Here's an article I wrote that may provide some insight for producers struggling to raise money, sell a script, attach an actor or convince someone in some way to help get a project off the ground...

Six Ways to Turn a No into a Yes

by Mark Heidelberger

“No.” Say it out loud a few times. No... No... NO. Few words in the English language have that same level of power. Can I have some water? No. Do you want to go out some time? No. Will you buy my service? No. The word is so powerful, in fact, that entire sales strategies have been developed just to avoid hearing it. Asking open-ended questions and consumer relationship-building techniques are some of the most common examples.

As a business owner operating in the free market, you’re constantly wooing new customers. However, the prospect of hearing “no” becomes more likely as you approach more customers. That’s just statistical inevitability. Even if they don’t use that exact word, you’ll become adept over time at interpreting routine excuses as a nicer form of no.

But does that mean you have to settle and move on? Quite often, a no is simply a potential customer’s way of saying that his or her needs haven’t been met yet. Look at it as an opportunity to clarify, alter or adjust your message in order to better satisfy the customer’s desires. By modifying your message, or at least the way it’s delivered, you have the chance to turn that no into a yes.

That said, there are six popular ways that customers often say “no” to new businesses. Each one of them is communicating a different concern, and each one requires a different response.

This Isn’t Something I Need: Customers who say they don’t need something are actually telling you they don’t want it. But it’s your job to know your customer. Make them see that whatever you’re selling is not just something they need, but something they’ll want. Play into their desires. Help them imagine how much better off they’ll be once they receive your product or service. Creating a sense of want in your potential customer makes it that much easier to push for the elusive yes.

Maybe Down the Road: Ah, the old procrastination technique. This is the customer letting you know that you’ve failed to create a sense of urgency. As a side note, it’s important to differentiate between someone who honestly wants time to consider your offer and someone who is trying to gently brush you off. In the case of the former, explain that there’s a small timeline in which to act or play up the limited nature of the product. Also, explain the negative consequences of failing to act.

This Is Too Expensive: Customers who say this are telling you they don’t see the value in your product or service. This leaves you with one of two choices. First, you can lower the price. Ask the customer what price would be more acceptable. If they say they’d buy it for a dollar, then it’s just a matter of figuring out the right price. The second option is to convince them that what you’re selling is worth the price. Once again, to do this, you have to create that sense of want by playing into their desires.

I Don’t Know You: They might as well come right out and say, “I don’t trust you,” because that’s what they mean. You need to build trust with the customer in order to overcome this objection. Spend an extended amount of time building a relationship with them. Provide quality references from other satisfied customers. Perhaps even offer some initial services at little or no cost. These things will allow the customer to see what type of business person you are with little upfront risk to themselves.

I’ve Heard This All Before: Wow, tough one. This is the mark of a customer who’s desensitized by the many who have come before you selling the same exact thing. Or was it the same thing? Such a response puts you in a position to play up the unique nature of your product. Differentiate it from the others. Make yourself stand out from the crowd. Use this opportunity to make whatever you’re selling stronger, faster or better than the competition.

I Don’t Have Time: This all-too-familiar refrain is the customer actually letting you know she is bored or uninterested in whatever it is you’re selling. Reading between the lines early on will allow you to shift gears and engage her in a more dynamic pitch that creates interest, intensity and excitement in your product. Find a catchy hook that grabs the listener’s attention. Spruce up the presentation. And state your case with passion. You’ll notice the customer won’t even have time to look at her watch.

However, at the end of the day, take heed in the fact that, no matter how good a salesman you are, sometimes the customer still walks. And it is precisely these moments that serve as valuable learning experiences. Assess what went wrong and use it to tweak your approach, your offer, your presentation, whatever. The more you learn from these nos and the better you adapt, the more yeses you can generate in the future. Sometimes our past mistakes are the best way to turn no into yes. In other words, turn the power of no into the power of know!

What Is the Career Description of a Script Writer?

by Mark Heidelberger

Script writers often work for many years to hone their craft.

Script writers are responsible for authoring the dialog and action for media of all types, from film and television to stage plays and online how-to videos. While such positions can be highly competitive due to the creative freedom and lucrative paydays involved, individuals determined to pursue a script writing career will find there isn't just one "write" way to go.

