LET'S MAKE A DEAL & A FEW QUICK MESSAGES

FEW UPDATES

CRAFT ARTICLE COMING

I promised to put up my quick craft article soon.  Stay tuned. It started out as a way to support a client who got a nasty set of notes from another reader, but it became partially a small pitch into how I approach things as a consultant.  However, if you have EVER received bad, mean or discouraging notes, you will definitely dig it. 

TAOS MOVED TO NEW ORLEANS

Our week-long retreat is definitely on but it's going to be in New Orleans instead. I dropped the price and there are some discounts and deadline incentives.  Also, get in touch if you are interested in a no-frills version where your script gets less attention.

 

CREATIVITY IN DEAL MAKING: PART DEUX

<<Cutting to the chase.  The economy sucks.  This business is tough. I just found 3000 hours to direct a movie over the past 18 months for a salary less than I charge for Script Coaching, so I get it.  ;-)>>


I wrote that last year as part of a post that invited writers to get creative in proposing barter or other swaps which would allow us to work together. It was productive. I got a Telecaster that I gave to my step-son, mini-vacation in a time-share, gift card to Zingermann's in Ann Arbor and I came up with some creative payment plans for a few people.

The economy still sucks and as long as I have room in my classes, I have no problem with being Monty Hall and I can even explain the Monty Hall problem in class, if you want.  Let's make a deal.
 
I re-canvassed  parents, step-kids, wife and dog to come up with an official list of acceptable barter. Remember, I don't judge. Employee discount, Regifting, Non-rounded off balances... It's all good.

Gift Cards:  Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Delis (Canters, Juniors, Jerrys, Katz's), Lowes/Home Depot (up to a point...let's not create more work), Chipotle, Kohls, Airline Travel, Apple Store, Verizon, Petsmart, Steak Houses, Melting Pot, Massage Envy

Other: Frequent Flyer Miles, Airfare vouchers,  Time Shares (Paris, Italy, Vegas, London, and planning on class in New Zealand or Australia), NFL tix (Steelers, Eagles or Redskins...does Stub Hub have gift cards?), Hosted Travel in Italy for parents, WSOP staking ;-), Be Creative!

Services: SEO, Final Cut Pro Editing, design and am open to other ideas including three-way swaps. (Ted gives Fred Accounting Help, Fred gives Jim double-barter on whatever, Fred and Ted both get long-term script coaching.) Marketing, E-Commerce, etc...

Let's Make a Deal!

Peace,
 Jim
Email address is Jim (at) (Remove this sentence.)jamespmercurio(dot)com

FORESHADOWING...TAOS RETREAT IN OCTOBER

Only room for eight students.

Netflix sponsors movie night...choose from 140 separate private theaters.

How fast do I talk?  Day two, she is already skipping class to clear her head.

This writing team has already signed up and are reworking their act two?  Should I charge them for one seat or two?  I know, I know, baaaaahd joke.

Sean Kanan Friends

 JIM AND SEAN ON THE SET 

WHILE FILMING MARCH

Photograph by Sean's Mom

Michele Perelman

Thanks for visiting my site.  You can go directly to my services pages or check out some of my free newsletters below.  Mention Sean when you order and you can receive a 10% discount from my Professional or Comprehensive Analyses or $100 discount from Coaching or Mentoring.  If you sign up for Coaching or Mentoring, you can attend a four-day class in Sarasota in April.

 Save $50 with the discount code "SEAN" when you

 preorder my new 10-hour multi-DVD set.  Here's the trailer.

PREORDER TODAY!

Offer good for one week Only!

Email me with any questions. 

(Remove the XX from the email address)

Current Deals Through January 2012 - Discounts for Champion Entrants

Dear Writers,

Happy New Year!

I will be reading 100 quarter-finalist scripts for the Champion Competition in January, so if you sign up now and can wait a few weeks, here are some current deals.

All Entrants to the 2011 Champion Screenwriting Competition can have a 5% discount on my Professional or Comprehensive Analysis Services.  Quarterfinalists can have 10% discount since I will be reading their script anyway.

Also, I will be offering any extra seats in the Champion Lab to quarterfinalists and entrants as soon as I announce the dates.  There will be a huge discount for those who know they want to attend and sign up immediately after the announcement.

For All Potential Coaching and Mentoring Clients

Sign up for Coaching or Mentoring and you can attend the Champion Lab or the Ellen Sandler TV lab that will probably be in February.  (2011 Champion Entrants who sign up for coaching or mentoring will receive a $100 travel reimbursement/stipend if they attend.)

