink's Get Repped Now! begins October 13, 2014.

Monday, September 01, 2014

GET REPPED NOW! SCORES BIG

Coverage Ink, a leading independent screenplay analysis/development service since 2002, has announced that client Brandon Barker is now working with Benderspink Head of Management Jake Wagner.

Brandon Barker
Coverage Ink discovered Barker as part of their recent Get Repped Now! promo. All scripts evaluated during the promo period that received a consider were guaranteed to be read by Benderspink's Wagner (features) or Chris Mills from Magnet Management (TV).

Barker's script was one of five considers submitted to Wagner and Mills. His "Nottingham + Hood," a medieval Midnight Run that thrusts together the Sheriff of Nottingham and a certain emerald-clad archer, grabbed Wagner's attention. After meeting with Barker, Wagner informed Coverage Ink that they were now working together.

"He wants to send out 'Nottingham + Hood'," says Barker, "and will work with me on (my new) sci-fi thriller script. I think we have very similar tastes. Talked about our favorite movies... had a great time!"

"Get Repped Now!" went better than I ever could have hoped," says Coverage Ink founder Jim Cirile. "We accomplished exactly what we set out to do -- nurture a lot of up and comers and bash down a door or two. Getting Brandon into Benderspink is fantastic, but even more importantly, hopefully we've empowered a lot of writers to take their craft to the next level via detailed script coverage."

The other considers received during the promo period were BAND OF ANGELS by Katherine Craddock, EVERMOON by Michael Cravotta, HEREDITARY (pilot) by Craig Berger, and PAN KRATOS by Demosthenes Daskaleas.

Coverage Ink is bringing back Get Repped Now! October 13th through November 9, 2014, and Cirile says the plan is to hopefully add at least one additional top literary manager to the list. "I hope everyone is hard at work polishing those scripts, because the cream rises, as Brandon Barker's great script shows."

For more information please visit CoverageInk.com.

www.coverageink.com


Monday, August 18, 2014

LUTHER MACE TAKES FIRST PLACE

Luther Mace showing us How It Is Done.
Boom! Our client Luther Mace takes 1st Place in Scriptapalooza TV with his HOUSE OF CARDS spec. And he was kind enough to send us a lovely note: 

I want to say THANK YOU because 1st place happened…

http://www.scriptapaloozatv.com/winners/

You guys were so incredible.  Thank you, again, for the insightful notes. TK was so passionate about HOUSE OF CARDS and gave such incredible notes. I really feel without her insightfulness and commitment this may not have happened.


--Luther Mace

WHOO-HOO! Now that is kick-ass. All we ask is, Luther, when you're staffed on House of Cards, to get us a policy meeting with President Underwood. We have a few things to say about his policies... ;)


www.coverageink.com



Tuesday, August 12, 2014

GET REPPED NOW! Update


Update on our GET REPPED NOW! promotion: Today we sent off our five considers to Magnet and Benderspink. Crossing fingers for these very talented writers! They are:

>> BAND OF ANGELS by Katherine Craddock
>> EVERMOON by Michael Cravotta
>> HEREDITARY by Craig Berger
>> PAN KRATOS by Demosthenes Daskaleas
>> NOTTINGHAM & HOOD by Brandon Barker


Let's all pull for these guys! And for everyone who sent your scripts in (almost 200 of you!) we are pulling for you guys as well. We plan to do another GET REPPED NOW! promotion in the fall. Plus we're hoping to add another manager. So get to work and polish and tighten and chisel and bulletproof those scripts, and then blow us away. 


“Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.”― Stephen King


http://www.coverageink.com

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

MORENA BACCARIN Announced as Star of "Malevolent"

Morena Baccarin, who received an Emmy Award nomination for her work on Homeland, has been cast in Coverage Ink Films' new production MALEVOLENT. 

