Justin W. Hedges
Part 1 of 2 of a Filmmakers Notebook Q&A with Screenwriter Justin W. Hedges, who I first became aware of on Twitter, where he is known as @JustinWHedges. Last fall I had the good fortune of meeting him and his wife when they were here in Las Vegas and we had the chance to talk a bit before going to the Lost Boys Ball. A family man with a day job living in Arizona, Justin is a great example of just how much a talented person with lots of drive can accomplish as a screenwriter, so I was curious to to find out more about his journey. He was generous enough to share what he’s been learning with us and I’m sure you’ll get a lot out of seeing the world of writing through his eyes.
You’re a family man, who doesn’t live in the L.A. area and you have a full time job. I’ve heard you mention being disciplined and writing at every opportunity is key in order to keep pursuing your goals, but how do you handle the extra pressure doing this is bound to create?
It’s a passion. It’s as simple as that. If you’re as passionate about your dreams, whatever they might be, as I am, then there’s very little pressure involved. You simply train yourself through repetition, fueled by that passion, to keep at it. An avid video gamer or movie watcher doesn’t feel pressure to find time to do these things, they just do.
A caveat to that is not to let your passion cause you to neglect those other things in your life like family, work, etc. The bills need to be paid, the wife needs to know she’s loved, the kids need your presence and guidance, etc. Find a balance and stick with it.
How have you managed to balance the extra time you need to devote to writing with your other responsibilities?
Getting up at 3 a.m. Monday to Friday, first of all, two hours earlier than I would if I were just going to work. On top of that, I’ve expanded my writing time by finding those little moments to write that we often overlook. My wife and I hate getting to the movies late (bad seats suck), so we’re usually a half-hour early or more. I always take my laptop; that’s thirty extra minutes. We commute to work together; she always drives so I get an extra forty-five minutes on the laptop. Fifteen minutes here, a half-hour there, it all adds up.
The trade-off is television, which I don’t watch anywhere near as much as I used to. Not time with the wife, or the kids, or the grandkids. When you make a commitment to a dream, you need to find this happy trade off. You just gotta be honest with yourself. What is a LEGITIMATE use of time and what’s entertainment (TV/video games) or idle time (those annoying trivia questions on Screenvision pre-feature)?
You have mentioned how influential Marvin V. Acuna’s Business of Show Institute has been on you. What have you learned the most from Marvin and his website?
How to actually BE a screenwriter. There is a wealth of knowledge online and via books on the how-tos of screenwriting, but very little on how to BE a screenwriter.
Some might say, “Same diff, Justin.” It isn’t. They are very different things. One is the craft that I practice; the other is the business that I’m in. THAT sentence I couldn’t articulate before discovering Marvin Acuna and the Business of Show Institute (BOSI for short).
I learned how to write a screenplay from books written by Syd Field and Blake Snyder. Marvin and BOSI taught me, and continue to teach me, what I need to know to market my scripts and myself after they’re written. That’s the business side of screenwriting: networking, marketing, and branding, how to get my scripts into the right hands, etc.
I’ve optioned two screenplays in the past twelve months after only a little under three years of screenwriting, and I know people who’ve accomplished the same thing (just two) in almost twenty years. I believe BOSI is the difference, and I encourage anyone interested in a CAREER in screenwriting to join their mentoring program. It WILL make a difference.
Ink Tip has also proven to be successful for you, so what recommendations would you make to others who are thinking of using this site?
Be an ACTIVE user. You can’t just post a script on Inktip and expect miracles to happen, producers to flock to it, etc. Inktip has two newsletters, a free one and one you pay for. The first has valuable information in it, announcements of Inktip successes, and several FREE leads for producers/prodcos looking for a certain type of script. The paid, or Preferred, newsletter has even more leads in them. I suggest you use both, not just to find leads for scripts you have, but also to see what producers are currently looking for (market knowledge!).
Second, put as much time & effort into perfecting your logline and synopsis as you did your script. They are the calling card of the script, the all-important first impression, and you want maximum impact. NOTE: There are NO secrets when trying to sell your script. Don’t be coy in your synopsis by keeping key plot points or reveals a secret. It is vital that you give prospective buyers a COMPLETE idea of what your script is all about. “You’ll have to read the script to find out” will only make them pass on to the next script on the list, because it’s a major red flag of amateurism. No secrets.
Finally, Inktip puts out a newsletter to literally thousands of producers, directors, and studios that list scripts, their authors, and the loglines. Pay the extra dollars for this. You want exposure.
Aside from the Business of Show Institute and Ink Tip are there any other resources you would recommend?
Scriptchat, which is a weekly (Sunday p.m.) screenwriting discussion on Twitter using the hash tag #Scriptchat. Scriptchat was started by a fantastic group of screenwriters: Zac Sanford, Jeanne Bowerman, Jamie Livingston, Mina Zaher, and Kim Garland. Jamie moderates the U.S. Scriptchat discussion and Mina the Euro version. This an awesome resource for both learning and networking. You can use Twitter-friendly apps like Tweetchat to follow the discussion more fluidly, or Twitter itself. Details are available at the website.
Other valuable sites for learning and networking are Syd Field’s official site, John August, Save the Cat, and Joke and Biagio – Producing in Hollywood. The first three are dedicated to screenwriting, and Joke and Biagio’s blog covers the full spectrum, a valuable resource for screenwriters to learn about all things film and Hollywood.
Since you’ve incorporated social media into your networking plan you’ve made several valuable connections. To what do you attribute this success and what advice would you give newcomers who are trying to make build contacts and a following using Twitter or Facebook?
Good question, because I’ve been working on breaking this down for SMWriters.com (Social Media, NOT the dirty SM). Networking online is no different than networking in person. First and foremost, you need to know what NOT to do.
Do NOT make your first contact with someone in filmmaking sound like this, especially someone who can help your career: “Will you read my screenplay?” “I have a project you might be interested in.” There are more, but these two examples sum them all up pretty well. You are literally nobody to a stranger, despite how well known they might be or how familiar you are with their work. THEY most likely are NOT familiar with you. Networking, online or in person, is a lesson in patience and CONTENT.
By content, I mean this, and BOSI is responsible for me learning this: you must come to the social media table with your hands full, not empty. Full hands have something to offer. Empty hands are held out asking for favors, begging for help, etc. In social media terms, specifically filmmaking and screenwriting, you want to bring content. Read a good online article or blog post about screenwriting? Tweet about it. Post a link on Facebook. Have an opinion about a subject? Tweet/Facebook it. Start your own blog, like my 3 a.m. Screenwriter blog, and use that as your way of presenting yourself, your thoughts, your opinions, the lessons you’ve learned about the craft, etc. Show people your value and let them decide if you’re worth talking to, following on Twitter, etc. Join the conversations of others, absolutely, but do so politely with your hands full, not empty.
We’ll have Part 2 with Justin later in the week. Till then be sure to follow him on Twitter @JustinWHedges and read his blog called The 3 a.m. Screenwriter at http://blog.justinhedges.com/.
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