Blogroll spotlight: “The Rouge Wave”
There are a number of great screenwriting blogs and I’ve linked to several of them in my Blogroll. From time to time I’ll spotlight one. Today it’s “The Rouge Wave”. Julie Gray has been the blog’s “Wave-inatrix” since 2006 and she is someone any aspiring screenwriter needs to know because she is a professional script reader. That’s right, one of Hollywood’s trustworthy gatekeepers, armed with the power of “The Three Mighty Words:”
PASS: used to swat aside the horde of bad scripts Hwood receives annually
CONSIDER: actually favorable coverage since 90% of all scripts receive a “pass”
RECOMMEND: for the extremely rare “it’s Casablanca meets The Matrix with a dash of Juno thrown in” script
When I first broke into the business in 1987, I soon discovered that the script reader is virtually the most important person for a screenwriter, professional or amateur. Why? Because every script that funnels through agencies, production companies, and studios has coverage attached. Nobody who matters in Hwood reads anything with the coverage. Hell, I know of a few projects that sold where the buyers didn’t read the actual source material — script, book — but rather based their decision on the creative group’s reaction to the coverage!
That’s one reason why you should make “The Rouge Wave” a regular blog-stop. Not only does Julie post daily, most of her entries provide screenwriting advice and tips.
Another reason you should familiarize yourself with the blog is this: The Script Department. Julie and several professional associates provide a full gamut of script consultation services.
My first few years in Hwood, I befriended the handful of script readers I could find, actually taking them out for drinks or lunch, just to pick their brains. I wish I’d had Julie and “The Rouge Wave” back then — would have made life much easier. So check out Julie and her website. Consider it advice from a genuine threshold guardian. Oh, when you go there, ask about the whole “cupcake” thing.