Sending Your Screenplay Query Letter to Your Database of Contacts

by Ashley Scott Meyers on May 15, 2012

By now you should have a log line, query letter, and a database of industry contacts. In this article we’re going to tie everything together and start making some query letter submissions.

In this day and age there are basically three ways of making a cold submission; regular “snail” mail, email and faxes.

I used to do a ton with regular mail, sending out thousands of query letters this way. I’m finding now that the cost and time simply don’t justify it since I can send out emails and faxes so quickly and cheaply. However, if you’re not going to do large blasts like I do and take advantage of the tools that allow you to send large volumes of queries, you might seriously consider mailing your query letter. Most people are not sending hard letters anymore, so I actually think this method will become more effective in the coming years as less and less people use it, making your letter stand out more.

Since you have all the contact information in an Excel spreadsheet you can use MS Word’s Mail Merge function to create a nice looking letter with a proper heading and address for each company on it, making your letter look a lot less like a form letter. I recommend that you hand write the addresses on all the envelopes when you send them out. I’ve seen a nice jump in the response rate with handwritten names and addresses on the envelopes. I think this is because printed labels, while easy, look more like junk mail and may get discarded before even being read. If the envelope is handwritten someone in the office at least has to open it to see what it is.

I’ve found that faxing a query letter to a company is a very effective way to send cold query letters (which is why I include faxes in my own email / fax blast service). Most other writers don’t send faxes, which is why I think it works so well. If you use any number of fax services to send your letter, it can be very cheap and actually easier than sending out email.

I use a service called FlatRateFax.com but there are many others out there that do the same thing. You can upload your query letter in MS Word doc format and your Excel spreadsheet of addresses to FlatRateFax.com and they will merge the documents and send out the faxes to all the fax numbers in your spreadsheet. It takes a little bit of time setting up the files properly, but once you’ve done it you can blast out query letters in next to no time and for a pretty reasonable price, too.

Overall, though, email is the easiest and cheapest way to send out query letters. You want to be careful sending out large volumes of mail using a free Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo account as they will turn your account off if they think you’re sending out spam. So stagger your submissions and don’t try and send out too many on any given day. Check out my post: Submitting Your Screenplay Via Email – How To Create A Catchy Subject Line.

You’re going to get turned down a lot, in fact the vast majority of the time. Do not let rejection slow you down. Not even a little. I don’t. Any success I’ve had optioning and selling scripts is a direct result of me plowing forward even in the face of mountains of rejection letters. If you can get a positive response rate anywhere near 2% from any of these methods I would say you’re doing pretty well. Think about that for a moment. For every 100 letters you send out, you’re doing well if you get two script requests. Agents and especially managers seem the most open to reading material from new writers, so you should see a slightly higher response rate from them (maybe as high as 5%). But you’ll rarely see much more than about 2% from producers.

I would recommend starting out with 200 queries to gauge the effectiveness of your letter. Once you start to get a few script requests you can step it up and start to do mass blasts. By only doing 200 letters at a time you won’t be alienating lots of producers with half baked letters and ideas. If you can’t get a few script requests out of a couple hundred letters you’re not ready for a massive campaign. You’ll need to take a long hard look at your query letter and log line and rewrite them. Try again with another 200 letters and measure results again. Rewrite and try again. And just keep trying until you’re getting some producers to read your scripts.

High concept log lines get a much better response rate than smaller indie type films. While this seems obvious, I would say this is one of the biggest problems I see with new writers. New writers often don’t consider the market place at all when they write their first few scripts (I know I didn’t). While “passion projects” are often fun to write, they’re usually impossible to sell. Positive response to your query letter will dwindle a lot if your idea isn’t high concept and marketable. So keep that in mind when you’re sending letters out and when you’re conceiving of new projects to write.

