Screenwriting : Leveraging short spec scripts by Elie de Rosen

Elie de Rosen - great question. Depends on where they are at within in their career. It certainly doesn't hurt to share 3-5 pages of something with someone vs. a 95 page script and expect someone to read it.

It can help, Elie de Rosen. I pitch short scripts to sell, and I also use short scripts as writing samples. Short scripts are great writing samples because it doesn't take long to read them, and a short script tells a complete story (sometimes) as opposed to using pages from a feature script as a writing sample.

I'm intrigued by your post, Maurice Vaughan. Who do you sell your short scripts to?

I find producers and directors on Stage 32 and websites like Screenwriting Staffing (www.stage32.com/jnstuart), Elie de Rosen. I also pitch my short scripts to producers and directors who I've met over the years.

Up an coming filmmakers more often than not start with shorts. Always great to have a few on hand. Also, as a screenwriter, it's great practice for writing with economy of style.

I connected with an up-and-coming filmmaker here on Stage 32. My short was ultimately produced and is currently doing really well in festivals around the world. Never hurts to take a chance.

You're right, Jane Tumminello. Congratulations!

There is gatekeeping in the industry, Matthew D Rhodes, but one way to get through the gate is building relationships/networking.

Talent should be nurtured, Matthew D Rhodes. Sometimes people who were born into the industry have a better chance than those who have to work harder, but not always. I wasn't born into it, and I've had a lot of success by studying screenwriting, learning the industry, and networking. And I've never been off the east coast. Stage 32 has resources on networking and the more you do it, the more you'll see results. And some networking takes time.

You have a huge community to network with on Stage 32, Matthew D Rhodes. And like I said, some networking takes time. As for your schedule, networking doesn't have to take up a lot of time. Set a small goal starting off. Something like, network with one person a day.

That's great that you're at least working to say hi to people and trying to converse with them, Matthew D Rhodes . Something else you could do is look at their posts and profiles to find things to start conversations with, like their favorite movies and their hobbies. And if people blow you off, just find other people to build relationships with.

To answer OP's question, it makes sense to write for the space you feel you have the greatest chance of breaking into. The key thing is, people are motivated to read scripts that can move them forward. It's wise to see every script submission as a mini business proposition and the recipient as an investor with certain needs, resources, and capabilities.

The only people particularly interested in reading short scripts, especially ones from unknown writers, are those wanting to make short scripts. So, you have to think to yourself, is that a space within filmmaking that aligns with your overall strategy?

I went through a few years of writing pretty much nothing else but short scripts. I completed around thirty and had just as many options. I handful went into production, a few got finished, and a couple came out as presentable. Zero did anything for me career wise as the short film space and the feature film space has a pretty hard border.

However, what I practiced in terms of craft, learned in terms of voice, experienced in terms of collaboration, and gained in terms of validation was invaluable. I owe most of my artistry to focusing on short scripts.

CJ Walley Thank you for the thorough answer. It's always appreciated. I get the impression that the self-improvement that can come from writing short scripts makes it well worth the effort. That said, I'm curious, did your short film collaboration experiences help prepare you for collaborating in the feature film space?

Another thoughtful and honest post by CJ Walley, as per. Yes, in the short film realm, the stepping stone for the director is a shorter one than for everyone else, including the writer. However, as CJ stated in his last sentence, the experience is invaluable. And if you get to be on set during the shoot, doubly so.

Matthew D Rhodes To add to what Maurice Vaughan and Dan Guardiano said, living in a remote area isn't necessarily a career deal-breaker, not if you've mastered the art of engaging established filmmakers in conversations and taking a genuine interest in their work.

Elie de Rosen, yes, to some extent, mainly in terms of going through the experience of seeing a script finalised and released. That's an emotional rollercoaster, as what's in your mind's eye becomes replaced with the production's efforts, and that can be both a very rewarding and very disappointing set of emotions to feel. It also acclimated myself a little to the timescales and lack of updates that are often par of the course with film.

Something I also forgot to mention is that two of my best feature scripts are derived from shorts I'd previously written and built upon. Plus, there's a scene in my first feature film directly lifted from the first short script I ever wrote.

My strategy over the past nine years or so has been to start at the bottom and work my way up. Shorts are that basement, and thus I was highly motivated at the time to get into that world. I also knew my story structure skills were lacking, so they were great practice when it came to going through the process of development. I can turnaround a strong first feature script draft in a week now because of that practice.

On the topic of being remote, I am based in a small rural town in the UK and have been a writer-producer on three feature films shot in LA. I'm also very open about the fact I have suffered very badly with depression for the majority of my time writing since starting in 2012. On top of that, I'm highly dyslexic. The best advice I can give is to lean into artistry and find people on your own wavelength. Going the other way, by chasing success while seeking validation from everyone, will ruin you.

Elie de Rosen The good thing about shorts, many people still get together to produce them for competitions. Yes, there really isn't a lot of economics there for them, but the ability to create one has never been easier. Also, there are several competitions geared specifically for short scripts. Some of my favorite ones are ones where you have to write the script in a short period of time based on a prompt - shorts can really flex the writing muscles.