Screenwriting with the VOTE Method: National Champion$

With the college football bowl season winding down and the CFP National Championship on the horizon, the new film National Champion$ examines the issues surrounding the "student-athlete" model and how it impacts the big-money world of college football.

NOTE: The purpose of this review does not involve evaluating the story, direction, or performances in the film.

Instead, the purpose involves illustrating how a screenplay by Adam Mervis (21 Bridges, The Last Days of Capitalism) could apply the VOTE Method as a tool for character development.

This post contains some MILD SPOILERS for the film.

PROTAGONISTS

LEMARCUS JAMES

LeMarcus James (Stephan James) must choose between playing in the college football national championship game or fighting for the rights of his fellow players.

Victory: What does he want?

LeMarcus wants to lead a player boycott of the College Football Championship Game to protest their unfair working conditions.

Obstacles: What stands between him and his Victory?

• He could lose his final opportunity to win a national championship.
• He risks his status as the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, which could net him millions of dollars.
• The billion-dollar machinery of the NCAA and their member conferences come down on him.
• A ruthless private investigator threatens to reveal dirt about his past.

Tactics: What actions does he take to overcome the Obstacles and gain his Victory?

• He gives speeches to win over his teammates and his opponents.
• He goes to the media and illustrates the inequities between the rich coaches and the poor players.
• He hides from his coaches and moves to different hotels.
• He confronts the investigator and his coach over their hypocrisy.

Emotion: What emotional need drives him to pursue his Victory?

LeMarcus needs to find a way to support Emmett Sunday, his best friend and teammate, who suffered a life-changing injury and will never make the pros.

EMMETT SUNDAY

LeMarcus's teammate and best friend Emmett Sunday (Alexander Ludwig) faces the end of his football career without any hopes of making it into the NFL.

Victory: What does he want?

Emmett wants to support his family after his college football career ends.

Obstacles: What stands between him and his Victory?

• His numerous injuries prevent him from starting an NFL career.
• His time spent in games and practices prevented him from getting a quality education.
• His stand with LeMarcus could get him blacklisted for any future football jobs.

Tactics: What actions does he take to overcome the Obstacles and gain his Victory?

• He supports LeMarcus in his efforts to improve the standing of college football players.
• He helps LeMarcus develop his media strategies.
• He hides LeMarcus's movements from their coaches.

Emotion: What emotional need drives him to pursue his Victory?

He needs to make a difference for the players who will come after him and experience the same hardships.

ANTAGONISTS

COACH JAMES LAZOR

Missouri Wolves head coach James Lazor (J.K. Simmons) has the opportunity to win his first National Championship – but only if his star QB shows up for the game.

Victory: What does he want?

Coach Lazor wants to find his star player and win the National Championship game.

Obstacles: What stands between him and his Victory?

• LeMarcus keeps changing his location.
• Several players join LeMarcus's strike.
• His wife leaves him for a professor.
• College football executives breathe down his neck to get LeMarcus on the field.

Tactics: What actions does he take to overcome the Obstacles and gain his Victory?

• He sends his coaches on a manhunt to find his QB.
• He gives an inspirational speech to his remaining players.
• He gives a press conference to address LeMarcus's terms.

Emotion: What emotional need drives him to pursue his Victory?

He needs to win the championship to justify the long hours spent coaching and the loss of his marriage.

KATHERINE POE

Private investigator Katherine Poe (Uzo Aduba) works with the NCAA as a "fixer" to solve issues that the white male establishment wants to keep out of the public eye.

Victory: What does she want?

Katherine wants to find LeMarcus and save her job with the NCAA.

Obstacles: What stands between her and her Victory?

• LeMarcus's public statements interfere with her subtle approach.
• His frequent movements send her on a wild goose chase.
• Her bosses underestimate her capabilities.

Tactics: What actions does she take to overcome the Obstacles and gain her Victory?

• She exposes LeMarcus's drunken actions at a college party that led to a COVID outbreak on campus.
• She threatens to expose his part in a bar fight that led to a man's death.
• She tries to find his half-brother, who could expose more secrets about LeMarcus's past.

Emotion: What emotional need drives her to pursue the Victory?

She needs to prevent the threat that LeMarcus's strike presents to the non-revenue college sports that allowed her to get an education.

National Champion$ is now available on Prime Video, Google Play, the iTunes store, and most major on-demand platforms. 

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If you want to start the new year with a new (or improved) screenplay, Story Into Screenplay can help.

Story Into Screenplay offers script evaluations and one-on-one consulting sessions from professional screenplay analyst and award-winning screenwriter Gerald Hanks.

