Writer/ActorQuestion

How does one send a spec screenplay directly to a director?

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through the mail

There's a couple I have in mind but they are big names.

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why would they want to invest in you? this is a must answer question. are you worth their time and energy? really?

This is porbably the million-dollar question every actor wants an asnwer to "how do I pull off a Matt Damon" or should I say a Stallone?

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and the million dollar answer: get a million dollars and make it yourself.

By the way, the screenplay is an erotic drama. I was writing on the other forum that it's been hard to tell my story without bordering on the ridiculous. It's hard to make a character's sexual encounters in an erotic film part of the plot and therefore meaningful in a deeper way as opposed to a series of titallating episodes. Lust, Caution the Ang Lee film that came out recently is a great example of a film where that worked marvelously in my opinion. the New York Times soooo didn't get that one.
Anyway, any thougths on erotic dramas? Has anyone here tried to write in this genre?

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<<<the NikeeGoddess just shakes her head>>>
a one woman show/erotic flick. yeah, you could get some people to pay for that. seriously.

I'm not sure how it is in the USA, but here in Australia you'd be stuck - the basic reality is that the investors need confidence that there will be something to attract an audience. You can't say 'but it has a good script', because the audience hasn't seen the script !

Let's look at your examples:

* 'Good Will Hunting' had a star role - Robin Williams.

* In 'Rocky', the budget was too small to permit them from putting in a name actor, and the deal was organised so they would be making a profit from guaranteed TV rights anyway.

The whole nonsense about Stallone writing the script from deep within him and refusing to sell it unless they let him play the lead was just marketing spin. It never happened. (Ref: http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/?p=78 )


If I were in that position, I'd write in a good role for a major co-star. Unless the budget can afford two names, there will only be one name anyway, and then they'll be forced to put an unknown in your role. In that case, you might be have a chance.

Mac
(PS: Rather than Stallone & Damon, a better example might be Nia Vardalos. She had about six years of minor roles on TV before she had her overnight success starring in the film she wrote.

She even had the one-woman show, so the comparison might be even closer!)

NikeeGoddess said:

a one woman show/erotic flick. yeah, you could get some people to pay for that. seriously.

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Set up a web cam, and you might be surprised.

But seriously, does it never occur to you to simply admit that you don't know. And leave it at that.

Or better still, just don't respond.

There's been a few times in the past when a new poster has politely asked for advice, and you've parachuted in, scatter gun blazing.

Satisfy my curiosity - do you get a kick out of it?

Did you not have time to respond fully and address what I was asking?

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i was being literal. you didn't mention any director's names. your question wasn't fully addressed. were you asking for an address? many times people just ask for contact information and they get it.

The whole nonsense about Stallone writing the script from deep within him and refusing to sell it unless they let him play the lead was just marketing spin. It never happened.

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there was also a lot of hype that damon and affleck didn't really write the oscar winning version of good will hunting.

but truly you must be able to answer this question: why would they want to invest in you? why are you worth their time and energy? and put it in the query letter.

The fact of the matter is that getting a big-name director attached is going to be next to impossible. It doesn't matter how great the script is. You need an agent, or a manager, or a lawyer who can get your script in the door. The only way you can get to a director is either A. Through their representation or B. Know someone who knows them. They will not read an unsolicited screenplay. They have enough solicited ones to last them a lifetime. Most directors are also very selective about their projects, and with no money or offer attached they won't even give your script a second look.

You need to build some momentum for your script. Enter some contests. Query agents. Query management companies. Query Prodcos. Dig and claw your way in. Meet someone who knows someone. There's no wrong way in.

Your other option is to shoot it yourself. HD and prosumer technology is cheaper than it ever was. Take a good hard look at your script and rewrite it to fit the smallest budget possible. Cut down locations. Eliminate unnecessary scenes. Then shoot it. Showcase yourself. As a writer and as an actor.

Or make it as a short. Then send your short around with the script.

GigiZ said:

I was thinking that if one does build momentum through contests etc. and gets some sort of response from production companies of the "good script, maybe"-variety, that there must be a way of skipping the mediators in contacting a director.
There's of course a reason why mediators are there.
You're saying that not even a director's agent will read an unsolicited screenplay?

