Harsh Advice On Writing Your Passion Project - Scott Kirkpatrick

BUY THE BOOK - MASTERING THE PITCH: How to Effectively Pitch Your Ideas to Hollywood

BUY THE BOOK - WRITING FOR THE GREEN LIGHT:
How To Make Your Script The One Hollywood Notices

BUY THE BOOK - INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA DISTRIBUTION: Film, Television, and New Media

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Scott Kirkpatrick is the Executive Vice President of Co-Productions & Distribution for Nicely Entertainment—a Los Angeles-based production and distribution company that produces original TV movies and scripted TV series—where he brokers major content deals and has executive produced a variety of TV movies including "The Art of Christmas", "Sappy Holiday" and "The Snowball Effect". Previously, Kirkpatrick served as the Senior Vice President of North American Sales & Business Development for the London-based NENT Studios UK where he oversaw international television distribution deals on a variety of programs including BBC’s "The Cry", Channel 4’s "Shameless" and ITV’s "Doc Martin". Prior to this, Kirkpatrick served as Executive Director of Distribution for MarVista Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based production and distribution company that produces original TV movies and has managed international TV deals on major franchises, including "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers". Before shifting to the distribution side of the industry, Kirkpatrick worked behind the scenes on major studio productions, including "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby", and has produced and directed TV series and feature films including "Eye for an Eye" and "Roadside Massacre". He is the author of the books "Writing for the Green Light: How to Make Your Script the One Hollywood Notices" and "Introduction to Media Distribution: Film, Television and New Media". Kirkpatrick lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

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[filmcourage]

What are your thoughts on passion projects?

[tedereTSSK]

This interview is about the lessons of life, far more than just the topic on hand. Keep the repeat button turned on. This is priceless. Thank you.

[uanime]

It makes sense that studios won't let you make your passion project until you've earned them enough money to cover the failure of this passion project. A good example of this is Treasure Planet, which did badly despite being made by people who made several successful Disney movies.

[mattmatt]

Scott knows his stuff. I always value his interviews. But he's very much a soldier of the status quo in Hollywood.

[ewalichorowicz]

Thank you so much for great advice Scott! I learned more about business from you within 10 minutes than I could learn from an entire semester at school. I am fascinated by innovation, so I think there are many options these days to accelerate some things in business. I am drawn to the idea of a creative passion project that answers a business problem and then pitching it as a business case. Thank you so much for the inspiration!🙏

[timdanyo]

Many put a “do or die” noose around their creative necks instead of practicing with personal grace and giving themselves the space and freedom to make mistakes and learn the craft. It’s always “this is going to be huge.” What about this is going to help me level up?

[AValle]

I guess (and hope) the fact that this "harsh advice" is the way I naturally see the industry is a good thing for me. I'm trying to be more of a director than a writer, though.

[janette]

I would agree. Nothing wrong with paying bills as long as you aren’t compromising your moral compass while you work on what you love as well

[quirkyslooet.]

🎉🎉🎉 desperately was looking forward for this thanks so much! 👍👍👍👍

[danieljackson]

Wonderful insight from the calculating perspective of market realities. Be that it may, I write from the perspective of the craft of writing; or I should say LEARNING, REFINING, my craft as a writer. I'm still working with the Zen perspective: Don't till the soil for the crops to come; till the soil for a row well plowed.

I am not at the point where I can write sales or citations.

The need for network, however, is always good advice.

[wexwuthor]

Howdy Film Courage. Do you guys have memberships?

[robpalwrites]

This guy is the personification of just following the path well travelled, and doesn't seem to believe that there's other ways for things to be. I find that quite sad, as I'm very much about going my own way and not following the same path as many before them.

[sillysphinx]

It seems that not every Executive has the time to read your script but a part of their job is listening to pitches to see if what you have to sell is a good match for their studio. I often hear that movies have scripts written on set through the collaboration/input of multiple people/departments. So is it even necessary to have a full script done and under copyright if most of the details and in-between are changed to fit the budget/resources on hand? And if so, should I be straight with the executive when they ask: "Have you written anything like a script before?" Because the answer is no. However, is doing the research enough? I guess that would depend on the pitch/studio/executive, especially if it aligns with the types of movies they sell/properties they already have on hand. At that point, can you logic your foot into the door? Or is that akin to winning the lottery with all those facets lining up just so?

[oldschoolcollodion]

This principle applies across the arts ladies and gentlemen

[Carlos-lnfd]

I don't know why I feel like I would kill it at writing tween girl romance movies lol but that's probably the dunning-krugger effect.

[subramanianramamoorthy]

Modern films, mostly, are those which are well driven even with rubbish scripts and third rate stories and those such can become successful in box office abundantly when acted by super stars as heros.
Producers donot hesitate to invest as well. Heros get sea of money, actors get mountain of money, directors become famous. Stories should massacre as many charaters as possible, more bloodshed, more violence with some unconnected sexy dances and music bgm and rhythm to be louder to make viewers uncomfortable
This is the trend now

[corpsefoot]

9:09 Aaand THIS is why (with all due respect) nobody will remember any film this gentleman has ever written or produced, ‘til the end of time.

Sure, you CAN start cutting these financial corners to “save” money on a film, but you know what ELSE decreases for a shitty film? Its future revenue.

Which means you’re going to lose even MORE money by pushing cheaply-made crap than when splurging on actual quality, because now it’s going to hang around your neck as a worthless flop forever

I mean, to use his own logic: you know what saves even MORE money than shooting films “on a bench”? Shooting them in your kitchen, with your grandma as an actor. You know what’s even CHEAPER than that? Tearing off a napkin and draw a happy face on it lmao

There’s a difference between trimming your fingernails and chopping off your knuckles, guys. And while doubling-down on a creative gem IS risky, it’s still sooo much better in the end (both money- and soul-wise) than the alternative. Good luck out there
🤘🥰

[VitriolicWithering]

What if every project is your passion project?