How to Sell Movie Ideas to Hollywood

• WEALTHY: Achieving diversity without trying (Michael Masterson)
• HEALTHY: Zinc and broccoli - 2 unlikely aphrodisiacs (Dr. Al Sears)
• WISE: Ben Hecht on the lure of Hollywood

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Hollywood, here you come! (Paul Lawrence)
• One-minute networking (Bob Cox)
• Add "apocryphal" to your vocabulary

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Turn A Single $100 Investment Into A $2,000-A-Week Profit Machine

In the next seven days, 4,589 people will leave their jobs, never go back… and have all the money they will ever need.

I would tell you that these people are “very lucky,” but the fact of the matter is that there is no luck involved.

It’s happening everywhere. Ordinary people - including people who never finished school - starting their own businesses…and making in the neighborhood of $40,000…$60,000…even $100,000 or more a year.

Even though all these people are “ordinary” in some ways, one thing is certainly “out of the ordinary” about them:

Many used the same secret to start a business on less than $100. You can do it, too. Here’s how…

- Patrick Coffey

Notes From Michael Masterson’s Blog: Hiring the "Right" Employees for an Info Business

More than 600 people attended Agora Inc.’s Christmas party this year. It took place at the Engineer’s Club in downtown Baltimore, where Agora’s seven Baltimore-based publishing divisions are housed in seven turn-of-the-century mansions.

Everything (the building, the decorations) and everybody (employees, their spouses, and some friends) was sparkling for the annual event. Although there is a definite skew toward youthfulness (it looked like about 70 percent of those attending were younger than 35), the defining characteristic of the crowd was its cultural, religious, ethnic, and lifestyle diversity.

AI has never had a policy of recruiting for diversity, yet its employee base boasts representatives from just about every minority group you could find in a dictionary of political correctness. I like to think it’s because AI’s leaders have never been interested in what their employees look like, dress like, or do in their spare time. What matters is getting the job done. At AI, the job is creating and selling good ideas, and so AI’s offices are full of people who are, on the one hand, smart and opinionated and, on the other hand, cooperative and goal-oriented.

Those are good qualities to look for when you are building an information-based business. You need smart people with ideas to stay ahead of the competition. And you need those people to be cooperative and goal-oriented so they can work together to make the business grow.

- Michael Masterson

"Hollywood held this double lure for me, tremendous sums of money for work that required no more effort than a game of pinochle."

Ben Hecht

How to Sell Movie Ideas to Hollywood

By Paul Lawrence

As I introduced myself to the executive in charge of project development, I could sense that she was getting ready to pass on mine before I even had a chance to tell her what it was about. But when I explained that I had acquired the life rights to the story of one of the principals … suddenly, she was all ears.

In the world of film and television, there is a curious paradox. Everyone in the business is clamoring for a great idea, but it seems nobody wants to hear yours - unless, that is, it’s based on a true-life story that catches their interest.

In ETR #1866, I explained that one of the easiest ways to break into Hollywood is by selling an idea based on a true-life story. There was an overwhelming response from readers interested in learning more - so, today, I’m going to give you some of the details.

True-life stories are virtual goldmines in Hollywood. You’ve probably seen this type of movie many times. The advertising for it will say something like "Based on a true story." And, let’s face it, those words pique your interest. I know when I watch extraordinary events on film or television and I know they really happened, I am enthralled.

The almost universal appeal of a true-life story is what Hollywood counts on when they promote those movies. And that can open doors that might otherwise be closed to you.

If you find a good, true story, you can get it turned into a movie - without knowing anyone in the business. But before you start making phone calls, there are some basics about acquiring true-life story rights that you need to understand.

A movie can sometimes be made about a story that’s in the public domain (like one based on a major legal case where the facts are a matter of public record) without obtaining anyone’s life rights. But even then, there are reasons to do it.

Basically, the purchaser of someone’s life rights to their story is obtaining a release that protects him from a lawsuit based on defamation or invasion of privacy. Sometimes the seller might also agree to provide additional information that might not be otherwise available.

Let’s say, for example, that you wanted to produce a film about a famous murder trial. Although there may be quite a bit of information in the public record, you could get sued if you produced a film that offended one of the people involved. Additionally, without the cooperation of at least one of the principals to fill in holes that aren’t in the public record, it would be much harder to produce an accurate portrayal of the events surrounding the trial.

If, on the other hand, one of the principals signs an agreement authorizing you to produce such a film - and cooperates by providing you with a detailed account of his story - you will have protected yourself against the possibility of his suing you. At the same time, you probably will have improved the quality of the movie.

Now, you may be thinking that you’re not in a financial position to acquire life rights that you may not be able to sell. Don’t worry - you can "option" those rights. That is, you can pay a smaller amount (as little as one dollar) for the option to buy those rights within a specified period of time. You can then sell your position to an established producer.

How much can you sell it for? According to entertainment attorney Mark Litwak, that varies depending on the appeal of the story. "For a TV network broadcast movie, it might be $50,000 to several hundred thousand dollars. For feature films, it could be two times or more that amount. If the subject is famous, the figure could be considerably higher."

In other words, if you do nothing else but find one viable true-life story each year that you can sell to Hollywood, you could potentially make an annual income of between $50,000 and $500,000.

Here’s the basic process:

1. Find a captivating real-life story that might be able to be turned into a good movie. Perhaps something from your own life or from the experience of someone you know. Or maybe a "human-interest" story you read about in the newspaper or see on a TV news program.
2. Acquire the life rights to the story from one or more of the principals.
3. Sell the rights to a producer who will make the project.

