by Ashley Scott Meyers on March 3, 2010
I got this question recently:
“I have found through my years of sales that selling over the phone is one of my greatest attributes. I love it. I find myself getting uncontrollably excited over the chase of cold calling production companies! I turn it into a game just to see how many people I can get to go against their own policy of ‘no unsolicited submissions’ by offering a high concept comedy. Which I have completed of course. I have had some success in getting them to allow me to send a query, but my question is this. I keep getting the snub from some decent companies regarding having an agent or a manager even after I can get them to talk to me for a few minutes. One person I called said it was a great idea, but if not from a manager or an agent he can’t take a look at it. Can I just hire my friend to be my manager and work that angle? With that in mind if it helps me get my script read, what are your recommendations?”
You basically “get it.” I’m hesitant to recommend that you use your friend as your “manager” since that’s not the sort of “un-official” advice I usually like to put into writing and send to someone I don’t know. But suffice it to say that’s something I’ve thought of doing myself.
However… you still have a couple of options.
#1 Start out by cold calling agents and managers first and see if you can land one. If your script is good you will. Once you get an agent or manager it doesn’t mean you can then stop cold calling production companies, but at least when you do you can say you have an agent or manager and they can submit on your behalf when you get a request. Check out my post: How do you get an agent for your screenplay? (And why you don’t need one!)
#2 Get a good entertainment attorney. This will cost a few bucks but just do a Google search to find one. Call them, talk to them, ask them how much they would charge to submit a script and if that’s a service they do for other clients. In nearly all cases a production company will accept a submission from a lawyer just as easily as they would an agent or manager. In addition you’ll have someone ready to negotiate on your behalf if you do get some interest in your script.
One thing you’ve already noticed is that in many cases production companies say “no unsolicited material” but will in some cases read your stuff. In my opinion every production company will read material if they think it’s compelling enough so if your pitch peaks their interest they will read it. Maybe they’ll make you sign a release form maybe not. The “no unsolicited material” policy simply exists to try and curb the huge number of unsolicited scripts they get.
With that said, if someone tells you they like your pitch but that you must submit through an agent or manager to me that’s a polite way of telling you they don’t really like your pitch. Certainly if you suggest submitting through an entertainment lawyer at that point and they still say “no” it means that they’re not really that interested in your script.
With your salesmanship and willingness to cold call I firmly believe you will eventually option and sell some scripts if they are well written so make sure that they are.
by Ashley Scott Meyers on February 24, 2010
I got this question recently:
“I wrote a screenplay based on an existing franchise. I’m in the process of pending the permissions with the right attorney. If I am granted the rights to sell my script, and that’s a big “if”. What is the right way to state it in my query letter, if it’s what I need to do?”
First, hopefully you realize writing a script based on an existing franchise is not recommended. The chances of getting the rights to it are very slim and then your only chance is to sell it outright to the owner of that franchise or use it as a writing sample. In the feature realm I’ve never heard of a new writer using a spec script that’s based on an existing franchise so it might scream amateur. I’m not saying it’s never been done but I’ve never heard of anyone doing it. While with television writing the opposite is true and if you’re trying to break into television writing you will write spec scripts based on currently popular television shows.
But assuming you do get the rights to the franchise (make sure a good entertainment lawyer draws up the paper work because you’ll want this contract to be air tight) I would simply state in your query letter in as clear terms as possible probably in the first paragraph where you pitch your script’s logline. At that point you’ll mention that your script is based on an existing franchise and that you have the legal right to sell your script based on that franchise. Be clear and concise in your query letter. Make sure you talk with your entertainment lawyer and understand the particulars of your deal because the details will be very important as this project moves forward.
by Ashley Scott Meyers on February 17, 2010
I got this question recently:
“Is it okay to send a query letter of one script to several production companies at the same time?”
Yes. It is okay to send out the same query letter to multiple production companies at the same time. Most of your query letters whether faxed, emailed or snail mailed will never get a response of any sort so if you wait to hear from every production company you submit to you won’t get very far. As a rule people in the industry understand when they get an unsolicited query letter it’s probably been sent to other production companies.
