Article Review 1: Creative Executive

Review of the post: The Manager- What’s a creative executive to Do in Hollywood these Days? on Film Industry Bloggers website.

http://filmindustrybloggers.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-manager-what’s-a-creative-executive-to-do-in-hollywood-these-days/

            This article discusses what a Creative Executive (CE) should do to find scripts that can be potential motion pictures. A CE (especially in the context of this article) is someone who has to find scripts and other material that can be turned into motion pictures. They are also responsible for establishing relationships with producers, scriptwriters, and directors in some cases.

            As an aspiring successful screenwriter, I need to know how to get the most money for my scripts. What could be better than understanding the position of the person looking for the script? Based on the information in this article, CE’s shouldn’t just sit around waiting for scripts to come to their offices. They are encouraged to go out and hustle. It may be wise for a screenwriter to get an agent that they can trust so they wont get "hustled." Agents are often targeted by CE’s, and they have knowledge on the legal aspects of this business.

            If a screenwriter is going around showing their spec to CE’s and other’s interested in it, there is a possibility that their idea will be stolen. It happens too often. The idea is taken and turned into a successful movie and the author doesn’t see a penny. The worst part about it is that in some cases there isn’t a thing they can do about it legally. Often times the screenwriter is too intimated to take legal action because of threats to be blackballed from the market.

            Although it can be dangerous, a screenwriter can’t be too cautious or their script will go to waste altogether. The author of this article encourages CE’s to meet writers in the beginning stages of their career. This way, the CE’s can see the script before anyone else. As a new writer I would take advantage of this. I would go to a CE with my copyrighted script before putting it on the open market. This way he may feel more compelled to take advantage of the opportunity. Then everyone would get paid!

            The author of this article gives some general advice to CE’s, writers, managers, and agents, “Go out and start meeting people! Create your own destiny; don’t let it pass you by” (Miller, 2010). These are words that we should all take heed to.

References 

Miller, R. (2010, October 4).   What’s a Creative Executive to Do in Hollywood These Days? : The Manager.  Film Industry Bloggers. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from http://filmindustrybloggers.com/themanager/2010/10/04/whats-a-creative-executive-to-do-in-hollywood-these-days/