Question: What do I do with a script that is a Nicholl quarterfinalist?
An Open Forum question via email from Alistair:
Hi Scott. Long-time lurker, and enjoy your blog tremendously. I have a fairly rambling, unfocused question that I’d like to ask, if you have the time.
I wrote my first script a little over a year ago, a period piece about a conflict that to the best of my knowledge has never, ever been explored on cinema before. I think I can honestly say I was driven to write it purely by the impression I got while I was researching it that “I can’t believe no one thought to make this into a movie. This would make a spectacular film!”
I submitted it to the Nicholl’s fellowship contest, and placed in the quarterfinals, which means my script placed in the top 5 percent of more than 6,000 entries. About four production companies/agencies emailed me (yeah, the mass forwards they do every year) and asked to read it.
1. One shot me down.
2. One hasn’t gotten back to me (three months already!)
3. One said he “really enjoyed the read, but period is tough now. Do (I) have anything contemporary?” (as I commented on one of your posts yesterday, I did not).
4. One said they “enjoyed certain elements” but it wasn’t the type of material they were currently looking for, but I shouldn’t “hesitate to drop (them) a line in the future.”
Obviously, I feel privileged that I placed at all in Nicholls, and privileged these people took the time to read my scripts. But since then I’ve done nothing with the script, and that’s basically because… I didn’t think that far ahead when I wrote it.
I had no plan to market it, and no idea how to.
This is partially because I live in the middle east, but generally speaking, I have no idea how to approach people about the script.
So I guess I was wondering if you have any advice on how best to approach companies, who to aim for (agencies or studios? Are some companies more likely to be interested in a period piece?), and are they more likely to not ignore me if I include reference to my Nicholl placement? I honestly have no clue where to start. I don’t know the who, how or what of it, and I would be tremendously grateful if you could offer any guidance.
Regards,
Alistair
I posted something about this subject in August here. First, I’d check that out as I think it gives you a pretty good idea how to open up some doors in Hwood. There’s no big secret involved — it takes organization, persistence, and will power. But here’s the thing: You already have a leg up in that you’ve already started ‘networking.’ The #3 and #4 responders to your script? You should definitely follow up with them. Ask them specifically what they are looking for. Use that as a means of engaging them in conversation to find out as much as you can and ‘sell’ yourself to them. Even #1, who rejected your script, there is no reason you shouldn’t contact them, thank them for reading your screenplay, and — again — ask what they are looking for. That’s the next step in you networking those contacts.
I read about a writer once who when they were breaking into the business took an extremely organized approach to it. She created a file for every contact she made. She took notes of all her conversations with contacts and added that info to her respective files. She would set an alarm in her computer calendar to remind her to call contacts again in 2 or 4 weeks. If I recall from the article, it took her about 18 months to sell a script, but when she did, she already had a nice base of contacts to work with in her budding career as a screenwriter. Moreover she developed excellent habits which she carried over to all the meetings she began to take with producers, studio execs, etc.
But here is an important question: Do you have any other stories you have prepped to write? If not, you would be well served in spending some time — preferably a lot of time — generating story concepts. Because if you only have one thing to show potential reps, producers, execs, that limits your viability. Plus if they read your script, pass on it, but ask to meet you based on the quality of your writing, just about the first thing out of their mouths will be questions like “So, what are you working on now” or “What other stories you got cooking?”
Look at it this way: There are basically four components of a screenwriter’s life:
* Generating story ideas
* Prep-writing (i.e., brainstorming, research, character development, plotting)
* Page-writing (the actual writing, rewriting, and editing of a screenplay)
* Networking
So while you can be spending some portion of your time trying to ‘market’ your Nichol quarterfinal script, you should not neglect the other three areas. And while you’re at it, unless you are mystically bound to write period pieces, I’d suggest you try to come up with some story ideas that are contemporary because period pieces are generally harder to sell.
Finally there’s this: While you should be proud that your script is Nicholl quarterfinalist, that should spur you to write an even better script next time. I know people who have been Nicholl finalists and even one winner — and where you got four inquiries at the quarterfinal level, they received dozens and dozens, all of them singing with reps.
Which means that the same old adage holds true: Write a great script. That’s probably the single best thing you can do to market your talent.
Let’s open this up to GITS readers: Those of you who have won or placed high in screenplay competitions like the Nicholl, what did you do to market yourself?
[BTW, I wouldn’t hesitate to include the Nicholl quarterfinalist thing in any communication. The Nicholl is the premier screenwriting competition in the U.S. and everybody in Hwood knows about it.]
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