As you rightly point out agents and managers will flock to you at the point you’ve gained enough heat for you to look like an easy business proposition… and as you say, an agent prefers a client who can network and work the room. Something I figured out for myself a few years ago, when I realized that I can pitch my screenplays better than anyone else in the world. (OK it does helps that I was one of the UK’s top advertising creatives before I went into film and love to pitch! LOL)

The truth is that a writer with talent and a great script is in a much stronger position within the industry than they might imagine.

I’ve always encouraged writers to stop looking to others to make the breaks for you, take control of their own careers… which is why I made the move from being a writer to being a writer/producer.

Basically, this means networking with directors and other producers… finding out who is in the market for what kind of project and positioning myself a co-production partner… in real terms this is involves a change of mindset; instead of pitching to directors, I understand the value of my script to their career and am “in effect” auditioning directors to work with me on the film… I’m not an employee, but a potential business partner.

Bottom line is, there are always more great directors and hungry producers than there are great scripts. So, I’d be insane to act like the director is doing me a favor by making my film.

It’s just supply and demand economics… and the truth is agents know this and that often their ability to do business depends solely on the unwritten agreement between them and some producers to act as gate keepers for the industry.

However, that agreement turns out to be mostly worthless once you get access directly to both directors and producers… all they’re interested in is the next project, not where it came from.

In terms of my career I’d only consider using an agent if they could get me meetings on a $54M plus budget movie, faster than I could generate those meetings myself… now, a year ago a good US agent might just have had the advantage… today it would be a close race… in year’s time I’m confident that my lawyer would be negotiating the deal before an agent’s call had made it past reception.

Now, sure this means some doors are closed to me at the moment… but the trick is to ignore those doors and concentrate on the doors that are open. .. and there are plenty of those.

Benjamin, my original profession was education and I must disagree that you cannot teach someone to write loglines. It is formulaic and as long as the ‘student’ understands the pattern and its options – and of course has creative intelligence – it’s eminently teachable. I don’t consider it a complex concept.

Just wondering, is writing a logline an art?

I say yes and it cannot be taught.

Regards,
Benjamin Ray
http://www.hollywoodtoronto.com