My partner and I have been pitching a one of our recent projects, a feature screenplay, to several execs in happy writers and the feedback we’ve gotten is really encouraging. Essentially, 4/4 of our pitches have gotten this feedback “Love this, it sounds like a great story and I would watch it, however I don’t know what studio would make this” —— two of them said that it would do well domestically but not internationally (because it’s based on an American folktale) and their company is only interested in internationally sellable material. Any advice?
Screenwriting : What do you do when everyone you’ve pitched to loves the idea but doesn’t know where to sell it? by Dani Whitehead
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Write a screenplay they think they can sell.
Dan, it would likely be a pretty big budget as it is a period piece.
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Try to adapt the story to contemporary, low budget. Keep the original as it is, just write an alternative version. This way, you don’t feel like ruining it.
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Thanks Gustavo, hadn’t thought of that— it’s worth considering.
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@Phillip - way to be constructive. Maybe you should think a little about the question and come up with actual answers instead of acting like some teenage forum troll incapable of engaging meaningfully with normal, intelligent people. It’s reprobates like you that make posting in forums unpleasant and tedious.
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$.02 from another reprobate. Without knowing the story, it's difficult to make any meaningful comments. Period pieces are generally pretty hard sells in today's film production marketplace due mostly to the expense involved. Phillip & Gustavo have given you good fodder for consideration. Since you are receiving positive feedback - maybe be a little more selective about who you pitch to. Go watch a few films that are reasonably similar in period & basic storyline/theme and track down who produced them. If they've been profitable - pitch to them. If they've failed - take a close hard look at your story. Otherwise just keep pitching until you find someone willing to take a chance. Best wishes.
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Keep swimming. It is a soft pass. But they didn’t pass on your writing (they haven’t read it).
Rework your salespitch. Add more leverage. Leverage being assets (Talent, funding). 4 pitch passes is not a whole lot.
And there’s the other way. Use your spec script as writing samples. Find prod companies & Producers close to your wheel house and write for them first.
Studios rarely produce spec scripts from outsiders. But They do hire outsiders (writers).
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Thanks all for your advice. It is just so weird because all the other projects we pitch we get some concrete feedback that we can use to rework our pitch or script, but with this project it’s all been very positive so we were struggling to figure out how to change our approach.