Okay, so I finished writing a draft of my script and I’m ready to try and find representation for it. I went to the WGA website and printed the list of agencies. I know some want a query letter as well as a synopsis or both together. My story is a Sci-fi action script, I was wondering, considering the list is almost 10 pages long. Should I call each one first and ask if they are looking for a Sci-fi script and or specialized in that genre? I’ve never sold or attempted to sell anything before. I’ve mostly been hobby writing, I have although entered in short contests, that’s about it. I also know and will register the script before I do anything with any agency.
Selling a script question?
- Thread starter red hawk
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2008
- Messages
- 941
- Reaction score
- 124
- Location
- Princeville, Kauai
- Website
- www.loreleiarmstrong.com
Has anyone else read your script?
Group members, friends, industry people, instructors?
Since you're in Pas, you could go to the next meeting of the Alameda Writers Group at the Glendale Library, and let some like minded people look your script over.
If this is your first script, it's probably not ready to sell.
Then there's the dreaded, "What else you got?" question. The best answer is, "Another brilliant script in the same genre, but with even broader appeal!" or words to that effect that don't make you sound like a crazy person. (It's okay to be a crazy person. You just can't sound like one.)
Group members, friends, industry people, instructors?
Since you're in Pas, you could go to the next meeting of the Alameda Writers Group at the Glendale Library, and let some like minded people look your script over.
If this is your first script, it's probably not ready to sell.
Then there's the dreaded, "What else you got?" question. The best answer is, "Another brilliant script in the same genre, but with even broader appeal!" or words to that effect that don't make you sound like a crazy person. (It's okay to be a crazy person. You just can't sound like one.)
A draft?
You mean the final, perfect, beta-read, polished draft, right? No point trying to sell anything less.
I don't have any experience with US agents, but I'd recommend doing some research and finding out which have produced films similar to yours in the past. I'm not sure if registering is really that important these days - I've heard a lot of people question its value. Do your research, unless you have money to throw away!
You mean the final, perfect, beta-read, polished draft, right? No point trying to sell anything less.
I don't have any experience with US agents, but I'd recommend doing some research and finding out which have produced films similar to yours in the past. I'm not sure if registering is really that important these days - I've heard a lot of people question its value. Do your research, unless you have money to throw away!
No I haven't. I've heard good things about it, and I probably will join soon.
I used the Alameda group as an example. They're big, fairly well known, close to Pasadena, and they've been around a while. Another well known group is the Scriptwriters Network. They have their meetings in Hollywood, usually, though sometimes in Burbank.
You can also search around for groups on your own, and take classes at UCLA Extension. Becoming part of a community of writers and filmmakers will help you figure out where you stand in the great scheme of things, and what you need to do to move to the next level.
There's a blog, Film Diva, written by a former producer/agent. One of her posts tells you what to put in a package to submit to an agency - I think she calls it the Shark Sub, or something like that. She makes it clear that one script is not enough. You want to have a portfolio of work.
I used the Alameda group as an example. They're big, fairly well known, close to Pasadena, and they've been around a while. Another well known group is the Scriptwriters Network. They have their meetings in Hollywood, usually, though sometimes in Burbank.
You can also search around for groups on your own, and take classes at UCLA Extension. Becoming part of a community of writers and filmmakers will help you figure out where you stand in the great scheme of things, and what you need to do to move to the next level.
There's a blog, Film Diva, written by a former producer/agent. One of her posts tells you what to put in a package to submit to an agency - I think she calls it the Shark Sub, or something like that. She makes it clear that one script is not enough. You want to have a portfolio of work.
The general 'rule' is that you shouldn't start to submit until you have 3 completed scripts. You can only query one, but they always want to know what else you have.
While it certainly makes sense to have several scripts, the truth is that you only need ONE.
A portfolio is not necessary.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't have written twenty crappy scripts before this one, but an agent only needs one script to sell and make a writer's career.
When I first started teaching, a student of mine completed his first full length screenplay and sold it in a deal worth 1.3 million dollars. Later, he became the youngest creator/showrunner in TV history and currently has two shows on two networks. Huge success, millions of dollars - all from one script. No portfolio.
If it's the right script - something hot that an agent can sell - one script is enough.
Most of the agents I work with - and the new writers I know - have broken through the spec market with just one script.
A portfolio is not necessary.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't have written twenty crappy scripts before this one, but an agent only needs one script to sell and make a writer's career.
When I first started teaching, a student of mine completed his first full length screenplay and sold it in a deal worth 1.3 million dollars. Later, he became the youngest creator/showrunner in TV history and currently has two shows on two networks. Huge success, millions of dollars - all from one script. No portfolio.
If it's the right script - something hot that an agent can sell - one script is enough.
