Scott Glassgold loves being part of the storytelling process and guiding writers to create their best work. That was the motivation for founding his production company Ground Control in 2015 where he develops and produces films, while also managing a distinctive group of both prose writers and screenwriters. Glassgold has done something not many producers have — make a name for himself finding intriguing short stories and turning them into lucrative IP. He’s forging a unique and fruitful path that others are likely to attempt to replicate.
After graduating from college and interning at every East Coast film studio that would have him, Glassgold was living in New York City and managed to get himself hired to work in the marketing department for Disney. After Disney, he went to New Line Cinema where he worked on films from beginning to end and considers his time at New Line his film school experience because he was able to see the entire process of filmmaking from start to finish. Glassgold then came out to Los Angeles to pursue making bigger films, including 2009’s Hurricane Season, starring Forest Whitaker. Ultimately, he wanted to create his path by focusing on short stories and films.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Glassgold, who is also a VIP juror in ScreenCraft’s Cinematic Short Story Competition, about his career and his love of shorts. Check out the interview below and then continue on for three big takeaways.
The Magic and Malleability of Short Stories
You may be aware that short stories are having a moment in pop culture. From original short story threads on Reddit to film adaptations like Wes Anderson’s recent short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (adapted from the short story by Roald Dahl on Netflix), there’s a reason why short stories are suddenly so popular.
“Short stories are very malleable – on every level,” says Scott Glassgold. If you consider the limited scope of a short story, he says, “They are a lot easier to refine and to get absolutely right versus a [short] film where you’ve got three days and you pray you’ve got everything you need.”
Glassgold says it’s much easier for everyone, from producers to talent, to see the grand potential of a short story. “What I found in the early stage of developing a screenplay, is that getting people to commit to the blueprint of a screenplay can feel very binding. ‘If I’m saying yes to this, I’m committing to this precise thing and I find that can be daunting.’ It inhibits people from saying yes. Whereas a short story is a nice, intermediary level to come on board, both entrepreneurially and creatively where you can still shape it,” he says.
He adds that you can also add and subtract story elements from a short story but it’s harder with a screenplay. “It sort of creates that Jenga element where if you pull something out it all falls apart.”
But he’s definitely not discouraging people from writing a screenplay. “There’s nothing more glorious than a perfect spec script. There’s nothing better than an amazing short [film]. All these things are incredibly viable and I welcome them all with open arms.” Short stories are the medium where Glassgold feels most creative and likes to work in.
Read More: 5 Reasons You Should Write a Short Story
The Benefits of Having Studio Experience
Many people come to Hollywood with big dreams but it can take years to get that first big break. Any struggling writer will tell you to get a day job that pays the bills so you can write at night and on weekends. But for Scott Glassgold, working in multiple studios gave him an education he doesn’t think he could have gotten anywhere else. He believes those experiences have served him well.
“I think those experiences [working for a film studio] are invaluable – working at a studio at any level,” he says. “First of all, from a global perspective, being in that system and seeing how it works. Even if you don’t end up there in your career, you’re ultimately going to be interfacing with them. Having exposure to that culture, the mindset, the group think – for better or for worse – it’s invaluable.” Especially helpful to Glassgold was working in Disney’s marketing department. “When you’re talking about making a film that’s going to be released by a studio, marketing is essential. Certainly when it comes to getting your movie bought and the release. I learned a lot about studio culture and decided it wasn’t for me.”
If you decide to get your feet wet in the studio system, don’t expect to know if it’s the right fit on your first day interning. He says he’s come to his own observations in retrospect and believes you can’t be overly calculating at the start of your career. But he thinks there’s a lot of benefit to throwing yourself into the studio mix. “All my experiences were really defining, really informative and I still lean on them today,” he says.
Creating a Productive Partnership Between Writer and Manager
Scott Glassgold says it was never his intention to manage writers but when he came across some incredibly talented short filmmakers, he could see they needed some direction and that was a niche he knew he could fill. He now has a curated arsenal of prose writers and filmmakers and takes those relationships very seriously – even comparing the bond to marriage.
“I say this as someone who’s been married for a really long time, but it does become a relationship and a partnership… You learn to support and give and understand. I really thrive on the people that I work with, but also when you start to work with someone, you have to ask yourself, ‘Are you going to want to get a text from this person at 7 a.m.? Or a text from this person at 12 p.m.? You have to be excited about them as a person and as a creator. They’re sort of like your co-workers or collaborators in a way, so it’s got to be fun. If it’s not fun, I don’t think it’s the right partnership,” he says.
Glassgold, like most literary managers, says choosing to represent a writer isn’t just about liking the work they present on the page, it’s also about how the writer presents themself when they’re in a room together. “The best work comes when you can remove ego from the equation. That’s in taking notes and giving notes – a creator receiving notes and not getting defensive. Someone giving notes as an idea, knowing it may not be the right idea, and creating the ecosystem where through that process, devoid of ego, hopefully, the best work presents itself.”
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The bottom line is that becoming a writer in Hollywood takes enormous energy and commitment and people need to like working with you, no matter how good your writing is. Cultivate all your relationships in the industry, take them seriously, and consider writing a short story as your next project. However, you choose to spend your time, make sure it’s your passion that’s driving you.
“You have to surround yourself with people with the same mentality and work ethic. This isn’t the easiest profession. If you’re not all-in and doing everything you need to do to get that edge — there’s a good chance it’s not going to happen for you. You want the person who’s all-in. You can’t half-ass it,” says Scott Glassgold. Great advice.
Read More: How to Write a Short Story
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The post Ground Control Producer Scott Glassgold Explains the Magic of Short Stories appeared first on ScreenCraft.
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Author: Shanee Edwards
