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So you've written a screenplay...
billwill
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
...now what?
I just polished it off last night. I've edited it a half dozen times, trimmed the fat, made sure everything is formatted perfectly, etc. I feel that this is the best one I've written yet; I've never been this enthused about a screenplay before.
Who do I send it to? Do I need to get representation? I've read tons about how to write the screenplay, but I know nothing about getting it out there once it's completed. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks!
I just polished it off last night. I've edited it a half dozen times, trimmed the fat, made sure everything is formatted perfectly, etc. I feel that this is the best one I've written yet; I've never been this enthused about a screenplay before.
Who do I send it to? Do I need to get representation? I've read tons about how to write the screenplay, but I know nothing about getting it out there once it's completed. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks!
I hate you and you hate me.
billwill on
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Studios these days won't even touch unsolicited screenplays. If you really feel the need to get it out into the world, rewrite it as a novel. Maybe it will get optioned.
Depending on the scope of the novel, this isn't a bad idea. Of course, if you wrote the next Transformers/ID4, then that might be a little bit too hard.
First of all, congrats on finishing a script, that's a great accomplishment.
And now, not to take anything away from you, but keep in mind that you're one in thousands, if not millions that have also finished their screenplay, think it's the best ever, and are now looking to get it made.
Bionic Monkey is right in that no one will take an uncredited screenplay(for that matter, most publishing houses won't take an unsolicited novel either).
So with that in mind, your goal is to try to get an agent. And how to do that varies widly. Sometimes it's luck, sometimes it's the script, sometimes it's people that you know. It helps if you live in L.A. I believe that there's books out that come out every year listing agents and their genre. Comb through them and start sending it query letters. Chances are nothing will comoe out of it. If you know anyone that's done this before, talk to them about query ettiquete.
And for the love of God, A) Don't get your hopes up, and
Not to hijack, but how?
The ins for a writer are to already be writing one of:
- your own novel
- short film(s) for festival distribution
- television writing
- your own stand up comedy (this is more an in to the other items on the list)
Each of which have their own hurdles to entry (especially trying to get a novel published).
Play with me on Steam
Have some contacts in Hollywood.
And to get some contacts, get a job in Hollywood.
Yes, this is circular, but it's also the reality of that city.
Edit: And yes, it's pretty much the same with novels. Most publishers won't look at unsolicited books either, for much the same reason.
Really, if you want this to be filmed, your best bet is to film it yourself, and throw it up on youtube. That seems to be the easiest way to get noticed these days.
If you want to work as an artist and only as an artist by just living in a city and working, then set the following schedule for yourself:
During "working hours"(which, for most artistic purposes, should be considered something more like Noon to Midnight than 9-5), Either be a: Working in your field, or b: Talking to people working in your field.
If you know anyone who works as a writer, talk to them and ask for their contacts as well as just talking to them about working in the field. If you don't, then find writers, any writers, online, who you can meet with, and email them/call them and try to set up a meeting to talk to them. Find some way to talk to people who are working the job you want to be working, and then talk to everyone you can. Inevitably, someone will have an offer that they can't take, and if they know you and would recommend you, then bam you have a recommendation.
Now, the other way to do things, and the way I got my(super awesome) job is by just looking for any position that needs someone with your expertise and sending an application/resume in. I got to the point where I had an audition packet that ended up never being completed because I already had the job, that was how much I was spreading my demo tapes and resume and auditions around. I went with the agent I'm working with now for really the only reason of he got me a gig first. Oh! Also, look into getting an agent. Make sure that if you do, you don't pay them anything 'till you already have a gig(for me, for instance, an agency fee is simply automatically taken out of my paycheck every month, but getting the gig I didn't spend a cent).
I literally cannot tell you how many applications, resumes and demo tapes I sent out trying to get a gig. It was, for a good week, until the auditions started every day, my full-time job just to look for auditions and positions open and to send resumes and applications and demo tapes off.
But yeah, just keep in mind that a million billion people have a screenplay they've been working on or finished, and probably 90%+ of professional writers have personal projects that they've been working on. Rejection will happen. Rejection will happen more times than you can count. And that's assuming that you're a brilliant fantastic writer. Being an artist professionally is shit hard. It's possible, and if you keep at it and are good it'll happen, but I just want to make sure that you're not thinking "This is a great screenplay, time to make it a movie!"
Finally, write 99 more scripts. The first 100 you write are trash (general screenplay advice which is of course subject to change).
99.9% of new screenwriters live in LA. That's just the state of things. Finding a job as a reader, even for a little while, can help improve your writing.
Also there are numerous screenwriting contests you can enter. Some will definitely get you some recognition should you win.
The chances of them picking it up are much greater than any of the number of larger studios.
Expect to get screwed. Most first time screenwriters get shafted on the price the first time out. Since you're not in the guild, they don't actually have to pay you that much. (Note, guild minimum, the last time I checked, was 32,000 for a feature length screenplay. Expect less than that)
If you find someone to buy it, don't expect it to get filmed for a number of years. Most studios are going to have a backlog of projects to work on, all, or at least most of which would be finished before they started on yours.
-Current W.I.P.
It's just launched. Apparently Amazon wants to help people make indie films now?
I think you will find that a good portion of the advice in this thread mirrors what August says.
http://www.copyright.gov/
Second, submit parts of your screenplay here:
Penny Arcade Forums > On-Topic Forums » Artist's Corner
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/forumdisplay.php?f=14
At this point you should be prepared to make changes to your screenplay. The opening scene of a movie should attract the attention of the audience. Then you have about fifteen minutes to convince the audience that the movie is worth watching. This is when you introduce your protagonist and at least several main characters, and explain what the movie is about. By using Artist's Corner, you can see if you achieve this.
Now I suggest you rewrite your screenplay as a novella, and submit it to websites that feature short stories, and encourage readers to rate them and post comments. On these websites you should divide your novella into chapters of perhaps two thousand words each. In the first chapter cover the first fifteen minutes of your screenplay when you explain what the movie is about. In the last chapter you resolve the story.
When writing a novella from your screenplay include all the scenes and dialogue, but you will need to also include more detail about description. Omit what your characters are thinking, because you cannot include this in a screenplay.
If you have friends you think might be interested, ask them to read your screenplay and novella, but be aware that they may feel imposed on. Speaking for myself, I would feel reluctant to tell a friend that his/her screenplay did not appeal to me, and was probably not sell-able. You can feel more comfortable asking for the opinions of people you do not know.
If you get positive feedback and good ratings you can tell this to agents as you send your screenplay to them. Don't get discouraged by posters who have said in this thread that agents and producers are not interested in unsolicited manuscripts. They are always looking for good material, and worry about missing the opportunity to develop something that succeeds for someone else. However, before you send your manuscript to agents, you should send an inquiry letter describing your screenplay, and including websites where it was positively received.