Question about Manager and Agents

Based on my experience and from a UK perspective--

I'd say it's very different for agents than it is for prodcos. It didn't seem to matter what I queried agents with, they were all looking for the same thing - just a damn good script. Once I was signed, then the issue became more about targeting specific prodcos with appropriate material. In fact, I had a difficult time scaling down my work to the budget restraints of the UK market. My ideas were typically high concept (which prodcos love) but were kind of out of reach because they were also high budget!

If you're querying agents, I would always go with the best script whatever the genre/market/budget. In the early stages, the agent is interested in quality and your ability to sustain quality levels over time. My guy always tells me it's impossible to predict what the market is looking for in terms of new ideas but on the other hand, he does almost always suggest I bare in mind who we're submitting to regards budget/practical constraints.

It's a different experience for everyone so naturally, other's mileage may vary.



ETA - Sorry, what was the question?

Not sure I've helped there.

During the six interviews so far with six different agents and prodco execs that I have heard/read/and sat in on, all six interviews demonstrate different interests. Some prodcos only want to do low/mid budget teen stuff. Some only want to do family-friendly. Some only want to do comedy. Some have expressed very broad interests and simply have a short list of the don't-even-bother stuff like no dramas, no period pieces, and no sci-fi/fantasy epics.

As for their interests in newbie writer, I sense that all across the board it's harder for an exec to stand before his boss with a $200 million sci-fi epic in his hands that was penned by an unproved newbie than if it was penned by an established writer. But if that exec is convinced your sci-fi script is pure gold, he might take a chance and go to his boss with it, regardless of the more typical response -- in other words, he'll probably go to bat for you if you totally totally sold him. But now HE has got to sell THE BOSS as well. It's literaly an up-hill battle, going up to the next level, and then the next level, and trying to sell and get another greenlight each time you progress. My understanding of the Wachowski Brothers' struggle is that everyone could see they had something truly unique in their heads with The Matrix, but they were utterly unproved, so they MADE the brothers do a smaller low-budget film first (they did Bound) before letting them go ahead and do The Matrix.

From my limited interview reading/listening experience, whe it comes to genre and budget, a newbie is better to stick with a romantic comedy, or an R-rated comedy, or remain firmly in teen territory with a $15M to $20M teen flick that might range from crass humor to pre-teen girlie stuff (think Hilary Duff) to low-budget horror. And if the lead role has potential to appeal to a star (is "highly castable"), all the better.

I agree with Clock, just submit whatever is best. Agents don't care as much about budget as prod cos.

As a side note, studios don't actually make low budget features (like $5 mil or something), they just don't. So if the agent is submitting to studios, it'll probably be the mid budget feature. But obviously, small boutique prod cos are all about the low budget.

Plot Device said:

As for their interests in newbie writer, I sense that all across the board it's harder for an exec to stand before his boss with a $200 million sci-fi epic in his hands that was penned by an unproved newbie than if it was penned by an established writer.

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I would say, "it's harder for an exec to stand before his boss with any script that was penned by an unproved newbie than if it was penned by an established writer."

Newbies have it hard whether repped or not. But I agree with your broader point.

icerose said:

When quering them and not really having any big credits to show for yourself, is it better to submit a low budget piece, or a mid budget?

I'm been debating on which of my scripts to lead with as I want to start targeting agents and managers rather than prodcos to see if I can get further than just low budget options or "Great pacing, good characters, solid story line, but it's not what we're looking for. Do you have any family/comedy scripts?"

Not to mention my lists of who to query prodco wise are sadly outdated and I'm running into quite a few brick walls because of it as they either aren't looking or aren't looking for THAT anymore.

So what do you think would be a best bet? Low budget or midsized piece??

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The watchword for attracting an agent, for now and always, is high concept. If you can come up with something that's a better idea than ENCHANTED, you'll get an agent (c list or better). If it's high concept enough, the studio can buy it, fire you and still get a pitchable project out of it. Next to high concept, budget becomes a secondary consideration for the agent.

If you really want to follow this idea through to its natural conclusion, why not pick up a Kagan guide, look up the average hypothesized gross for a picture in your genre, then specifically key a budget down to the nearest quarter million so you can attract a production entity that's using a slate strategy?

That last bit was tongue in cheek, but seriously just use your common sense. If you really want to be smart, check out boxofficemojo for grosses on movies in the genre your writing and compare against the estimated production cost (for example, don't make a raunchy Apatow style comedy that costs $250 million).

Providing you actually craft a strong script, there's gonna be at least a few buyers for every possible budget, so the idea of you, the screenwriter, going through your project and crossing out high-budget items is pretty silly. For starters, your average screenwriter just isn't that good at figuring out film budgets.

you really need to stay current with your contacts. i suggest you join http://www.scriptpimp.com where you have access to producers, agents, and managers AND MOST IMPORTANT - they tell you which ones will accept unsolicited queries and which ones will work with new writers. you can query some directly from their site and you can keep track of each submission on their site.

i won a 5 yr membership from a script contest a while ago but have yet to fully utilize its services. i'm about to start now thou.

