Some questions about selling a script(s)

Randall_Oelerich

Randall_Oelerich

Veteran
Okay once a writer polishes a screenplay, or two, or three-- how to sell it? On that note, I have a list of some basic questions I am hoping anybody here can give feedback on, especially those of you that have perhaps even sold a screenplay. Any feedback greatly appreciated by us noobs like me still dreaming of selling a screenplay someday:

  1. I have heard/read that a writer needs 3 finished screenplays in order to get an agent to represent him/her. Any truth to that, or if a writer only has 1 finished and polished screenplay is it worth trying to find an agent?
  2. Is it worth even going with an agent? I have heard from at least one source that an agent is a waste of time, that you should just contact production studios directly with a pitch, or to get a contact email, query/pitch directly to production companies / studios. Thoughts?
  3. Especially if trying to contact studios or production companies (prodcos) directly, is it worth subscribing to imdbPRO to be able to get more detailed info on prodcos? The Hollywood Creative Directory has some info, but is not complete whereas imdbPRO can provide more info and contacts (e.g. I tried to find Rogue Pictures in the HCD with no luck, but a writer with an imdbPRO account easily located their contact info.
  4. For representation, is it better to get an agent, manager, or an entertainment attorney? Which, when, and why?
  5. Is it worth paying the cash to put one's script(s) up on e.g. inktip.com or similar online pitch services?
  6. Is it worth the expense to travel (air, hotel, etc) to one or more pitch fests to pitch one's screenplay?
  7. Are contests worth entering to get noticed? If so what would be the top three or so contests? (I assume the Nichols is at the top of that list?)
 
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1) Here's the thing - the more good scripts you have, the better the momentum. A few years back I had a manager who was only interested in sending out scripts that he developed. So I would have a script go out wide, there would be endless meetings and potential assignments and then a couple of months after that script had gone out... I would start writing the next script! So by the time that script went out, some of the people I had met with had *retired*. My new plan involves having a stockpile of 6 good virgin scripts, so that I can have a script going out every 2 months, even if I'm too busy doing pointless meetings to write anything new. Agents are looking for *writers* rather than scripts, so the more material you have, the better off you are.

2) The thing about agents and managers is that they don't need to new clients, but producers always needs new scripts. So it ends up[ harder to get an agent to read a script than to get a producer to read (at least, thats' true for me). So what I would do is include producers in your queries.

3) Rogue was Universal's low budget genre division, but they just sold it to Realitivity (film investors).

4) Lawyers just do contract work. Sometimes they'll send something in to a place that requires representation, but usually *you* have to find that place yourself. Agents must be licensed and follow laws designed to protect *you*. Managers are the wild west - anyone can be a manager... you can be a manager, just click your heels 3 times and say you are. So be careful with managers - check them out, look over their contracts.

5) I can't imagine some producer with a huge stack of scripts on their desk going online to read even more scripts! I kinda wonder about those online things.

6) I would query and e-query first. Do the cheap stuff. Then, maybe come out for some event like Expo, where there's more than just the pitching part. I sold a script to Paramount living in my home town - so that's possible.

7) One thing to consider - you may have a script that would interest producers but might not make the final cut in a contest... and now nobody knows that script exists. The great thing about the Nicholl is that all of the finalists get read by everyone in town and will even get you meetings. I don't know much about the contest side - but Austin is also a good one (because people in the biz care about it).

- Bill
 
Bill, thank you so much for responding, great information. :dankk2: Noobs like me need all the advice and info we can get (and I doubt us noobs are much of a threat to you seasoned writers LOL).

Yeah my paid mentor/teacher (Margot Prescott) who helped me start to finish through my first screenplay (as if it is ever 'finished'-- in fact I just talked with her for 90 minutes last night about changes for a 5th revision) said having more than one script is a good idea, to show agents/other I am not just a 'one trick pony act' LOL. :beer:

Regarding querying Prodcos directly-- any advice on how to do that at some point? I thought it was sort of ananthema, darkly forbidden, no direct queries accepted, that prodcos/studios only take queries from agents? But there must a way, a secret method known only to some, how to do this, because someone else recently told me he sold his screenplay through direct correspondance with prodcos.

