Screenwriting : Samples by Jill Godley

You can find a lot of TV Bibles here https://sites.google.com/site/tvwriting/home

As for the Query letters and a lot of other material, I can dig it up but then what? I can't upload or post it here. How do I send it to you?

Hi, Jill Godley. This is going to be a lot of information. :)

Here's what I put in a query letter:

I try to think of a catchy subject line.

I always start a query letter with "Hi, _________,"

Then I let the person (executive, director, producer, etc.) know why I'm emailing.

After that, I mention the logline. Some script leads tell you that the producers, companies, etc. only accept loglines in query letters, so I exclude a synopsis.

If the script leads say the producers, companies, etc. are open to more than a logline, I include a short synopsis. Sometimes I also include what's special/unique about the script (usually just one sentence) and a small paragraph about how many characters are in the script, how many locations are in the script, etc., but I like to keep my query letters brief, so I don't always include this information. Producers, agents, etc. get a lot of query letters, so they don't have time to read a long query letter.

Next, I mention that a treatment and a pitch deck are available, then I thank the person for hearing my pitch.

Sometimes I add a short bio but not always (because I like to keep my query letters brief).

I end the email with my name and contact info.

Sometimes I change up the order of my query letters to make them exciting and unique. I like to test out new query letter formats.

QUERY LETTER:

A catchy subject line: The House is ALIVE! - "Escape the House" - Horror/Comedy Script Pitch

Hi, ______,

How are you doing? My name is Maurice Vaughan. I found your post on _________________ (or I'll mention who referred me to the person that I'm emailing). I have a Horror/Comedy feature script about a living house that wants a family and a maid. It's titled "Escape the House." (I put the title in red bold)

Logline: After a disobedient teen and her mom move to a small town, the family and a neighbor try to escape from a living house that wants a daughter, wife, and live-in maid.

Picture “Monster House” as a live-action movie (I put this in red bold).

Short Synopsis: A disobedient teenager named Julie and her mom, Andrea, move into a small-town house that’s alive. Knowing it’s alive, their new neighbor, Harriet, tells them they need to move out. The house introduces itself as Hank and says it wants Andrea and Julie to be its family; to replace its wife and daughter who died. They say no, so it locks them inside and says they’re not leaving. It tells Harriet she will be the family’s maid. Julie, Andrea, and Harriet try to escape, but the house prevents them from getting out. After Julie and Andrea find out about the house’s main weakness, they injure it and escape.

The full synopsis is in the treatment. A pitch deck is available. Thanks for hearing my pitch.

Maurice Vaughan

Contact Info

Here's a feature script outline template that I use (www.stage32.com/profile/811418/Screenplay/Outline-Template-for-Feature-S...)

I can email you a show bible that I made for a kids' Animation show. You can use it as a template. I can also email you a feature script treatment to use as a template.

Stage 32 also has webinars for the things that you mentioned (www.stage32.com/education).

And pitch decks. I use Canva.com to make them. It's easy to use, and it gets easier with practice.

Hope this helps! :D

wow thank you so much! Super helpful!

You're welcome, Jill Godley.

Hi, Jill Godley . If you don't mind joining ScriptHive's discord ( https://discord.gg/screenwriting) they have a huge database of scripts, bibles, and pitch decks (https://sites.google.com/scripthive.com/scripthive/home?authuser=0)