Me, in Scr(i)pt Magazine
The March issue of Scr(i)pt Magazine has the regular Q&A column of "Dr. Format," aka Dave Trottier. When he did a workshop at the San Diego Film Festival/ASA Conference last September, I offered a question up. I wrote it on the back of my business card so he'd know who asked it.
So I got an email from Dave a few days ago saying I might want to look up his column this month. There it is! Not credited, but it's my question: "Is it true that any tiny violation of format will get your screenplay rejected?"
That's an on-going booga-booga that you get from the two thousand script doctors and screenwriting teachers out there. Like Hollywood is so arcane and mysterious that unless you know all the tiny details, you're labeled as an outsider and summarily dismissed. Which is why you need to pay those folks their $500 or $2000 or whatever for their workshops. I call bullsh*t on that, and Dave Trottier confirmed my thinking.
What's cool is that I got to respond to Dave about how I'd proposed him for the Austin Screenwriters Group Spring Workshop, and he'd accepted, and now I'd get to meet him again when he comes down. Another good outcome from that event. Producer Andy Cohen gave me notes on one screenplay, and asked to see my scifi/thriller. And Michael Hague and I discovered we had friends in common. (I'd proposed him also for the workshop, but he was traveling.)