Script Doctors etc.:

Hi Everyone. I just finished my phonecall with Tom Colbert; he runs this script development house called Industry Research And Development, which is basically a clearing house for news items that get made into mini-series, movies-of-the-week and made-for-cable releases. He wanted to see the synopsis' for both HARMONY and SANCTITY because his company is ready to move into bigger productions and fictional feature films. He started off by saying he personally loves science- fiction, and even wrote a story himself in the early Eighties about a young boy who falls to Earth. He said the opening line about how HARMONY is the modern re-telling of the myth of the Star Queen is what initially caught his attention. He also reminded me that this theme is pretty prevalent in the industry (and I replied, "Oh yes. It's also been around for thousands of years.") He asked about the background of what this script has been through, and wanted the specifics of what Stacey Snider's office had said. Then he went into suggesting I take it to a script doctor. Which I am highly resistant to doing. As far as I'm concerned, these people have found a niche because they themselves can't write, so somehow they tell others how to do it? and for a lot of money!! I let him talk this out, because he was putting it into the context of how 90% of screenplays aren't ready to be shown around town, much less taken to producers. And he also wanted to highlight his friendship with a woman named Linda Seger, and how she does script doctoring for IRD. Had I read her book? Yes, I told him. I read her book before I wrote the script, and I went back to her book after the first re-write. And how it then checked out with flying colours on all her guidelines. ("Does your story...?" "Yes. Check." "Does this, then that, happen by...?" "Yes. Check." "Will your story...?" "Yes. Check.") Linda's book is entitled HOW TO MAKE A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT. Likewise: I already know that HARMONY is great. :) I'm a little doubtful of his exclusive friendship with Ms. Seger, because you can link to her via any screenwriting website and find she's a script doctor for hire and what her rates are. But, he trusts her because he's taken two scripts to her that are now in production. (c) HM, 2001

However, he's a good fellow. Talked a lot about the BadKarmaSharks in this business, all the hollow Players, and how important it is to find the people who are honest "straight-shooters". He said he doesn't get a cut by referring scripts to her, and admitted that HARMONY just MIGHT BE (!) one of those few great scripts that's ready to go. So he admitted that perhaps I won't need Ms. Seger's analysis, but was offering that it was there, just in case. (Just in case = about $1000 in fees I would PAY her in order to get it to some producer who'd read it solely BECAUSE she's doctored it. pfft. whatever. I'll hold those opinions to myself and you folks for now.) In the meantime, he offered that he'd like to read HARMONY and would give me his opinion as to whether it was ready or not. He said if HARMONY really IS one of those rare good scripts ("It is."), and if it IS truly ready to go, "Then you don't have to worry anymore about getting it in any doors. Because I can help you open those doors. A GOOD story is GOING to get made." During the close, I repeated some points of our conversation, especially the parts about Snider's invite and that the script already met the guidelines in Seger's book. I reminded him that I need an option. "Do you need an option because of financial situations or...?" "Well, kinda-sorta but not necessarily? It's more about the professionalism? If we find someone who is interested, I need to see that option. I've had people say already' 'I like this but you'd need to make changes to my specifications before I could do anything with it.' And I'm not going to do that. No changes without an option." "Well of course. You have a finished script. Of course it's professional to offer an option on a finished piece. So let's see what we can do. Can you send the script soon? FedEx or post, which would you prefer?" "Doesn't matter. Whatever you'd like." [Inwardly, of course, I'm thinking about the broken checking account and current fights with the landlady and where and how I'm going to live in a couple of weeks, so I'm vibing, 'Please say parcel post. Please say priority mail.'] "Then send it to me FedEx." Okay.