I have over 600 agents and managers and over 1000 producers in my database so with some work hopefully you can build a database that large, too, to really give your screenplay a wide reach. The last screenplay that I optioned through cold query letter blasts took four blasts. I did one initial blast to my list of agents and managers, and while I did get a few offers for representation, I didn’t get any that I felt would really help me. So then I blasted it three times to my producer list. It was the exact same query letter all four times and the response rate did dwindle each time. But eventually I did option the screenplay. So you need to build your database up to a significant number of contacts, and you need to hit each contact multiple times with each pitch. Obviously you’ll want to respect people’s time and if they ask to be removed from your list you should remove them. In my experience this rarely happens as long as you’re submitting a professional looking query letter.

As I’ve mentioned before, I offer an email and fax blast service where you simply provide a query letter and I blast it for you to my list. If you want to save yourself some time building and then sending to your own list you might consider my service. To learn more about my service go here: Query letter submission service.

Bonus Tip: Hopefully you collected phone numbers in your database! Cold calling production companies can work quite well. I once hired a phone salesperson to cold call production companies and pitch one of my screenplays. She was able to get five script requests out of only ten total phone calls. I’ve had friends who have tried this method, too, and it’s quite effective. I suspect one of the reasons it’s so effective is because most screenwriters (like me) won’t do it. If you’re good at selling over the phone, you should seriously consider trying this. Finding phone numbers for companies is usually easier than finding a fax number or an email address so your pool of companies to pitch to should be quite large.

Another great source of young producers looking for material is online sites devoted to screenwriters like Stage 32 and even places like Craig’s List. Read my post about submitting your screenplay to online ads like this: Submitting your screenplay to Craig’s List postings.

Since you’ve already spent the time crafting a log line and query letter, it’s quite easy to make these sorts of submissions so it’s definitely worth doing. I sold my first screenplay, Dish Dogs, many years ago by submitting to a company who had an open call for script submissions in one of the trade magazines. So you never know where these leads might go.

Warning: The ideas I’ve proposed above should not be used if they violate any local or state laws which they very well might since these emails and faxes may be considered SPAM. Most areas have laws forbidding SPAM and by sending unsolicited material to a company you may very well be spamming them. I’ve never had any problems; however, you should consult with a lawyer if you have any questions about the laws in your area.

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Building a Database of Agents, Managers and Producers

by Ashley Scott Meyers on May 8, 2012

At this stage I’m assuming you have a well written log line and a well written query letter. If not, please go back and write your log line and query letter as soon as possible. They are imperative to moving forward. Click here to read my articles on those topics: Writing A Screenplay Log Line, How to write a professional query letter for your screenplay

Many new writers feel helpless because they don’t know where or how to submit their script. I know for myself, I never had the motivation to write anything until I had some idea about who to send it to. This article will help you build your own database of industry connections.

I actually got my start by sending out query letters using a Writer’s Digest book called Writer’s Market. In some ways I owe my screenwriting career to this book. In college, I had a class that met in the library. One day I arrived early to class and the classroom door was locked. So I wandered across the hallway and went into the poetry reading room. There I found the Writer’s Market and noticed the section geared towards screenwriters. I picked a few and started submitting. While I didn’t get a positive response to my poorly written query letter, it was enough to get me writing and learning. You can read more about my story on my Welcome page.

This book still exists and it has a small section where it lists production companies who will accept material from new writers. I’ve found this list to be pretty good. It’s not a huge list of companies, but the companies listed are usually more open to unsolicited material than other lists you’ll find. So if you want a nice little list to begin your marketing efforts I highly recommend this one. I can almost guarantee that if you have a solid log line and a professional query letter and you submit to their entire list you will get at least a few companies requesting your screenplay. You can buy the Writer’s Market at Amazon.com by clicking here. You can probably find this book at your local public library, too, if you’re on a budget.

Another great source of data is The Hollywood Creative Directory. I hesitate to mention this company at this time because it appears as though they’ve gone out of business. But you can still buy many of their directories. In their directories they list every company in the entertainment business and their listings usually have a name, address, and phone number and sometimes a fax number and email address, too. They have several versions. The main one has production company information but they also have an “Agents and Managers” version if you want to query agents and managers.

