HOLLYWOODSCRIPT.COM LLC is a boutique script consultation service run
by former Universal and Fox development exec CRAIG KELLEM. Craig's also
served as a producer/writer (WGA member); agent and is a Hollywood expatriate.
Craig and his studio analyst associate JUDY KELLEM operate this two person
company. They help people improve their scripts and seriously prepare them
for the marketplace.
Company motto-The #1 Secret for Selling a Script is...MATERIAL THAT'S READY!
WANT INSTANT GRATIFICATION? HOLLYWOODSCRIPT.COM HAS THE ONLY MONTHLY SCREENWRITING
CONTEST. IT'S VIABLE AND FREE TO CONSULTATION CLIENTS. A winner every MONTH.
Among other goodies, "Coverage" is made, it goes to Hollywood
contacts. Most writers get read. ("we've been on a hot streak and our
last 3 out of 4 winners have gotten reps").
Features of service include free help with query letters, free newsletters,
free mini consultations.
MORE INFO--
Our job is to find ways to improve clients' material and prepare it for
the marketplace.
We're very aware that your script has to catch the elusive interest of
an agent or producer whose knee jerk reaction to almost everything is "NO."
We thus scrutinize every inch of your material. We talk and give you a nuts
and bolts, micro and macro overview. First and foremost: does the story
work or not? If not, it's got to be fixed. The story is the framework that
supports everything! Are there nice surprises in the script? (Audiences
love and expect to be surprised). If not, how can these unexpected twists
and turns be strengthened or created? Are the characters rich and effective
and do they "track?" Is there a sense of theme? (ie: is it about
something?) Do your subplots work? Does the script suffer from clutter,
bulk or"misunderstoods?"
Besides the "macro" issues, we also provide careful "page
notes," details, nuances. We work scene by scene; line by line. We
cover everything, the works! And we make specific suggestions on how to
fix and improve things.
We consult on lots of pro scripts. The ones that make it have a common
denominator--the scripts are tight, no fat, they make sense, you get it.
When the reader starts saying to him/herself, "I don't understand this"
or "Where did that come from"--guess who gets the blame. You'd
be surprised how many scripts get tossed aside because of unnecessary oversights
and errors.
Please know that the analysis we give is not some academic diatribe designed
to overwhelm and confuse you. It's deeply practical. It's bottom-line. You
will hear it loud and clear. And we don't dictate, we consult. Finally,
we work with scripts that are fully completed, almost done and everything
in between.
We charge a fair and reasonable fee of $215 (130 pages or less, normal
font and pagination) and we work rather fast. And we tell the truth...gently.
Services include exhaustive and copious notes reviewed in an unhurried
phone consultation for the big/macro issues AND, if there's an abundance
of smaller page/micro notes, your script will be returned to you with clear
written notations in the margins (which includes references pertaining to
the bigger issues) or on an audio tape. Unless you have a real preference,
we usually pick the best method depending upon the needs of the script.
Some writers are shy about the phone and prefer to receive ALL notes in
writing. Although a personal interaction is almost always a superior method,
if you want notes in writing instead of the phone conference, that's fine--we
can put them all on the script and return it to you (SASE or $3.85).
After a conference, you're always welcome to call (within reason) with
follow up questions at no charge.
We love writers and feel a deep responsibility towards those who find the
courage to transpose their burning ideas into something "alive"
and tangible. We make a joyful living carefully examining your precious
work and, even more carefully, doling out expert (and usually
badly needed) feedback. Most of our clients are really happy with our work.
They almost always send us their revisions and subsequent scripts.
OUR NEWEST SERVICE! Works In Progress/Getting Started
It's not always easy getting started or keeping momentum. Most pros have
a network of colleagues to call on. Now, you can have the same kind of immediate
"one-on-one" access and help on demand. HOLLYWOODSCRIPT.COM'S
"WORKS IN PROGRESS" (WIP) is an intense, personal, "one on
one" developmental experience which takes many forms depending upon
your needs. Check it out. http://www.hollywoodscript.com/WIP.html
MARKETING
As far as MARKETING help is concerned, we're quite knowledgeable and offer
advice and guidance in this area (we received an "A" rating from
Creative Screenwriting Magazine in this regard). We also provide free help
with your query letter. Additionally, we have a FREE MONTHLY contest for
clients.
Regarding our MONTHLY Contest, we announce the winner with shameless prominence
on the MAIN page of our web site. In addition to this SPLASHY ANNOUNCEMENT,
the winner will be invited to POST their log lines, link and even a scene
or two (if they so choose) from their winning work. As part of the big announcement,
if you provide the basic summary of your story, we'll add our obviously
GLOWING REVIEW of your project and convert the whole thing into professional
"COVERAGE" (FOR FREE) which can be used for submission purposes
and, if the writer chooses, we'll also POST THE COVERAGE on our site. Finally,
we will direct the winner to a big time HOLLYWOOD AGENCY, PRODUCER or MANAGER
who has promised to read and scrutinize winning coverage (if they like the
coverage, they'll read the script, etc. No promises here of course, but
you'll get the shot!). One other thing, since there are only two of us here,
your chance of seriously contending is increased since we only have a small
pool of material from which to choose
ADDITIONALLY, winning contestants will receive from [InkTip]:
1) An e-mail announcement about winning screenplay to about 6,500
industry professionals.
2) Placement of at least logline, synopsis, and resume on their
password protected web site. Writers may also place the treatment and/or
script.
