This is a transcript of SYS 449 – Writing A Lifetime Movie With Richard Pierce .
Welcome to Episode 449 of the Selling Your Screenplay Podcast. I’m Ashley Scott Meyers, screenwriter and blogger with sellingyourscreenplay.com. Today I am interviewing screenwriter Richard Pierce, you may remember was the winner of SYS’s screenplay contest two years ago, his film Killer Profile, although the title has changed a few times, was discovered by one of our industry judges and produced by Mar Vista Entertainment. And you can hear all about that sale and how he was able to get that done. Through the SYS podcast, we did an interview back a couple of years ago now. And it’s episode number 378. So, have a look at that. Richard is back this week to talk about his writing career since making that first sale. He’s done a variety of projects, now he’s been hired to polish someone else’s script. He’s been hired to turn outlines into scripts, and he’s even pitched projects and sold a pitch and then was hired to write that into a full screenplay. So, he comes on to talk about all of these different avenues for screenwriters to potentially get hired and paid to write. He’s really in the thick of things now with his screenwriting career, getting a lot of deals, getting a lot of projects into production. He’s very transparent, really nice guy so really comes on and offers a lot of great insight. It’s really fascinating just to kind of hear how things are progressing for him. So, stay tuned for that interview.
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So, quick few words about what I’m working on. I’m still plugging away getting the film festival in order. The festival is going to be October 7th to October 9th in Hollywood, please do save the date. If you haven’t already, love to see everybody out there. I’m in the thick of things, getting everything organized. There’s just a lot of logistical things, just insurance, getting all the films organized the schedule the website, there’s just a lot of logistical things that I’m ploughing through. If you want to get updates on this, just join our mailing list sellingyourscreenplay.com/guide. If you join that, obviously, you get our free guide, as I mentioned on every single podcast episode, but also, I will send out updates about just what’s going on with a festival and those sorts of types of things if you do join that mailing list, I’m recording this podcast episode in August. So, it’s a couple of weeks behind. So, it’s tough to give out real time updates on the festival in the podcast. So, I do what I can, but I’m already past kind of what I’m talking about today is two or three weeks ago. Anyways, we have our schedule figured out I actually did that this week and kind of got it all locked in yesterday. I’m putting the website together now. So, that should be published by the time this episode airs. So have a look at that. Also, it’s going to be at www.sixfigurefilmfestival.com, all one word, all lowercase. And it’s all letters, there’s no hyphen or dash or anything like that. It’s just sixfigurefilmfestival.com. And as I said, we’ll put all the latest details up there, including the schedule, and that sort of stuff. So, you can get a look at some of the films that were accepted and are going to be showing at the festival and potentially come out and see one if you’re in the LA area. As I said, we would love to have people come out and check out this film.
We have a real diverse group of films, you know, just different films from different types of filmmakers. Really, from all over. I tried to think if there’s anybody internationally, it seems like most everybody is definitely from the United States. And there’s definitely an emphasis of LA filmmakers. And I’m not sure if that’s my own bias living in LA maybe just my contacts sort of the way I marketed or something pushed more LA filmmakers. But I’ll do a deep dive at some point probably in the future just about how the festival went. And sort of what I did and how it all shook out in the end. Anyways, do check that out sixfigurefilmfestival.com And as I said, saved the date is October 7th to October 9th in Hollywood. Anyways, that’s pretty much what I’ve been working on here the last week or two. So now let’s get into the main segment. Today, I’m interviewing screenwriter Richard Pierce. Here is the interview.
Ashley
Welcome back Richard to the Selling Your Screenplay Podcast. I really appreciate you coming on the show with me again.
Richard Pierce
Thank you again for having me. I really appreciate it.
Ashley
Yeah, thank you. Thank you. So, I’m going to refer listeners back to Episode 378 of the SYS Podcast where you and I did a pretty deep dive into your feature film script Killer Profile, which was the winning script from SYS’s screenplay contest a couple of years ago. Ted Campbell was our one of our industry judges. He really liked your script, took it over, he had a prior relationship with Mar Vista, took it over there, got it produced very, very quickly. And now you started to work on some other projects. So, we’re going to kind of dig into some of those other projects. You did another project with Ted, in my recollection from talking to you guys before, this was a project Ted had written before he met you, he kind of started to get it lined up, but then it needed some rewrites, he met you, he did Killer Profile with you, invite you and then brought you in on that project. It’s called Students Seduction. So, let’s talk about that a little bit. And I’m just sort of paraphrasing things. I’m sure I’m getting some of the details off a little bit. So maybe you can fill us in. You guys are working on Killer Profile, everything’s going really well. You’re getting along with Ted. How did that sort of transform into that next project of Student Seduction?
