An editor can also check for format and structure errors.
In the U. S. , The Writers’ Guild of America has offices in New York and Los Angeles. It offers a screenplay registration service that helps protect your copyright by establishing a date of authorship. As of January 2018, the price to register a script is $25 for non-members. [2] X Research source The U. S. Copyright Office offers registration so you can establish a public record of your copyright. This will allow you to sue someone in court for infringement. You may want to register it before you start sending your script out. [3] X Trustworthy Source United States Copyright Office Part of the Library of Congress, responsible for maintaining copyright records Go to source
It helps to let your personality shine. If you hook them with your query letter, they will be more likely to read your script. Include a one or two sentence pitch of your screenplay, called a logline. Your logline should inspire people to want to read your script.
A quick search will yield hundreds of results hosted by anyone from indie film directors to large companies searching for the next great idea. Although many take place in California, there are film festivals and Pitchfests all over the world. Do a search specific to your country first to check for any that might be local or nationwide!
Introduce yourself with a firm handshake and say “Hello, my name is Sarah. It’s nice to meet you! How are you doing today?” This will open up conversation in a friendly manner and give you the chance to make a genuine connection with someone important.
Have the logline from your query letter memorized, this will help you to create a short synopsis of your script in your mind that you can utilize if the opportunity presents itself. For example, you could say “I’m a student of NYU film school and have been working on a screenplay about an alien invasion of a small town. The main character is a young girl who ultimately saves the day by befriending the aliens and helping them integrate into life on Earth. ”
If they take the time to reply and are interested in discussing your script, send along all of the information that you have prepared, including the query and treatment that you have written.
Seek out independent producers seeking scripts. Independent producers don’t work for major film studios, so they are more likely to read a script sent to them unsolicited.
Send your query to agents and ask them to represent you. The most common way that producers receive and read new screenplays is through submissions from agents.
If you secure a manager or agent, they will handle the negotiation process for you.
If you secure a manager or agent, they will handle the negotiation process for you.
