A Grant Winner’s Praise and Gripes

Mark Familton received a $12,000 grant to develop his gritty sci-fi thriller feature – something any screenwriter would beg for.  But what was the grant all about, what was the process and what did he get out of it at the end? (Unfortunately the NSP grant in question is no longer part of Screen Australia’s development assistance).

Getting offered the development grant was a real shock for me, as sci-fi had not been a genre awarded before. At last! I thought at the time, Screen Australia (SA) is looking to develop high-concept projects with a view to worldwide distribution. With this in mind I asked for, and was granted, a renowned script consultant based in L.A.: Blake Snyder.  Quite reasonably, Blake’s manager asked for US$6,000, but with the all-too-rapid crash of the Aussie dollar, the cost came to about $8,500. SA advised me spend the money.  And Blake was worth every cent.

While signing contracts with SA and Blake’s manager, I got on spending more money.  I had developed a friendship with Kathie Fong Yoneda after completing her online Pitching course. Yoneda is a twenty year veteran of the Hollywood studio system who now devotes her life to teaching. She became a mentor to me and advised me to go to LA for the Great American Pitchfest. I went, and total immersion in the daunting world of pitching was quite an educational experience.

MEETING WITH THE PLAYERS

The Grant proved a significant accolade, taken seriously by the execs I met, because it means other industry professionals have already vetted the project and spotted potential. The grant bestowed instant credibility on project and writer. And the other thing I learned was not to fear pitching. It’s a necessary skill to acquire. If you can, embrace it – execs are human-beings with great senses of humour who aren’t interested in melodramatic pitches, just ones that sound relaxed, coherent and professional. Oh yeah, and don’t forget that snappy logline.

So, did anyone buy?  No.  Why?  The project was still first draft and pretty rough around the edges. In hindsight, it would have been better to go to the ‘fest this year with a completed second draft. Never mind – it was a brilliant experience.  Kathie introduced me to all the script consultants lecturing there, some of who I keep in contact, and we had dinner with Prof Linda Seger, which was a treat.

THE PAGE ONE REWRITE

Buoyed up by the trip and busting to get going with the rewrite, the wind got knocked out my sails, bigtime! Blake didn’t think the script, as it stood, could “work”— i.e. it wasn’t commercial enough to attract big distributors. Oh crap! I was gutted. Blake suggested going back to basics and completely reworking the script from page one.

This presented a problem: I’d signed the contract with SA to deliver the second draft in three months time. As this wasn’t just an ‘edit job’, I foresaw that a complete rewrite could take several months (my day job as a Specialist Anaesthetist is a tough mistress). Thankfully, SA was very understanding and agreed to a variation in the contract.  Phew!

Blake and I got down to it and started batting “beat sheets” (i.e. step outlines) back and forwards – lots and lots of them over three months. We worked up to forty beats and used the old cards-on-a-board method to really nail the structure, theme development and storylines. The characters were amped up, as was the conflict, and the plot device was completely changed.

DELIVER OR DIE!

Nine months into the contract (and after an impatient call from SA), the new baby – retitled DARK MATTER – was delivered.  Blake had given a brave and honest opinion, which paid off, bigtime – the ‘second’ draft is so much better. Blake thinks it’s truly worthy of production and wider distribution.

About this “impatient call”: I was given a ‘project manager’ at SA who I naively thought would ‘shepherd’ the project and take a close interest. But I was wrong.  I was cut short during my explanation of the delay on delivery, and was threatened with legal action to reclaim the grant money if I didn’t deliver. “No worries”, was the only reply that came to my mind!

Even more frustratingly, when I asked SA what the process would be after delivery, I was told there wasn’t one. No-one would read the second draft and no feedback would be given unless I requested it. I couldn’t believe my ears. Sure as I’ll go to hell, I want feedback!  “Would you help find me a producer?” I asked.
“No, we’re just a funding agency”, came the reply. I was gobsmacked.

NOW WHAT?

The SA contract includes a report from the writer which gives them the chance to identify areas for further development in the grant project, so at the end of my report I asked for better feedback and expressed my disappointment about the lack of prospects following delivery. I also stated that I thought this failure represented a very poor return on a taxpayer-funded investment and might lead to ongoing loss of projects overseas.

What now? I’ve still got to find a producer. That’s a tough ask for an unknown, new screenwriter with no history or contacts in the industry, and even more difficult for a writer with a high-concept project which contravenes the “low budget only” catch-cry pervading the industry.

As we all know, new screenwriters who aren’t referred by someone in the biz are often dismissed by production companies with the phrase, ‘no unsolicited submissions’. Networking is the key, and SA should be in a superior position to help further the networking process.

SA should also have a process in place to carry on the momentum that the New Screenwriters Development Grant initiates.  Bestowing taxpayer money on new screenwriters gives them fantastic opportunities, but it seems somewhat wasted when it could be so much more meaningful. SA has the potential to revamp the Australian film industry.  It’s a shame no-one seems innovative enough to do so. Mentoring writers is more than just chucking money at them.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you’re offered the Grant, of course, humbly accept it. It’s an opportunity to improve your project so you can pitch it confidently to producers. It’s also an opportunity to learn from an established consultant.  Be prepared to conduct a radical overhaul of your project if the consultant advises it, and only stick to your guns if your gut tells you otherwise. Above all, think professionally and act professionally, from go to “whoa”.  And for me, the “whoa” was exactly that – a sudden skid to a halt when the project I slaved over was delivered. I’ll be working hard to get it moving again, that’s for sure.

I’m honoured to have received the grant, appreciative of the flexibility of SA, and lucky to have learned from Blake Snyder. Thanks to the Grant, I’m a different writer now than this time last year and far better able to attack my next project: an Australian ‘Bourne’-type thriller, set against the backdrop of international terrorism.

If anyone wants further info, please email me on Familton@westnet.com.au.  And if you know any producers who want sci-fi, please point them in my direction!

Dr Mark Familton is a full-time Specialist Anaesthetist, occasional international lecturer in Anaesthesia, ex-military paratrooper, current part-time fitness instructor and describes himself as a tenacious bastard who likes socialising, fancy food and plenty of Australian wine – preferably all together.

1. 

    Suzie from New South Wales, Australia says:

   July 8, 2009 at 14:21

   Hi Mark
   I read your account with interest, can I ask, how long ago did you get the grant? What was the NSP? Have SA been helpful since? Thanks Suzie

   reply