Richard Pierce
Yeah, Ted had three. He was supposed to do three projects for a company called Mar Vista, directing them. The first one he wrote and directed. The second one wound up being Killer Profile, or it came out as Do you trust your boyfriend is what it got released on Lifetime as. And then the third one was a pitch that he had done prior to Killer Profile, or Do you trust your Boyfriend, which that’s kind of the process of how it works at these particular companies is it always starts off as a series of pitches. They find the ones they like and you develop them into one pager and then outlines and then if you get yeses all along the way, then you can go into scripts. This one had gotten a yes all the way up to the outline, he had done a really detailed outline, and he just didn’t have time to write it because he had wrote and directed the first movie and then directed the second one – Killer Profile.
Ashley
How detailed. So, this outline, how detailed was this outline?
Richard Pierce
This, but it had like some dialogue in it. So, it was a thick outline. It’s like 20-25 pages. So, there was like some chunks of scenes in there too, is kind of just cobbled together some scenes, some beats and just kind of the outline in 9 acts. That’s kind of how these movies are always written, is 9 acts. Because you’re you never know where these movies are going to wind up. But I think the goal often is on Lifetime or Lifetime movie network element. And you got to work with the commercial break so that many commercial breaks means that many acts in a movie. So, he had a broken down that way. And he just didn’t have time. And he liked to work with me on Killer Profile, he brought me on right as they started shooting killer profile, I started writing what is now called Student Seduction. Actually, I don’t know what it will be called when it comes out. But it comes out next month. The title is always changed with these things. So, it may not be seduction, I don’t know. But I hopped in and knock that one out as they were shooting the first movie. And then as post started on Killer Profile, they started to film the next one. So, it was a nice assembly line we had going for those, and the tagline of doing that actually a fourth movie, which I didn’t have anything to do with but I sounded really bitter there. I’m not bitter about that.
Ashley
No, no, I got you. Yeah, sure.
Richard Pierce
And then that’s kind of the process for those all at that company – Mar Vista.
Ashley
So, when you came on board with this outline, the outline basically had the green checkmark, it was good to know someone that needed to turn into a script. And Ted just simply didn’t have the time. So, you were really working from a pretty detailed project. And so, how does that influence going into, what exactly did Ted want? Was it just a lot of just sort of the formatting of this taking this one document formatting into a screenplay, was there some creative choices, some big story beats that still needed to be changed?
Richard Pierce
There was still some creative stuff that needed to be changed. And of course, once you do your first draft, even if the outline is approved, and they love every word of it, of course, when you turn in the first draft of the screenplay, they’re going to have counts. And so, a lot of changes came after that too, that one was a whirlwind. It was kind of, the draft was turned in right at the deadline and then rewrites happened kind of all the way up until filming started. So yeah, it was pretty laid out. He did a really good job. Like I said, it was super detailed, but there were some creative stuff, some creative choices still have to be made that I brought to it. So, I’m curious how it turned out. I haven’t seen the movie yet. So, when it’s on, it will be the first time I actually see it.
Ashley
Gotcha. Gotcha. Now, I’m curious. One of the things that impressed me about your script and just yourself, when I interviewed you before, was how much you had sort of analyzed how these Lifetime movies work. And I kind of was curious, how does that play into doing a rewrite like this? I mean, we assumed someone like Ted, who’s, frankly, way more experienced than you are at these Lifetime movies. We assume going into it, he understands the 9-act structure. He understands sort of the premise what they’re looking for, you know, teen dramas, teen thrillers, these sorts of things, but how much did that influence you just your knowledge of a Lifetime movie worth? Where there some changes like that you needed to sort of bring back into the lifetime tone?
Richard Pierce
And I think that was one of the advantages that’s really helped me so far being in this world. As I told you in the last podcast, my wife has been watching these movies since high school. So, then I of course, went up watching them with her. And then I was like, I kind of like them. They’re fun genre movies when I try one as a spec, which is what Killer Profile wound up being. So, I know the format. But within the format, there’s always rules and the rules are always changing. And the short little bit of time that I’ve been in this world, there have been so many taboos that were okay event are not okay, now, what they’re looking for a year ago is not what they’re looking for now. It’s so interesting to me how much it changes.
Ashley
What are some specific examples of like that, like something that’s changed?
Richard Pierce
And it might be different for different companies, but in places I’ve been like in the first and students seduction, it’s not a major element, but there is teen drinking and high school kids drinking at parties. And that now is a hard, no, at least we’re at the companies I’m at now. Stalker movies used to be the thing, stalked by my doctor, which I talked about the last time we were on, here’s one of my favorite lifetime type movies with Eric Roberts, who has been in both of our movies. Stalker movies were super in vogue, and now they’re not. But now they might be again, I don’t know, I’ve kind of heard they might be. So, it’s just funny what, like these buyers and all these territories, because it’s not just lifetime. It’s the overseas component, which I know nothing about the business. And all I know is what I get told when I send out my pitches, and they’re like; No, we don’t like they don’t like this anymore. France doesn’t like this anymore. You get to learn what all these territories do and don’t like, what they they’re very specific about what they like with their protagonists. And they don’t want them to be a complete Mary Sue, or they’re just like the perfect character and bad things happening. But they also don’t want too many flaws. They they’re very specifically what they want with their protagonist, their heroines in the movie. And like I said, it’s changing, you have to kind of adapt. So, I thought I had a PhD in Lifetime movies when I started at this. And I kind of did with the format, the 9-act structure and all that. And it is very strict about how long each one of these acts are. Because again, you work with commercial breaks, so you can’t like cheat and say; Oh, the 15-page, act seven. They can’t. They can’t do that with commercial breaks. So that structurally, I think I was good. But within the story, there’s lots of things that have changed. And that’s what’s been interesting.