These directories are by far the most comprehensive and easiest to use listings in the entertainment industry. I’ve had my biggest successes over the years submitting cold query letters to these companies. So it’s a shame that they’ve gone out of business. The good news is that as of this writing (May 2012) the directories are still available for purchase. You can buy them from Amazon.com by clicking here.

I think one of the reasons that The Hollywood Creative Directory has gone out of business is because of IMDBPro.com. While IMDBPro isn’t as easy to use, it actually seems to have more data than the HCD did. So going forward this is probably your best alternative. It’s a bit pricey and has a monthly recurring charge, but it you’re strapped for cash you can sign up for their free trial and cancel before they bill you. Just make sure you really use it during that free trial period.

What you’re going to want to do on IMDBPro is simply start clicking around on film titles and drilling down to the companies who made these films and copying and pasting their contact information into your own spreadsheet. Or clicking on specific names and drilling down to find their agent or manager contact information. While this can take a bit of time, once you’ve put these companies information into your own spreadsheet you’re going to be able to contact them over and over again with all of your scripts. You might even consider partnering with another writer and dividing the work up and then combining your lists.

You can sign up for IMDBPro.com by clicking here.

A great free resource for building your database of writer’s agents is the WGA West list of signatory agents. It can be found here: http://www.wga.org/agency/agencylist.aspx.

The WGA East has their own list which can be found here:
http://www.writeisright.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/WGAe-Agency-List.pdf.

It only lists company names, addresses and phone numbers. If you drill down into IMDBPro, however, you can find actual agents names, fax numbers, and even sometimes emails, too. So in combination with IMDBPro the WGA list can be quite useful.

The WGA list, however, is going to be the hardest list to crack. These companies already have lots of clients and they’re not going to want to read material from new writers in most cases. I have been able to get my scripts to some agents from this list, so it is possible, but it’s not going to be easy.

There are probably other listings that I don’t know about so keep your eyes open. If you find another source of this sort of information please let me know as I’m always looking to build and update my own database.

I’ve also had some success submitting query letters to production companies who advertise that they’re looking for screenplays. So don’t underestimate these sorts of listings. These listings used to be found in the back of trade journals like Variety but seem to be listed now on various websites like Craig’s List. Check out my post: Submitting your screenplay to Craig’s List postings.

In fact, the first screenplay I ever optioned and sold, Dish Dogs, was actually the result of submitting to an ad that I found in the back of one of the trade magazines. The producers who advertise online like this are usually looking for smaller, indy type films so if that’s the type of film you have keep an eye on these sorts of listings.

Keep in mind, this list is just my list, it’s not an exhaustive list. So always keep looking for new opportunities where you can submit your screenplay. Recently I had a writer email me who said he had optioned a script by networking on Twitter and Facebook. He wrote a guest post on my blog which you can read here: Networking Online – How One Screenwriter Optioned His Screenplay By Networking Online.

I offer an email / fax blast service where all you have to do is provide a query letter and I send it to my database of contacts. I’ve spent many hours compiling my database just as I outline above. So if you don’t want to spend time building your own database, you might consider giving my service a try. But keep in mind, my service isn’t anything you can’t do on your own if you’re willing to spend the time. To learn more about my email / fax blast service go here: Query letter submission service.

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The Cheapest Way to Query Producers

by Ashley Scott Meyers on May 2, 2012

Quite often I get emails from people who are on a tight budget and they’re wondering what the cheapest way to query agents, managers, and producers is.

I offer a fairly inexpensive email / fax blast service which goes to either agents/managers or producers. You can learn more about it by going here: Query letter submission service.

But some people are on a very tight budget, so they don’t want to spend the money on my blast service, which I totally understand. My blast service, while effective, isn’t the only way to succeed. There is nothing magical about my blast service. It just saves you the hassle and time of having to build your own database of company information. But you can build your own list yourself, it just takes a bit of time.

I wrote this post a little while ago: Cheapest way to access the Hollywood Creative Directory. But it appears to be outdated as the HCD seems to have gone offline, and perhaps out of business. Hopefully they’ll return.