Getting a meeting with the producer is going to be the hardest part. But once you get in the door, the fact that you have life rights to the story are almost certain to capture his or her interest.

When I met with the development executive I told you about earlier, all I had to do was mention that I had the life rights of the principal of the story, and she wanted to see more. I provided her with a one-page synopsis of the story, and I am now waiting to see if an offer will be made. Since I’m a screenwriter, if an offer is made, I’m going to try to negotiate a deal to write the screenplay.

But keep in mind that I was only able to get to this point because I had something that was of value: the rights to an interesting, true-life story.

Also keep in mind that you don’t need to be a screenwriter to sell a true-life story. All you need is the idea. And since good ideas alone are hard to protect legally, you also need the life rights of a principal in order to maintain control.

With the legal rights in your hands, you have a real chance of selling your hot idea to Hollywood.

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence, a screenwriter who produced the feature film "Cruel World," starring Jaime Pressly and Eddie Furlong, recently signed a deal to develop a television program with a major production studio in Hollywood.

Even if you're a "nobody," you could become Hollywood's next success story. Find out more here.]

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Did you know that there are only three ways to grow a business?

1. Increase the number of customers.

2. Increase the average transaction value.

3. Increase the frequency of repurchase.

Find a way to maximize each one, and your business will experience an
astonishing rate of growth.

In his "9 Pillars of Business Growth" program, acclaimed consultant Jay Abraham outlines hundreds of proven, frequently unrecognized, and almost totally underutilized ways to grow these three key areas of your business. If you own a business (or would like to), be sure to take a look at Jay’s program.

- Patrick Coffey

A Big Fat Problem With Testosterone

By Dr. Al Sears, MD

For years, I’ve noticed that men at my clinic who are overweight have lower levels of testosterone. And weight gain often goes hand-in-hand with rising estrogen. Too much estrogen then interferes with testosterone - leading to depression, loss of muscle mass and bone density, feminization of older men, and loss of sexual drive and performance. Now a clinical study is shedding some additional light.

A just-published study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism of about 1,700 men found that weight gain - as little as 30 pounds - caused as much testosterone loss as if the men had aged 10 years.

Men naturally lose testosterone as they age. But these numbers tell us that the drop that comes from weight gain can give a 40-year-old the hormonal profile of a man 10 years his senior. That should be a powerful motivator for you to stay lean.

If you are overweight, you may be able to reverse some of the accompanying "side effects" by boosting your testosterone and getting rid of excess estrogen. You can start right away by making a few changes in your diet.

To lower your estrogen, eat lots of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. If veggies aren’t your thing, go to your local nutrition store and pick up a bottle of DIM. (diindole methane), a concentrated plant extract that metabolizes excess estrogen. Start with 100 mg twice a day.

To boost your testosterone, add a zinc supplement to your diet. Zinc maximizes testosterone production, prolongs the life of testosterone in your blood, and increases the sensitivity of testosterone receptors. Most men don’t realize it, but over 60 percent of them have zinc deficiencies. Start with 30 mg a day.

[Ed. Note: For more proven strategies to lower estrogen and boost testosterone, check out Dr. Sears' 12 Secrets to Virility]

Networking Tip: The Elevator Pitch

By Bob Cox

Successful individuals are first, last, and always salespeople. They are constantly selling themselves and their ideas to investors, management, co-workers, vendors, and even their families.

An opportunity to sell yourself and/or your ideas can come up on the subway, in the checkout line at the grocery store, after your yoga class - just about anywhere. To be ready to make a useful connection at any time, it’s a good idea to be prepared with a short (one minute is ideal) self-promotional speech.

Known as an "elevator pitch" (because you can deliver it in the time it takes for a short elevator ride), it is meant to engage the interest of a potential contact/prospect.

Aside from introducing yourself and what you do, the elevator pitch has three important components:

1. What you can offer the other person
2. What you can offer the other person … and
3. What you can offer the other person

As with any sales pitch, make sure your "offer" is about the benefits it has for the listener. The goal is to convince the other person to want to do business with you.

Practice is crucial to delivering your pitch in a concise and effective manner. Write it down. Read it out loud. Commit it to memory. Then, while looking in the mirror, practice, practice, practice. Remember, one minute is the length you’re aiming for, so don’t forget to time yourself.

Here’s how to deliver your elevator pitch to a likely contact/prospect:

• Have your business card in an easily accessible place.
• Make eye contact and smile.
• Introduce yourself. Ask the individual what he does for a living. Now … it’s "show time"!
• Present your pitch - with enthusiasm - in one minute.

[Ed. Note: Bob Cox is co-founder of the first TV shopping network and the author of The Billionaire Way

Listen to Robert's Power Surge Message next Wednesday and you'll quadruple your chances of meeting all your goals this year. Join over 700 ambitious Early to Risers who receive his inspiring, motivating and energizing advice every week as bona-fide members in ETR's Total Success Achievement Program.]

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“In approximately 11 months I raised 4.2 million dollars… the money to do 11 real estate deals. I did one short sale deal that I made $84,000 on when I walked out of the closing.”

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Word to the Wise: Apocryphal

Something that’s "apocryphal" (uh-POK-ruh-ful) - from the Greek for "hidden" - is of doubtful authenticity.

Example (as used by Kathleen Jones in A Passionate Sisterhood): "He always told romanticised apocryphal stories of his ancestry, sometimes a bastard grandfather, brought up on the parish, sometimes ‘a weaver, half poet and half madman.’"

[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]

Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007

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