Most of the agents I work with - and the new writers I know - have broken through the spec market with just one script.
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2008
- Messages
- 941
- Reaction score
- 124
- Location
- Princeville, Kauai
- Website
- www.loreleiarmstrong.com
http://filmdiva.blogspot.com/2006/06/inserting-foot-in-door.html
A portfolio isn't absolutely necessary, but it is desirable, and some people require it.
The idea of selling one great script is a lot more fun, though, and the chance to live the fantasy is what this town is all about.
On the other hand, if y'all are really in the habit of giving big assignments to a writer who's written a single hot script, well, that explains a lot.
A portfolio isn't absolutely necessary, but it is desirable, and some people require it.
The idea of selling one great script is a lot more fun, though, and the chance to live the fantasy is what this town is all about.
On the other hand, if y'all are really in the habit of giving big assignments to a writer who's written a single hot script, well, that explains a lot.
Your stories are very encouraging. But as someone who had that meeting 5 years ago with a big Producer that went:
Producer: We like your script, but this isn't the kind of thing we're looking for right now, what else do you have?
Me: <crickets>
I have not had been able to get a face to face meeting with another Producer of that stature since... (not because no one will see me or anything like that, just because meetings like that are hard to come by for un-agented writers).
So I tend to advise people to err on the side of caution, but that's only because I've been burned.
If you're a writer, WRITE!
Yes, you can certainly start a career simply by having one great screenplay. It happens. But do all you can to have at least two or three scripts in the ol' briefcase. Here's an excerpt from my website (link below). It pretty well sums up my feelings on this particular topic...
"I think it’s important for managers and agents to know your creative well hasn’t gone dry after penning just one script—and it’s also important to have more than just one script in hand when you start meeting with producers. For instance...not long ago, my manager and I had a meeting at the home of a fairly well-known producer/director. We brought along three scripts that we felt might compliment his abilities. So we pitched the first script, a comedy. Nope, he doesn’t want to do comedies anymore. A psycho-thriller? Nope, not his cup of tea right now. A creepy horror tale? Bingo! He took the script, promised he'd have it read soon. This sort of thing has happened to me several times. If they don’t like one idea, hit ‘em with another, then another, then another. Nope, I can't imagine having just one or two scripts in my repertoire. If you’re a writer, WRITE!"
Yes, you can certainly start a career simply by having one great screenplay. It happens. But do all you can to have at least two or three scripts in the ol' briefcase. Here's an excerpt from my website (link below). It pretty well sums up my feelings on this particular topic...
"I think it’s important for managers and agents to know your creative well hasn’t gone dry after penning just one script—and it’s also important to have more than just one script in hand when you start meeting with producers. For instance...not long ago, my manager and I had a meeting at the home of a fairly well-known producer/director. We brought along three scripts that we felt might compliment his abilities. So we pitched the first script, a comedy. Nope, he doesn’t want to do comedies anymore. A psycho-thriller? Nope, not his cup of tea right now. A creepy horror tale? Bingo! He took the script, promised he'd have it read soon. This sort of thing has happened to me several times. If they don’t like one idea, hit ‘em with another, then another, then another. Nope, I can't imagine having just one or two scripts in my repertoire. If you’re a writer, WRITE!"
Well this all has been some great advice, I do however had 4 completed scripts. I have another one I just started writing.
Thanks MrJayvee, I have heard some great advice in the past that being, " the secret to writing is writing". - Writers bootcamp
Thanks MrJayvee, I have heard some great advice in the past that being, " the secret to writing is writing". - Writers bootcamp
First let me preface all this by saying it would be irresponsible to tell writers not to have a portfolio of scripts. Writers should be cranking out 2-3 scripts a year. It’s wise to have as many tricks up your sleeve as possible (though I will continue to preach that new writers should pick a genre and stick to it). Increasing your output of scripts increases your odds of stumbling upon your one script that will open the doors to a professional career. However, IMO, "portfolios" are more important for the writer than they are as a sales tool.
Most agents only sell one script at a time.
My guess is that there aren’t a lot of writers who’ve sold three or four scripts in a single swoop, so having a huge portfolio doesn’t mean anything in the marketplace. (As an aside, TV agents will look for a portfolio of scripts from aspiring writers.)
Feature agents are far more interested in one saleable script than a portfolio of twenty unsaleable scripts.
If an agent finds you have a script he can sell, one script is enough. When he sells the script, he’ll set you up with studio assignments. If you have old scripts that are potentially saleable, he might ask you to clean out your closet to see what you’ve got. But assignments are a more reliable way to earn a living (and a commission) anyway. Ryan Condal, who recently sold GALAHAD (first-time spec sale), has already landed two coveted assignments. His income is set for a while.
