Rachel Miller launched Tom Sawyer Entertainment in February 2006 to manage the careers of writers and directors of feature films and television. Since launching, Tom Sawyer Entertainment has expanded its roster to include animation, digital media, humor books and comic book talent. Her clients include writers and directors on THE DAILY SHOW, THE SIMPSONS, and FRANK TV, along with comic book company Bloodfire Studios.
Rachel graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts before returning to her hometown of Los Angeles to pay her dues by working at Endeavor Talent Agency, Handprint Entertainment and Red Wagon Entertainment.
She recently launched ShowMeTheScreenplay.com to help emerging creative talent by giving them honest answers about everything Entertainment.
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Daily Blog
February 1, 2010
I just got back from my first trip to Sundance, where we premiered our movie HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE in dramatic competition. What an amazing experience! To get a standing ovation on your first movie is pretty incredible. And all six screenings were sold out!
After an exhausting five days, here is what I learned from Sundance — and what I wish I had known before I left:
• Hit the slopes. No one is skiing or snowboarding during Sundance because all the locals have fled the city, none of the real skiers are there because they know to stay away during Sundance, and no one who is there for the festival is getting on the slopes. You pretty much have it all to yourself.
• Talk to the locals. See what movies they are seeing. If the locals are buying tickets to certain movies, you know those are the ones with commercial appeal.
• Pack lots of protein bars. I’ve got to be honest: If you aren’t eating in the high-end restaurants, the cheap food there is disgusting — and expensive (let’s call it the tourist tax.) If you pack some protein bars you can save yourself a lot of money and stomach aches.
• Prepare for the altitude change — 8000 feet is really high up. If you aren’t used to it, you will get winded very easily. (I never thought I would exhaust myself so quickly from walking up hill). Drink lots of water and rest when you get tired.
• Pack warmly. Seriously, it is cold. And coats you buy in LA just don’t cut it. But instead of buying a coat that you use for two days, borrow from a friend who has lived in cold weather. Trust me, you will thank me for this because it is no fun standing in line when you are freezing cold.
Most importantly, have fun, meet new people, take in the beautiful scenery and enjoy the experience!
PS. And in exciting news, we just found out we won the Sundance Audience Award for HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE!
January 8, 2010
Now I know many of you reading the subject line of this blog will think I am crazy. Yet if you stop to think, both of these huge successes are based on well-known stories.
* Twilight is the story of Romeo and Juliet
* Avatar is the classic conqueror vs. natives story…. very similar to Last of the Mohicans or Dances with Wolves (in my opinion Avatar is the former; many of my friends weigh in on the latter).
Both of these movies have taken age-old stories and updated them with vampires, werewolves and aliens. These are just two examples of the old adage that people want a story that is recognizable yet feels updated and current.
Also, both of these are the story of underdogs winning. In Twilight, it’s a story of the awkward, klutzy, not-the-most-social girl who gets the guy, and in Avatar it’s the story of a cripple who unites with the natives to overthrow the big bad conqueror. Most importantly, these stories are utterly universal.
The success of both these movies points to trends in the marketplace.
1) People want a story that feels familiar yet told in an updated way.
2) People want to be uplifted.
In these times of economic hardships, people want to believe that the little guys can win. And people want to believe that the ugly duckling can get the prince — even if she never turns into a swan.
More importantly, people want to go to the movies to be entertained — to escape the hard realities of their daily lives. And both these movies provide just that — a story that is inherently familiar yet told in an updated way and where the little guy wins. Everyone can walk out of the movies in good spirits!
If you are struggling to find an inspiration for your next project, think of a universal story that can be updated in an exciting way and can entertain people and give them hope!
December 18, 2009
As the entertainment business wraps up for the holidays, many people are asking what’s next in 2010 in entertainment?
Here’s my prediction:
Interactive is where entertainment is going. Audiences want to be connected to the story — from beginning to end. They don’t want to just be told what the story is — they want to be active in its evolution.
This will have a huge effect on everything from movies to tv to web to advertising. Think about it this way:
What if it wasn’t just a handful of people at a network deciding what shows get made and if the shows stay on the air or get canceled? Or what if instead audience members got to decide which movies got made instead of one person who controls all the decisions at a studio?
In fact, Mountain Dew let consumers pick a new flavor in a hugely successful massive multi-player online game. The response to the campaign was amazing.
Perhaps if we brought this idea into entertainment — movies, tv, even all content could do much better because, if done right, audiences are already active participants and will want to promote the content and will have a valuable stake in its success.
This idea is already being incorporated into indie movies. The film THE WEATHERED UNDERGROUND comes out January 26th and could open the doors for more content to go this route.
Check out the film’s trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpPCS8yZBJ0
No matter what type of content, if you allow audiences to be involved, you are creating an active conversation with the audience and can help push your project to huge success.
Have a great holiday!!
December 14, 2009
Since the dawn of the movie business, less established producers have teamed up with more established ones to help set up projects. However, as budgets shrink and studios strong arm producers, directors and talent into smaller and smaller deals, it is imperative that, if you are teaming up with a producer, you figure out in the very beginning what the deal will be.
This will save you time, money and huge amounts of frustration.
Here are some questions to ask BEFORE you agree to team up with a producer:
- How does the big producer split his/her money? (Often there is just one pot for all the producers and it is up to the individual producers to split it. Some big producers might demand a 90/10 split — 90% to them and 10% to you.
- How will the produced by card work? Does the big producer demand a single card or will he/she share a card? If the big producer won’t share a card, what happens if a buyer asks the producer to share a card?
- Will you get to be on set?
- Will he/she be mentoring you?
Once you are equipped with the answers to these questions you will be able to analyze the situation and figure out what is best for you.
You might decide to walk away from the producer — even at the risk of not setting up your project — or you may decide that, even if it is a bad deal, the big producer will help set up your project and this is worth it to you.
No matter what your decision, it is important you have all the information upfront so you know what situation you are walking into.
December 7, 2009
Sometimes it takes out of the box thinking to get the results you want.
Here are two great examples of people who tried something different and got exactly what they wanted:
TJ Miller, an LA-based comedian (CLOVERFIELD, “Carpoolers”) shot the below video after two unsuccessful auditions for the Warner Bros’ YOGI BEAR movie. Studio boss Alan Horn and producer Donald De Line saw this footage and offered him a major part in the film. He’s now in New Zealand shooting.
Watch the audition video here:
http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/actors-will-do-anything-to-land-a-role/
Fede Alvarez scored a million-dollar deal based on the heat generated by “Ataque de panico!” (Panic Attack), a four-minute, 48-second short about an apocalyptic robot attack that Alvarez directed through his commercial production house for less than $500. After the short found its way to the Internet, it generated a huge amount of buzz and suddenly Alvarez had every agent, manager, lawyer and producer calling him.
Ghost House Pictures quickly made a seven-figure deal with the director for a feature film — which is almost unheard of in today’s marketplace.
Further, Sam Raimi will be in a mentoring role to Alvarez similar to the one that Peter Jackson played in Neill Blomkamp’s directing debut on DISTRICT 9, an under-$30 million film that’s grossed over $180 million worldwide!
Watch the short here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dadPWhEhVk
These are just two examples of what a little ingenuity can do for you.
