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"I appreciate people who are hungry, and I respect that they're willing to go the extra mile, but there comes a point where passion gives way to stalking."
Geez... when you put it that way, it makes stalking sound like a bad thing. Maybe in some ways it could be, especially if you're Dax Phelan, Creative Executive at Mace Neufeld Productions. Mace Neufeld has been producing high-concept thrillers since The Omen, and is now known for more politically-fueled films like the Jack Ryan techno-thrillers (The Sum of All Fears, The Hunt for Red October, etc.) Being the link between anxious writers and a seasoned, respected producer can sometimes make a man in Dax' position feel like he's a strip of police tape separating a herd of elephants from a mound of roasted almonds.
"I don't mind a courteous follow-up phone call. If you're calling me every week and I haven't gotten back to you... It doesn't necessarily mean that I'm not interested in reading your script. The general public just doesn't understand the amount of material that we get every day. I get five to twenty pitch letters a day. Then there's the e-mail pitches. Someone gets your e-mail address and gives it to an online company, and you get bombarded with stuff that way. I'm in meetings all day. Every once in a while, it's nice to be reminded. (I might) put something in my briefcase right now because someone reminded me and I've been meaning to read it and just haven't gotten to it. But, after a few calls... Look, I'll call you if I'm interested. If I read your synopsis and it's intrigued me, I'll let you know."
Being a writer himself, Dax is very aware of the plight writers face when trying to build a career for themselves.
"The unfair thing to most writers - and I sympathize with this a lot - is the enormous Catch 22 in regard to solicited vs. unsolicited, represented scripts vs. non-represented scripts... How the hell do you get representation if you need someone to recommend it to the agent? ?I need a referral to get to you? I thought you were the referral.'"
Although he understands what it's like to be on the other side of the phone, Dax has a job to do, and he would be untrue to his task if he just threw open his doors to everyone who came knocking. While writers believe that everyone who is looking for scripts should be aggressively looking for them, a lot of them don't understand that there just aren't enough hours in the day to do it all.
" I wish I had the time to look for all those people," Dax says with a slight tinge of regret, "but there are just as many people who have agents and managers, and those are the priority people. What are you going to do? And, (writers) just can't be heartbroken about that. But, I'm always looking for that diamond in the rough."
Yes, everyone pounding a keyboard in L.A. thinks that he has that proverbial diamond, but when you see the amount of written work Dax does, you definitely have a clearer vision of what's going on in the minds of the creative collective.
"There are a lot of things people just don't know to do," says Dax of some of the writers he encounters. " I recommend that anyone who is seriously interested in screenwriting read the great scripts. That's just imperative, but a lot of people don't. Read the bad scripts, too. Read amateur screenplays by people who obviously have no idea what they're doing. Anybody can write a screenplay. That's really not that hard, compared to making sure you have a dynamite story. The bottom line is you just have to have a great script."
Of course, a great script will never become a great movie if it doesn't get into the hands of great filmmakers.
"Presentation is huge," Dax advises those who have reached the submission stage of their career. "Just making sure important things don't get lost on the page. Keep in mind that if I have to read five scripts in a day, plus all the other stuff I have to read, we're reading quickly, so you don't want to bury a really important detail under a huge block of text. And, don't use bold, italics, underlining and capitalization to over-emphasize something, because it lessens the effect of each one."
"Flimsy brads annoy me. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, and, let's face it, it's not - there are people dying of cancer. But, make sure your script isn't falling apart while I'm reading it. It sounds small, but it's a little annoyance that makes me think this person can't be bothered. And don't coat your title page with WGA registration number and copyright numbers. If you're sending it to me, I'm going to assume it's registered."
Pitching has similar pitfalls that writers build for themselves.
"You need to describe your characters. We need to know who these events that occur within your story are happening to. A lot of people get too caught up in their big hook. If you were pitching Raiders of the Lost Ark, you'd pitch all the great scenes, but it starts with Indy. You should be pitching the way the trailers are. Give me a little bit... a little bit... and ignore the boring bits." It's easy to tell that Dax is a man who appreciates a good pitch. "I hate it when people sit down, and just look down at their little cue cards. That takes me out of the process. I want it to be conversational, not somebody reading lines. Lighten up. Enthusiasm is big. It's also contagious."
"It's Lawrence of Arabia meets Dumb and Dumber with a little bit of Pocahontas thrown in," is his best recounting of one pitch he heard. "What the fuck are you talking about? If you're using (comparisons), they better be accurate. If I'm scratching my head, you lost me. If you say it's Braveheart on the high seas, okay, I get that. But, if you're describing an epic drama meets a bowling comedy, I'm wondering what the hell you're talking about - and, for that matter, why are you sending it to Mace Neufeld? The people you're sending it to... make sure you know what their credits are."
The other thing you need to make sure of is your approach towards the industry professionals you're trying to reach. Dax readily acknowledges that he needs to be a bit on guard when meeting new people, due to the simple fact that people in L.A. will try to form friendships that are designed solely for career advancement.
"Obviously, you have to meet people to get your material out there," he states, again empathizing with writers. His suggestion for up-and-comers is to find other people on similar paths. "(It's good to meet) people who are up and coming, too - the assistants, the story editors... the people who would like to be a producer, or just be the hero in their office."
And, age isn't the factor everyone wants to think it is - at least it's not an issue at the Mace Neufeld offices.
"I think if the script is good, you get taken seriously. It comes down to material. I wouldn't worry about ageism too much. Everyone feels like they have to say that they're 22, but everyone isn't 22. I read stuff from people I've never met, and I don't know how old they are." That policy goes for appearance as well. Dax couldn't care less if you're a 6'4" 300-pound biker who's pitching The Joy Luck Club. "(If somebody doesn't look the part) I might be taken aback, but ultimately I want to hear a good story."
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