Ashley
Now you were talking about you’re getting so I assume like let’s just say you’re working on one of these outlines, you’re sending it to a couple of people development people at a company like Mara Vista, or any number of these types of production companies. Do you ever get… because a lot of this sounds very informal. It’s not like they’re you have a formal list. Okay. Drinking of teens is a hard No, you’re sort of just trying to soak up all this knowledge. Do you ever get differing opinions where one executive says; Hey, this is a hard no, but an executive at the same company might say, Oh, no, we actually like this. How do you traverse that sort of stuff?
Richard Pierce
Again, me being new to this genre, like you’re always going to get conflicting notes. And yeah, that’s happened a few times where some, you’ll literally get notes from two people on the same project. And we’re all working on the same project. So, we all have the same goal, which is to get the movie made and sold and out there. And one person will say like, this is a no and the other person will say like, this is my favorite part of the movie. And it’s like, so how do you serve both notes? How do you juggle that, and sometimes it does turn into a debate. Ted is great at that, whenever I’m working with Ted, which I’ve done in most of these projects, he’s always great about sticking up for what’s right for the story, and while also doing what’s right for the buyers. And that’s something I’m trying to get better at. Because that was a big problem on the project I just finished now, which is shooting next month, it’s at a new company, and like the team drinking thing was a huge issue in the movie, the catalyst of the movie is kind of starts with that element. It’s not about teen drinking, it’s not a movie about that. But it plays a major component of what gets the story going. And when that went away, it got really scary, because I’m like, I don’t know how the story is going to work with it. So, we had to do a lot of changes on that one.
Ashley
And so, let’s talk just quickly, how does this process work? First off, you mentioned that this was very quickly because they were sort of under the gun to get into production with this with Student Seduction. So maybe it’s a little abnormal than what is typical. But do you give the script to Ted, Ted reads it, gives you notes, and then he gets it back? And then you guys take it to Mar Vista for notes. Well, how does that process actually work? Just like logistically is Ted giving you notes to polish stuff up and then you’re going to Mar Vista? Is there two sets of notes? You know, do you get a set of notes from different development people?
Richard Pierce
Depends. It depends on what project on the project. I was just on the producer who I actually who actually produced stuff. Introduction. He’s at this other company now. And he was kind of the liaison, I guess you could say, between me and the company that was going to produce the movie. So yeah, drafts would go to him and his co producer, and they would provide notes before it went to the company. Again, pretty informal, it was just like, hey, we want to make sure we’re all on the same page who sent it off them Ted, same kind of deal. I try to remember how it went on Students seduction, it was such a whirlwind, because I was in grad school at the time. So, I was grad school and writing all these scripts. So now life’s easier because I’m out of grad school. But on that one, I think it was, yeah, I would. I wrote the draft sent it to Ted, he gave it a quick one silver made sure it was okay. Not embarrassing to turn in, and then turn it in. And then you know, three days later, they got around to notes for the next rewrite.
Ashley
Gotcha. Gotcha. So, let’s move on to another project. Ted mentioned to me that you guys have a horror film in the pipeline. I know you want to keep some of the details shrouded. No problem on that. But I wonder if you can give us just some details. How did this project come about? And again, was this something that Ted had, he had an outline for? He had already started to pitch it and then brought you in? Was this a spec idea from you, maybe just talk to us about this, how did this relationship with Ted and then ultimately flower into yet another script?
Richard Pierce
Yeah. And Ted Campbell’s his name. I don’t know if we’ve said who he is. But Ted Campbell is, he’s a great guy. And he’s been in industry for a long time as a first AD. And now he is directing. And I love the way the first one that Do You Trust Your Boyfriend turned out. And his other movie turned out great, too. So, I’m really excited for him and what he has coming as a director. And this was a project that it didn’t have a home, it was just a spec script that he had, he had already done a full draft on and he had a producer buddy of his attached to it. And they were kind of just poking around seeing if they could find a home for and he was so busy. And at that time, I was not too busy. After cheating scandal, I kind of had a little bit of a or Student Seduction. Sorry, the old name was cheating scandal. Sorry. So, I’ll keep changing these names. Students Seduction, I had a little bit of a lull. So, we just asked if I want to do a rewrite on it and kind of bring my own take to it. And it’s a horror movie. And it’s a genre I’m super into as well. So, I was absolutely, I’m on board. And we did. And that would have been, I mean, probably this time last year, and then it kind of just floated around, he sends it to his best contacts and his producer Buddy was sending it around to. And just recently, it looks like it’s getting some traction and fingers crossed. We don’t know anything yet. And I don’t know what I am. And I’m not allowed to talk about … it looks like it could be something that might be able to go next year. And I really hope because it’s a really cool project. But it was his story, his sped and I just kind of came on for a fresh set of eyes, I guess.
