ScriptStar Pictures is a new company formed last year by Michael and Christopher Grace. They are currently seeking  screenplays for their first productions.  Unlike some start-ups, ScriptStar is coming to the table with financing already in place, and a no-nonsense approach to producing quality films.  

Michael Grace took some time with me recently to discuss his company. He is an energetic and passionate speaker, with both vision and the business sense to bring vision into reality. Michael was kind enough to share with me some of his thoughts on running a production company, and tips on what sorts of scripts they are looking for.

Daphne Charette:  Tell me a bit about your background, Michael.

Michael Grace:  I've always loved movies and the theater. I studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, and then the Actors Stage Studio and Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. But I soon learned I wasn't emotionally free enough to act. Eventually, I got into starting and managing small companies, but I've kept my finger in the business by taking screenwriting classes and film courses, etc.  I went into business management, but have always wanted to get back into the entertainment industry.  

DC:  How does your business experience translate to the entertainment industry?  

Michael:  Well, I firmly believe that movie-making is a business like any other. The fact that it has aspects unique to this particular industry doesn't make it unlike other business models. There are reasons why certain movies succeed and others fail, and many of them are identifiable. Part of my job is to identify what works and what sells, just as it has been in the other industries I've worked in.  

DC:  What are some of those aspects?  

Michael:  One of the biggest aspects of this industry is it's very much about people as well as art. You need to learn how to distinguish between hype and someone who consistently produces good work, not just once but over and over again. I'm very upfront about the fact that this is a learning process for me. I love having a steep learning curve. I identify people who are very good at what they do. I learn everything I possibly can from them. I get advice from people who are successful, and I listen to it.  ScriptStar is in fact networking with other production companies. There's a possibility down the line of a "marriage" with another company.  

DC:  You mentioned reasons why a movie fails. What are some of the pitfalls you see?  

Michael:  Well, one of the most obvious is the material. We've seen projects with big names attached, but bad scripts. These movies may make their money back or even do well, but we don't think any project should go forward without a great script. We think the chance of losing money starts with a bad script. We are definitely in this business to make money.  

DC:  So you feel one of the most important elements of a successful production is a strong script.  

Michael:  Absolutely. That's why we named the company ScriptStar. We're looking for a strong, well-constructed script with a compelling story, a story that people want to hear. We get queries every day for scripts where the execution may be excellent, but the basic idea itself is weak, or conversely we may get a script where the idea excites us, but the script stumbles.  

DC:  And I would imagine, especially with your own money invested, you're being very selective about the scripts you choose.  

Michael.:  Absolutely. We're not in a hurry. We will take the time to find a great script.  

DC:  What qualities are you looking for?  

Michael:  Three things. First, it's got to be an incredible script. Not just good. It needs to be an exciting, compelling story. Second, it needs to be a story that should be told. And third, it needs to be a story that we want to tell.  

DC:  Can you give me some examples of movies that you've admired?  

Michael:  Two that come to mind are Cider House Rules, and Bring It On. We're definitely looking to produce an intelligent, creative, character-driven movie for the big screen. We'll only shoot in 35 millimeter. We will bring on a more experienced producer to shepherd the first project and streamline the process. ScriptStar is definitely not looking to produce ten movies, and hope that one of them is a hit. We're aiming to produce a quality product the first time out.  

DC:  I wanted to ask about ScriptStar's willingness to provide coverage to readers. Tell me about that, about why you made the decision to make that available for a small fee.  

Michael:  What we're trying to do is to keep the door open as much as possible, so there's no mystery about the process. Personally I think it's invaluable to have professional feedback. And this is a problem for writers, because it doesn't necessarily serve the production companies to give them feedback. The fee we charge for this is very nominal, in fact it's not even what it costs me to have the coverage done.  

DC:  And it's not a requirement for consideration at ScriptStar?  

Michael:  Absolutely not. We look at a lot of material, and anything we request we obviously don't charge to read. We make our analysis service available to writers that want to see what a professional reader has to say about their script. It's a very small part of what we do and it was really just a by-product of our desire to keep out the mystery. I thought it would be great for a new writer to have an option of getting feedback, and since our system of plowing through scripts is already in place, we thought we'd let others take advantage of the fact that we went to great lengths to find good readers. We hired only one reader out of every 125 resumes we received, we have literary agents using this service now to help glean out new talent as well. We lose money on this service, but who knows, we may find a great undiscovered talent. The fact that we are looking for great scripts doesn't mean we haven't helped several writers on projects that weren't ready, because we have. But we aren't going to buy anything that isn't ready. We've offered an option on one script from our site and hope to find several others this year.  

DC:  As far as buying goes, what purchase range are we talking about?  

Michael:  We're following the WGA schedule, so  anything we contract for will be within that range.  

DC:  And you're very open to queries. How do you prefer to receive pitches?  

Michael:  We definitely prefer internet submissions. The query and contact information is listed right on our website (www.ScriptStar.com). Make sure all your contact information is included. We're receiving ten, sometimes twenty enquiries a day off the site, which is great, but I'd really like to see queries targeted more closely at what we're looking for. And I'd like to see more queries from represented writers, as well. Too many agents ignore production companies that are new.

DC: Michael, thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. It was a pleasure.