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Not an established director with a track record and multiple projects under his belt or in development. You might be able to find a young director, just out of USC or AFI that might look at it, but in all likelihood they will be looking to direct their own (or their friend's) projects.

The problem with Hollywood is that no one will believe anything is good until someone else tells them it's good. If your script is coming in through an agent or manager, that's already one person who thinks the script is good. So that's a tiny hurdle you've crossed. The hard part is getting two or more people in any position of power to like your script.

You're facing an uphill battle trying to attach a director. Directors usually have their own projects already in the pipeline. It's also hard to attach actors because they all want offers on the table before they'll read anything. One idea is to aim for smaller production companies who read unsolicited material and see if you can get a few reads.

Sylvester Stallone had some solid screen credits, especially in The Lords of Flatbush and Capone, when he sold Rocky. Matt Damon had a lot of buzz from Courage Under Fire when he sold Good Will Hunting. Spike Lee was coming from NYU, where his master's thesis film Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop attracted enough attention to get a limited release.

I think that the common element of the "unknown screenwriter/actor breaks through" is generally that the screenwriter/actor is already known, either through working on other people's films or through attending a high-profile film school.


Okay. So the question is this: how can you get yourself known? You could amass credits as an actor in other people's projects, like Damon or Stallone; you could go to a top film school and be the star of your class, like Lee; or you could do something different.

Have you thought about making shorts and distributing them on the Internet? That's how Matt Stone and Trey Parker got started--I remember seeing the precursor to "South Park" over a 56K connection back in 1997.

The quick dirty answer to 'where to send it' woud be to check the Hollywood Creative Directory. There you will find names and addresses.

As everyone has said, its going uphill in rollerskates. You need credibility for your project and/or leverage.

Credibility comes in the form of 'recommendations' - highly placed competitions like the Nicholls can get you a good 'look see'. I think NMStevens has a post on here that outlines 'what to do now that the script is written' - Someone find the link? It's really the best all around outline on how to approach cold calls, mail-outs and networking.

Simultaneous to all that, you can look at the project as an indy project - as others have mentioned. Can it be shot with a small crew and few locations? If the story is 'hot' enough, has enough sizzle (and that's definitely possible for something 'erotic' if not pornographic - think "Sex Lies & Videotape") then yeah, look at doing it yourself. You don't say where you are located - it may or may not be a easy trick to pull together an indy crew.

Speaking as a writer/filmmaker who has 'all the toys' necessary to shoot an indy film, I rarely see something worth doing. My own scripts are too big to shoot as indy stories. ( I have shot some shorts and won awards for them, and I'm looking to shoot another this summer) So using a short as a calling card is another way of pushing your project through.

The tough decision might just be having to 'let go' of the idea of starring in it. Decide what's most important, and focus on that.

Good luck.

adding to what everyone else has said

I was thinking that if one does build momentum through contests etc. and gets some sort of response from production companies of the "good script, maybe"-variety, that there must be a way of skipping the mediators in contacting a director.

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this is still a long process that could take years. and another poster on this board has won several contests and still hasn't got any takers. also, the script from a newbie can't be just good. it has got to be great!

but there one way of skipping ahead. it's the back door approach: you can join a gym, or golf club, or spa, etc... where that director goes and bump into him. be their caddy, scrub their face, admire their flabby pecs, take your dog to the same dog park, etc... or hang out in the lobbies of the hotels that have those award shows (the ones that aren't aired on tv - and there are a lot of them), crash one or two.

NikeeGodess is correct. "Stalking" is always an option!

Just remember, there's a fine line between being the squeaky wheel who gets the grease, and the squawking goose who gets the axe.

(Sorry, bad attack of 'old adage' and time to clean out the metaphor drawer.)

here's another option: http://www.pitchfest.com/gapf/great_american_pitchfest.shtml

GigiZ said:

Hello there,

I'm a new member. I look forward to posting and reading the forums. I am new in screenwriting and have gotten emersed into the process.

