The Hollywood Reporter invited me to a live Sundance Google^® Hangout with four other filmmakers to chat with Oscar^® winning documentary writer/director Frieda Lee Mock about her new film Anita. The hangout session was broadcasted live from the Village at the Lift on Friday morning, the first day of Sundance 2013.

Anita Hill joined our discussion with Mock and brought another perspective to the film, which had all four showings sold out within the first few minutes of Sundance’s opening. Mock’s documentary is about attorney Hill’s life including her infamous sexual harassment accusations against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who at the time was a nominee for the high court.

The conversation was fascinating with both Mock and Anita answering our questions while the entire program was streamed live. A 9-minute version was made available for the Sundance diaries and on YouTube. Here is a clip…

I was recently on the set of an independent feature film and realized the one thing slowing down their production was an indecisive director who lacked a director viewfinder. Instead of the director quickly determining what type of shot set-up and lens he wanted using the glass, he made the camera and grip team move the equipment around 2-3 times to determine each set-up. That choice cost them 45 minutes of shooting during the time of my visit.

The experience prompted me to provide 5 reasons why independent filmmakers should use a director viewfinder:

1. PREPRODUCTION: Many directors create a shot list and map out their camera set-ups during preproduction. Some use small objects to represent their talent and test their blocking with set prints, models, or taped tabletops. By using the director viewfinder in this way, the director can estimate the approximate camera position for the DP prior to the shoot.
2. LOCATION SCOUTING: Few independent productions have the benefit of a location scout.  By keeping a director viewfinder handy, the filmmaker can immediately test the composition of any cinematic location he stumbles upon.
3. DEVELOP DP SHORT CUTS: The director viewfinder can be set to any standard aspect ratios (Academy, TV-4X3, 1.66, 1.76-16X9, 1.85, 2.35, and 2.55) and formats (Film: S16, 35mm, Anamorphic and Video: 2/3”, 1/2″, 1/3”, Mini DV, 1/4″, 1/5”, 1/6”), so when the director finds his shot, he can immediately share the specifications of the shot with the DP by looking at the settings. This allows the DP to quickly delegate important information to his camera and grip teams.
4. SIMPLIFY GRIPS JOB: Film shoots can require multiple cameras, dollies, cranes, jib arms, etc. Having the grips set and shift each set-up until it’s close to the director’s vision tires the team and slows down the shoot. Ideally the equipment would only move once per set-up, which is easily facilitated by a director using his viewfinder.
5. PREPARE FOR A STUDIO PICTURE: Directors need to build skills and good habits that create productive conditions during a shoot. A director who burns $50-$500 an hour on a small production is typically more wasteful than a director working a studio picture, who uses a director viewfinder and burns through $5K-$50K per hour. He typically has a process or methodology that provides a highly creative and efficient environment.

Everyone knows that a writer must have software to properly write screenplays, but few understand the critical importance of the director viewfinder (and the director notebook). The viewfinder allows the director to pre-visualize the limits he places on the audience and allows his first step in translating the written word from the screenplay to a visual for the silver screen.

By carefully selecting the right series of images, the director is able to move the audience emotionally down the path of his choice. He is able to determine what they see and when they see it, making them vulnerable to his dramatic story. To that end, I started using a director viewfinder with my first directing job and found it to be a tool I couldn’t live without.

I have the Alan Gordon Mark IV director viewfinder (The latest version is the MarkVb) and the Opteka mini director viewfinder. While the glass is better on the Mark IV, the mini has the latest formats and aspect ratios. The mini is convenient to carry in my pocket when I don’t have my backpack handy. Prices range from $99 – $700+, depending on the features desired.

Copyright © 2013 by CJ Powers

With the year in full swing, screenwriters are typing at a maddening pace to create their greatest story to date. Their compulsion and passion will drive them to create yet another story that will sit on the shelf – An unread masterpiece that doesn’t fit any need of the 1,000 cable networks that are desperate for good stories.

I heard that last year over 10,000 scripts were considered in Hollywood for the silver screen, but less than 400 were given a green light to be made into motion pictures. Add to that the numerous scripts written for cable and syndicated stations that didn’t get produced and you start to wonder why screenwriters tend to write complete scripts to shop around instead of pitching a quality treatment.

Disney is known for approving films based on a three-page treatment, handful of storyboards and an art board or two that captures the essence of the film’s style. The sheer passion of the writer’s pitch coupled with the above materials is sufficient to solidify the idea and move the discussion into a development deal.

So why do screenwriters continue to crank out 120 pages that won’t be read?

Here are 6 steps to avoid shelving a script:

STEP 1: Write a three-page treatment that captures the thrill of the story. Write it like an around the campfire cliffhanger grabbing the attention of fellow campers.

STEP 2: The beginning of the story should captivate the audience with the energy catapulting them into the middle of the story. This requires a high concept idea launched with a “wow” factor opening.

STEP 3: Create a main character that every name actor in the business wants to play and put him on a journey that brings about positive change in his life.

STEP 4: Practice pitching your story to friends. Make sure it grabs and keeps their attention. Bring them to the edge of their seats as you move your story to its climax. Then give them a pleasant resolve that allows them to breath again.

STEP 5: Rewrite your treatment based on the elements that worked and quickly toss the segments that went flat. If you can’t tell the story with excitement, it won’t read well for the studio executives.

STEP 6: Pitch the story to the right network. If your story is about men playing poker, it wouldn’t be wise to pitch it to the Lifetime network, as they look for heartfelt stories with strong female leads. Nor would an intense dramatic thriller be appropriate for Nickelodeon.

While treatments are great for moving your discussion toward development, you will eventually have to write the screenplay. Some professionals keep at least one screenplay in the works on a quarterly basis and have at least one treatment being tweaked weekly.

Every writer must find his or her own pattern and take time to manage the business side of selling the script. Few agents today find work for their clients, forcing the writer to own the outcome of their own business.

Copyright © 2013 by CJ Powers

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