Ashley
And so how again, how does something like that work? I mean, they’re you’re not working with a company yet. You’re still trying to get the script ready for that piece? Did he come to you? I mean, he clearly felt like his script that he had written had some weaknesses. Did he have some notes or some ideas? Did you read it and then say, hey, these this is how I think you could improve? It had just talked about that a little bit?
Richard Pierce
Yeah, no, it was a completed script. It was a little short, I think was one of the issues is only like 80 pages. I don’t know what draft of it. It was of his but it was really solid. But there was just a lot of elements that I thought it could be thought so yeah, when he gave it to me, he was like, hey, just read it, give me your thoughts. And I’ve kind of learned that a lot of times, like with rewrites, which I’m working on one of those right now again, for another company. But when they give you the script and say, give us your take on this, that’s your audition. Like I’ve never been an actor, but I assume an acting when you when you audition, they’re seeing your take on the material when you perform it with this, it’s what’s your take on the story, if you were to have written this from the beginning. So, I read the script that Ted gave me and I say I would do this, this and this and change this character and add these elements to it. And he was like, I like it, let’s go. And then he kind of brought me on board has been very informal with that, when that was kind of like, it’s all in spec until it gets made. But it was just; hey, you’re my buddy, you want to come on and write it as a buddy. And so, we did. And we shared the credit. And hopefully, hopefully next year, it’ll…
Ashley
I’ll be interviewing you again. It’ll be out on Lifetime or whatever. Yeah. So, you have a couple of other projects. And you sort of mentioned some of those, like you just mentioned that you’re doing another rewrite. And it sounds like you did another project that shooting in a month maybe you can bring us up to speed on those projects. What is the one that’s shooting in a month? And how did that come about?
Richard Pierce
That was the producer on the first – Killer Profile and Students Seduction, he went off to a different company. He’s doing some stuff with him too. Again, you never know where the movies are lined up. But it’s they do a lot of Lifetime Hallmark type movies at this company and he just said send me some pitches. And I guess this would be good to talk about because I always wanted to pick your brain about it too is, I don’t have an agent or a manager at this point. It’s all been me kind of juggling it. I have some very with generous friends who helped me with like the contract side of things and will look over some things, but I don’t have an agent or manager and kind of looking for work for me. So, a lot of it’s just been referral from one person to another. So, because those first two movies, the producer apparently liked enough to win, he went to this other company said; hey, they’re looking for a big slate of movies next year, send me 10 loglines. So, you spend a week writing all these loglines. And you know, five of them suck, five of them are decent, and then they send it off to the company and the company will come back and be like; well, we like these three, give us a one pager. And that’s kind of the process as informal as it is. Everywhere I’ve been that’s been the process with these kind of TV movies is loglines. You just send every logline you can think of make them good, hopefully as good as you can. But then they’ll come back to you and say we like these few. And then it’s one pager. And then if it gets to that point, and they like it, then it’s usually a really good sign. And out of the 10 I sent him, I think I sent off. They want to ask him for one pager or three or four, I think it was four. And then one of them got approved and turned into what this is going to be, what’s shooting next month. And that one was a lot of fun. I think it’s really different than a lot of these movies. It’s a little different than most of the Lifetime movies that you would see. So, I’m excited for that one.
Ashley
Yeah. And so, what did they actually come to you when they say okay, give us 10 pitches. There must be some criteria. Like I mean, you know that their lifetime, do they give you anything specific, like we want to female protect, you know, an 18-year-old female protagonist? Do they give you sort of a checklist of things they’re trying to hit?
Richard Pierce
Yeah, for these companies, it’s always female protagonists like that. Don’t even debate that one. That’s just when their market is. But then yeah, you’ll get things like I’ll send off log or before they send loglines Yeah, you’ll hear no stalker movies, like the stalker genre is done. They’ve done so many stalked by my X, Y and Z. We’re just not they’re not doing it anymore. But then you’ll still see them on TV like a new one like airing this Friday, stalked by my whatever it is, like, I guess they’re still doing. So, I guess it’s always changing. And yeah, like the team movies are really big for a while which and has been the hole I fell into. Because all my movies so far have been like high school thrillers, which I don’t know is this genre, a sub-genre of this that I’ve kind of liked working in, but then the teen stuff was dead. But yeah, they always want mother daughter relationships is always huge, female protagonist. Violence that can be demonstrated without showing violence. It’s which is such a weird thing. But like no blood and gore, like you’re not showing, you know, Jason hacking someone up but you want to imply violence is there always murder mysteries and stuff like that. So, implied violence is important. Always a cold open, you have to open with a cold open like a one-or-two-minute little teaser that kind of sets up the tone of the movie, whether it’s a flat forward or flashback or something like that. But you always need cold open. So yeah, they always have that list that they’ll often provide you or the producer, whoever you’re working with will provide you. And then you kind of build from there.
