Alexia Melocchi, a partner in Los Angeles based Little Studio Films has a broad, global sense of the film and television industries. Her experience spans production, consulting, marketing, and distribution. She spoke to Creative Screenwriting Magazine about her career experience in both the producing and selling space. She started Little Studio as a boutique management company before expanding into production.
Little Studio Films is about “creating synergies and collaboration between the international marketplace and talent by opening doors into Hollywood and vice versa,” said Melocchi. “We represent 11 major international distributors and facilitate sales and pre-sales in the early stages of film and TV project development,” she continued.
The film and TV business is undergoing a protracted period of exponential change. This has not unnerved Ms. Melocchi. “I feel we’re entering a very exciting era,” she exclaimed as she embraced the change.
Break Down. Break Through.
The pandemic has accelerated the rate of change. “Traditional business models are being broken down.” This is evident across the globe. Alexia feels that removal of these barriers has opened up a world of collaboration, “and looking at global content beyond the lens of the American audience.” She’s particularly excited that audiences are increasingly investing in story regardless of its language, country of origin or where it takes place.
Alexia Melocchi
An unlikely side-effect of the pandemic is that forced isolation raises our urge to connect with others – emotion wise and perception of the world. Although many companies have shuttered, many have thrived and pivoted by viewing Hollywood through this different lens.
Breaking Into Hollywood
It’s important for screenwriters and filmmakers at large to understand the industry before deciding whether Hollywood is right for them. While it’s true that the lion’s share of the industry has a base in Los Angeles, it behooves writers to read the industry trades and know who the main players are. Given that most of this information is available online, there is little excuse for writers not to be informed.
“Familiarize yourself with the producers and filmmakers you admire so you can establish relationships with them.” Granted, it might be more difficult if you’re living abroad, but social media has allowed unprecedented access to them. You don’t have to live in Hollywood to have a successful screenwriting career. This is now true more than ever. However, writers should still attend industry events to foster face to face industry relationships. The television industry still largely recommends writers be based in Hollywood to be in writers rooms. However, the pandemic has also shifted many writers rooms to Zoom calls, so it’s not always essential.
You can be a great writer and write in a log cabin in Montana
The market’s appetite for foreign-language films and television shows remains unabated. Look at Squid Game, the Korean TV show that was the highest-rating show for Netflix in its history. Alexia Melocchi advises writers to do their homework and partner with local writers and film funding bodies if they want to tap into the global market. “If you want to set your story in Italy, know what Italy is like.” Find out the cultural nuances of the locals, rather than approaching your story as a tourist.
It’s unlikely that an American writer will get directly hired in Korea, Greece, Italy, Australia or some other place to create a show. “They are more likely to be hired as part of a team to bring their Hollywood sensibility to the table.” There is a real dearth of skilled international writers who truly understand the American way of writing. There is a corresponding dearth of American writers who truly understand the cultural specificities of other countries. (Europe is not a country like the United States).
Many international writers are unfamiliar with the complexities of pitching and setting up projects in the studio system. Similarly, the same can be said of local filmmakers navigating the intricacies of the film funding bodies internationally. This necessitates the need for building writing teams.
“International writers with American experience will become very much in demand in the future,” continued Melocchi.
Traditionally, Hollywood is interested in large scale movies that attract global audiences. Writers looking to break in are frequently advised to write smaller, more personal stories at a lower budget. Although they typically find a home in the festival circuit, they may find large audiences due to the plethora of distribution avenues. “I believe that human stories and global stories,” asserts Melocchi.
Pitch With Passion
Alexia also advises screenwriters to master the art of pitching. “This includes mastering the ability to read the room. Writers should see what a potential buyer is gravitating towards and adjust their pitch accordingly.” Pitching is a means of communication and connection. It isn’t a one-way delivery of your story. Don’t be so much in your head. “Make that human connection first. Producers are more than a check-writing machine.”
Even before a writer crafts the perfect logline, Melocchi advises screenwriters, “to be clear on who they are as a writer because passion and voice will always trump skill. (not that writing skill isn’t essential) Who am I? What do I stand for? This will translate favorably during your pitch.” Producers buy into you as a person, a writer, and finally, your screenplay.
Stealing Roses (Co-produced by Alexia Melocchi)
Alexia cites the key differences between America and the rest of the world as Hollywood still being predominantly driven by box office and the rest of the world driven more by passionate storytelling. The franchise movie system driven by an endless source of IP will continue to generate the most revenue for studios. She has noticed that the studios are increasingly hiring successful indie writers for these larger scale movies.
Melocchi uses Christopher Nolan as the perfect example. He started his career with Memento which put him on the studio radar. Now he commands multi-million dollar budgets for Batman sequels and beyond because he’s demonstrated his command of powerful storytelling. More recently, Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao graduated from Nomadland to Eternals.
Indie filmmakers tend to be more resourceful and economic in their storytelling “because they don’t rely on special effects and other budgetary distractions.”
Although the paychecks from writing studio films are nice, Alexia asks writers to consider whether such a step will benefit their writing voice and career. It’s more important to have the right representation that open the right doors for you. This may be a boutique agency or manager rather than one of the big four. “Some A-list writers are having difficulty in accessing their agents, so they start their own production companies to create their own opportunities.”
Global Industry Trends
We asked Melocchi what overall trends she’s seeing in buyer and seller activity and where the significant opportunities might lie for screenwriters. “Based on my experience with studio giants, I’m seeing a high demand for family movies ranging from animation to inspirational stories.” She’s also noticed a global resurgence in comedies and romcoms, especially in the vein of Nancy Meyers and Adam Sandler films.
Anything inspirational, inclusive and story-driven is always popular
Melocchi also cautioned that the Blumhouse low-budget horror model is saturated, despite its viability, profitability, and popularity. “There are too many copycat low-budget horrors and thrillers made in this mold, which renders them unsellable.” Event movies, such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day themed films are also popular.
Apart from a basic level of understanding how the industry works and what projects are in development, Alexia advises writers to learn how to make a proof of concept /movie trailer of their film. She also suggests having a realistic list of potential cast for your project. Don’t list every A-list actor. This strategy isn’t realistic.
Writers should also list the types of producers that might be suitable for their project as well as the type of deal they’re likely to be offered. “Do you want a $1 option from a big name producer who will likely shepherd your script into production or receive a few thousand dollars from a relatively inexperienced producer who doesn’t necessarily know what they’re doing and your script sits on the shelf indefinitely?”
Writers should always research a potential producer’s credits, ability to raise finance, and length of time to get a movie produced. Screenwriters are more successful as “produced writers.” “Even if you make a career being hired to write low budget material, it means you’re a good writer and employable,” added Melocchi.
Little Studio Films is currently moving into the “epic storytelling, limited TV series space.” They are leveraging their projects across a range of languages and platforms all over the world. “We’re going bigger, better, and wider.”
In conclusion, Alexia Melocchi offers the following advice to screenwriters: “Never resist the rewrite, but don’t lose your voice.” She also suggests to always be cognizant of your source of feedback. Ensure it comes from a professional and trusted source. This can come from other writers, producers, and industry professionals who have your and their interests at heart.