To start the new year off right, you can keep your resolution to write your best screenplay by getting an evaluation on your first ten pages for only $10. 

For more information, contact Story Into Screenplay at storyintoscreenplayblog(at)gmail(dot)com or send a direct message through the SIS Facebook page.

Let's make 2022 the year your script launches your career!

 

Screenwriting Advice: Interview with Pamela Douglas – Author of “Writing the TV Drama Series”

 

For any aspiring screenwriters who want to write for TV, Story Into Screenplay has posted an interview with Pamela Douglas, author of Writing the TV Drama Series and professor of television writing at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts.

To see the complete interview with Professor Douglas, check out this YouTube playlist.

If you would like to discuss how Story Into Screenplay can help you with your script, please drop an email to storyintoscreenplayblog(at)gmail(dot)com with the subject line “Writing the TV Drama Series”.

What I Learned At My First Austin Film Festival

For those of you who want to attend a major networking event for screenwriters, but you don't have the money or time to spend a week in L.A., I highly recommend spending an October weekend at the Austin Film Festival.

I just returned from my first AFF and found the experience both extremely exhausting and highly rewarding.

Here are some DO-s and DON'Ts I learned at AFF:

DO talk to everyone you can. Some rookie writers only focus on wanting to talk to the “important” people (agents, managers, producers, big-name writers). If you're only focused on who you think could help your career, you could miss out on connecting with someone who can give you some valuable insights. 

For example, you could stand in line at a panel on animation and meet a Finalist in the Pilot Script category who coordinates post-production for Marvel. 

DON'T miss out on the parties. Most people who attend business conferences know that the real business doesn't get done on the conference floor, but at the after-party. While writers tend to favor solitude and shun social interactions, these parties tend to deliver some of the best networking opportunities.

For example, don't get so hungry, exhausted, or dehydrated from attending so many panels and discussions that you miss out on the chance to make a vital connection.

DO hang out at the Driskill Hotel bar. While the conference rooms and ballroom host the major panels that make up the conference, the real connections get made at the bar. Even if you don't drink, just get some water or a soft drink, say hello to other writers, and share horror stories about your industry experiences. 

For example, you could be watching a baseball game on the bar TV and swap baseball memories with a fan of the opposing team.

DON'T feel like you don't belong. While some writers may feel that they don't measure up in an image-obsessed town like L.A, Austin prides itself on defying conventional standards. (The unofficial city motto is “Keep Austin Weird”.) This attitude can help you when approaching writers you feel have “made it”.

For example, you could learn that you have a “six degrees of Kevin Bacon” connection with a major writer or that you and a panelist share a love of a specific obscure film that only seven other people have seen.

DO explore Austin. The city is more than just Sixth Street, Longhorns football, or Matthew McConaughey. It's also not a “hick town” that doesn't measure up to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. While you're there, take the time to check out some local attractions.

For example, while Sixth Street claims to be the “Capital of Live Music”, you can find the true birthplace of Austin's live music scene on South Congress at a little place called The Continental Club. 

DON'T put too much pressure on yourself. Odds are, you're not going to land an agent, a manager, or a writing assignment from just a single conversation with an industry insider. Networking is about planting seeds. Not all of those seeds will grow into a fruitful relationship, so lighten up and enjoy the process.

For example, if you get the chance to talk an influential producer, an A-list writer, or a top-level manager, try to treat it more as a casual conversation and less as a high-stakes pitch meeting. Let them like you first, then give them a chance to like your writing. 

Many rookie writers complain about the barriers to breaking in. They say, “It's not what you know, it's who you know.”

In an industry that requires so much collaboration and contains so many moving parts, this sentiment isn't an injustice, it's a necessity. This fact of life also shows why networking events such as AFF are so vital to screenwriters who lack access to the L.A. scene.

In my experience, who you know gets you in the door, but it's what you know that keeps you in the room.

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For writers who are looking to improve their chances in contests such as AFF, Final Draft, or Screencraft, Story Into Screenplay offers script analysis and one-on-one consultations.

For the month of October, Story Into Screenplay is offering a professional analysis of the first ten pages of any screenplay (TV pilot, short film or feature film) for only $10.

For more information about this offer, email storyintoscreenplayblog(at)gmail(dot)com with the subject “10 Pages for $10” or fill in the form on this page.

Interview with Christopher Vogler - Author of "The Writer's Journey".

Author and script consultant Christopher Vogler recently celebrated the release of the 25th Anniversary Edition of his seminal book, The Writer's Journey.