Or you can receive one of the first produced copies of my multi-disc Screenwriting DVD set I am finishing up.  It will have 6-10 DVDs, a minimum of 10 hours or material and a retail price between $259-$399.

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Champion Development Notes are always available.  Just email us at info@champ...iting.com.  Fill in the blanks (ionscreenwr).

Visit my site or email me with any questions.

Peace,
Jim Mercurio

Notes on Shorts

Notes on Shorts

A Champion entrant asked me about a notes service on shorts.  We didn't have one, but I made one up.  Here are the details.

A PAGE OR SO OF NOTES FROM MY DEDICATED CHAMPION SHORTS READER
Six pages or less: $65
Fifteen pages or less: $80
Email me at info@champio---eenwriting.com.  Paypal is Jim@a-lists---enwriting.com

NOTES FROM ME FOR 15 PAGES OR LESS
Comprehensive Shorts Analysis: $200
Professional Shorts Analysis: $400
Take a 5% discount if you were a 2011 Champion Entrant, take another 5% if script is less than seven pages.  Discounts are cumulative.

Q: OMG!  Why are the prices 30% of what a feature costs when the page count is only one-tenth?

A: The set up for the notes, the discussion of style and story takes just as long for shorts.  I gave 12 pages of notes on the last 3-page script I read. I would imagine these notes would be in the range of three to ten pages.

Contact me through my consulting site: www.jamespmercurio.com.  Paypal is Jim@jamespm---urio.com

Deals for ISA Folks and a New Testimonial! Good till end of Month!

Thanks for checking out my site and blog.  Mention ISA or my Consultant Blast and sign up this month and you can take advantage of one of the deals below.  And check out the testimonial from one of my most recent clients.

FOR COACHING AND MENTORING CLIENTS

1) Free seat in one of the Champion Labs or Ellen Sandler's TV Lab near the end of the year... probably January.
2) One of the first produced copies of the Screenwriting DVD set I am working on.  4-8 DVDS, 10-20 hours...don't know the exact details yet but the retail value will be $2-400


(If we are starting with a completed script, first round of notes will be in early November and December, respectively for first two sign ups.)

FOR PROFESSIONAL OR COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSES

1) Free copy of Killer Endings or Theme.  (Professional = both)   ($50/$100 value)

2) 10% AFM Discount.  Save me some time...let's do a lunch or coffee meeting at AFM as a way to save 3-4 pages of notes.  You will still get 8-14 pages of notes.

COVERAGES  

I am not going to be able to fit in any more coverages this year, but you can sign up for Champion Development Notes at my site. You will receive approximately four pages of notes for $250 from one of my senior Champion readers.

TESTIMONIAL FOR MY MENTORING/COACHING SERVICE

"After working with Jim for a brief time, the one word that pops into my head is - "WOW!"  I've worked with and spoken to many of the top script consultants in LA, but Jim is truly the BEST OF THE BEST!  

This is how I would like compare Jim to the other top notch script consultants in LA:

The Normal Script Consultant Approach - Find everything wrong with your script, then tell you everything that you MUST take out because it just won't work... period..  Any solutions?  Nope... but you can always work on it more, then pay me for another service. 

Jim's Approach - Find everything that isn't currently working (in a non-criticizing, non-judgmental way) then use creativity, originality, and knowledge to try to find a way to solve the problem and make it work.  If a scene, subplot, etc. just isn't working, Jim will offer a solution.   

Bottom line, Jim evaluates screenplays from an entirely different approach than all the rest.  He's the Master when it comes to character development and using the "Sequences Approach" to properly structure a screenplay.  Jim is also funny and extremely easy to talk to.  My only regret - I wish I would've found Jim 5 years ago when I started screenwriting.  It would've saved me a lot of money and a lot of time."

                                                                               Kevin Lehr

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Let me know if you have any questions.

Peace,

Jim Mercurio

Script Coaching Bonuses

Twenty months later, I just finished working on the feature I was directing.  So I have space for a few more clients.  If you want to take two scripts all the way and get a master class in screenwriting during the process, sign up for script coaching.  And there are a few cool extras I can throw in to the next for clients who jump aboard this offer.

Here's my schedule for Coaching:

One to start in August.
One to start with concept/treatment in August or script in September.
Another one to start with concept/treatment in Septmber or script in October.
One to start in October. or later.