Ashley
When you sent this list of 10 loglines, was there you said you got four back that they said; okay, they want the one pager. Was it surprising like you said, five of them suck, did they pick some of the ones you thought were bad? Either were the four you thought were the best they didn’t pick? Or was there a correlation between the ones you liked and the ones they liked?
Richard Pierce
I’ll say this now only because I think everybody who’s going to work on this movie would get a kick out of it. But the one that they picked was the one that I liked the absolute least out of all the pitch they sent. And it was also like the most complicated because, like I said, Lifetime movies are very, again, I don’t know if this will be a Lifetime movie. But it’s like I said always the goal. They’re very structured with their acts and all that stuff, as I said earlier, and this was a movie that took place all in one night. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Lifetime movie that all took place and what it was, it’s the closest it’s kind of like a movie collateral it’s kind of like collateral, but on prom night, is the pitch I always tell people for this movie. And just having a movie take place on one night. I’ve never seen in these movies. It sounded really cool on the logline. But once they’re like, yeah, just the one we want. And then I do a one pager, and even one pager like, oh, I don’t know if this will work. And then they’re like, this is the one we want to go with. I was terrified. Because I was like, I don’t know how I’m going to make this work within the act. Just because having it all took place in one night is very different for that structure for that format. But it wound up working really well, I think. And I really liked the script. So, I’m really excited to see how it turns out because like I said, it’s a little different than most lifetime.
Ashley
Yeah. Do you have some just tips now after doing this for a while and creating dozens if not hundreds of log lines. Do you have some just quick tips on writing log lines you could give us?
Richard Pierce
Yes. In these types of movies, there’s always a twist. Like I think the logline for Killer Profile was a really strong logline, it was super long and I couldn’t figure out how to truncate it. But a lot of times these movies have twists and them if you can find a way to work, the twists, or if you can find a way to work out that there is a twist in this movie into your logline. That’s always a great hook. Like and Killer Profile, the whole, the thing that thrusts us in act two is this girl creates a fake social media profile to kind of catfish her own boyfriend to test them to see if he will be faithful. So, she creates this fake persona and she steals pictures of someone randomly off the internet and makes this profile, flirts with him via social media. And then he winds up being a good guy and turning her down. But then her other friend gets on the profile and she starts basically trying to catfish, all these boys in her class. And then what happens other than the girl from the profile, magically shows up at their school using the same name, it’s the same girl from the photo and it’s just profiles come to life and now it’s this person, whoever she is, and whoever is really this is going to destroy our lives. That’s not necessarily the twist the twist is who this person really is and how she came to be involved in the lives but that established in the logline and made sure to make it clear that you know, a girl creates a profile and then it comes to life and starts to kind of haunt them in a way that kind of sold that there’s a twist in this movie so with this genre when in thrillers, always, always try to put in there that there’s a some sort of twisty element within.
Ashley
What’s interesting and I deal with a lot of law that is through selling your screenplay. And what’s interesting as you describe that is you’re putting that that’s the act one break and I find so often and I understand exactly what you’re saying and it sounds good to me but I so often I get people where the act one break and maybe it has to do with the film, like the actual structure of the film isn’t strong enough to support the logline. But I often find people give me a logline, where the where exactly what they’re doing. They’re sort of mentioning the act to break but it doesn’t really tell you what the movie is about, you know, that only tells you what the movie is about up to page about 25 when the act one break happens. And so, I just I wonder about that. What’s your take on a twist ending? I get that question a lot. Should I give a twist ending in my logline? What is your take on that?
Richard Pierce
No, I wouldn’t do that. Because one, I just think that’s a bad idea. So, at some point of reading the script, because you want to keep them reading, you want them to be just engaged reading the script, because that’s a slog. Reading a logline is nice and easy. But to get someone to read your entire screenplay is the hardest thing in the world that you’ll ever do to get someone to go from fade into fade out, it’s impossible, unless you keep them engaged. So, you would never want to give away the twist. But hopefully you have multiple twists in there to where like you just said the act one twist, give that away. Like that’s totally, put that in the logline. Because that hopefully unless your act to sucks, or in these Lifetime movie unless your act two through eight sucks. You should have enough engagement just from that point at that the journey from act one and act two should be strong enough of a sell to get you to the end of the movie. So, I wouldn’t put a twist ending in there. I’m even hesitant to put the twist ending in one of these, one page I just did. There’s a big twist ending at the at the end. And I didn’t put it in there in the one pager and the producer was like, no, you have to because this is like going to the development people. If you were selling a spec, I get what you’re doing. Maybe want to keep the curtain up if you want people to read the script. But because it’s an like for a development person. They’re like no, put it in there. But yeah, you definitely want to have more than if you can, at least in the thriller genre more than one twist that way. You can keep some in your back pocket and keep people interested.