When studios or producers get a script they want to buy, they aren’t going to waste time reading previous efforts by the writer or combing his “portfolio.” The one script will do the job.
Any respectable agent or manager would avoid the “Whatcha Got Next?” sales technique to sell a spec script. (“So you don’t like that script…how about this one? You don’t like that, huh? How about this one?”) Most sales are a planned, strategic attack that target specific buyers who are most likely in the market for a certain piece of material. We're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars at risk. This isn't a garage sale.
If an agent likes a new writer but knows he cannot sell the script, he might ask to see other scripts. However, it’s unlikely that a new writer will land an agent without a saleable script unless he comes highly recommended from respected co-workers or the writer has some heat - like he’s won the Nicholl Fellowship (with a script that will never sell). An agent would be more likely to take a chance in that kind of situation, but if a writer comes to the table without a saleable script, without heat, and no juice - representation (from a real agent who can move a career) is unlikely.
Having several scripts - a "portfolio" - (in one genre) comes in handy when a producer is looking to hire a writer for an assignment.
After setting up a pitch at Paramount, we needed to find a writer. We familiarized ourselves with writers (well-suited for our material) and read, at least, two scripts by each writer. (April Blair was eventually hired to write the script.) This is an example where having several scripts was crucial.
However, these writers were not just any writers; these were not INKTIP writers. These names came from a "studio list" of approved writers. (Writers that the studio believes have shown excellence in a particular genre - which is why it is so important for a new writer to brand himself).
But in order to get your name on that list, you will need to sell a script, make an unforgetable impression on an executive or light the town on fire. (Remember, nothing impresses the town more than selling a spec.)
I hear what you're saying, zero, but the truth is that you were never going to sell a script to a producer in the room anyway. You could have pulled 80 scripts out of your ass and nothing would have happened.
As an aspiring writer without representation, the odds of selling a script or getting an assignment - for a real producer with real money - are slim to none. (There are always exceptions, but this would be a very tough game to win.)
Trying to sell scripts to producers directly is a much tougher job than even getting representation. In the old days, studios ran the business, put the deals together and made the movies. Nowadays, it’s the agencies. Without representation, you will most likely spin your wheels for a very long time. Some writers survive without reps but these might be scribes who are already well established or writers who deal in a small network of genre specific DVD Original producers. (And they don’t pay studio money.)
IMO, I don’t think your mistake was not having back-up scripts as much as it was presenting the producer with a script he didn’t want to buy (which means a script he couldn’t sell as a movie).
New writers should be writing their asses off, but it must be a smart effort. Without an attractive concept in a script that can potentially sell (and 99.9% of aspiring writers haven’t found the combination of concept & craft), having a portfolio with all the scripts in the world is meaningless.
Most agents only sell one script at a time.
My guess is that there aren’t a lot of writers who’ve sold three or four scripts in a single swoop, so having a huge portfolio doesn’t mean anything in the marketplace. (As an aside, TV agents will look for a portfolio of scripts from aspiring writers.)
Feature agents are far more interested in one saleable script than a portfolio of twenty unsaleable scripts.
If an agent finds you have a script he can sell, one script is enough. When he sells the script, he’ll set you up with studio assignments. If you have old scripts that are potentially saleable, he might ask you to clean out your closet to see what you’ve got. But assignments are a more reliable way to earn a living (and a commission) anyway. Ryan Condal, who recently sold GALAHAD (first-time spec sale), has already landed two coveted assignments. His income is set for a while.
When studios or producers get a script they want to buy, they aren’t going to waste time reading previous efforts by the writer or combing his “portfolio.” The one script will do the job.
Any respectable agent or manager would avoid the “Whatcha Got Next?” sales technique to sell a spec script. (“So you don’t like that script…how about this one? You don’t like that, huh? How about this one?”) Most sales are a planned, strategic attack that target specific buyers who are most likely in the market for a certain piece of material. We're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars at risk. This isn't a garage sale.
If an agent likes a new writer but knows he cannot sell the script, he might ask to see other scripts. However, it’s unlikely that a new writer will land an agent without a saleable script unless he comes highly recommended from respected co-workers or the writer has some heat - like he’s won the Nicholl Fellowship (with a script that will never sell). An agent would be more likely to take a chance in that kind of situation, but if a writer comes to the table without a saleable script, without heat, and no juice - representation (from a real agent who can move a career) is unlikely.
Having several scripts - a "portfolio" - (in one genre) comes in handy when a producer is looking to hire a writer for an assignment.
After setting up a pitch at Paramount, we needed to find a writer. We familiarized ourselves with writers (well-suited for our material) and read, at least, two scripts by each writer. (April Blair was eventually hired to write the script.) This is an example where having several scripts was crucial.