3) Include a logline (pitch) for winning screenplay in their printed publication,
Players Marketplace, which is snail-mailed to about 5,000 Industry Professionals.
http://www.inktip.com
Finally, with winner's permission, we will notify a select group of 200
producers, agents, etc. who have expressed interest in examining new material.
We'll forward the glowing coverage of the script for their review along
with contact info re the writer.
BIO Craig Kellem
I am an "escapee" from Southern California via one year of living
in Friday Harbor in Washington State. We arrived in New England (Lyme, NH,
10 miles from Hanover -- home of Dartmouth College) several years ago.
I started my show business career in New York City as a TV talent agent.
The agency CMA (now ICM), is one of the three largest agencies in the world.
My job was to find employment for performers and also creative talent (i.e.:
writers, producers, directors, etc.) It was also my job to discover and
cultivate new talent and sign established talent who were dissatisfied with
their representation. I worked with people such as George Carlin, Richard
Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Liza Minnelli and countless others.
Eventually, I began to "package" shows, which means I put creative
elements together and sold whole entities to networks, etc. I was transferred
to the California office as a Vice-President. I left the company in the
mid-seventies and made my way back to New York to work on the original "Saturday
Night Live." (Associate Producer and Talent Consultant). I stayed with
the show for its first year and then returned to California as head of Lorne
Michael's (creator of "Saturday Night Live") company.
At the time it was called Above Average Productions. In that capacity I
began to involve myself in new projects and also was involved in producing
an NBC special/documentary starring the Beach Boys.
I also produced movie classic "The Rutles" which was written
and co-directed by Eric Idle of Monty Python. Eventually, I moved on and
became a development executive at 20th Century Fox TV which led to a job
at Universal and a stay on the Universal lot for over fourteen years where
I served in various capacities. I was Vice-President in charge of Comedy
Development at Uni for almost six years, a writer/producer for one year
and Executive Vice President of the Arthur Company (a company partly owned
by Universal's parent company) for six and one-half years. I've developed
sitcoms, dramas, TV movies, features etc.
As comedy head at Universal, I developed and sold the hit series "Charles
in Charge" among many others including three shows which were executive
produced by Steve Martin one of which was the critically acclaimed, "Domestic
Life" starring Martin Mull (it aired on CBS-TV).
At the Arthur Company I developed "FBI: The Untold Stories" which
I also sold, and CoExecutive produced. It was on ABC-TV for two seasons
and continues to air nationally twice a day on The History Channel. In this
job, I was responsible for tens of millions of dollars in production.
For the record, a development executive's job is to somehow invent, create
or find ideas to sell -- develop them creatively, bring them to a broadcast
entity and "pitch" the now developed idea and, if successful,
guide it creatively though pilot script, pilot-production and hopefully
series. I had a "stable" of writers at Universal all of whom I
signed and who were my responsibility. My whole day was dominated by creative
matters almost all of which pertained to writing.
In mid 1993, I left that phase of my career behind and decided to pursue
other interests including occasional writing projects. (I had been writing
on the side). I've written four screenplays and sold two. I've also recently
finished writing a non-fiction book on the subject of fate. I had a novelty
book series out in 1991 (self-published) which was financed by B. Dalton
(Barnes and Noble). I also have a children's book project (actually a series
of books) in the works. I am a member of the Writers Guild of America (West).
I've taught several scriptwriting and related courses since I arrived
in the Northeast at Keene State (part of the University of New Hampshire
system) and at other Colleges. I've also taught workshops at Burlington
College, Keene State, Boston's Film and Video Foundation and for the New
Hampshire Writer's and Publisher's Project.
In 1998 I founded Hollywoodscript.com LLC a (now) internationally known
script consultation company. My partner (NYC based) Judy Kellem and I are
the only ones here and do all of our own reading and everything else.
BIO Judy Kellem
Judy Kellem has lived and worked in various regions and capacities: In
Namibia, Africa, as part of a health care program; in Lexington, Mississippi
as part of a civil rights organization; in Los Angeles, California, as part
of both a crisis shelter for runaways and a TV Network research team. Most
recently, she lived in Bologna, Italy, directing a language school and teaching
English as a Second Language. Other general experience includes research,
story packaging and administrative work at Universal Studios, DreamWorks
and Entertainment Weekly Magazine.
She attended Bard College, took her degree from Bryn Mawr College and moved
to New York City in 1993. After much time spent in theater and human rights
work, Judy realized that her real social voice and creative passion lay
in prose. She has been writing fiction for seven years, studying at the
Writer's Studio in lower Manhattan and currently attends graduate school
(about to graduate with a Master's in English) .
Judy has just been honored by having a story of hers ("LIMBO")
published in READING ROOM/3, a prestigious book which comes out twice a
year. It's published by Great Marsh Press of New York and features stories,
sections of novels, essays, and poetry by well known writers with international
reputations as well as new young writers just coming up. Judy and one other
writer occupy the latter category. They are referred to as "New American
Voices." They share the stage with the likes of Saul Bellow, Judith
Rossner and Stanley Crouch (to name a few).
Before joining Hollywoodscript.com (2 years ago), Judy analyzed and "covered"
movie scripts, TV treatments, manuscripts and book proposals for agencies
tied to large studios.
Reading List for Screenwriters
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
Walking on Alligators by Susan Shaughnessy
Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande
Story--Substance, Structure, Style, and the
Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
Series of screenwriting books by Syd Field
Robert McKee's Writing Workshops are totally recommended.