Ashley
Yeah, good advice, for sure. So, I’m wondering, okay, so let’s, let’s talk about this rewrite project that you just are working on. Now, how did that come about? And again, just the same sort of details, I just be curious to know how you got in touch with the producer and ultimately, why he hired you?
Richard Pierce
It’s all stemmed from Ted, and I owe Ted everything in the world. And I owe this contest a lot, everything in the world too because it all snowballed from the contest to Ted. And then all these connections are, in one way or another seven degrees of separation from Ted. It was again, the producer on the first two Lifetime movies is that another company, I sent them pitches. But now that company separate from that producer has other projects going with other companies throughout LA and Canada. And they have a project that’s set to go, I don’t know when this one set to go. I think it’s two months from now. And they just had a draft that they’ve gone through several drafts with a writer on as far as I know. And they just weren’t happy with maybe the way the notes were being executed or whatever. But it’s a full draft. And they had some pretty major notes that they want to implement it. And again, completely separate men from the producer on the project that shooting next month, this company came to me directly said; hey, what’s your availability? And whenever anyone asks that, it’s always you’re wide open, even if you’re not. And I said I’m wide open, and they said like I’m going to send you a script and we have some notes. Let us know if you’d be interested in doing a pass on it and it just lead from there. And that’s kind of the sweet spot with these movies where I’d love to be is kind of the guy they call in to to do rewrites because I think there’s a lot of work in that selling or getting pitches made is really hard. And now I’ve kind of done all three, I guess, because with Killer Profile, it was a spec with Students Seduction, it was a pitch, someone else’s pitch was Ted’s pitch. But then I was brought into the script, the one that shooting next month was a pitch of mine. And now this one is a rewrite. So, I’ve kind of done all three. There are three avenues, I think, for writers in this world. And I’ve kind of done all three now, or I’m in the midst of doing the third and it’s hard doing a rewrite, because you can see how much work or you know how much work goes into a draft. But sometimes, if you can’t execute notes, the company just needs… They need what they need for their buyers.
Ashley
And I’m curious, as you described those three different templates, you know, to be a screenwriter, let’s say are three different avenues to get paid to be a screenwriter. I mean, I understand this, the business considerations that as you say, it’s very hard to cook up an original idea and get it made. But isn’t that ultimately the most fulfilling creatively? And do you find these doing these rewrites? Yes, you’re being paid to write but it’s someone else’s idea. And does that detract from just the creative fulfilment for you? And I ask this, this is not in any way, a judgement thing? I think different people are built differently. But I think it’s an important thing that screenwriters should ask themselves because I especially screenwriting, at the highest level is really more about doing rewrites, what you’re talking about, there’s very few screenwriters that just cook up and sell specs on a regular basis. I can’t even think of any really that just create specs. So really, at the top level, you’re being brought in exactly like you’re being brought in on these Lifetime movies, at the studio level, you’re being brought in on the Marvel movies or whatever. But again, creative fulfilment is definitely a totally different thing. If you’re writing something on somebody else’s project where intellectual property, or whatever the case may be, but just where do you sit with it just intellectually, philosophically? And just what you want for your career?
Richard Pierce
I mean, emotionally, I will never be happier with a product than Do You Trust Your Boyfriend. Available now on Amazon Prime. Check it out, please. I think it turned out really well. That one it it’s me like it was a spec script. And even though it’s a movie about a bunch of high school girls, there is a lot of me in there. And like the character is like the name of the high school is my wife’s maiden name and I use name from people in real life. I’m a huge Atlanta Braves fan. Almost every character in that movie is named after a former Atlanta Braves player, their last name so like there’s so many little easter eggs in there for me because it was a spec and it was all me. So, what if you hate it? You can 100% blame me. But if you liked it, that’s the most fulfilling because I think for this genre, and I understand most people out there who are watching this podcast even probably like don’t, you know, set their DVRs every week to record the Lifetime Channel movie. But there is definitely an audience for this type of material out there, whether you’re that audience or not. But to see something 100% me on that venue as big a platform as Lifetime Channel was a huge thrill. And I don’t know if I’ll ever get that level of emotional accomplishment again, because selling specs is hard. It’s borderline impossible. The only reason it worked this one is because I really structured it. As I mentioned in the last podcast, it was ready to go it was pretty much lifetime ready before I even had any connections. And Ted, of course, just was the one that had that connection. So no, of course that’s my favorite is the spec. The pitch, like I said, I have not been more scared in the last year than when they said this is the story we want to tell. And they picked the logline. And I liked the least. And I also that was the most difficult for the format. But it turned out to be something I really like. It had a lot of their involvement, though, because it was just a one pager and getting that from a one pager to a 90-page screenplay. They have a lot of notes before I even started. So again, it becomes less mine with that too, but I’m happy to do it because it’s going to be a movie. So, I’m always happy to take notes. My artists vision be damned. I’d rather just have a movie made. But yeah, it’s in the same deal with the rewrite because you already have another artist writing an entire draft in there. And it’s heartbreaking sometimes to see, well, I can really see what they were doing here. And I really think it’s great. It’s just not the genre. It’s just that you can tell this person didn’t know the lifetime mold and it just doesn’t fit. So, it’s heartbreaking sometimes taking out stuff in the screenplay that I think is great. Just doesn’t work for this. Yeah, emotionally it’s… Yeah. Do You Trust Your Boyfriend is the greatest movie ever made, actually.