However, these writers were not just any writers; these were not INKTIP writers. These names came from a "studio list" of approved writers. (Writers that the studio believes have shown excellence in a particular genre - which is why it is so important for a new writer to brand himself).
But in order to get your name on that list, you will need to sell a script, make an unforgetable impression on an executive or light the town on fire. (Remember, nothing impresses the town more than selling a spec.)
I hear what you're saying, zero, but the truth is that you were never going to sell a script to a producer in the room anyway. You could have pulled 80 scripts out of your ass and nothing would have happened.
As an aspiring writer without representation, the odds of selling a script or getting an assignment - for a real producer with real money - are slim to none. (There are always exceptions, but this would be a very tough game to win.)
Trying to sell scripts to producers directly is a much tougher job than even getting representation. In the old days, studios ran the business, put the deals together and made the movies. Nowadays, it’s the agencies. Without representation, you will most likely spin your wheels for a very long time. Some writers survive without reps but these might be scribes who are already well established or writers who deal in a small network of genre specific DVD Original producers. (And they don’t pay studio money.)
IMO, I don’t think your mistake was not having back-up scripts as much as it was presenting the producer with a script he didn’t want to buy (which means a script he couldn’t sell as a movie).
New writers should be writing their asses off, but it must be a smart effort. Without an attractive concept in a script that can potentially sell (and 99.9% of aspiring writers haven’t found the combination of concept & craft), having a portfolio with all the scripts in the world is meaningless.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2007
- Messages
- 356
- Reaction score
- 80
I wish you the best when your scripts are ready red hawk. And, as I read through this thread to see what kind of advice red hawk was getting, I just wanted to say thanks to creativexec and MrJayVee for the information you're giving him.
It helps me, too.
Even though it's rare that a new, aspiring writer can get a spec script sold, just the fact that you both say it's still possible and have seen it happen is enough hope to keep the fire burning and my fingers typing.
Thanks again and good luck red.
It helps me, too.
Even though it's rare that a new, aspiring writer can get a spec script sold, just the fact that you both say it's still possible and have seen it happen is enough hope to keep the fire burning and my fingers typing.
Thanks again and good luck red.
Zero? Ouch.
I just wanted to clarify that this wasn't the situation. I pitched to the Producer because he was looking for a new script. He just wasn't looking for my script. He wanted a much lighter comedy. He wouldn't have had me pitch to him if he wasn't interested in buying something, that would have been a waste of his time. So why wouldn't you be able to sell to a Producer in a room? If not, why would they have you there?
He did end up making a very silly comedy, SNL stars. And that was what he was looking for. It doesn't mean he couldn't sell my script as a movie, he wasn't trying to sell it, he was trying to make it himself. It just wasn't what he was looking for. If I had more scripts, there would have been a better chance that I would have had something that interested him.
And at the time he had just bought and made a film by an unagented writer because they were from Boston and he liked local kids. I was also from Boston, so there was a good chance that he'd be interested in buying a script from an unagented local writer since he had before.
I'm actually thinking, now that it's been 5 years, that I'll try to recontact him when I finish my current script which I think is right up the alley of the kind of comedy films he usually makes.
But I think it helps to have a portfolio because you never know what people will want. I was at a party a couple years ago and my former roommate who now produces for Paramount came up to me and was like 'Do you have a $5 mil horror script, New Line is looking'. Again....crickets.... I don't writer horror so this would never have mattered (but another one of our old roommate now has written something to fit that bill but he didn't have it 3 years ago when it mattered).
I think as a writer it's good to be prepared, because you want to be ready for whatever opportunity comes you way. And right out of film school I devoured all my chances, but I wasn't actually ready.
Hi,
i would like to know whether you can have short scripts also
Are only feature film scripts mandatory ,for searching an agent .
padma
i would like to know whether you can have short scripts also
Are only feature film scripts mandatory ,for searching an agent .
padma
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2007
- Messages
- 122
- Reaction score
- 8
I was looking online at that alameda group in Glendale. Seems like a good set up. I think I am going to go down there on the 2nd and check it out. The guy that is speaking is the guy that started the screenwriters boot camp.... He must be laughing all the way to the bank. It's only 25 bucks for the rest of the year. Anyone else want to go?
There's no big market for short scripts. However, with the Internet and cell phones, there could be a change in content needs soon. (And we're talking SHORT scripts - like a minute.)
But until everyone figures out how to monetize those outlets, demand will be limited. (Agents scout YOUTUBE to find potential talent for those markets.)
A feature length screenplay remains the best (and smartest) calling card for representation.
I speak every year at their December meeting. It's a big group and - from an outsider's POV - very organized. For just $25, it's probably a good investment.