The Agent/Manager query...

kevacho

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So, as I'm dealing with this "free option"... option. I was thinking, do agent-less writers still query? The last time I queried for a screenplay was two years ago, and it was, to say the least, disheartening. I sent well over 50 queries out, all of which contained an S.A.S.E. And you know how many responses I got? A big and bold zero! (No wait. Strike that. I got a 'return to sender' response. ;)) I've been doing this thing for a while now, and have never had such a lack of response before.

I just started querying for a new screenplay and was wondering how peoples experiences were going with their own work. I mean, is the query a thing of the past? And if so, how does a writer in the twenty-first century now find representation?

I would love to hear peoples opinions on this.

Best regards,
Kevin
 

Bergerac

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So, as I'm dealing with this "free option"... option. I was thinking, do agent-less writers still query? The last time I queried for a screenplay was two years ago, and it was, to say the least, disheartening. I sent well over 50 queries out, all of which contained an S.A.S.E. And you know how many responses I got? A big and bold zero! (No wait. Strike that. I got a 'return to sender' response. ;)) I've been doing this thing for a while now, and have never had such a lack of response before.

I just started querying for a new screenplay and was wondering how peoples experiences were going with their own work. I mean, is the query a thing of the past? And if so, how does a writer in the twenty-first century now find representation?

I would love to hear peoples opinions on this.

Best regards,
Kevin

I don't know if any Manager/ProdCo accepts snail mail any longer. Everything is done by email.

My company only reads queries through Virtual Pitch Fest in order to keep the deluge to a minimum. We sometimes request off of a great logline, but most often we're looking for high placement in reputable contests.

But if you want to cold query off of IMDB:

Title.
Logline.
Contest placement or produced work.

That's it. And the logline had better be GREAT.

If you've got a good script, enter it in a contest. Industry pros tend to judge the final rounders. A lot of folks get repped off of that.

Good luck!
 

kevacho

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Seriously. No one queries agents or managers looking for representation any longer? I find that hard to believe. I'm not arguing with you, Bergerac, and no doubt this shows my age/inexperience, but it seems incongruent that the only avenue available for unrepresented writers are screenplay competitions.

Admittedly, I am somewhat out of the loop (hell! I don't even know where the loop is:Shrug:). I humbly admit my ignorance and the fact that Bergerac may very well know more than me on this subject. But I would still like to hear from others. I certainly don't want to waste my precious writing time sending out queries that will never be answered.

Thank you Bergerac for your time and advice.

Sincerely,
Kevin
 

Bergerac

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Seriously. No one queries agents or managers looking for representation any longer? I find that hard to believe. I'm not arguing with you, Bergerac, and no doubt this shows my age/inexperience, but it seems incongruent that the only avenue available for unrepresented writers are screenplay competitions.

Admittedly, I am somewhat out of the loop (hell! I don't even know where the loop is:Shrug:). I humbly admit my ignorance and the fact that Bergerac may very well know more than me on this subject. But I would still like to hear from others. I certainly don't want to waste my precious writing time sending out queries that will never be answered.

Thank you Bergerac for your time and advice.

Sincerely,
Kevin


No, Kevin, I said no one sends SNAIL MAIL (you know, a letter with a stamp) any more. A zillion people query agents/managers/production companies every day... the problem has become that email boxes are flooded so reps and prodcos need a way to weed out the good stuff from the slush.

Screenplay competitions are one way. Reps stand in line to read Nicholl finalists.

If you are completely unproduced, but have a great query that hits a rep's assistant the right way, sure, you might get read.

So, it won't hurt to send as many EMAIL queries you want, but at my company and a lot of other places snail mail is dumped straight into the recycle bin as it takes extra staff just to open it all.

Most good agents only want established writers -- it's managers that are sometimes look at new writers. And low-budget prodcos will often seek out new writers, since they can't afford WGA writers.

There are lots of possible ways in but snail mail isn't one of them.
 

kevacho

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Thank you for the clarification, Bergerac. As I said before your free advice is greatly appreciated:).

Sincerely,
Kevin

p.s. what a crazy world...
 
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Bergerac

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No problem, Kevin. I apologize for not making myself clear the first time!
 

kevacho

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To all screenplay writers...

So the question still stands.:D How is everyone finding the email query process? I've been doing this for a while now, and have been finding a dearth of what I consider to be professional responses.

I know there are writers just like me, trying to find representation... how's it going?

Everyone be well. Write well. And live well.

Kevin
 

WriteKnight

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I've optioned four screenplays. Spent the morning today meeting with my attorney discussing a fifth option that is on the table.

All of these options were acquired by direct query or pitching the script. (And all of them involved money - not 'free' options)

I've had good luck with Inktip and Script Pipeline - at least for initial queries. The last option was through pitching at a film festival - the newest one came out of the blue - after an online query over a year ago. They said "No thanks" after looking at the script. Then - eighteen months after their 'pass' - they emailed me and said "IS it still available?" So... you never know where it will come from.
 

kevacho

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Thanks WriteKnight. That's exactly the sort of thing I wanted to know. Good luck with those options, and congratulations.

All the best,
Kevin
 

Saul Rothman

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My company only reads queries through Virtual Pitch Fest in order to keep the deluge to a minimum.

***

But if you want to cold query off of IMDB

Hey, Bergerac - could you elaborate about Virtual Pitch Fest and querying off of IMDb?

Also, do you think a new script that has not yet been entered anywhere but was written by a former Nicholl quarterfinalist might get a read with a good query/logline?


Saulisa
 

Bergerac

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Hey, Bergerac - could you elaborate about Virtual Pitch Fest and querying off of IMDb?

