Successful Screenwriter Michael Elliot (Brown Sugar, Like Mike, Just Wright) discusses how to break into into the business, tips for getting your material read even when you're first starting out, how to think outside the box to sell your material, how to strategically launch your career, the five biggest mistakes writers make when pitching, and much more.

FILM SPECIFIC MEMBERS: Access this seminar now

Not a Film Specific Member Yet? JOIN NOW TO ACCESS THIS SEMINAR ON-DEMAND

About Michael Elliot

Michael Elliot, has spent a lifetime beating the odds. Twenty-five years ago, he was a high school drop-out, surviving on the streets of Philadelphia as one of the city's homeless. Today, 42 year old Elliot is one of the most accomplished African-American screenwriters and producers in Hollywood.

Elliot's career began in 1988 when he published Krush Magazine -- the first publication ever devoted to covering the burgeoning world of hip-hop music exclusively. Months later, other hip-hop publications would follow his lead, including The Source magazine.

Shortly thereafter, Elliot set his sights on television. With just $300, Elliot launched "Krush Rap" -- a locally aired music video program that was eventually syndicated in 21 markets. The weekly show aired for two years, and generated over $500,000 in ad dollars.

Next, Elliot turned his attention to the book publishing world. He authored and self-published the hip-hop guidebook, The Unsigned Rappers' Guide to Getting a Record Deal. Within one year, the book yielded twelve (12) times his investment.

Impressed with his track record in 1992, Elliot caught the interest of the owners of The Source Magazine. Recognizing his ability to "make things happen," the owners offered Elliot a position as Director of Special Projects.

While at The Source, Elliot continued to explore unchartered waters. Radio was next. Elliot was offered his own 2-hour weekly hip-hop show on one of Philadelphia's top-rated radio stations, and thus began a weekly commute from New York back to his hometown, where he moonlighted as a DJ. However, the commute would be a short one. Impressed with Elliot's radio performance, New York's famed hip-hop station, Hot 97, wanted in. Elliot quickly made the transition from the country's number four market to the country's number one. And his voice was now being heard by millions of New Yorkers. As such, Elliot was simultaneously succeeding and ascending at the goals of his day job --- taking The Source magazine to new heights, and at DJing. But before long, not even Hot 97 could contain him... Sony Worldwide Networks had just partnered with hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons to launch a 2-hour nationally syndicated hip-hop countdown show. Elliot was chosen to host and co-produce the weekly radio show, "Street Heat". For the next two years, Elliot would work for The Source and Sony Worldwide Networks, hosting and co-producing what would become the most successful radio show of its kind, expanding its listeners into 42 markets, including Guam and St. Martin. In 1995, Elliot resigned from The Source and returned to Philadelphia. There, he would make plans to make his wildest dreams come true. Elliot wanted to make movies, and where else would he do that? Hollywood.

Elliot became aware of Sean "P-Diddy" Combs' interest to establish a film and television arm of his highly successful hip-hop label, Bad Boy Records. After meeting with Diddy about the future mogul's plans, Elliot relocated to Southern California in the fall of 1996, and was appointed President of Bad Boy Films.

Unfortunately, Elliot's tenure with Bad Boy Films would be short-lived. Four months into the job, Diddy's friend and biggest star, The Notorious B.I.G., was murdered. Forty-eight hours later, Bad Boy Films was dissolved, and Elliot was unemployed. But failure was not an option. Neither was returning to the East Coast without succeeding in this new arena.

Armed with a computer, a book on screenwriting, and a Blockbuster Card, Elliot began teaching himself to write screenplays. Approximately 13 months later -- without the help of an agent or manager -- Elliot sold his first screenplay "Seven Days", to 20th Century Fox.

Upon reading of his successes in Hollywood, Elliot's former employer, The Source magazine contacted him with a handsome offer to return. The Source had been working unsuccessfully with the William Morris Agency to get their awards show to appear on network television. After every network in Hollywood (including UPN), had passed on a proposal to do a special with The Source, Source owners turned to the one person they knew had the ability to "make things happen." Elliot accepted the challenge, and as President of Source Entertainment struck an unprecedented deal for a special on UPN, within a month of taking his position. As also the show's Executive Producer, Elliot's "Source Hip-Hop Music Awards" (1999 and 2000) set new rating records for the struggling network and generated more than $15 million in revenue. However, after violence broke out during the '2000' airing of the show, Elliot resigned to focus on his screenwriting and producing career. That decision proved to be a good one.

In less than one year of returning to the film business, Elliot had 3 consecutive films 'green lit'. These included the critically-acclaimed "MTV's Hip-Hopera: Carmen", which Elliot scripted and executive produced, launching feature film careers for Mos Def, Bow Wow, Joy Bryant and of course, Beyonce Knowles. In addition, Elliot also wrote "Brown Sugar", a hip-hop love story that was made for a mere $8 million, and earned $11 million in its opening weekend, grossing nearly $30 million overall at the box office. Moreover, Elliot wrote "Like Mike", starring Lil' Bow Wow, which brought in over $50 million at the box office. The film's success on the home video market prompted the making of "Like Mike 2", which was released in July 2006.

Back in the lab, developed projects for Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Fox 2000 Pictures, Universal Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Showtime, VH1, FOX, UPN, BET and HBO.

In 2009, Elliot's screenplay "Just Wright" was filmed in New York, marking Elliot's fifth produced credit. The romantic comedy stars Queen Latifah, Common and Paula Patton, and will be released in theaters in 2010 by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Elliot's next mission: to help aspiring screenwriters, filmmakers and actors launch or grow their careers. When not writing screenplays, Elliot devotes his time to helping aspiring screenwriters launch their careers through his website, WritersLittleBlackBook.com, and The Ladder: Produced Screenwriters Helping Aspiring Screenwriters, one of the largest screenwriter groups on Facebook, which Elliot formed in February 2010.

For more information on Michael Elliot please visit:

Upcoming Webinar: www.michaelelliotwebinarsept5.eventbrite.com

The Ladder: Produced Screenwriters Helping Aspiring Screenwriters (Michael's Facebook Group for Screenwriters): http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=309642982854&ref=ts

The Writer's Little Black Book: www.thewriterslittleblackbook.com