The animated horror feature film, directed by Jason Axinn (Starpocalypse), concerns a dying, wealthy industrialist (Ray Wise, Robocop, Twin Peaks) who calls his estranged kids together, ostensibly to discuss his will -- but what he has in mind is something else entirely. Baccarin stars as Gamemaster, from an alien race that stages bloody conflicts among humans and then wagers on the outcome. The Hollywood Reporter broke the story.

www.facebook.com/malevolentmovie

Ms. Baccarin is of course well-known to genre fans due to her roles in Joss Whedon's Firefly, Stargate and V. MALEVOLENT also stars Bill Mosley ("The Devil's Rejects") and Dani Lennon ("Bite Me"). The film is executive produced and written by Coverage Ink's Jim Cirile and Tanya Klein ("Liberator") and produced by Cindi Rice and Paige Barnett (Space Guys in Space, Bite Me.)

Please follow Malevolent on Twitter and "like" us on Facebook.

www.coverageink.com

Saturday, July 12, 2014

The Dog and Pony Show

Hi, folks!

Recently I had the pleasure of hosting Agent's Hot Sheet - Live! for the second straight year at Great American Pitchfest. Once again, we had a killer panel of heavyweight Hollywood literary reps, and we discussed all manner of things. We'll be bringing you video excerpts right here on our blog over the coming weeks. Humongous props to UTA's Amanda Hymson, Benderspink's Jake Wagner, Circle of Confusion's Jairo Alvarado and Chris Mills from Magnet Management.

One of the things I had to ask the panel was about the necessity of being "good in a room." We've all heard this expression; in short, it means being compelling, knowledgeable and personable. But this concept seems oddly incompatible with being a screenwriter. In fact, I know a lot of writers who are the exact opposite -- kinda introverted, quiet, neurotic, etc. -- heck, the reason we pursue writing in the first place is because it's insular. Walk into any LA coffee shop, for crying out loud, and you will see twenty screenwriters cranking away on their laptops -- together in a group yet interacting not at all. I wanted to know if simply being a great writer is enough for Hollywood. Watch this video to see what our panel had to say:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6sEfgwVll0&feature=youtu.be
Not long after moving to Hollywood two decades ago, I scored an agent, and one of my comedies went out as a spec. A couple of companies were interested, chief among them New Line Cinema. I was ecstatic - I figured all we had to do was go in there and answer some questions. But the producer who was attached, to my shock, explained to me how things really worked. "They probably have not read the script," he said, although they no doubt have skimmed the in-house coverage. But how could they take a meeting on a project they haven't even read? "Happens all the time," he noted. And then he explained that for the most part the people you meet with in these types of meetings are just filling up their day to justify their salaries. No, he said, we had to put on a dog and pony show.

What that meant telling them the entire story from beginning to end, in the most insanely high-energy, unforgettable way possible -- literally putting on a performance. Frankly, this pissed me off. As the writer, I felt the words on the page should stand on their own. Further, I resented having to go in there and be a performing monkey for some bored, ADD middle management creative executives.

Yeah, whatever. Naturally, we worked out the mother of all dog and pony shows.

The producer and I went in there and spent a good half-hour literally running like madmen all around the room, reenacting all the major set-pieces, tag-teaming off of each other. One of us would do the set-up; the other would kick it into the goal. And so it went for a half hour, until by the end we collapsed -- exhausted, glistening with sweat, but still beaming these huge, dumb-ass smiles, 'cause you see, we had to pretend to enjoy this charade as well as project "these guys are super cool and easy to work with." It was one hell of an effort.

Well, we made it all the way up to Mike DeLuca, who was running the show over there at the time, and of course we did the whole dog and pony show again from the top. And... ultimately they passed. But still, that was my first experience with trying to sell a script to Hollywood. The screenplay was merely the ticket to entry. I've never forgotten that pitch, one of the more elaborate ones I've ever done. There have been many others, but the one thing they have in common is that at all times, I try to make it clear that I'm easy to work with, I respect their time and opinions, and that I'm a pro who will get it done (whether or not any of those things are actually true.) The screenplay really is just half the battle. Once someone calls you in for a meeting, it becomes all about them weighing whether or not they can work with you. Because we're talking what could be a protracted period of development, especially if the project gathers momentum. The exec, agent, manager or producer needs to know that you're someone who can communicate their story verbally as well as not be a looney or a pain in the ass or paralyzed in a sea of neuroses. Who wants to deal with that person for six months or more?