To be more specific here’s what you should do after reading my How to sell your screenplay (in a nutshell) article:
Get the Hollywood Creative Directory (you can buy it through Amazon.com by clicking here) and send your query letter out to 100 production companies. If you get roughly 5 requests* for your script it means you’re query letter and synopsis are working properly and you should then roll your campaign out to as many production companies as you can find and/or afford to submit to – like every single company listed in the Hollywood Creative Directory (I’m not kidding).
If you don’t get roughly 5 requests out of your 100 test you need to hone your query letter and synopsis and try again with another 100 letters. And then if you still don’t get 5 requests out of your second 100 test re-write your query letter and synopsis yet again.
If after your 3rd try you still can’t get any interest I would say either your story just isn’t marketable or you’re writing skills aren’t up to par. If anyone ever goes through three rounds of query letters and still can’t get any traction (and you’ve really rewritten your query and synopsis each time) please send your query and synopsis to me and I’ll be happy to try and help you get it to where it needs to be. It’s possible that your idea is simply not marketable, however, if you’ve really done the work and rewritten your package three times.
*I say roughly 5 requests out of 100 which would obviously be 5% – but I’m pretty flexible with this number. 3% is probably okay, too, but a little on the low side and you should probably think about testing a bit further to see if you get any better rate on your next batch of 100. If you use email as your query method I would say 2% is a pretty good response rate while if you send your query letters through regular mail your response rate should be closer to 7% – 10%, and faxes are usually somewhere in the middle. I explain the differences in delivery methods here in my post Getting your screenplay to producers and production companies.
by Ashley Scott Meyers on February 10, 2010
I got these questions from a screenwriter in the Netherlands:
“Is it absolutely vital that you register your script? Do industry insiders bother to read your script if it’s not registered?
Also, are you aware of any production companies that accept scripts by email? Is it something you can request if they ask you to send in a script? I live in the Netherlands, I’m a struggling writer and sending my scripts would cost lots of money, I’d rather do it via email.”
Most producers will assume you have registered your material so it’s not usually something that a producer cares about, and even if they do ask it’s not something they ever try and verify. Registering a script is really for the writer’s protection so it’s up to you if you feel comfortable sending out your material without registering it. Personally I would never ever send out my material before I had registered it with either the WGA or the Library of Congress. The WGA and the Library of Congress have an online service so I personally recommend that you use them before you send out your material, but again, it’s really how comfortable you feel.
In this day and age most producers will request a PDF version of the script which you can easily email to them. It’s hard to tell beforehand, however, what they’ll want. I would just start sending out query letters via email or fax and since you’re outside the US the only means of them getting back to you will be via email, and if they want the script you’ll be able to email them the PDF version. If they insist on a hard copy you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the cost or not. If you simply can’t afford it, and someone requests a hard copy you should just explain to them that you can’t afford to send them a hard copy and hope they’ll read a PDF version. But don’t mention that until they request a hard copy because again, in most cases they will request the PDF version and it will never be an issue.
One other thing that occurs to me about your situation is that you might want to start by contacting local film companies. While I have heard of some international screenwriters successfully querying Hollywood production companies, most of the foreign film makers who end up being succseful in Hollywood either started off with a career writing films for local production companies or they made the move to Hollywood and worked there way up once they arrived.
Check out my post How do you protect your work? Screenplay copyrights and WGA registration to learn about how to protect your work.
by Ashley Scott Meyers on February 3, 2010
I got these questions recently:
“I live in Belgium and want to send out A LOT of query letters. Should I send them via email or regular mail?
Also, I have written two screenplays. Do I send both query letters to the same company or is it better to spread them thin throughout the other companies?”