IMDB=International Movie DataBase. You need to sign up for IMDB-Pro to get email addresses and detailed filmographies but they have a free trial period so that's a place to start.

Virtual Pitch Fest is a service where you purchase "pitches" -- usually about $10 a piece but they have specials -- and you get to see who is looking for what so you can direct your pitch to the right place. Some of the companies are top drawer, others have few/no credits so you have to do your due diligence at IMDB before you choose. So choose wisely. BUT you are guaranteed a reply, whether it's a pass or not, and why. A GREAT pitch can garner 70% reads, sometimes more. They have production companies, agents and managers signed up to receive pitches.

We like it because they act as a buffer between us and the person pitching. We only send our email address if we want to read a script.

Also, do you think a new script that has not yet been entered anywhere but was written by a former Nicholl quarterfinalist might get a read with a good query/logline? Saulisa

Yes. If it's that script. But if it's been awhile, don't enter the date of the contest If a script is "old", that predisposes pros to wonder why it hasn't been picked up.

No, if it's not that script. No one cares about anything except 1) produced works, 2) the script at hand.

However, you might be able to sneak in the phrase "Former Nicholl Quarterfinalist screenwriter" which might help.

Keep in mind, besides a good query/pitch, you need a currently hot genre and a low page count. The 120 page rule, especially for specs, is over. 90-105 pages is now the norm. And the writing needs to be stellar on the first page.
 

Saul Rothman

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Keep in mind, besides a good query/pitch, you need a currently hot genre and a low page count. The 120 page rule, especially for specs, is over. 90-105 pages is now the norm. And the writing needs to be stellar on the first page.

Argh. Stupid changing page count rules. I was so frigging proud of my 112 until this post, lol.

I very much appreciate that you went into detail. For the first time in 25 years, I'm on the brink of sending out queries for a new script, but want to get as updated as possible before I decide on my best course of action. As usual, you're right there with help.

Thanks,
Lisa
 

Bergerac

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Argh. Stupid changing page count rules. I was so frigging proud of my 112 until this post, lol.

I very much appreciate that you went into detail. For the first time in 25 years, I'm on the brink of sending out queries for a new script, but want to get as updated as possible before I decide on my best course of action. As usual, you're right there with help.

Thanks,
Lisa

Lisa, 112 is okay, even 115 can work -- it's creeping toward 120 or above that can be a problem.

You can lose a couple pages just by eliminating all single word lines (widows and orphans) and excess parentheticals.

112 would acceptable for certain genres. A historical epic? Okay. A space opera? Okay. An action thriller. Not so much. Should be leaner. A contained horror? Should be a lot leaner.

I think you can be proud of 112 -- for one major studio, believe it or not, that's the favorite number of pages.

Good luck on the query process!
 
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Saul Rothman

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Quick, quick - gimme that studio's name! :D

Unfortunately, mine's a comedy, so I'm guessing 112 is a bit long for that.

However, I have a very white-page style with no action paragraphs longer than two lines. And I decided to write the climax with many one-line paragraphs.

I've been of the opinion that all this makes the reading speed up, but maybe I should re-think.

And I am proud of the 112 page count (even though I might adjust that). In fact, I've never been prouder of a piece of writing in my life. Even if it's not good enough, it's light years ahead of the script that got me a quarterfinalist spot in Nicholl. It's a very good feeling to recognize one's own growth as a writer.

(Now I want the good feeling of a sale, mwahahaha!).

I will be pondering my next move with the short paragraphs. Like I said, I want to make sure I'm doing this one justice. It deserves it. And I'm so grateful for the advice.

Saulisa
 

creativexec

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Yes, writers still query. The low success rate with queries has little to do with the method and more to do with what's being queried. If you're failing to get responses, it's simply because your pitch has no appeal.

As for page count, I wouldn't worry about the number up to 120. (Though I read lots of specs that go to 125). It's more about telling the story in the necessary amount of pages - no less, no more.

If someone reads your script up to page, let's say, 112, they're going to read all the way to 120.

Worry less about page count and more about the stuff that fills those pages. Most amateur scripts are tossed aside by page 30 or 40, so the final page count doesn't really matter.

As long as you make each page intriguing enough to turn to the next page, you've done your job. :)
 

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When submitting to either production companies or agent/managers, does it help to have more than one script completed? Just curious if this plays a part in the process. I've been doing contests this past fall, but when those results come back, if it ends with losses, I'm considering the querying option.

By the way, Bergerac, thanks for all the helpful info. Glad I stumbled on this post.
 

creativexec

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In theory, one script is all you need. If it's a terrific script and sells, it could launch your career. But more realistically, your script is not going to sell; however, if someone likes the writing, she might ask, "What else do you have?" If you have nothing, you've deflated the energy and connection. So having a second completed script cannot hurt. At the very least, you should have a few ideas for potential screenplays you can pitch.

You do not want to be the writer who tells everyone proudly about his large portfolio of unproduced scripts. Unfortunately, this makes you appear like an unsuccessful loser - and no one wants to work with that person. It's important when querying to only present one script - as if you've just finished it. Don't ever give anyone a sense of how old a script might be. Every script - no matter how long ago you wrote it - was just written. :)

You should also consider writing within the same genre. If the manager likes your thriller and asks what else do you have, he's probably not going to be interested in your historical drama. He will most likely expect you to offer another thriller - a genre in which he thought you did well enough for him to even continue a conversation.

Lots of new writers think that having all different genres is helpful, and in most cases it isn't.

Concentrating on one genre allows you to get better at it. It also gives the representative a way to market you - to brand you. To be the go-to "thriller guy" in town will result in more work for you. Once your career takes off, you can eventually diversify into other genres.

:)