So this means that many of us who are not necessarily the best at presenting or public speaking have to find a way to become so if you want to make it as a screenwriter. Here's a simple but obvious tipper: plan everything out in advance. P.P.P.P.P.P., as the Rogue Warrior himself Dick Marcinko says -- Proper Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance. You should write out your pitch and rehearse it, just like a stage actor for a performance. You don't have to necessarily memorize it, although that helps -- a few glances at notes every now and again is fine. But the main thing is to be upbeat and keep eye contact, which forces the people you're meeting with to stay engaged. And do some research into who you're meeting with (hello, interwebs) so you have a few things to discuss, and connect the dots in a friendly (and non-stalkery) way. Maybe they went to college in your hometown or grew up near you, or you know the same people or like the same teams. Check out the company's slate so you can talk knowledgeably about their projects. Above all, just try to be cool -- even if you're a nervous wreck inside. Don't ever let 'em see ya sweat, as they say.

I know none of us signed up for this writing thing to be performers. But there it is. Crap! So: embrace it. Who knows, you might find out that, shock of shocks, the people you're meeting with are actually kind of cool. Before you know it, maybe you'll even be knocking back a few beers with this person you were so nervous about meeting. And if all else fails and you're losing 'em, run around the room like a maniac and shock 'em out of their torpor. Like it or not, they want to be entertained. (Woof! Neighhh.)

Jim Cirile, Coverage Ink


Coverage Ink Films Announces MALEVOLENT

We are super stoked to announce we are in production on our first feature film MALEVOLENT, an animated horror/thriller with a sci-fi twist. The story is sort of like SAW meets GROUNDHOG DAY. As of this writing, we cannot announce our star yet, although we can say she is well-known to genre fans. Our cast includes Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Robocop), Bill Moseley (The Devil's Rejects) and Dani Lennon (Bite Me for FEARNet and Machinima) as Miriam, our beleaguered heroine. 

www.facebook.com/malevolentmovie

This is the first feature film for Coverage Ink, a leading indie screenplay development service established in 2002. Their previous short film/pilot LIBERATOR, starring Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Peta Wilson (La Femnme Nikita), Michael Dorn (Mr. Worf) and Ed Asner (Up), won ten awards and is currently available on iTunes and Amazon streaming

MALEVOLENT is being directed by award-winning filmmaker and commercial director Jason Axinn (Starpocalypse) and is being produced by the team behind Bite Me, Space Guys in Space and Dungeon Bastard. The film's writers and exec producers are CI's Tanya Klein and Jim Cirile.


Team "Malevolent" at Sonic Fuel Studios

“CI has always been about indie empowerment,” says Cirile. “You can make great movies without a lot of money. You just have to take the time to get the script right. Why wait around for someone to tell you you can make your movie? Just do it.”


Find out more about MALEVOLENT and keep track of upcoming developments at:

@malevolentmovie

www.coverageink.com

Save 15% on Barri Evins' San Fran Screenwriting Intensive

Our pal Barri Evins shared with us this cool event. If you're anywhere near the San Francisco Bay area this month, you'll want to check this out. Barri knows her stuff! She is a producer/exec, formerly president of Debra Hill Productions, and she has set up projects art Warners, Universal and HBO to name a few. This is an intensive weekend of education at a great price.