For the next four clients, sign up this month for and you will receive one of the following:

1) Free seat in one of the Champion Labs or Ellen Sandler's TV Lab near the end of the year.
2) One of the first produced copies of the Screenwriting DVD set I am working on.  4-8 DVDS, 10-20 hours...don't know the exact details yet but the retail value will be $2-400
3) $100 Discount (toward travel) and $250 credit toward any classess I do.  Am working on a weeklong workshop in Taos.
4) $150 Discount (toward travel), two tickets and invitation to some festivities at one of the upcoming film festivals I will be attending.  Might have to sign NDA from producer.

Also am really open to bartering for Frequent Flyer Miles or Travel Vouchers - Am going to be going to a lot of fests this year.

Check out coaching and let me know if you have any questions.

Peace,
Jim
jim (at sign) jamespmercurio.com

CREATIVITY IN DEAL MAKING

Cutting to the chase.  The economy sucks.  This business is tough. I just found 3000 hours to direct a movie over the past 18 months for a salary less than I charge for Script Coaching, so I get it.  ;-)

I have been willing to offer payment plans for clients and even accepted a Guitar Center Gift card as barter.  But I still need $500 Gift card for the American Telecaster.  Mostly kidding.

With this idea in mind, I canvassed  parents, step-kids, wife and dog to come up with an official list of acceptable barter.  And, you know what, I don't judge.  Employee discount, Regifting...I am not going to hold that against you.

Gift Cards: Guitar Center ($600ish max), (made deal for Telecaster) Best Buy, National Sporting Goods Chains (sadly, no limit), Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Zingermann's (And Canters, Juniors and Jerrys, I guess, too), Lowes/Home Depot (300 max...let's not create more work), Chipotle (maybe 100 max), Kohls, Airline Travel, Apple Store, Verizon

Other: Frequent Flyer Miles, Airfare vouchers (A dozen or so film festivals on the horizon), Time Shares, Place to Stay in Paris for two (teenager whines about France=Stay with stepmom for two weeks), In London for Four, Steelers Tickets, Eagles Tickets (Shh, don't tell my wife), Pokerstars $$ (when it's legal again, LOL), Planned Travel Situation for Italy for the 'rents

Services: SEO, Final Cut Pro training for a friend, possibly design and am open to other ideas.

From my dog: Petsmart Gift Cards as well as gift cards to Mortons, Ruth's Chris and Cheesecake Factory.

Okay, the last one was from me.

Contact me at your own risk.

Peace,
Jim
The man who says yes to too many things

Experimental YouTube/Facebook Online Scene Class

Cheap, Fast and Good!

Sign up for my online scene class and you can apply the entire $39.99 toward my Pro or Comp Analysis within 30 days.  Or just take the class.  Send a short scene in by Monday and then watch some Youtube clips and read the feedback whenever you can.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102444973224/archive/1105248988186.html
See the above link for all of the details.

Peace,
Jim

Scene Writing Analysis - Temporary Service

I got a two-month extension on the scene writing book and because of copyright issues, I am going to have to use scenes from unknown writers, so not only am I offering a service for below my hourly rate, I may be checking to see if some of you want to have your scene(s) included in the book for a modest licensing fee.  It would be completely optional.

Since I am in the scene-writing zone, I am offering a 10-page analysis of the scene writing craft in your script.  I will focus pretty intensely on as many scenes as I can and then summarize the areas and principles on which you should focus. 

This will help intermediate and advanced writers hone their craft with micro-level analysis that is special in two ways: no one else offers this sort of feedback and I am exceptionally good at it.

My background as a filmmaker is part of the reason I am suited for this sort of criticism.  I have watched the same scene performed 400 times in one week during auditions.  I have wrestled with a scene for a month as a filmmaker.  I have rebuilt sets from scratch a year later to pick up the one thing we missed from the original scene.  I have my Malcom Gladwell 10,000-hour Certification on scene writing.  ;-)

I did an extensive analysis of a scene here but this was from a novice writer's very first script.  I think this service is more suited to intermediate and advanced writers who have written a few scripts and want to find a new way accelerate their craft.

Use the same Paypal address at jamespmercurio.com (jim@) and send script in FD or a form where I can put notes in the document itself and make cuts and changes for the sake of rhetoric.  Actually, PDFs work well.  The rate is $500.

Topics: subtext, subtexting (my word), getting in late and out early, blocking, action description, beats, the event, importance, moment before, what am I fighting for?, theme tweaks/reframes, props, motifs, role-playing, use of setting, exploitation of concept, humor, making the movie castable and a zillion other things...

SIGN UP BEFORE APRIL 25 AND GET FREE SCENE WRITING CLASS TOO! See below or above.