Screenwriting : Not accepting unsolicited material. by Rob Terpening

I got solicitations after finishing in the quarterfinals of the Nicholls fellowship. Any finish at that level or better should get you some.

Yes. Last year I went to the Hollywood Pitchfest and pitched a script to 20 people and got 9 read requests. This year I won Black Screenplays and Stories Screenwriting Competition and have 5 agencies reading one of my scripts. Another way way is to research agents and production companies and send a simple query letter. I did this a few years ago and got 2 out of 15. In short, without an agent or manager you have to do the work and create your own opening.

Hire a lawyer. Some places will take material from entertainment lawyers.

There are a million hopeful writers.

If they spent 1 minute on each of us that is 2380 days work.

They have to stop the flood somehow.

Make sure your work is so good, they cannot say no. This is your opportunity to shine, not test the water.

All you need is one person to say "his script is good " to get read. It has to be the right person obviously,, someone connected to someone with power. Network. Nothing gets you in the door faster than other people championing for you and your work.

I gotta ask: do you want to be a Screenwriter or just make movies of your own ideas?

If former, learn to accept we are writing samples, win peers and referrals.

If latter, learn to make movies. Anyone can make movies; don’t need permission. But doing this as an occupation is another matter

I actually made a connection in California who got a hard copy of my script handed to Clint Eastwood after the AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. I'm guessing that he tossed it in the first trash can he passed by..

Dan, I'll be 70 this Friday. Too old and broke to make movies. I'm just an old man with a golf story to tell. I've been told it's an interesting story and well written. I did get a bit hooked and have two other stories partially written.

Rob Terpening Ideally you want someone who is connected to a Development Executive specifically. That's the sweet spot. Guys at the top, be it CEO's or Clint Eastwood, just want to live life and focus on their money. Not saying they wouldn't read it, but realistically chances are they won't.

It costs money - but Virtual Pitch Fest has a lot of producers/managers/agents listed. Some are looking for sports stories. You can look them over without charge - but if you want to pitch them you pay a fee; but you'll need a synopsis and logline.

I've had luck reaching out with: "...I am requesting permission to send on my latest feature film script for consideration. Without breaking your unsolicited submission policy, I will say it is a Hallmark style Christmas film. I am an optioned screenwriter, published playwright and MFA grad in script and screenwriting.

I thoroughly enjoy your films and am grateful for your consideration. .."

Anyhow, I've had quite a few responses, requests for the pitch and requests for the script on that.

I hope that helps!

Yes. Have them request it. You hammer them with query letters for each new script, and if all of your loglines sound great and they keep seeing new ones enough to remember you, they break down and request a script.

If you target enough places when the dam breaks the requests begin flowing in.

Then it's up to the quality of the script.

Hey Rob, take William Martells advice. I’ve read all his books and he knows what the heck he’s talkin’ about. :)

I'm glad someone brought this up. "Unsolicited material", in all my years of writing and submitting scripts and novels, can mean 3 things due to its ambiguously-worded phrasing:

1. Screw you, newbies.

2. No agent? Screw you.

3. Doesn't matter if you ask politely or act professionally - we'll still say "screw you".

I've actually started responding back to some production companies and calling them out on the ambiguity of their statements, basically standing up to them and telling them a simple "no, thank you" would have been sufficient.

IDK about the hammering with query letters- I did this with a specific producer and did persistent phone follow up and it did not go well.

Hey Rob Terpening - Great to hear from you! I am the Director of Script Services for Stage 32. I work directly with our members to guide their process. I also work with our roster of executives who offer development notes, consultation calls, mentoring calls, and virtual pitch feedback to help develop your script and give you advice on how to get traction on your projects. Feel free to email me directly at j.mirch@stage32.com and I can give you my thoughts on how to move your projects forward with executives.

Fairy dust.

Hey Rob:

I just smiled when I saw Vic's post, which says Fairy Dust. That's because there's no one size fits all answer. I've being writing and submitting screenplays in earnest for seven years. I've placed and won at some prestigious contests, including Page, Storypros, AFF, Bluecat, Screencraft (7 times) and many others. I've had 11 option and right to shop agreements, including one I signed on Sunday.

I've also been blessed to get scripts and pitches in front of a wide range of producers, agents and studios including William Morris, Paramount, Millennium, Ridley Scott Productions, Tyler Perry and De Pass Jones Entertainment, where I secured a right to shop agreement. This deal came about when someone contacted me out of the blue about a project I wrote five years earlier. So it was really a seed planted years earlier.

What's my method?

I've used producer/agent/manager lists, IMDb Pro, Social media platforms, trade ads (including Craigslist), paid pitching/listing services and looked for any crack or hole where I can get a foot in the door. For example, I've answered hundreds of Craigslist ads. One of them put me in touch with a lead actor from Falling Skies and a lead actor from an ABC Sitcom. But I've also wasted a lot of time with amateurs on CL.

How about paying for mentoring and script development? That's something that can add up financially during these difficult times we're experiencing. And, even if one executive gives you notes and you rewrite your script according to their suggestions, there's no guarantee that anything will happen with your work. Paying for feedback and mentoring are entirely different than selling a screenplay. There are a lot of things that must transpire for a film to get made and much of it is luck an timing. In many cases, you'll be submitting a logline, synopsis pitch or pitch deck before anyone reads your screenplay.

Cultivate friendships with lot of writers and try to work with ones that you can teach you different techniques. I've certainly done that. Also if it's improvement you desire, read lots of scripts and emulate the ones you respect. Read The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd field (Free download of book at bottom of my thread) and The Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley. Those are just two of many great books that can help you understand 3-act structure, formatting, narrative, dialogue and formatting. Without that fundamental knowledge, you may have trouble moving forward with your career.

Paying to Pitch:

I've had some successes with script requests from Happy Writers and Inktip. I've had no success with Virtual Pitchfest or the Blacklist. You may want to watch my evaluation of these four services on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kznzbG3HXaM&t=44s

I've also attached the blog I wrote for this social platform about submitting written pitches.

https://www.stage32.com/blog/Submitting-Your-Written-Pitch

Sometimes Things Just Happen:

Two weeks ago, I went to a free meeting with a pitching/development service and received two script requests. This happened because another writer I met on Facebook invited me.

I also have another producer I met 6 years ago that continues to shop my screenplays. This includes one I wrote for him via an Inktip ad. We've done a lot recently but sometimes we go months without speaking.

The bottom line is try everything you can without breaking the bank and find creative ways to get your voice heard. Are you a member of IMDb Pro? Pay the 20 bucks a month and contact people who have their contact info listed. And don't be a pest. Be fun and humble and more people will hear your message. Best of luck.

The Foundations of Screenwriting: http://freepdfhosting.com/42b57d37cc.pdf

I used to email a synopsis but I also called producers and agents up and try to get permission to send them a synopsis and or a screenplay. If they agreedyou are not sending them unsolicited material.

Dan G - that personal touch has always worked for me.