Use this discount code: "CINK" and receive a 15% discount on the seminar when you write signup@bigbigideas.com with the code. 

http://bigbigideas.com/seminars/

San Francisco Big Ideas Screenwriting Intensive July 25-27 

Make Breaking Into The Film Business A Reality:

• Understand the Industry from The Inside
• Create Concepts that Ignite Industry Interest
• Harness Your Passions and Showcase Your Strengths
• Stop Endlessly Rewriting!  Shape and Hone Stories on a Single Page
• Confidently Pitch, Structure and Develop Ideas with Powerful New Tools
• One Year of Individual Mentorship Keeps You On Track for Success 

Special Guest: Former LA Literary agent listens to your polished pitches and gives you advice on the marketplace for your idea.

This is THE LAST BIg Ideas Seminar to offer a full year of one-on-one mentorship to develop your idea and offer career advice -- worth thousands.  

$395 per person. Sign up today and don't forget the discount code! 

www.coverageink.com

RANTINGS AND RAVINGS OF A SCREENPLAY READER - e-book review

e-book, 343 pages
Author: Howard Casner
$2.99, Kindle only

Review by Tanya Klein

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=rantings%20and%20ravings%20of%20a%20screenplay%20reader
We’ve all been in this situation: we enter our masterpiece into one of the myriad screenwriting contests out there… and it doesn’t even make the quarterfinals. A script we’ve worked hard on, maybe we even got glowing coverage on it; yet, whoever read it for the contest simply didn’t like it enough to advance it. Why? How could they? What the #$%#!? In the same vein, often we send a script out for analysis and when the coverage comes back, it seems like the person didn’t even read the script we wrote, and we’re baffled by notes that seem to come out of left field. Again we wonder: what the bleep!?   

In his e-book “Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader,” Howard Casner attempts to answer all of our bleeping questions. Casner is a longtime reader for several screenplay contests such as Slamdance and Final Draft Big Break, as well as a script consultant. His book includes lessons he’s learned by seeing screenwriting contests up close and personal. He shares with us why he advanced some scripts while passing over others, as well as the biggest turn-offs for readers as well as the sometimes heated discussions that go on behind the scenes before all of the entries are whittled down to the top ten.  He also shares his musings on different genres, his dislike of formula and several screenwriting essays culled from his blog as well as many movie reviews.

The book indeed succeeds in probing the mind of a script reader -- that elusive person sitting at his or her desk reading script after script after script.  Yes, we all hate a verbose narrative and our eyes glaze over quickly while reading Faulkner-like denseness. And some will barely glance through never-ending action sequences and overly descriptive character introductions. As Casner notes, every reader hopes to get a script with characters that are so fresh and alive that they jump off the page and a story that is unique. 


Casner’s book isn’t – and doesn’t purport to be – a screenwriting manual. For someone looking to sharpen their screenwriting skills, there are many “how to” books out there. This isn’t one of them. Casner does share his “Ten Commandments of Screenwriting,” (and one can agree or disagree with them) but those won’t necessarily make you a better writer. The book comes alive when Casner gets into the nitty-gritty of a script reader’s life, from drunkenly kvetching to other readers about the terrible scripts that were submitted to facing moments of terror and panic when called upon by a contest coordinator to justify his selections. This is juicy inside-baseball stuff and is fascinating to read. One wishes that this was squarely the focus of the book, but Casner at times loses his way in general musings on screenwriting and genre proclivities as well as way too many movie reviews, which frankly we're just not as interested in.


If you want to know what the bleep goes on in a script reader’s head, Howard Casner’s “Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Consultant” is a good place to start and it’s currently available on Amazon. 


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Tanya Klein is a New York writer/director/producer/actor living in Los Angeles.  

         

Monday, June 30, 2014

GET REPPED - NOW! ***EXTENDED*** - MUST END 7/13

Ahoy, fellow scribes! We here at Coverage Ink have something mighty cool we're whipping out on ya.

***ALL SCRIPTS THAT RECEIVE A CONSIDER, SUBMITTED BETWEEN 6/30 and 7/13/14, WILL BE READ BY A TOP LIT MANAGER - GUARANTEED.***


Here's how it works. For a limited time only, two incredible literary representatives -- Jake Wagner from Benderspink and agent Chris Mills from Magnet Management -- have agreed that they will personally read any scripts submitted to Coverage Ink for script coverage that garner a "Consider" for script (roughly the top 5-10% of submissions on average.) Wagner will read the feature scripts and Mills will read the TV pilots.