Ashley
So, I’m curious about just your, you mentioned that everything sort of has spun off of Ted that one project getting that project made. Do you have some sort of methodology that you use to network? I mean, and I’m just curious, like, what is your you’re You seem very pragmatic. I mean, do you have a spreadsheet where you’re like recording when you’re on set? Or when you’re involved in these meetings? Do you try and just take no Tuesday? Or do follow up emails? Do you look at the people who are in the meetings and think, oh, well, this guy could be a potential contact down the road and trying to introduce yourself, just what are some of the sort of the conscious things you do to improve your network and to keep meeting people?
Richard Pierce
Yeah, like I said, I don’t have an agent to remit. I have no representation, manager anything right now. It’s all just been referral. So yeah, I’ve had to get real good, real quick at spreadsheets and keeping track of I mean, just the financial part of it is a whole nightmare. And thank God, I’m married to an intelligent woman who can help me with that. But just creatively, the other thing is, is these pitches where you’re coming up again, with a million of them. And if they go out, and it’s a no, they’re kind of dead. So, the last thing you ever want to do is send a pitch out and have it go out with two people. So, it’s always like; Okay, here’s my logline, my spreadsheet of 30 loglines. Here’s who they’re with. And here’s where they have gone. And because that kind of means they have dibs on it. They don’t have any ownership over it. But it’s like you don’t want to be sending all these log lines to line up at the same place from different sources that makes everyone just look unprofessional, especially if it had loglines I keep throwing the same bad ones out. And but yeah, I’ve had to get real good at keeping track of that meetings, you’re on Zoom calls nonstop. I’m in Vegas, I’m not in LA where everybody else is. So, it’s always a Zoom meeting or a phone meeting. Ted’s always super communicative, he and I are co-writing another one right now. And we’re just constantly having an email thread back and forth with notes of what would work what would work in the coming scenes that we’re writing.
Ashley
And I’m curious, two follow up questions on that. Have you tried to find an agent or manager now you’ve certainly got some credits, have you reached out to agents and managers? Have you been pursuing that at all?
Richard Pierce
No, not at all yet. And I do plan to soon I’ve been super, I know, this is not the norm. And I’m just kind of riding this wave as long as I can. But you were asking about, like, if I’ve done any, like, from networking, like thinking, oh, this person would be a good person to contact. But so far post killer profile, I haven’t even really had that chance. Because I’ve been incredibly blessed. And I know this is going to die at some point where it just has been handing off from one person to the next, like, last year, right around December, Ted introduced me some buddies who want to do this zombie thing. Real crazy zombie movie, and they just wanted to do it themselves and go find a home for it. It’s just a concept they had. And they brought me on to write that. So, I was like, Okay, I’ll write that, you know, to do the contracts. And I wrote the zombie script. A month later, the guy, one of the zombie guys had a buddy, who is another producer. He’s done some bigger movies, which this guy was really excited to get in contact with. And he’s like; Hey, I have a concept and looking for a writer and you get on the phone. He kind of says, here’s my logline. What’s your take on the material, you write up like a one page and like, here’s what I would do. And then he hired me to write that. So, literally post Killer Profile, it’s just been one to the next. Where I haven’t had to do too much hunting. Now I know that it’s going to at some point, this is going to stop, the locomotive will stop. And I’ll have to start looking for stuff again. So, I think that’s why maybe I haven’t been hunting for an agent or manager just yet. But I definitely think that’s something I want to do in the future because I want to keep doing this.
Ashley
Yeah, so what’s going on with the Zombie script? They have their script, and they’re just trying to raise money and do it independently?