I just read the new edition of Creative Screenwriting magazine this morning and lo and behold there is an article in it about Managers (their role, etc) so that was very timely.

Nicholl and Austin sound great. I think I too did hear somewhere that Austin was one of the top contests second to Nicholl. Because I wonder how many other contests are simply money (entry fee) generators for those who organize the contests; if a script gets read and there is some feedback even for those that do not place that is one thing, but othewise I am suspicious of lesser known contests.

wcmartell said:
1) Here's the thing - the more good scripts you have, the better the momentum. A few years back I had a manager who was only interested in sending out scripts that he developed. So I would have a script go out wide, there would be endless meetings and potential assignments and then a couple of months after that script had gone out... I would start writing the next script! So by the time that script went out, some of the people I had met with had *retired*. My new plan involves having a stockpile of 6 good virgin scripts, so that I can have a script going out every 2 months, even if I'm too busy doing pointless meetings to write anything new. Agents are looking for *writers* rather than scripts, so the more material you have, the better off you are.

2) The thing about agents and managers is that they don't need to new clients, but producers always needs new scripts. So it ends up[ harder to get an agent to read a script than to get a producer to read (at least, that's true for me). So what I would do is include producers in your queries.

3) Rogue was Universal's low budget genre division, but they just sold it to Realitivity (film investors).

4) Lawyers just do contract work. Sometimes they'll send something in to a place that requires representation, but usually *you* have to find that place yourself. Agents must be licensed and follow laws designed to protect *you*. Managers are the wild west - anyone can be a manager... you can be a manager, just click your heels 3 times and say you are. So be careful with managers - check them out, look over their contracts.

5) I can't imagine some producer with a huge stack of scripts on their desk going online to read even more scripts! I kinda wonder about those online things.

6) I would query and e-query first. Do the cheap stuff. Then, maybe come out for some event like Expo, where there's more than just the pitching part. I sold a script to Paramount living in my home town - so that's possible.

7) One thing to consider - you may have a script that would interest producers but might not make the final cut in a contest... and now nobody knows that script exists. The great thing about the Nicholl is that all of the finalists get read by everyone in town and will even get you meetings. I don't know much about the contest side - but Austin is also a good one (because people in the biz care about it).

- Bill
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Good stuff as usual Bill...

Let me throw in my 2 cents...

1) If the screenplay you're currently marketing is good but just not what the doctor ordered for a particular producer, then you're going to get the proverbial, "What else ya got?" --Assuming they liked the script they just read from you.

That's when, in my own humble opinion, you're going to need at least 2 or 3 (4 or 5 is better) other outstanding screenplays ready to go... i.e., all tweaked and polished -- ready to pitch and send.

If you do NOT have those in your quiver, then at the very minimum, be prepared to have at least 2 or 3 AMAZING ideas/concepts to pitch to said producer.

Be able to pitch these scripts and or ideas/concepts in 3 minutes or less... Maybe open with a great logline.

2) This is just one man's opinon... LOL. No, it's not worth it. I've had 3 agents -- the last one being with one of the big agencies and quite honestly, they suck. They don't suck because they're assholes... They suck because being an agent sucks. They are salespeople and to my way of thinking, just slightly above used car salesmen... Much better clothes and offices although I do know a guy that sells trucks in Northern California and make $15K a month but I digress.

I'll just discuss MY EXPERIENCE with agents... Unless they can sell your script in a couple to a few weeks (less than a week is more like it) -- FUGHEDABOUDIT. My first two agents lost motivation when they couldn't get anyone interested. They did manage to get me some doctoring and that was enough to keep them interested for a few months but eventually -- and I saw the writing on the wall -- they lost interest because they couldn't get anyone interested in my specs.

Please make note that I got both of these agents as referrals from producers that had read my work... Which brings me to the following point...

ASK FOR A REFERRAL.

