Hollywood development director and script consultant Daniel Manus speaks in Chicago for the first time Oct. 2-4 for a weekend of sharing insider tips on how to sell a screenplay to production executives.
Friday and Saturday’s event is being hosted by Linda Frothingham’s ChicagoHollywood.com, a creative promotions company, and Sunday Manus will lecture at the Chicago Screenwriters Network’s regular monthly meeting.
“I’ve heard Daniel speak at various screenwriting events and attended his seminars in L.A. and felt he could bring us some new perspectives about breaking into Hollywood,” said Frothingham, who heads Frothingham Communications, an advertising and marketing agency.
Manus has a wide range of L.A. movie experience from both sides of the table that enables him to speak knowledgably on how to navigate breakthroughs.
He was the development director for several independent production companies, including Clifford Werber Productions (“The Cinderella Story”), Sandstorm Films (“The Forsaken,” “The Covenant,” “Sniper 2”) and Eclectic Pictures. Currently, he is attached to produce several movies, including a big budget fantasy/adventure for Clifford Werber Productions, plus a teen comedy and a drama.
On Friday, to make it convenient for those working downtown, Manus will give a noontime, noon till 1:30 p.m. lecture at Film & Tape Works, at 230 E. Ontario.
His subject, “Indies V. Studio and Where You Fit In,” covers how to get a indie script noticed from outside Hollywood; what studios are and aren’t looking for; financing and packaging your project and how to know which world your project is best suited for.
Saturday, Manus moves to Columbia College, 1104 S. Wabash for a separate morning lecture and afternoon workshop.
The morning “How to Look at Your Script from an Executive’s Perspective,” 9:30-11:30 a.m., deals with executives and what they think about while reading a script, how they interpret a pitch and an in-depth look at the development/notes process and how to survive it.
During the afternoon’s “Hands-on No bull Script Workshop,” 1-4 p.m., Manus gives in-depth feedback on a writer’s first 6-8 pages, and a critique and suggestions to make the script shine in the marketplace.
Fee for all three lectures is $90; individually, $20 for Friday (bag sandwiches available), $35 Saturday morning and $55 Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday, he will speak at the Chicago Screenwriters Network regular monthly meeting on “From the Other Side of the Table: A No B.S. Guide to Pitchfests for Writers,” at the Lincoln Restaurant at 6:30 p.m.
Manus will also be available for one-on-one script consulting before and after his Friday and Sunday lectures. Fees: 20 minutes, $35, 30-minutes, $50.
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