Richard Pierce
Exactly. Yeah, it was just a concept they had that was, it’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard in my life, but I loved it. It’s like a Resident Evil meets diehard meets a trauma movie. It’s just insane. And so, I was like, so the guy to write that. And yeah, it was just to do to, they produced a lot of stuff you know, million to $2 million level, I think. And then they’re just trying to raise money for it now. But they wanted the script before they went out to raise the money.
Ashley
And I think the answer to this question is going to be similar to the answer you just gave even though it’s kind of different. But have you thought about moving to Los Angeles? And do you think that would help your career? And I’m sure some of it is just if things slow down, or your family stuff, but maybe you can talk to that a little bit? Do you think it could help your career? Is it something that long term you see, you might make the move to LA?
Richard Pierce
I hate LA. I just don’t like it, I’ve been out there a lot. I’m born and raised in Vegas. I just I’m just a boring dude who’s lived in the same little three-mile radius my whole life and the outskirts of Vegas. So not the outskirts of Vegas. I live in like tremors, I don’t live on the strip, when you say you Live in Vegas, live next to Mirage, no, there’s a town. So no, I’ve lived in the same little bubble. It’s just where I like and I have a family, I have a daughter and every single member of my family lives in Vegas. So, that’s why I haven’t do I think would help my career it probably would. So, I might be eating my words in a couple of years if I put to keep doing this, and I have to move, because a lot of this was during COVID. So far, and I think things are still I don’t know how it is in California now. Things are normalizing here in Vegas. But having all this take place in the age of COVID. Like everyone was so used to zoom in what no one, if I wouldn’t have told them I didn’t live in Vegas, no one would have known. So maybe one day it might be necessary. But I’d like to avoid it as long as I can.
Ashley
Gotcha. So just to wrap things up, how can people see Students Seduction? Do you know what the airtime is going to be on that?
Richard Pierce
Yes, I think it’s September 22nd on Lifetime movie network. So, I don’t know what time it’s on. But please, everybody check it out. If you haven’t. Double checking the date. Yes. September 22nd. Ted texted me last night.
Ashley
Perfect. And you mentioned Killer Profile is on Amazon Prime. Is it called Killer Profile on Amazon Prime. What is the title on Amazon?
Richard Pierce
Do You Trust Your Boyfriend.
Ashley
Okay. So yeah, people can check that one out as well and see the winning script from the contest couple years ago and see how it turned out production wise. So, what’s the best way for people to keep up with what you’re doing? Are you on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, anything you’re comfortable sharing I will round up for the show notes.
Richard Pierce
Yeah, find me on Twitter. I mostly post screenwriting stuff on there. I’m not on there too often, but @Rich_Pierce12 is my handle on there. So, please find me.
Ashley
Perfect. Perfect. Yeah, definitely round that up to the show notes. Well, Richard, as always, congratulations on all your successes. It’s great catching up with you. And hopefully, I’ll have you on again and we can talk about some more of your projects.
Richard Pierce
Absolutely. Man. It’s been a fun time.
Ashley
Thank you. We’ll talk to you later.
I just want to talk quickly about SYS Select. It’s a service for screenwriters to help them sell their screenplays and get writing assignments. The first part of the service is the SYS Select screenplay database. Screenwriters upload their screenplays, along with a logline, synopsis and other pertinent information like budget and genre, and then producers search for and hopefully find screenplays they want to produce. Dozens of producers are in the system looking for screenplays right now. There have been a number of success stories come out of the service. You can find out about all the SYS select successes by going to sellingyourscreenplay.com/success. Also, on SYS podcast episode 222. I talked with Steve Dearing, who was the first official success story to come out of the SYS select database. When you join SYS Select you get access to the screenplay database along with all the other services that we’re providing to SYS select members. These services include the newsletter, this monthly newsletter goes out to a list of over 400 producers who are actively seeking writers and screenplays. Each SYS select member can pitch one screenplay in this monthly newsletter. We also provide screenwriting leads, we have partnered with one of the premier paid screenwriting leads services so I can syndicate their leads to SYS select members, there are lots of great paid leads coming in each week from our partner. Recently, we’ve been getting 5 to 10 high quality paid leads per week. These leads run the gamut. There are producers looking for a specific type of spec script to producers looking to hire a screenwriter to write up one of their ideas or properties. They’re looking for shorts, features, TV and web series pilots all types of projects. If you sign up for SYS Select you’ll get these leads emailed directly to you several times per week. Also, you get access to the SYS select forum, where we will help you with your logline and query letter and answer any screenwriting related questions that you might have. We also have a number of screenwriting classes that are recorded and available in the SYS select forum. These are all the classes that I’ve done over the years, so you’ll have access to those whenever you want once you join, the classes cover every part of writing your screenplay, from concept, to outlining, to the first act, second act, third act as well as other topics like writing short films, and pitching your projects in person. Once again, if this sounds like something you’d like to learn more about, please go to sellingyourscreenplayselect.com. Again, that is sellingyourscreenplayselect.com. That’s our show. Thank you for listening.