So here's your chance, folks.  The door is open.  If you've got the goods, you've got a real shot of getting a kick-ass manager. Bring it!

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UPDATE 7/11 -- Craig Berger's TV pilot HEREDITARY scores a Strong Consider, making it the first script in this promotion which we will kick along to Chris Mills. Way to go, Craig!!!!

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HOW TO ENTER

1) Go to www.coverageink.com or click the SUBMIT IT button:

http://coverageink.com/release.php

2) Fill out the release form and the order form and then upload your screenplay or teleplay.
3) You will receive a confirmation from us and a Paypal invoice from CI for the screenplay analysis.
4) You will receive your analysis back within ten calendar days. If you wish to receive it faster, select semi-rush ($25 additional, 5-day turnaround) or RUSH ($59 additional, 48-hour turnaround.) 

Considers will be sent to Mills and Wagner with our recommendations and the coverage. Script submissions that score below consider ('Consider with Reservations' and 'Pass') will not be forwarded, but you will have a solid road map for how to make your script rock in the form of a detailed, thoughtful and empowering script coverage report. 

Please note that if you select rush or semi-rush, you may have a chance to polish and resubmit before the 7/10 deadline, giving you a second chance.

STANDARD COVERAGE COST: $129 for features, $99 for 1-hrs and $79 for 1/2 hrs. This includes a very detailed 10-14 page coverage report analyzing every aspect of the screenplay. For more info please see the FAQ page at www.coverageink.com.

We're very excited to be offering this, and we hope this will be the first of many such opportunities for writers. Good luck, everyone!

RULES


  • You may submit as many screenplays as you wish before the deadline.
  • All scripts entered will receive full screenplay coverage from an experienced analyst from the Coverage Ink (CI) team.
  • Only screenplays and teleplays that receive a "consider" for script will be forwarded to Wagner for features or Mills for TV.
  • Offer ends at 12:01 AM 7/14/14.
  • Offer only valid on screenplays submitted for coverage to Coverage Ink.com between 6/30/14 and 7/13/14.
  • Allow 10 days to receive your standard analysis back from CI.
  • Offer open to everyone over the age of 18 worldwide where permitted.
  • All genres are accepted. 
  • Feature scripts must be below 125 pages to qualify; TV pilots below 65 pages for a one-hour. 
  • Short film scripts, treatments and outlines, plays and manuscripts are not eligible. 
  • Screenplay and Teleplay submissions must be in industry standard format.
  • If your script receives a consider, please allow 4-6 weeks to hear back from either Wagner or Mills. If they are interested, they will contact you directly. If they are not, Coverage Ink will get back to you with the reason they passed. 
  • Coverage Ink is entitled to no compensation for any deals that may occur with your material. We are merely providing an introduction and validation. We are not attaching ourselves in any way.
  • By participating in this offer, you agree to have your screenplay sent to Mills or Wagner for consideration for possible representation. If you do not wish to have your material sent out, just let us know.
  • The decision of the Coverage Ink reader is final.  
  • The decision of whether or not to offer representation is up to Mills and Wagner.
  • If you receive a Consider, you may elect to do a polish draft based on the coverage before submitting to Mills or Wagner (recommended.)
  • Coverage Ink is not affiliated in any way with Benderspink or Magnet Management.
  • Coverage Ink team members, partners and associates are not eligible. 

www.coverageink.com

Since 2002, top-rated Coverage Ink (www.coverageink.com) has been a leading independent screenplay analysis/development service used by emerging writers, established scribes and management and production companies. Coverage Ink is currently in production on its first animated feature "Malevolent," starring Morena Baccarin, Ray Wise and Bill Moseley. Follow us on Facebook!