When it comes to getting real work done, nothing beats experience. In her twenty-plus years at NBC Universal, Kathy Muraviov worked as a script services manager on projects such as "Erin Brockovich," "Junior," "Mask," "The Mummy," "The Nutty Professor," and her favorite, "Scent of a Woman." On reading "Scent," Muraviov said, "I knew, the first ten pages in, we had something special, really terrific."

With a talent for recognizing great scripts, in 2004 Muraviov followed her passion to work with writers and screenplays. She formed her own management company, "The Muraviov Company," and quickly acquired a stable of talented writers and filmmakers. In the independent film arena, post production has just wrapped on the action thriller "Border Town," penned by her client, writer/director Aaron Pope, who was also recently attached to another of her projects, "The Fairchild File," a thriller in the vein of "Omen." While most of Muraviov's work is in independent film, she and her clients have some interesting TV projects as well, including a series they're now shopping around called "Confidential." She made her own way in the business, but she also has a family tie to one of the greatest comedic screenwriters of all time (read on!).

In this interview, Muraviov gives us a sneak peek into "Confidential," reveals what makes a script pop in her eyes, and defines factors for success in the Hollywood machine.

Q: What is "Confidential?"

A: It's based on the Secret Service. My client's father actually worked for the head of the Secret Service, a man by the name of Darwin Horn (Dar) who headed the Secret Service in the 60s during the Vietnam era. It's very fascinating. My client owns the rights to Dar's book ["Dar's Story: Memoirs of a Secret Service Agent"] and we have the Secret Service onboard. There's nothing out there like this, except for AMC's "Mad Men."

Q: What makes a script pop for you?

A: Good characters. Characters that are visual, but they're not necessarily overly described on the page. By the way they actually portray themselves in dialogue--that says to me the writer has done their job. Literally, from the very first page, I know whether a writer has it or not. I know positively if it is going to be a script that I want to read to the end. That shows how important those first pages are. I'm sure a lot of people in my shoes do the same thing.

Q: Can you offer any tips on making that first page great?

A: That's a difficult question because it's so subjective. Everybody has their own style. They need to have a style. Something that separates them from the rest of the pack. My interesting might not be so interesting to somebody else. Therein lies the problem. We all have our favorite genres, taste. Always make it error free. This is so important. Fifty percent is presentation. So, make it as good as you can.

Once a script is done, put it in a drawer, wait a couple weeks, and then go back to it. You'll be surprised at what you see. After that, give it to a few friends to read. With my clients, I say I don't want to see it until it is perfect. I don't have time for less than perfect as I've always worked alone, until now. I've just hired interns, all with solid credentials, to handle my coverage, which is something I've never done before. But my workflow has doubled. I've never wanted to trust somebody else's opinion, but I think it's going to work out well.

Q: Let's say one writer writes: "Night. Headlights. Sound of tires CRUNCHING gravel." Another writes, "It's nighttime. In the distance, a car approaches." Is one style more effective than the other?

A: Less is best. Less is stronger. You don't need a whole lot of words.

Q: And complete sentences don't matter if you're getting the point across?

A: Exactly. I like that style of writing [in the first example above] by the way.

Q: It doesn't seem as "narrated."

A: Absolutely.

Q: What makes a great third act?

A: Tying it all up in a nice little ribbon. There are those that do not use the three-act structure. I would just say you really have to make it pop as much as acts one and two and make it just as interesting, even more so. You do not want somebody to put it down, not at this point.

Q: Is it a good idea or counterproductive to write in different forms, e.g., short stories, plays, novels, screenplays ... generally speaking?

A: Generally speaking, because this business is so brutal, I would say stick with one. If you stick with one long enough, it's going to be successful. Hard work does pay off. If you look at the writers that are the most well-known, you will see that they stuck with one.

Q: One form, one genre?

A: Yes. My daughter's father-in-law is one of the most well-known comedic writers--Babaloo Mandel ["Fever Pitch," "Robots," "City Slickers," "Parenthood," "Greedy," "A League of Their Own," "Splash," and a gaggle of other great comedic films]. He started on "Happy Days" and then he's, for the most part (from what I know), stayed pretty much in features after that. To achieve success, I think that's very important.

Q: What are factors for success in a writer?

A: Tenacity--never give up. Hard work does pay off. Never take "no" for an answer. One man's trash is another's treasure.

Q: You mentioned earlier that you don't want to see a script until it is perfect.

A: Well, as close to perfect as it can be--from my point of view. That might not be the same POV my writers have, but they know how pressed for time I am. It's always a difficult position to be in.

I do develop projects with writers; so of course, it's not always perfect when I see it. And there are those [situations where] I help ... and do quite a bit of editing. I see the potential and maybe the writer needs a little extra help.

Q: Do you talk about the concept with them before they write the story?

A: A lot of times I have writers that will say, "You know, I was thinking about doing this concept. What do you think?" And yes, I will absolutely say whether or not I think it's a viable concept; if it is something marketable. But, as you can imagine, that is subjective. Recently, a writer of mine sent me a script she'd been working on. It was an adaptation. She's a fabulous writer and everybody she'd given the script to thus far had liked it, but I didn't care for it at all. It was difficult, but I had to tell her. Of course, she was surprised. I told her, "Maybe I'm way off base. I'm one person and it's only my opinion." There are times when it is the reverse. I can tell somebody, "Yes, that is a great idea," but it is all about the execution on the page. You can have a great story, but if the execution is off, it's not going to go anywhere.

Q: It must be really challenging as a manager when you get a piece of material you are not excited about.

A: It's very challenging. I don't send anything out that I'm not in love with. My reputation is at stake. If you send out enough good material to companies, the door will stay open. But if you start sending out things just to appease your writers, then you can say goodbye to those open doors. That's why I always try to send it out as perfect as it can be.

Q: From the time you take on a client, how long is it before he/she is working as a writer in the business?

A: I will give you a good "for instance." I sent out a fantasy/adventure about a month ago. This writer queried me. (He'd queried me in the past and I'd read something of his work about a year ago.) I read it on a Thursday and it was, in a word, phenomenal. This writer was only 23 years old. To have written a script of this caliber at that age--well, it's really something. I sent it out wide the following Tuesday. He has four meetings scheduled at the end of this month with high-level companies, all with studio deals. And he lives in Texas. He is well on his way. I would say that there is no time frame. When the time is right, it's just right.

Q: So, for others, could it take a year?

A: Oh, yes. Others take longer. Sometimes it takes ten years to get projects [launched].

Q: And you represent clients outside of the Los Angeles area?

A: I do. I have two writers in Sweden with a terrific option in the works. I have a production deal with a producer in London. We share two of my projects. A good portion of my writers are indeed from out of state, a few out of the country.

Q: Anything else you'd like to add?

A: If a writer queries me (always have a great pitch!) and I reject them, try not to take the rejection too hard. I know it's tough, but you must forge on. This business is brutal and only the strong survive. You have to pursue. Keep forging ahead. Hard work does pay off. Never give up on your dream!

Kathy Muraviov accepts queries at this e-mail address: themuraviovco@aol.com.

Would you like to have your question answered by pros working in the industry? If there's a topic you'd like to see addressed in this column, please send me an e-mail (CindyRinaldi@visionization.com) with "WBW" in the subject line.