Original Scripts

The most common form of script writing (also called screenwriting in the case of film production) is the creation of original material not based on any pre-existing works. Original scripts can be written on a speculative basis (also known as spec scripts), where you choose the subject matter, story and all key elements, write the script, and then try to find a buyer for it after it's completed. The script can also be written as a work-for-hire, where an employer such as a television network or ad agency pays you for the work and therefore owns the resulting product.

Adapted Scripts

Adapted scripts are based on some sort of pre-existing source material – usually another form of media. You can adapt scripts from poems, novels, biographies, comic books, stage plays, or even other film and television programs. In order to write and sell an adapted script without violating copyright laws, you must first secure any rights associated with the story and characters you wish to write about. This may include buying the "life rights" to an interesting real world person or adaptation rights to a mystery book series from its author.

Rewrites

Rewriting is a required step in all forms of writing, and script writing is no different. In fact, some script writers enjoy very fruitful careers doing nothing but rewrites of other people's work. Writers who do significant amounts of rewriting to a work but take no credit are called ghost writers. You must be hired by the script's owner to do the rewrites, whether it’s the original author or a third party, such as a movie studio. Such assignments typically entail a high skill level since you are expected to identify and address problems in the works of others.

Major Industries

The feature film and television industries offer the most abundant opportunities for script writers. Television alone employs many different types, from daytime drama staffers to movie-of-the-week writers to copywriters for on-air promotions and station announcements. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) exists as a resource for these professional script writers, setting salary minimums and arbitrating credit disputes among other things. Advertising is also a major employment sector. Ad agencies hire copywriters to create radio and television commercial scripts based on their marketing directives. Writers with a background in advertising are more likely to advance in this area.

Necessary Skills

You must have creative sensibilities and a knack for generating ideas that translate into compelling visuals. A strong imagination and clever way with words goes a long way. When working for others, you must be good with time management, as you will usually be given a deadline. You should be a self-motivator who can get work done without supervision. Moreover, you must be highly collaborative and able to accept constructive criticism, whether from a co-writer, producer or studio executive.

Salary & Outlook

The constant need for entertainment and advertising means script writer jobs will be in demand for the foreseeable future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, writer jobs are projected to increase 6 percent through 2020, from 145,900 to 155,400. The 2010 median salary for all writers was $55,420. Those in motion pictures and advertising fared much better at about $62,000 annually, while those in radio and television made slightly less with $53,400. WGA scale rates for feature scripts as of May 2013 ranged from $66,151 on low-budget productions to $124,190 on high ones.

What Does a Documentary Editor Do?

by Mark Heidelberger

Editing documentary footage requires a sense of storytelling.

Documentaries have emerged as a powerful medium, where individuals can reach wide audiences in order to promote an agenda, create awareness of a cause or affect social change in some way. And while the dissemination of information is a key ingredient, documentarians will tell you that they are first and foremost storytellers. As an editor, your role is crucial in helping shape that story by determining what stays in and what gets cut.

Choosing a System

Your first order of business is to select the hardware and software you're going to use. Even if a documentary is shot on film, it will invariably be transferred to video for the purposes of editing. So you should never have to worry about cutting actual film. Instead, you will use a nonlinear editing system, which allows you to access, trim and assemble any of the source footage in any order you see fit without destroying it. The three most popular systems are Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere. Avid and Adobe are available for both Macs and PCs, while FCP is for Macs only. All of these systems are suitable for handling the large amounts of footage a documentary usually requires.

Logging and Organizing

Much of the job will include inputting footage into your editing system and organizing it in such a way that you can find and access it quickly. This is particularly important with documentaries since there are often large amounts of footage to deal with, no script to work from, and few (if any) slates to demarcate the heads and tails of shots. The footage is usually provided to you by the producer or director on a hard drive. Upon connecting the hard drive to your system, you can begin the process of logging the footage, which consists of watching and labeling it according to the content. Editors of scripted films can use the scene number or slug line for logging; but documentary editors must come up with a description of the scene.

Telling the Story

Your most fundamental role in the process is helping the director tell the story. You'll have to search through all of the footage in order to determine which parts are essential to conveying the message or narrative intended. Trimming dozens of hours of video and constructing it into a coherent 90-minute film without the aid of a script takes patience, discipline and an inherent understanding of what makes for a compelling story. Footage may be in the form of an interview, reenactment or news-style observer. You may also be tasked with locating stock or archival footage and still photographs that can be inserted between the filmmaker's footage to aid in the storytelling. Any preexisting material you find should be thoroughly checked to ensure you have the proper clearances to use it.