But the good news is that there are other sources for this information. IMDBPro is probably the main source that people are using today to track down company information. While IMDBPro does charge a monthly fee, they give you a free trail and as long as you cancel before the trial is over they won’t charge you. So this is actually a free way to build your own industry contacts. You just have to do it quickly while the free trial is active.

If I were starting out today building my own database I would probably start by searching for films that are in the same budget range (not necessarily genre) as my film. I would drill into the company information and start collecting it in my own Excel spreadsheet.

My blasts are a bit of a shotgun approach, essentially hitting every agent, manager, and production company, and this approach would be a more precise approach. I prefer the shotgun approach, as it’s worked for me, but I think this approach can work too. I had an actor friend recently who found an agent using this approach, hand picking the companies she submitted to and custom writing her query letter for each company. It worked and she got an agent.

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Will you sell my screenplay for half of the proceeds and a shared writing credit?

by Ashley Scott Meyers on April 25, 2012

I get emails quite often that go something like this:

“I’ve written a fantastic, marketable screenplay which is sure to be a huge international success, but I have no idea how to sell it. Will you sell my screenplay for me? I’ll give you half of the proceeds when it’s sold and I’ll even share writing credit with you.”

The short answer is, no. I won’t. I find it ironic that my entire blog is about empowering up-and-coming screenwriters with the tools and knowledge to sell their screenplays themselves but yet people think it’s a better option to just email me and see if I’ll sell it for them. Hmmmm.

Now for the long answer, which will hopefully help people (and stop some of these emails!).

I wrote this post a while ago which goes into more depth about why I typically won’t work with random people who contact me through my blog. Check it out here:

Will you polish or rewrite my screenplay for me?

Selling a screenplay is really hard. It takes a lot of time and energy. I find that I struggle to keep up with the marketing of my own screenplays, so taking on another writer’s screenplay simply isn’t feasible. There aren’t enough hours in the day for me to work on more than my own projects.

Everything I know about selling screenplays I share on this blog. Really. Absolutely everything. I’m not holding anything back. If you read my blog regularly and you go back and read older posts you will know 100% of what I know about selling screenplays. I’m certainly not the most accomplished screenwriter in the world but I have sold a few scripts. And I believe that you too can sell your own screenplay if you work at it. Hopefully my blog can help you in your pursuit. Please let me know if it does.

I’ve written one big post which summarizes my strategy and links to other posts which should get you started. Check it out here:

How to Sell Your Screenplay (in a nutshell)

Also, this is a good post to check out too if you’re struggling to find an audience for your work and wonder what you should do next:

I don’t hold the keys to your success.

And of course I even offer a whole host of screenwriting marketing tools which can help you sell your screenplay. Check them out here:

Screenwriting Marketing Tools

Good luck!

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Notes from a script lab in India

by Ashley Scott Meyers on April 18, 2012

I recently received an email from Vikas Chandra, an Indian screenwriter who recently participated in the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab in his home country. I get a lot of emails from writers who are from outside the U.S.A. and my advice is always the same; try and find local opportunities. This is just one great example of someone who did exactly that.

Anyway, you can read his full story by checking out this blog post:
Notes from a script lab – Which side of the river do you want to be on?

If you’re trying to break into Hollywood from outside the United States check out these two posts:

Breaking in to Hollywood from outside the United States
Breaking into Hollywood from outside the United States Part 2

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I’ll do what ever it takes to sell my screenplay

by Ashley Scott Meyers on April 17, 2012

I get a lot of very passionate emails from people that proclaim their undying commitment to screenwriting. They usually go something like this:

“I’ll do what ever it takes for as long as it takes to sell my screenplay.”

Or more specifically something like this:

“I will do whatever I need to do to make it happen even if that means sleeping in front of the office door of a producer.”

