Interviews Interview - Beth Hubbard | Interview - Beth Hubbard |
|
|
|
|
Beth Hubbard began her film career working for former Universal President of Production, Thom Mount at The Mount Company. She began as Location Manager on Bull Durham starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon and Tequila Sunrise starring Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer. She then joined The Mount Company development team shepherding and setting up such projects as Micky Cohen ( at Warner Brothers), Power Of The Dog starring Dennis and Randy Quaid (private equity) and Sean Penn's directorial debut film entitled Indian Summer. As co-producer of Indian Runner, Beth assisted in the development, financing and producing of Mr. Penn's movie, surrounding him with a first class cast and production team. In 1991 Beth joined Gotham Entertainment. Since it’s inception, she produced the feature film Ritual written and directed by Stanley Bennett Clay, starring Clarence Williams III (sold to/dist. by Stars, Ventura Distr.), Woo for New Line Cinema starring Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat (MTV/Paramount). Beth then served as Executive Producer on the PBS animated series The Zula Patrol and Executive Producer on Famous People for TV One Network. She is also a Producer on BIE’s upcoming film A Compton Xmas Story now in pre-production in Los Angeles with a May 1st start date. Beth brought the private equity to finance CIC as well as several other films at the company. Cari-Esta: What are the most important considerations that go into your decision making process when deciding which scripts you will take on as a producer? Beth: The three most important factors are: is the script commercial: does it have a unique marketing angle that singles it out from other material already in the marketplace, are there clear, dynamic characters with clear dynamics between them. How good is the writer? One of the biggest hurdles these days is that even if a script is good – 9 times out of 10 it needs some type of rewrite – so I always study the writer carefully – rewriting is much harder than the first and second draft. Cari-Esta: You've had a lot of experience with new writers and filmmakes. What advice can you offer to a new writer regarding how to choose which script to write on spec? Beth: Look at what is selling now in the marketplace – study that and try and read what the next trend will be. Really do a lot of research about what is happening in the world – it does make more of a difference these days than before. For example, people are going to see Tentpoles, action-comedies and comedies. They don’t want to see dramas right now b/c their lives have enough of that in them at the moment – it’s about escape at the moment. Also, make sure you have a clear focused demographic you are speaking to with your script – this is very important. Cari-Esta: Similarly, what is your advice to a new writer who is trying to get his or her script read by producers, agents and/or managers? Beth: Find a way to package it in some way before seeking an agent or manager. Shoot a short of a part of it, make a trailer, get a star or director interested, somehow be innovative in showcasing your material in an active way so that an agent or a manager will see the value in it. Get a job as an intern on a tv show as a writer’s intern – expose your work to the staff…parlay that relationship into an open door to one of the staff’s agent/manager…. Cari-Esta: Please let us in on a few do's and don't do's to offer a writer for a first meeting with a prospective manager or agent or producer. Beth: Go in with a very open mind. Don’t go in there with a lot of expectations. Be prepared to give a 3 minute pitch on yourself and your material. Find out about the agent – everything you can – who are his/her clients? What movies are they making or have they made? Where is the person from? What’s his m.o.? Do your homework as much as you can. Scan the trades to see if they are a part of any big deals, etc…. Cari-Esta: What is your opinion regarding going out with a "naked" spec script vs. packaging with an element, such as a star or director? Beth: As I said above, I think in this environment it is very tough unless it is based on a very well known piece of underlying material (which is a form of a package). I would try and package the material with as many elements as possible. If it is a picture needing a vision to assist a buyer in understanding it’s marketability then get a director first. Also good directors and even new innovative directors with strong 1st movies and/or very good shorts that have some notoriety will help lure in talent/stars. They want to know who the director is going to be since it will have such a baring on their career. |
|
| Last Updated ( Saturday, 29 August 2009 ) |
| Next > |
|---|
|
California Writers Club Presents: How To Make Your Pitch Saturday, May 2, 2009 9:30am-5pm Carmel, CA Cari-Esta Albert and Monika Skerbelis lead an interactive, role playing workshop that will help you design and refine a winning pitch. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 310.488.5080 for further information. |