Agents LOVE referrals from Producers... Truly they do... LOL. My own personal journey and marketing plan from the GET-GO was to query Producers... I've never sent even one query letter in my life. Rather, I just sent emails. Even back in the 90s, a lot of producers were using email. My first foray into email queries was obtainting the Hollywood Creative Directory -- printed version. I started querying producers who made the same genre films and my own personal stats were about 1 or 2 bites (1.5?) for every 10 emails sent.

If your screenplays are good... High quality if not high concept, the producer is usually nice and if they or their reader liked it well enough but passed, they almost always tell you that they're willing to read anything else you've got or write in the future.

These CONTACTS are GOLD and you really have to perform maintenance on them... i.e., keep your name in front of them when there's an opportunity. The point being to build a producers contact list whereas you've got many producers willing to read whatever you've completed.

At last count, I have around 40 producers but I'm lucky these days since I am a producer myself... However, the prodco I work with isn't always interested in what I'm working on so I still maintain all these contacts because...

You just never know when you're gonna be left out in the cold... LOL.

3) Definitely subscribe to BOTH. Anything that can get that contact information for you is worth having.

4) I am currently agentLESS. Why? Interesting story... LOL. When a certain producer decided to sue other entities because he wasn't included when a film he obtained financing for won an Oscar, said agency circled their wagons and promptly forgot about everyone in our Prodco... We were all being represented by the one agency as part of a deal the agency brokered for us. Months went by and no returned telephone calls or emails. While this was happening, a whole hell of a lot of talent took a walk from said agency and they are just NOW beginning to recoup.

So we jumped ship and because of the reputation of our head honcho and director who own the prodco, we have been able to obtain financing and make movies without being represented by an agency.

Knock on wood.

However, if I were NOT in this current situation, I'd rather have an agent. If you get HOT, you might eventually want or need a manager to help you plan your career if you are not so inclined.

This goes back to the above answer... Always ask for a referral... "Can you recommend a good agent?" If the producer gives you a name, this USUALLY means that he or she liked your screenplay ENOUGH to give you this referral... AND then you ask, "Can I use your name?" If they say yes, then they probably did like your script and maybe at this point, are not actually PUT OFF OR OUT by you.

That's a good thing...

5) I tested the online thing ONCE as an experiment. Here's what I found... I was on the phone for days and days with these supposed "producers" -- what I immediately found out was that none of them could even make a deal. Many of them worked independently and had no real experience and were simply trying to find some material to go shop around. Others could care less about your screenplay... Rather, they wanted me to turn one of their ideas into a screenplay... LOL. In other words, they were looking for a hack they could work with. Others wanted to option my material for next to nothing and lock it up for a year so they could shop it around. If I remember correctly, there were about 19 said producers who weren't worth a shi* and couldn't take the screenplay to the next level even though they liked it. I suspect that some of these producers took my script, had a reader read it -- the reader passed -- and that was it. At least half of these low-level producers were simply trying to find the next diamond in the rough to help launch their careers... Nothing wrong with this so you could get lucky if one of these producers is motivated ENOUGH to do something.

6) I think these pitch fests are just for making money and I know several low-level producers that are FORCED to attend these things just for the experience in listening to pitches... They couldn't move on a good pitch if their life depended on it. That's not to say that something GOOD couldn't happen from attending and pitching but in the end is it worth it?

For what it's worth... Not to me.

7) Of course the Nicholl is good although not that many screenplays that win are made into movies... I would look at the contest itself and see who's reading the screenplays. Look at past winners. Does your script FIT into what's won in the past? I say this because in my humble opinion, screenplay competitions don't really give a shi* about high concept... Rather, they seem to glom onto character driven material that doesn't do very good boxoffice. I am of the opinion that these contests are trying like hell to get Hollywood to change direction and make better movies. Nothing wrong with that but it doesn't seem to be working.

If winning or placing in the competition is going to get your script SEEN by industry professionals then it might just be worth entering said competition but having said that, PERFORM YOUR DUE DILIGENCE.

Unk
 
Unk, thanks SO much for sharing your wisdom and experience on all this. We noobs are so envious of those like you that have actually sold a screenplay, and Hollywood seems to daunting and strange to us noobs still dreaming of even doing a pitch/query/email to get a producer to look at our scripts. It all helps us noobs understand how it all works, how reality works. We won't forget our beginnings here when someday we make a sale LOL. Okay, back to my rewrite so I can add my script to my quiver. ~randall :beer:
 
Though UNK's post worked as an answer to your question, here it is anyway:

*Agents* always say that you need an agent, and should never go directly to a producer.