People put too much emphasis on events (i.e. making a big sale) and don’t spend enough time focusing on the process that lead up to the event. This is important to realize. A screenwriting career isn’t a wall that you must blast through with one huge burst of energy. It’s a slow gradual process that takes shape over the course of many years. Of course there are those lucky few who seem to come out of nowhere and become huge stars overnight. It does happen and it’s one of the things that makes the entertainment industry so exciting. But there is an old saying in Hollywood that goes something like this: “the overnight success took ten years.” Keep that in mind. Life is long. A screenwriting career is like a marathon not a sprint. Figure out a plan that you can stick to for the long haul. Don’t burn out on unsustainable bursts of half-backed ideas like sleeping at a producer’s office.

Don’t worry, this post isn’t just to tell you what NOT to do. I also have a few ideas about what you should be doing.

Virtually every screenwriter I’ve ever meet has a different story about how they broke in. The event differs. But there is almost always a common thread to all the stories, and that’s the hard work the person put in before they broke in. The process is almost always the same. I’ve meet screenwriters who broke in by working at an agency or production company. I’ve meet screenwriters who broke in by knowing someone who knew an agent or producer. I’ve meet screenwriters who broke in by sending out cold query letters to agents and producers. I’ve meet screenwriters who broke in by getting a referral from their film school professors. There really are countless stories about how screenwriters broke into the industry.

But nearly every one of them tells the same story about the ground work they laid before they broke in. They wrote screenplays at night, early in the morning, and on weekends while their friends partied, watched television, or slept. They wrote their screenplays when they didn’t feel like writing and didn’t feel inspired. They read screenplays on the morning commute or during their lunch break while their friends read the newspaper or chatted about last night’s ballgame. They went to screenwriting events and networked or they worked non/low paying jobs at production companies to build their industry connections or they sent out a ton of cold query letters to agents and producers.

Incidentally, I’ve met dozens of working screenwriters and I’ve never met a single one who had rich parents who bank rolled their beginning screenwriting career. Nor have I ever met one who broke in because of nepotism. The process (of working hard) is always there. I’m not saying this has never happened, I’m sure it has, but it’s a very common excuse used by people who don’t want to do the work.

So don’t get caught up in spectacular events like sleeping outside a producer’s office or making that million dollar spec sale. Concentrate on the process. The process isn’t as dramatic or sexy as the event but it works.

If you do all of these things does it guarantee you will succeed? Of course not. But it gives you the best chance. And if you really did persevere for 10 years or so I’d be surprised if you didn’t have at least a produced credit or two.

I make a real effort to make this blog as useful and practical as possible. So I always like to actually give specific examples about how you can put my advice into action.

There is basically two sides to the process. Becoming a better screenwriter is one side which includes lots of writing, lots of reading other people’s screenplays, and seeing lots of movies. Then there is the marketing and selling side. With this blog I try and concentrate on the marketing/selling side of the process.

There are dozens of ways to market your screenplay. I would say from what I’ve seen the most typical is the film student or recent college graduate who gets a job at a production company or agency, makes contacts, and then networks their way to getting their material read.

I was never good at these low paying jobs so I didn’t win any friends doing them, and I’m horrible at networking (schmoozing), so this avenue didn’t really work for me. I am diligent and persistent so I started sending out query letters and I’ve never stopped. Every option and sale that I’ve made has been through a query letter.

A big part of this strategy is getting the database and sending out the query letters. I offer this in my email fax blast service. But you do NOT have to use my service to use this strategy, you can do it all yourself as I outline in my post, How to Sell Your Screenplay (in a nutshell).

Again, you still can’t forget about the other side of the process – the writing – but you must have a marketing plan in place too.

A few months back I wrote a post called the 100% guaranteed sure fire way to get your screenplay made into a movie. If you haven’t already read it, check it out. I think this post is a good actionable piece of the marketing process. Raising money isn’t easy and it takes a ton of work, but it is a great way to get your script turned into a movie and to start building your resume.

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Approaching distributors with your screenplay

by Ashley Scott Meyers on April 11, 2012

I got this question recently:

“I am taking a hard look at the “100% guaranteed sure fire way to get your screenplay made into a movie” school of thought for my film.

I have decided to go the reverse route to finding funding. Because my film is niche, I plan to approach distributors with my query letter, synopsis and a sneak peek promo I shot to see if I can secure distribution to entice production companies and possible investors.