I am actually also an actress and currently working on a screenplay and developing a one-woman show; but the screenplay has sort of been writing itself since Christmas. The story has been brewing for a while and here I am now with a second draft...go figure.
In any case, I asked the question at the newbie forum too:
How does one send a spec screenplay directly to a director?
I wrote the screenplay having myself in mind for the lead female role -
and without a great agent to help me out I am at a loss as to how I might go about submitting this as "my" project.
I was thinking of submitting a query letter directly to a director. There's a couple I have in mind but they are big names. It doesn't have to be them but is submititng to a director reasonable/feasible? How does one locate a director by the way? Googling hasn't been helpful. Imdb gives you agent contacts and I don't know if that's a good route.
This is porbably the million-dollar question every actor wants an asnwer to "how do I pull off a Matt Damon" or should I say a Stallone?
But I was wondering if anyone on here had any input.
By the way, the screenplay is an erotic drama. I was writing on the other forum that it's been hard to tell my story without bordering on the ridiculous. It's hard to make a character's sexual encounters in an erotic film part of the plot and therefore meaningful in a deeper way as opposed to a series of titallating episodes. Lust, Caution the Ang Lee film that came out recently is a great example of a film where that worked marvelously in my opinion. the New York Times soooo didn't get that one.
Anyway, any thougths on erotic dramas? Has anyone here tried to write in this genre?
Thanks and looking forward to posting more here.

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Here is your problem. I haven't read your script. Don't know whether it's good, bad, or somewhere in between.

But let's say, for the sake of argument, that it's good.

Does a good script, alone, get you a director?

Big question -- does the director in question have his own development company. Some do. Some don't. Big directors, like Ron Howard, have their own companies whose business it is to find projects for Ron Howard. Some he might direct himself. Others he might act as a producer and someone else might direct it.

How do you find out? You get yourself a copy of the Hollywood Creative Directory and look up the name of your director. If he has his own company, it'll be listed.

If you don't know about the Hollywood Creative Directory, just do a web search.

If he doesn't, then it's much harder, because it means that, as a rule, the director in question does not initiate his own projects but works more as a hired gun.

In that case, if you talk to him or to his agent, the question that you're most likely to hear in respect to your script is, "Is it set up?" -- that is, has somebody already bought or optioned it, developed it, and has the development process reached the point where they are now actually looking to attach a director -- meaning that they have the money to hire one.

Even if the director that you are interested in has his own development company and you are able to interest them in reviewing your material, you will still have a major obstacle.

And that is, I'm afraid -- you. To be precise, it is you attached as the lead.

I'm presuming that you are not a star (if you were, you wouldn't be bothering with us).

But the fact is, even well-known and established directors can't simply take a script, pick up the phone, call a studio and have them send over a check for fifty million dollars and go make a movie. Or any number of million dollars.

To convince a studio to pony up the kind of money that a major director will need to justify what it will cost to pay *him* -- he has to make a "major motion picture" -- and that means attaching a big star.

Only, with you attached as the female lead, that won't be possible. Maybe they'll be able to make the movie happen with the male lead, but any male star will be very uncomfortable about committing to work with someone who is, essentially, an unknown quantity -- you.

I have always said that there are two kinds of attachments -- anchors and balloons. A balloon helps lift your project up toward being made. An anchor weighs your project down, and interferes with the chances of it being made. It may even keep it from being made.

Attaching yourself as the star may very well be that "anchor" kind of attachment -- presuming that the script would otherwise be able to succeed.

My suggestion to you -- and please take it for what it's worth -- is that this sounds like a small indie film. These sorts of films are "filmmaker" driven.

Driven by one person who has a particular vision that they are attempting to bring to the screen.

And that person, I have a feeling -- is you.

I think that you might want to consider the possibility of producing this yourself, if not ultimately directing it.

This might be a longer road, but I think that it is a road that is more likely to lead to the end result that you seeking.

No path that you choose is "likely" to lead to success. It's a high risk business -- and the risk is always the same. That your script won't sell, that the movie never gets made, or never gets finished, or ends up a complete disaster.

Which ever way you choose, those are always going to be the risks.

I just think you need to consider carefully what you are looking for from this project and what your options genuinely are and make your decisions accordingly.

NMS

Very well said, NMS. I can't add much to that.

Either choice you make, good luck! It's a long and hard road, but with enough persiverance, faith in yourself and passion you can do it.