NikeeGoddess said:

you really need to stay current with your contacts. i suggest you join http://www.scriptpimp.com where you have access to producers, agents, and managers AND MOST IMPORTANT - they tell you which ones will accept unsolicited queries and which ones will work with new writers. you can query some directly from their site and you can keep track of each submission on their site.

i won a 5 yr membership from a script contest a while ago but have yet to fully utilize its services. i'm about to start now thou.

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I just checked and a 1 year sub is $99 USD. Yikes!! Is there a way to do a trial subscription before you shell out that much money?

you can hit the link to "writer's database" and it will give you a full demonstration of all the membership benefits. they have 300 prod co/agents/and managers listed with detailed information. and the information is always current. $99 may seem high but if you compare it to the cost of the hollywood creative directory with is $65 for 1/4 year and not much detailed information then the price doesn't seem so high.

also - wait until you're really ready to market what you have before you invest.

I didn't get a chance to read everyone's responses, so I appologize if I sound like an echo. Not entirely sure about prodco's, but most agents have a list of genre's or 'ideas' they're looking for, i.e. "A story written around a 10 year old boy", "A summer blockbuster sci-fi", or something less specific. If you can manage to find out what their interests are, and have a script that would fall into one of the categories, I'd use that script.

But I'm not a professional writer yet, so take my words as you will.

icerose said:

Clock, thanks, I will look more at the quality of the script and the commercial viability than worry about the budget so much.

Plot, I don't write that stuff. My writing is generally dark. Even my fantasy books are dark. I can't help it, it's who I am. So I would lead with either an Action/adventure, horror, or thriller. And so far that's been my problem, they want family or teen or comedy stuff out of me and I just can't give it.

Zep, thanks, that's encouraging.

Cynical, I would get the book but I can't afford it. I'm on a shoestring budget and I have to make the most of free resources. Same with you Nikee. I'd love to have a membership with scriptpimp, but I have to scrape together change for my postage.

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions, everyone. I really appreciate you taking the time.

Sara

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Please don't get a Kagan guide - they're really expensive and they're more for business development types than creatives. I was joking on that.

But do look at Box Office Mojo - see if you can spot some trends on budget vs. gross.

ChristaCarol13 said:

I didn't get a chance to read everyone's responses, so I appologize if I sound like an echo. Not entirely sure about prodco's, but most agents have a list of genre's or 'ideas' they're looking for, i.e. "A story written around a 10 year old boy", "A summer blockbuster sci-fi", or something less specific. If you can manage to find out what their interests are, and have a script that would fall into one of the categories, I'd use that script.

But I'm not a professional writer yet, so take my words as you will.

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Christa, certain agencies do specify the genre they're most interested in, but I'm not so sure that they also have a list of 'ideas' for screenplays which they then post for general consumption. In my own experience, when a prodco makes such a request of an agency, the agency is more inclined to run it past an established writer already on their books, rather than broadcast it to all and sundry.

I suspect that in this instance you may be referring to 'The Screenplay Agency'. They do have a list stating that they're looking for a completed screenplay centred 'around a ten year old boy' and another request for a 'summer sci-fi blockbuster.' This lot have a list the length of your arm, no idea is left unexplored. The more the merrier. Only problem is, they're completely bogus, a shower of scam artists, to be avoided like the plague.

Agents want to know they can sell you. That's it. Nothing else matters. Either it's your track record or the hot script you've just written. If it's good enough it really doesn't matter if it's a high-budget period drama: but it'll have to be REALLY good if that's what it is.

Romcom is difficult to do well - extremely so - and r-rated easy to flood the market, likewise horror - difficult to get a new original twist to a heavily-populated genre.

Tell the story you want to tell.
Don't just write to order.
Only in that way do you have a chance of being you and hence getting a gig. We're just like actors: if people like you (and your words) they'll buy you. It's the same in life, funnily enough...

NikeeGoddess said:

you can hit the link to "writer's database" and it will give you a full demonstration of all the membership benefits. they have 300 prod co/agents/and managers listed with detailed information. and the information is always current. $99 may seem high but if you compare it to the cost of the hollywood creative directory with is $65 for 1/4 year and not much detailed information then the price doesn't seem so high.

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Really? Then I take back my previous whining.

also - wait until you're really ready to market what you have before you invest.

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Truer words have rarely been spoken.

An agent can be fine, but not the sure way to success. Just take a look here:

http://www.wulffmorgenthaler.com/strip.aspx?id=453f15c5-228e-40b7-bd89-c425c3f384b2