My question is: Could I pretty much use the same letter and synopsis that I would approach production companies with? I’m thinking it might be that simple. What do you think? Any and all responses are greatly appreciated.”

I have worked with a few distributors on some of my own projects but I’m not a distributor, so take my advice with at least one grain of sale.

To answer your question, yes, I think you could use the same basic query letter. Which to me, points out the potential problem with your plan. You’re trading one very hard task (approaching producers) with what I think is probably an even harder task (trying to get a distributor to give you funding or some sort of distribution commitment). There really isn’t a big difference in approaching distributors vs producers, which is why the same query letter would work. But there’s also not a big difference in their willingness to take on new projects, in fact I think it would be harder to get a distributor to respond to your query letter than it would a producer.

What you’re doing here is producing. Which I think is a great way to move your project forward. Specifically what you’re trying to do is pre-sell your film. Pre-selling a film in certain territories (usually overseas) is a fairly standard way of raising financing. However, what I’ve found, especially in today’s market, is that in order for a distributor to get involved in a project, especially in the early stages, is that they’re going to want some major elements attached to the project, namely star talent. If you have that you might be able to line up some distribution.

I would say if you just pitch your script as if you were pitching a producer you’re chances of success are far less than if you just pitched directly to a producer. Producers are usually looking for material to develop and many of them will read material from new writers. But distributors are NOT set up to develop material, so unless your product is significantly developed, I can’t see a distributor wanting to get involved.

So you’re next question might be: “What does significantly developed mean?” Distributors are used to having producers pitch them projects. A significantly developed project means you have most of the major elements in place like a director, actors, and a polished ready to shoot screenplay, and perhaps even some below the line talent like a line producer and cinematographer. Distributors are not in the business of developing screenplays so if the screenplay is your only element I don’t think you’ll find much interest. As a writer with no track record as a writer or producer, I don’t see that you’re really providing any value to the distributors and yet you’re asking them to take a huge risk.

In my post The 100% guaranteed sure fire way to get your screenplay made into a movie my main point was to step outside of the usual Hollywood avenues and try something new. Try and raise money from people who aren’t connected to Hollywood. Try and get some actors attached. Try and shoot a film using what ever money and equipment you have available to you. You mention that your screenplay is very niche, this might be another source of potential funding for your project. Does this niche have a group of people who you could connect with? Maybe you could crowd fund your project if there is a passionate group of people interested in your niche. Or maybe there are businesses in your niche who might see advertising opportunities in your film. For instance, if your film is about online dating, maybe you could contact a dating website and specifically use their website in the movie for some sort of partial financing of the film. Or if your film is about drunk driving maybe you could approach MADD and they could tell their passionate tribe of followers about your film and some of them would donate money through a crowd sourcing website like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo.

With all that said, I certainly think it’s worth a try so by all means approach distributors and see if you can get any interst. As with anything in life, you never know for sure if something is going to work unless you actually try it.

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How do I know when my screenplay is finished?

by Ashley Scott Meyers on April 4, 2012

I got this question recently:

“I have been writing a fantasy screenplay and have been rewriting it for the last 9 months. How do I know when it’s ready to be pitched and sent out to the industry?”

There’s an old Hollywood saying that goes something like this: “A screenplay is never finished, it’s abandoned.” I think there is some real truth to this. Even the screenplays that have made it into production as I watch the finished films I often second guess choices I made and come up with ideas to make it better. So at some point you have to let go and push your creation out into the world and see if it flies or not.

In general as I’ve written more and more I’ve gained a feel for where a screenplay needs to be before I send it out. I have a pretty good system in place to push my first drafts through, which will help me in the rewriting process. You should build a similar system.

I have a few trusted writer/producer/actor/agent/manager friends who I send my material to and get their feedback. In addition, as I develop material I usually bring them into my writers group. (If you live in the Los Angeles area we’re always looking for great writers to join us so check out the group’s webpage at: http://www.deadlinejunkies.com/). In the group actors read the material and the other writers give me notes, sometimes harsh, so I can go back and do more revisions. So by the time I feel like my material is ready to go I’ve heard actors read the lines and I’ve gotten quiet a bit of feedback from industry professionals, and usually made several major revisions.

