Hi David, welcome to the boards.
This is from the
www.writersguild.org.uk...
- Who can I register my script with?
- The Guild does not believe that registering a script gives you any significant protection from copyright infringements in this country. However, if you wish to register your script both the Writers Guild of America, west and the Writers Guild of America, East offer the service for a fee.
I registered a script with the WGA once for entry into a competition because it was a requirement but I hadn't done it before or since. It really doesn't come up as an issue for agents, producers or production companies in the UK and I think the only benefit would be for your own peace of mind. Even then, in my honest opinion, the chances of someone stealing your script are astronomically small. People are just far to busy to steal work.
As for who to send it to, I'd start with UK agencies. One of the scripts that got me an agent was set entirely in America so it's not an issue because in these early stages, the quality of the writing far outweighs whether or not the script can sell. Its sellability is almost incidental at that first entry level - at least to an agent - unless it's a spectacular script that they have a place for and know they can sell quickly.
You'll also notice I said "one of" because after reading that script, the agent in question is almost certainly going to say, "Great script. What else have you got?" Therein may lie your problem. An agent will expect you to have one fantastic script and then severeal either equally good pieces or equally good works in progress and a handful of other ideas.
It's kind of rare for agents to take on a client with one good script. They want to be sure that you're not a one hit wonder, they want a long, lasting relationship with you as a writer. And that first script, if it hooks you an agent, will almost always be used as an introductory piece to get meetings and other assignments rather than as a piece that could sell. See, once you've proved yourself to the agent, you then have to spend the rest of your life proving yourself to everybody else in the industry.
But it sounds like you really want to sell yours so you could approach UK production companies with international slates. Working Title, DNA, Fox Atomic, Intermedia, Warner Bros - most of the big studios have worldwide offices. They also have pretty strict policies about reading unsolicited work. You'd have to investigate the individual companies to ascertain that.
There's nothing to stop you approaching American companies and American agents from the UK. It takes a long time and you've got an awful lot against you but if there's a truly fantastic script somewhere in the world then it's said that someone will always find it.
Your other option is to enter it into some of the bigger competitions like the Nicholl Fellowship to see if you get placed and attract some attention. Of course, nothing less than a win will be enough to get a sale on an unknown writing partnership from the UK and even then, it's not a certainty.
Sorry to sound so negative. It's not impossible but it's going to be long and tough. I'd start by querying UK agents and production companies - don't forget that London has offices for William Morris, CAA, ICM and the new ICM, Independent Talent.
Oh, and if you do register your script, you really don't need to tell anyone about it. It takes up precious space in your query and won't really act as any kind of deterrent because I'd say 99.9 times out of 100, the agent/producer you're writing too already had absolutely no intention of stealing your work no matter how great it is.
Good luck!
