Would you email your screenplay to an Agent?

capitalP

capitalP

Veteran
I have an agent who's interested in reading a screenplay of mine and he said I should email it to him. Just wondering have you guys ever emailed your screenplay before to anyone.

I usually send it out through snail mail, but as writers I'm sure you guys know the reasons why I don't want to email it. The script is copyrighted by the way.
 
Absolutely I would and do email my scripts to people who request it. The whole point of registering the treatment and every major draft you do is so when you're ready, you can get your work in front of people and have an avenue of recourse if someone rips you off.

I don't generally send anything unsolicited though.
 
capitalP said:
I have an agent who's interested in reading a screenplay of mine and he said I should email it to him. Just wondering have you guys ever emailed your screenplay before to anyone.

I usually send it out through snail mail, but as writers I'm sure you guys know the reasons why I don't want to email it. The script is copyrighted by the way.
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If you have duly registered your script with the US Copyright office, there should be no fear on your part sending it to whomever.

Some people like specific formats, but these days PDF should be good enough for sending to an agent that has requested material.
 
Yeah, while PDF is a little larger than rtf and doc formats, it should still suffice as an attachment. You can't beat it's compatibility.

I won't be sending anything to an agent until I can write a good script.
 
RockmanX3 said:
Yeah, while PDF is a little larger than rtf and doc formats, it should still suffice as an attachment. You can't beat it's compatibility.

I won't be sending anything to an agent until I can write a good script.
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I'm sure agents will continue to exist, but I wonder if the model that many scriptwriters are working against is sort of 'outdated'... I'm wondering if finding a set of people who are working on filmmaking might not be a better way to 'get going'.

There are a number of active filmmakers here and similar sites. If a scriptwriter is not seeing themselves as director/writer, then perhaps finding and making films with others would be an alternative to the often told tale of zillions of submissions, even to 'interested' agents, prodcos, friends who know friends, whose third cousin on the left knows someone... sort of pathways.

Here's the thing... while it may be nice to think one will make a career out of writing for Hollywood, precious few make it, and perhaps by means only those few are willing to take.
 
craigbowman said:
The whole point of registering the treatment and every major draft you do is so when you're ready, you can get your work in front of people and have an avenue of recourse if someone rips you off.
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Good point.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. My only concerned was the script being emailed out there in the world of Ciberspace and who knowns where it might end up.

But I guess that's what having copyright is for. I've heard so many horror stories of writers suing over there work and end up losing because they can't match the legal representation of some big Hollywood Movie Studio Lawyers.
 
capitalP said:
Good point.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. My only concerned was the script being emailed out there in the world of Ciberspace and who knowns where it might end up.

But I guess that's what having copyright is for. I've heard so many horror stories of writers suing over there work and end up losing because they can't match the legal representation of some big Hollywood Movie Studio Lawyers.
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Copyright registeration with the US Copyright Office is the only real 'defense'. Registration with WGA may be a nicety, but if it came to court, what you could claim for not only material damanges, but punitive damages, is dependent on your Copyright registration. In fact, WGA registration is almost worthless... in fact is worthless... other than for the personal 'ata boys' that such registration may garner... The database is not looked at by production companies, and I don't believe there is any movement on the part of WGA to promot such use...
 
Sure. Send a PDF. Yeah, someone can crack it or scan it or whatever, but what would be the use? If you're copyrighted or registered with WGA, you can sue their butts (and they know this).

Um, people have to read your stuff for anything to happen.

- Bill
 
And it is so easy now to register with the US Copyright Office-- I do it all online now, easy, $35, instant upload of my screenplay or treatment. I have no interest in WGA, especially given that they only store your registration in their system for I think 5 years (then you have to pay again); whereas US Copyright Office protects me for my lifetime, and then some.
 
email is fine, just make sure the agent is legit and from a reputable agency. and like everyone else said, i would definitely copyright all work.
 
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