The point is you can get to close to your own material so you need to get feedback from outsiders who are industry professionals. If you don’t have this sort of network yet you might spending a few dollars and hiring a script consultant.

I recommend Script Quack which is run by several of the writers in my group. They give a discount to my readers so you just enter the discount code “sellingyourscreenplay” (without the quotes) on the discount page which can be found here: http://www.scriptquack.com/discountpage.html.

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Do you believe I can make it as a screenwriter?

by Ashley Scott Meyers on March 28, 2012

I got an email recently with a few questions in it:

“A few hours ago me and a friend of mine decided to write a story, soon to be screenplay, despite our total lack of credentials. We are both in college for, what I guess roughly translates to, Computer Engineering. So we have something to fall back on if this dream doesn´t come true. All we really have is our love of movies, good stories and what we believe is the ability to write something great.

Do you believe there is even a remote chance this can work? We wouldn’t have a way of financing it, we know no one in the industry, nor do we know anyone who would finance this. We have no desire to direct, mostly sell the script to a producer who can get someone to finance it.

Also, I would like to know if the writers remain involved in the process after the sale. Will me and my friend be able to accompany the entire process of turning a screenplay into a movie (if such a thing happens), or get entirely shut out?

Does the fact that we are from, and live, in another country (Portugal) worsen our chances?”

It can most definitely work. But that’s not the question. The real question is, is it worth the effort? How much are you willing to sacrifice and give up to make this dream a reality? If you’re just going to write a few scripts and send them out that’s probably not going to do much. But if you’re willing to devout your life to this pursuit, it can happen. But becoming a great screenwriter takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication. Most successful people in Hollywood didn’t have family or friends in the industry when they started. They began their career just as you are beginning your career now. But they stuck with it for many years and continued to work at their trade until they found success. So the question is, are you willing to take screenwriting seriously enough to give yourself a real chance to make it happen? It’s not for everyone and it’s certainly not a sin to decline the challenge. But it’s not going to happen easily.

In general you will probably sell your screenplay and all rights to it. It really depends how involved the producers want you and what sort of relationship you have with them. In some cases it will be little but in some cases they may keep you very involved. It really just depends.

And yes, living far away from Hollywood is a disadvantage for sure. Can you move to Los Angeles? Do you have that much dedication? There are lots of computer engineering jobs in LA (in fact there are a lot of all types of jobs in LA) so you should be able to find something to pay the bills while you pursue screenwriting. You also might try networking with local filmmakers to build up your resume. Check out this post: Breaking in to Hollywood from outside the United States.

In addition I’ve written a good number of posts about moving to and living here in Los Angeles. Check them out here: http://www.sellingyourscreenplay.com/tag/living-in-los-angeles/

Specially this post might be helpful: Do you have to live in Los Angeles to be a screenwriter?

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Kickstarter campaign – After You

by Ashley Scott Meyers on March 21, 2012

I have some friends who are trying to raise money for a short film they’re doing on Kickstarter.com.

Here is a summary of it:

“After You” is a comedy short about a 40 year old man going through not a mid-life crisis, but an afterlife crisis. Wayne Thomas Yorke (Meet the Fockers, Star Trek: Voyager) has been cast in the lead. The film will be shot on the RED – the same camera that both Contagion and The Social Network were filmed on. We’re trying to raise funds to pay for sound, cinematography, locations and more. Check out the campaign, share it, or even donate if you like what you see.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/37639035/after-you-short-film

If you’re unfamiliar with Kickstarter, it’s a crowd sourcing website. Basically you create a project on Kickstarter.com and then you try and raise money for your project. If you don’t raise 100% of what you were trying to raise all money is returned to the donors. It’s not a silver bullet to film financing and you’re not going to be able to raise money easily. But what it does do is allows your supporters to give money to your project in small increments and become active participants in your success.

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