Attracting Agents and Producers
12-19-09
I have learned a secret about attracting interest from Agents and Producers.
1) Get a referral or introduction from someone who is represented by the agency or involved with the producer. This is a best-case scenario.
2) Check out a copy of the Hollywood Creative Directory and/or subscribe to the Internet Movie Data Base Pro (IMDB.com) to locate agents and producers contact information. First, call to confirm the contact information is correct and the person is still with the firm.
3) Contact these agents and producers with a Query Letter – you only get one chance to make a first impression, so ensure this is a professional document with no mistakes. If you need to know what should be in a Query Letter contact me or seek this info online).
4) I have learned that ‘No’ means “Not Right Now”. Never take ‘No’ or the lack of a response from those you contact negatively. It’s just the business. Get used to it. The key here is to stand out from the million other screenwriters. Be creative but in a very professional way!
5) By creating a one sheet poster and synopsis to go along with your Query Letter can improve your chances of being contacted. This has worked for me and I recommend it highly as it shows you are moving your project forward.
6) Of course the main ingredient for getting interest is to write a great script with the potential to make money for a producer. This gets serious interest because it is not ‘Show Friends’ it is ‘Show Business’. Just as every screenplay has to be written in the proper format – so does the financial side have to make sense. The days of art films is fading fast – some say it is already dead outside the indie market. Ensure your screenplay make a profit.
7) Follow up with ways to remind your new contacts who you are and that you exist. Postcards, updates on the progress of your script/project, additional elements and talent that are interested or you have managed to get attached to your project (writer-producers are the way of the future). Have an artist design the movie poster and send it out – this has opened doors that were closed to me before.
The more professional people you surround yourself with will improve your chances of getting your film made.
I have been in the entertainment industry since 1985 (Licensed and Produced the Bruce Lee game (endorsed by the Bruce Lee estate) and co-wrote a game with Robert Ludlum titled Robert Ludlum’s Game of Counter-Espionage. Now I focus on comics/graphic novels and screenplays (one script optioned and another turned into a comic series). Focus on your goals and you will reach your destination.
Good luck with your endeavours!
Sandford Tuey
www.Playdigm.com
info@playdigm.com