Though some producers will not accept your e-query or query letter or phone call, others will. This is all a numbers game. You send hundreds of queries (maybe even a thousand) to get a handful of reads to get an open door.

I am lazy, so do what I say don't do what I (don't) do. I hardly ever query, and usually just wait for something to happen (and it usually does). I used to hustle like crazy - and I should still be doing that.

- Bill
 
Bill, would you concur with Unk that it might be a good idea to pony up the cash for imdbPRO to be able to have good contact info for producers, at least during times when a writer is geared up and wanting to send queries by email or mail to producers? imdbPRO seems pricey for what you get, but then if it allows for fast copy and paste of contact info, the contact info itself, it seems it might be worth it as part of a plan for contacts. -randall

wcmartell said:
Though UNK's post worked as an answer to your question, here it is anyway:

*Agents* always say that you need an agent, and should never go directly to a producer.

Though some producers will not accept your e-query or query letter or phone call, others will. This is all a numbers game. You send hundreds of queries (maybe even a thousand) to get a handful of reads to get an open door.

I am lazy, so do what I say don't do what I (don't) do. I hardly ever query, and usually just wait for something to happen (and it usually does). I used to hustle like crazy - and I should still be doing that.

- Bill
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Randall_Oelerich said:
Bill, would you concur with Unk that it might be a good idea to pony up the cash for imdbPRO to be able to have good contact info for producers, at least during times when a writer is geared up and wanting to send queries by email or mail to producers? imdbPRO seems pricey for what you get, but then if it allows for fast copy and paste of contact info, the contact info itself, it seems it might be worth it as part of a plan for contacts. -randall
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I'm not sure about how producers will look at it but can't you get a cheaper or free imdb page? It may not be imdbPRO but would it matter that much? Correct me if I am wrong as I don't know too much about imdbPRO.

It is always a good idea to have your own website and or a blog as well. Anything that gets your name out there or that people can find out about you is always good to have. Just my 2 cents.
 
Nektonic, I am thinking more along the lines of imdbPRO's $13/mo fee for the services beyond imdb, which includes extra contact info for producers, directors, actors, etc.:
https://secure.imdb.com/signup/v4/?d=IMDbTab
Here is a comparison of imdb and imdbPRO
https://secure.imdb.com/signup/v4/compare
That $13/mo seems like a hefty price for what you get, but if it is something a writer should get for contact info for purposes of queries I guess it becomes something I am willing to shell out the coin for, given all the other bucks I keep shelling out for how to books on writing, etc.

For personal webpage and personal blog space, that is not an issue really (e.g. I use lunarpages.com for $5/mo hosting for personal webspace, including blogs and much more, unlimited space, unlimited bandwidth)

Nektonic said:
I'm not sure about how producers will look at it but can't you get a cheaper or free imdb page? It may not be imdbPRO but would it matter that much? Correct me if I am wrong as I don't know too much about imdbPRO. It is always a good idea to have your own website and or a blog as well. Anything that gets your name out there or that people can find out about you is always good to have. Just my 2 cents.
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No problem Randall. Sounds like it is something worth looking into. I guess it comes down to the question: is $156.00 a year worth it for their services? Hell, I pay $50.00 a year for an Xbox Live gold account, so if imdbPRO helps with your writing career then $156.00 is not too bad I'd say.
 
And the $156 a year is starting to look cheap now compared to Filmtracker.com =) Yeah, I pay $30/mo for blockbuster, a $3 coffee every day ($90/mo), $156/yr is looking cheap now actually, so I think I will just make the leap and sign up soon when I gear up for marketing a couple of feature screenplays.

Nektonic said:
...I guess it comes down to the question: is $156.00 a year worth it for their services? Hell, I pay $50.00 a year for an Xbox Live gold account, so if imdbPRO helps with your writing career then $156.00 is not too bad I'd say.
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