Here's a sneak peek with Chris's story on how he got started:

To see my complete interview with Chris, check out this YouTube Playlist.

I will also be attending the Austin Film Festival from Friday evening (22 October) to Sunday afternoon (24 October).

If you're going to be at AFF and would like to discuss how Story Into Screenplay can help you with your script, please drop an email to storyintoscreenplayblog(at)gmail(dot)com with the subject line “Austin Film Festival”.

Baseball, Screenwriting, and "The Writer's Journey": Home Plate

The final stop for the baserunner sits just ninety feet away: home plate. However, he has to get past the catcher, the only player on the field covered in body armor. The catcher stands ready to take out any runner who tries to score.

The final stop for the screenwriter sits a lot farther than ninety feet away: getting your project made, distributed, and in front of an audience. The screenwriter may have to overcome numerous obstacles before they can slide into home.

Scheduling conflicts, legal entanglements, contractual obligations, logistical issues, and so many other problems can delay a script's production or halt it in its tracks (see: March 2020-present). 

Just as a baserunner can take a lead from third base to improve their chances of scoring, the option represents a lead toward getting the script made into a feature film or TV pilot.

Finally, with some beneficial timing and some guidance from the coaching staff, the baserunner can make a break for home, score the winning run, and celebrate with a Gatorade shower from his teammates.

This process also holds for the screenwriter, as they rely on guidance from their script coach, their manager, their agent, and their producer to slide into home and get the cameras rolling.

Let Story Into Screenplay get you ready to play in the Big Leagues and coach you into creating the best possible version of your script.

This week, Story Into Screenplay is offering a professional analysis of the first ten pages of any screenplay (TV pilot, short film, or feature film) for only $10.

For more information about this offer, email storyintoscreenplayblog(at)gmail(dot)com with the subject "10 Pages for $10" or fill in the form on this page.

Baseball, Screenwriting, and "The Writer's Journey": Third Base

Once a runner reaches second base, that doesn't mean that his mission is halfway to completion. The process of getting from second to third often entails more luck and patience than any other part of the game. 

As a writer, once you get to second base and get representation, that agent or manager will work with you like a teammate ready to help you advance to third base: getting your script to a producer.

In baseball, a poor decision by a baserunner between second and third can kill a team's chances to score, despite the best efforts of the teammates hitting behind him. The runner can also encounter bad luck, such as the shortstop snatching a line drive and tagging him out on the way to third. 

In screenwriting, a poor decision can run you right out of the game and kill your chances of selling your script or working with a producer. Current events, poor timing, or just plain bad luck can also send you back to the dugout.

In baseball, when a runner reaches third base, they have another helper in the form of a third-base coach. That coach can advise the runner whether to stay on base or make a mad dash for home plate to score.

In screenwriting, if you're lucky enough to reach third base, the producer could act as your third-base coach and help you put together a deal to get your script made into a movie or TV series.

Check back tomorrow to see how to "score" a deal and take your project from the page to the set to the screen.

This week, Story Into Screenplay is offering a professional analysis of the first ten pages of any screenplay (TV pilot, short film, or feature film) for only $10.

For more information about this offer, email storyintoscreenplayblog(at)gmail(dot)com with the subject "10 Pages for $10" or fill in the form on this page.

Baseball, Screenwriting, and "The Writer's Journey": Second Base

 

In baseball, a runner can reach second base either by waiting for his teammate to hit behind him or by creating an opportunity for himself to steal second.

In either case, he'll have to get past the second baseman, either by outrunning the throw or avoiding the tag. If he makes it to second, he's said to be in “scoring position”, which means that he's likely to score on any base hit from a teammate.

If script evaluators are the industry's first basemen, the gatekeepers at the various agencies and management companies are the second basemen. These assistants, interns, and office staff get paid to keep a newbie writer from getting into scoring position with their bosses.

If you have worked with your first base coach to create the best possible version of your script, you can reach second base by getting a manager to help you navigate your career. While an agent can help you negotiate a deal when you land one, a manager can help you find opportunities either to sell your specs or to land a writing assignment.

Query letters, networking events, screenwriting contests, and professional conferences such as the Austin Film Festival (which I will be attending later this month) all provide highly skilled writers with opportunities to make contacts and reach "second base" in their careers.

Check in tomorrow to see how to reach third base: getting connected with a producer. 

This week, Story Into Screenplay is offering a professional analysis of the first ten pages of any screenplay (TV pilot, short film, or feature film) for only $10.

For more information about this offer, email storyintoscreenplayblog(at)gmail(dot)com with the subject “10 Pages for $10” or fill in the form on this page.