The Finishing Process

Because budget limitations are common, you may have to perform a number of additional functions that contribute to the polished look of the film. This includes sound editing, color grading, online editing and format conversion. Sound editing entails cutting, connecting, blending and overlapping different tracks so that it all sounds like a unified whole. Color grading centers on adjusting hues, shades and color temperatures to achieve a desired look or effect. Online editing is the process of reassembling the final cut of the film in a high resolution format suitable for a distribution master. And format conversion is simply laying the finished film off to various media types, such as Quicktime, MPEG or AVI files.

Entertainment is one of the most alluring industries in the world. It attracts people of all colors, creeds, races and religions; young and old, male and female; from the well-educated to the uninitiated and everyone in between. The usual trappings include the promise of lifelong dreams fulfilled – most often fame, fortune and power – where, as the old song goes, any office boy or young mechanic can be a panic. Yes, entertainment truly boasts a universal appeal in nearly every corner of the globe.

But how does one get in the door? Where does one start? Surely there are ways to circumnavigate the heavy barriers to access that the Hollywood elite have constructed, you ask. And yes, there are. But for most, it will take good old fashioned hard work, as pipe dreams of being discovered while pumping gas or shopping at the supermarket rarely pan out. Those willing to pay their dues by starting at the bottom and working their way up are most likely to find stable work in the business while simultaneously developing desirable skills. Below are a few such entry level jobs specific to the industry.

Intern – An internship is ideal for college students seeking course credit or any individual unencumbered by the need to earn daily income. While a small handful of internships might pay, the majority do not. This, however, makes them more plentiful, and thus more accessible. Interns can be found in nearly every facet of the industry, from production companies and movie studios to entertainment law offices, casting agencies and publicity firms. As a result, they have a great deal of choice when deciding what area to focus on. However, basic duties are relatively similar regardless, and will include menial tasks such as fetching coffee, copying documents and organizing files.

Receptionist – Once upon a time, reception was thought of as a dead-end road, geared mostly to older women or those without any marketable skills. Now, the receptionist position has become a solid way for men and women of all ages to gain access to a company, learn the players there and study the organization’s operational philosophy. Since the industry has a certain image-driven fickleness, many firms may require a pretty face in addition to a stellar phone manner; but those who make it in quickly gain knowledge to all areas of the company, allowing them to focus their career path in the direction they find most attractive. A few lucky ones in smaller firms may even get bestowed with the more resume-friendly title of office manager.

Runner – These are the folks who pick-up and deliver various sundries throughout the industry, from scripts to tapes to executive lunches. More often than not, the job requires a reliable automobile and a solid working knowledge of the local area. In addition, pay is usually minimal. However, high turnover rates among runners mean they aren’t expected to last long, so sticking with the position for a few months can often lead to advancement. The nature of the position also affords the runner a chance to get brief face time with people at other potential employers.

Executive Assistant – Those seeking a career in development, producing or client representation should focus on finding a relevant assistant position. Studio executives, producers, agents and managers rely heavily on their assistants, and many top level players have more than one. Assistants are often treated poorly and pay rates may only average $500 per week, but the opportunity for advancement is higher than many other entry level positions in the industry. Also, most positions come with perks such as health benefits and paid vacations. Common duties include reviewing scripts, rolling and conferencing calls, overseeing the office intern pool, scheduling and attending meetings, placing lunch orders and greeting visitors.

Production Assistant – This is the executive assistant’s on-set fraternal twin. Instead of helping one particular producer or executive, however, they assist an entire production, typically at the behest of the line producer, production manager or assistant directors. This is perfect for individuals who want to learn the ins and outs of a movie or TV set. Production assistants (affectionately referred to as PA’s) are tasked with supporting a variety of departments, giving them a broad overview of many higher level jobs that may interest them. While pay is comparable to executive assistants, and can even be higher on larger productions, job security is lower since the position ends when the production does.

Background Actor – Some people simply crave a place in front of the camera. “Extra work” in film, television and commercials provides an easy avenue to satiate that appetite for the spotlight, and requires no skills or prior experience. In addition, background casting agencies seek people of every physical type, age, sex and ethnicity. Work is irregular and inconsistent, but more easily accessible than just about any other in the business and is a great place to network with like-minded peers. Pay for non-union extras is minimum wage, so most will also need a supplemental form of income.