Screenwriting : Proof of concept? by Renee N. Meland

When I was PA at FOX reality TV division, several prod companies shot "POC" as part of their pitch to Execs. It's a big expense for a solo individual.

First time feature film Directors shoot "POC". It worked for James Wan (SAW), Damien Chazelle (Whiplash),

For my first screenplay, a supernatural suspense drama, I have power point pitches, marketing ideas, character bios, potential soundtrack song suggestions, storyboards, location scouting... the works... so should I get in that pitch room one day with Spielberg, I'd "show" execs the idea instead of telling it... every aspect.

Terry Rossio of AOL"S ol' Wordplay suggested this technique... would bring in a huge board with all major scenes up tacked up on the board in bold letters. Apparently, Katzenberg loved this, btw. He could see the entire movie in front of him. They weren't looking at Terry and his partner Ted... they were looking at the board.

Kay, when you say making a pilot to shop is pretty standard, what does that mean cost wise? An article I saw said tv pilots cost an average of 5 million. Can something be done cheaper but still meet the standard?

$60k being a bit high, I'm still a proponent of the proof-of-concept, but in short form. "Peluca" became "Napoleon Dynamite". "Whiplash" became "Whiplash". Those were shorts to features, but why wouldn't a short work for an episodic series work as well? As long as all the main characters are there and the world is established, right?

Thank you so much to everyone who responded. There's so much to learn in this business!

And thank you Kay! I will do that :). I appreciate it!

POC is a demo reel. Nobody will ever see it except tv Network Execs..

It can be done cheap. An example is Issa Rae. She created a youtube channel with 0 money. She Starred, wrote, produced - she did everything. In a way, the youtube channel was her “POC” for “Insecure”, HBO tv series.

Renne: Network execs might be the only ones to see a POC TV pilot, but short films made as POCs for a feature are shown at film festivals all the time. The producer who last hired me to write a feature script is also securing $60K from an investor to shoot a POC short for that script (and another $60K for another POC for another project of his). The point being - if you can get the funds, whatever the budget, making a POC can give you a leg up. Execs hate reading scripts, but they love watching shorts.

In a market that is saturated with noise and ordinary-to-bad projects, POCs are a great weapon against your biggest enemy: INDIFFERENCE. Producers make POCs because they want to make sure execs and financiers SEE EXACTLY what they mean. Many concepts are may be easy to explain, but hard to visualize. POCs cut through the noise and deliver exactly what the filmmakers want to do. PLUS, whenever you are pitching or discussing a project, your are not just trying to sell the project. You are selling YOURSELF and the AFFIRMATION that you are the best person to make that film. Here too, a POC can be crucial in creating an ambiance of TRUST that is fundamental. It may be cheap or expensive. If you can use a weapon like a POC, use it. After a great POC, OR COURSE I'll pay attention to you. Now, a WARNING. If you make a POC, make sure it really is as great as the film you want to make. The moment you say "it's going to be like this, but 10 times better", you lost it.

On my first script, the supernatural one, I want to direct. So my writer friend said, "If you want to direct, direct something so you can show 'em you can."

Robert Rodriguez wrote in Rebel without a Crew how he shot his first feature with $7000 that he raised as a medical study guinea pig. So part of that book was his diary of planning the film while being in the medical facility under study. It also gave him a place to just focus and knock the idea out. Plan all the angles. 7 grand... now he's directed his fair share of Hollywood films.

Sandberg's "POC" for Lights Out. 5-years later, he's directing Shazam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNbJE0y29_c

Thanks everyone! follow up question. So you have your proof of concept, then (forgive me if this is obvious I just want to make sure I understand and am not just assuming how things work) you or your manager if you have one queries studios/production companies/etc the same way you normally would but this time you get to say "I have a POC piece that goes with this script, would you like to see it?" or something along those lines?

Luck = Preparation + Opportunity. Thus, create your own luck. The more you can show and not tell, the better. If a sale is a function of the pre-production work you put in prior to a pitch, make yours the best of the rest.

In 1995, when our engineering team won a $1.3 billion dollar contract for 15 satellites, our PowerPoint presentation was more than twice as thick as any of our competitors. We showed the customer we thought of everything before we got paid to build and launch those satellites.

The cool thing is that in 2012 I went to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island (where (Somewhere in Time was filmed), and the satellite system was what provided the ferry boat with a sat phone for maritime communication. It made me smile all those years later that something I helped design provided safety for our ship.