I would be inclined to pitch both scripts at the same time in one query letter. I mention this here:
http://www.sellingyourscreenplay.com/how-to-sell-your-screenplay/how-to-write-a-professional-query-letter-for-your-screenplay/
I’ve found that snail mail gets a better response but it does take more time and cost more money. Since you’re just starting out I would try a few of each (like 100 emails and 100 snail mail query letters) and see what sort of response you get. From there you can better decide which works best for you.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is if these are your first two scripts they may not be up to industry standards. It takes even the most talented writers at least a few tries to start to get close to a “good script” so if you get a very poor response from your query letters don’t worry too much about it, just keep writing new material and continue to improve.
Also, I’ve written a lot of query letters so check out my other posts, too, as you might find them helpful. http://www.sellingyourscreenplay.com/tag/query-letters/
by Ashley Scott Meyers on January 29, 2010
I got this question recently:
“My screenplay is LONG (175 pages), which is viable for a 3-hour movie, but I’ve heard that producers and contests won’t read anything over 120 pages, which is odd because the majority of the most successful movies ever are 3 hours long (Godfather, Dances with Wolves, Titanic, Avatar, Braveheart, etc.). What are your thoughts on this issue? Can I do anything proactive to get people to read this script?”
Scott over at Go Into the Story wrote a good post about this recently. Check it out. Look at the comments, too. Lots of good opinions. Bottom line is that you’re correct that some great movies have been really long but every great movie you mentioned came from an established pro. Making a 3 hour epic isn’t something that beginners can usually pull off which is why writing a really long spec isn’t usually recommended.
Here’s the post over at Go Into the Story: http://www.gointothestory.com/2010/01/question-what-about-presenting-187-page.html
by Ashley Scott Meyers on January 27, 2010
I got this questions recently:
“As someone who’s not in the screenwriting business but thinks he has a “great” idea for a movie screenplay, I was wondering if you’d be willing to read my treatment for a movie I’ve had swimming around my head for 15 years?
The treatment is 10 pages long but what I’m really looking for is someone to give me realistic guidance on its mass audience appeal.
I’m not a famous writer or even work in the movie/entertainment industry. I’m just a regular working guy with visions (perhaps delusional) of this movie and need to know if it’s worth getting my hopes up.
Please let me know if you’re willing to spend 20 minutes reading it.”
I’d rather not read people’s work. It would be very time consuming and I’m not sure how much value people would really get out of it. Check out this post, too. It explains some of my thoughts on reading people’s scripts: http://www.sellingyourscreenplay.com/screenwriting-faq/will-you-read-my-script/
I recommend Script Doctor Eric for this type of service. He will charge you a reasonable fee but give you exactly what you want. http://www.scriptdoctoreric.com.
From your email, however, I think you’re on the wrong track. There is a famous quote, maybe Tennessee Williams, that goes something like this; “Don’t write a play, write plays.” Without knowing you or reading your work I can tell you, you are NOT “delusional” just unrealistic. There is no single idea or story that will singlehandedly make a screenwriting career. If screenwriting is something you want to pursue than pursue it but realize it’s going to be a lot of work for no pay for a lot of years while you figure out how to write a compelling script. Me reading your treatment, or not, isn’t going to change that. You’re going to have to put in the work. There is no getting around this, no matter how much God given talent you have or how lucky you’ve been in coming up with a brilliant idea. Tiger Woods didn’t show up ready to play on the PGA tour after playing one or two summers of golf. He devoted his life to it for years, and mixed with a heap of talent he’s succeeded at the highest level.
If you’re idea is compelling to you, I can assure you it will be compelling to others as well. But even if it’s not, if you spend 6 months or a year writing it up it’s still well worth the time and effort because you need to get a few scripts under your belt before you’ll be able to write something that’s good enough to sell. There is no shame in this. Any successful screenwriter will tell you how much drek they had to write before they wrote anything worth selling.
As a rule I would say be prepared to write at least 10 scripts before writing a “good” one. If you continue to read and study other scripts, learn from your own writing, each script you write will get better and better and by the 10th one you’ll probably have something that’s pretty good.
Good luck!
by Ashley Scott Meyers on January 20, 2010
I got this question recently:
“In a situation where a producer or production company reads my query letter and loves the idea, what do I do if a producer ask me to sign a release form before I can submit the script?”
Release forms are a very normal part of the screenplay submission process. When making cold submissions I would say that roughly half of the producers will require that you sign one before they will read your screenplay.
In all cases you should read the release form and make sure you understand what you’re signing. If you have questions, as with any legal matter, you should seek the advice of a qualified entertainment attorney.
In my experience (and I’ve signed hundreds of release forms over the years) I’ve never read one that really said much of anything.
In general they usually state that you won’t sue the production company if they use ideas that are similar to the ideas in your script if those ideas are not copyrightable. This is in no way a license to steal your work, it’s simply stating the obvious.
In some cases the release form will state that any litigation that you do bring against them involving this submission will be taken to arbitration. It still doesn’t give them the right to steal your ideas and if they do it’ll be cheaper for you to sue them, so that’s good for you as the writer. However, it protects them a bit from a frivolous lawsuits because they’ll be able to defend themselves without spending as much money to do so. Again, though, if you really have a legitimate complaint against them going to arbitration is going to be a good thing for you as a writer because it will be much cheaper to litigate.
It is possible that a shady producer might try and get you to sign something that’s not reasonable or normal so be careful. I’ve never had that happen, though.
by Ashley Scott Meyers on January 13, 2010
I got these questions recently:
“I’ve seen websites that recommend using the agents’ first name on the ‘Dear…’ line, and other websites where they discourage this? What do you think?
Is it better to send a self-addressed, stamped envelope or a self-addressed, stamped postcard? I’ve heard postcard and envelope. Is the trend more toward postcards? What’s your take?”
I usually write the first and last name and do NOT use the “Dear” part. For example:
Joe Smith; instead of Dear Joe Smith;
I think this is appropriate and professional. I think using just the first name is too casual considering you don’t know this person. Also, using my method with both a first and last name avoids the gender issue, so you don’t have to worry about getting the “Mr.”, “Ms.”, or “Mrs.” wrong.
I always use a self-addressed stamped postcard when mailing query letters. It’s easy and cheap for everyone involved. The producer can simply write a quick note on the back of it and drop it in the mail. With an envelope, even if it’s stamped, the producer still has to write a letter and stuff it in, which is a lot of work for a busy producer. In this day and age make sure that your email address is on your query letter and easy to find because I’ve found that in most cases a producer will simply drop me an email if they want to read my script even if I’ve included a self-addressed stamped postcard.
by Ashley Scott Meyers on January 6, 2010
Someone recently sent me this pitch for review:
Title: The Question
Logline: Random daily encounters lead a brilliant thirty-something to a different
perception of his body.
Synopsis:
What would you do if tomorrow you discovered that there is nothing in your head? If you could no longer put a sandwich in your mouth nor drink a glass of water? If your heart stopped beating? If you found that you are unable to die but all the people that you speak with won’t find anything out of the ordinary
in what is happening to you?
Matrix has shown us what can hide behind the word “reality”. The evolution of a certain idea can put the spotlight on the protagonist that gives meaning to our “reality”. We need only ask the following question: “why is our brain the most complex organ in the universe?”
To be honest I do not have a background very different to many of the others who send you their screenplay. I love to ask myself questions and, like in my story, I have tried to give a simple answer in an amusing and enjoyable way.
Well… it seems interesting but I don’t see a clear story line with a protagonist and a real thrust to an ending.
Your synopsis is very abstract and it needs to be concrete. For instance in your logline, I’m not sure what “a different perception of his body” means. We need to know who the protagonist is, who the antagonist is, what the central conflict is, and at least some idea about the resolution. A story, and especially a film, is about a journey with a beginning, middle, and ending. Those things aren’t clear in either your synopsis or your logline. But it should be clear in both.
I wouldn’t say this: “To be honest I do not have a background very different to many of the others who send you their screenplay.” Aside from the grammatical problems it doesn’t sound professional. What’s the point in telling a producer that you’re a novice? If there any upside to that? Act professional and you will be treated professionally.
You should check out my posts about Writing a screenplay logline and Writing a synopsis for your screenplay.
Good luck!