I'm trying to sell a script. So I guess what I should be asking is how does a screenwriter get a script sold, especially if it's a pilot which I've read is EXPENSIVE? What can they do to set themselves apart or do they just have to query/ have their manager query and hope something happens? Thanks again everyone!

Well....welcome to the "Trying to Sell a Script Club!"

If you're talking about a TV/Cable show.....you probably need a Series Bible, a pilot episode...an outline of your first season's episodes....and an agent or manager.

Also keep in mind that you are competing against established writers/producers in the industry, and that is the toughest competition that you can have. Just to get a meeting with a network ....you almost have to already be an established writer/producer; or have something on the Internet that is high-level entertainment; or at least have an agent or manager who can get those types of pitch meetings for an unknown.

I don't know about the whole Proof of Concept video thing that is self-produced and a standalone video, and that isn't content from an already-established Internet show . In a situation like that, I think network/cable execs are probably more interested in hearing about a project that, in their minds, has a great core concept, great characters, and an easy to identify market, and that has the legs to go for many episodes or seasons. So I'm not sure how important that whole Proof of Concept thing would be in that regard if it wasn't based on a pre-existing IP.

Like Dan MaxXx said, Proof of Concept has certainly been established through places like Youtube and Vimeo and on other Internet platforms. Shows like Broad City, Portlandia, Workaholics, High Maintenance, etc.etc, got their start on the Internet. So at least for them, the Internet essentially became their Proofs of Concept that then led to a Network deal. And none of those Internet shows looked amateurish, either: they all had really high-level production values, and great writing and acting. Yours would probably need all of that too, and I hope you have access to all of that if that's the way you intend to go.

Stage32 has some webinars on the subject, and from some really experienced and successful high-level people in the business, and you should check them out when you can.

Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, Renee!

I just did it. Didn't invest that much, but enough. It's not unusual.

We're in post now. There is a level of interest with others and I'm grateful for that, but it was created to put in the festival circuit to better establish myself as a content creator, writer, and producer.

Would I like to see it picked up? Of course. Yet I'm not blind to the fact that I'm in a sea of a million. But if you know anything about me, that doesn't stop me. I don't count odds. I count possibilities, even if that number is smaller than the odds.

Even if it doesn't get picked up, maybe it creates fresh opportunities for those involved in the production. Maybe it creates fresh opportunities for me.

In the end, I have to say that I have felt absolutely certain that this was a next step for me. I don't think for a second I ever thought it was a wrong choice. And frankly, it was an exhilarating 5-day shoot that shifted all 26 of us involved. Mostly me. :)

http://www.facebook.com/stickstvpilot

Joleene DesRosiers that’s awesome.

That's what I like Joleene... you didn't "just do it"... ya just did it.

There are peeps who talk about doing, and those who do "do."

Lord knows with initials of BS, I've had my share of deep do-do.

Renee: like Joleene, sometimes screenwriters have to put on more than one hat to get the script they love in front of people. You would be wise to find a producer with more experience to help you, but you'll inevitably be involved with bringing the POC to life outside of just being the writer. As for what forms a POC takes - I guess everyone has an opinion. I've seen plenty of them. The ones that are just trailers don't play at festivals. Their shelf life is very short. Those that are scenes lifted from features (or written to 'represent' the feature) are designed to feel like a short film and thus do get played at film festivals. Their shelf life is longer, and if it turns out well, they're more useful in trying to attract work.

Yeah...best wishes to you on the remaining work and the future of your project, Joleene!

Dan MaxXx and Bill Costantini Thank you! It feels awesome. And scary, too. A helluva lotta work, but that's how this works, right?

And to Phil Parker's point, I didn't have to create this. But like I said, it was a logical (and quite visceral) next step for me. I did a SAG production - in my hometown - and did it all for $17k. 12 crew members, 2 interns, 12 actors. My actors were differed and my crew accepted lower than normal negotiated rates. I either knew the actors and crew from past projects, or they were recommended to me from those past actors and crew. They were all in and open to helping me bring my script to life. What I created is a 25-minute version of a 56 minute pilot. I also have the first few episodes written and a strong series bible.

Renee N. Meland , here's what I've learned so far: You never stop learning. Ever. And everyone does this a little differently. You will make mistakes. You will do a lot right, too. None of it is wrong,. It's all part of the journey. :)

I'm sorry I keep sharing pictures. (No I''m not.) But two weeks after we wrapped, I miss it. It has been by far, the most fun I've had in a long time. :)

You can read books on sailing, but until you step on a ship and pull up anchor, ya never really know. To do a car tune-up, ya gotta open the hood, have the proper tools, and get your hands dirty.