Writers

[Adam Dayton]

Hey guys,

Wondering if there were any writers/screenwriters on these forums. I just got done writing the first draft of a movie I am working on and I was wondering if anyone knew about the process of getting an agent. Thanks.

[Victor Fox]

i just graduated from northwestern's film school, and I know that before you go looking for an agent you should rewrite, and retool your screenplay until it's in its third or fourth draft. Be sure your cover page still says "revised draft" but don't bother saying how many times it's been revised. After that, you probably want to get a manager first. He's the guy who'll hook you up with the best agent for your style of screenplay/screenwriting.

[CMH]

Victor said it best. Rewrite and rewrite again. If you can't find any problems with it, sit on it for a couple weeks and then return to it.

You may get lucky to find an agent, but finding a manager is usually an easier route. Also managers are interested in their client while agents are interested in what can be made. You obviously want both, but a manager will want to protect you over the work.

[Adam Dayton]

Thank you for the feedback guys. To say this is my first draft is sort of misleading, as everyday before I write new stuffI read my entire movie from the beginning and edit it here and there anytime the flow is interrupted before getting to a new scene. I can't write new scenes without it being in context to the rest of the movie, so that's the only way I usually write (takes forever but it works). Having said that, it became too much to read a 125 page script so I would just go through that process starting at the second half. Yesterday I gave it a giant read and I have some work to do to better merge the two halves more seamlessly. I figure I will go crazy for hours a day for about 2 weeks before being close to content.

I was wondering what the process would be like for contacting a manager. Woudl it be simply doing research online, finding potential ones, and then emailing them who you are, a few sentences of what youve done, what your working on, etc. If they think it sounds promising the will ask for more detailed synopsis, if they like that they request the scripts, and then ultimately make their decision?

Also, how do they go about getting paid? Is it simply a percentage kickback when you strike deals or is it an hourly type of rate?

Thanks again.

[CMH]

Here are some articles you might want to read:

Do Writer's Get a Percentage on the back end?

Million Dollar Screenplay: Step 3 (and most importantly because you mentioned your script being 125 pages)

Write shorter scripts. In our ADD-riddled culture, the average selling spec is no longer 120 pages. 110-115 is more the norm, and in comedies especially, it's under 110 (somewhere between 95 and 105 seems to be the contemporary comedic sweet spot).Generally, less is more. Some scribe once likened screenwriting to crafting "a hundred pages of Haiku," and most scripts I've read that have sold in the past few years have a compressed, shrewdly compacted energy born of achieving the most with the least amount of words.


To add to all this:


1. Writers get a fee. The fees can be six figures or very close. They don't get paid by the hour or the day. They are paid by the project. Keep in mind "project."


A lot of the time, writers will get paid once and still be required to write draft after draft after draft for no additional fee. It's the project.


Read the article on back end profits. Well, you don't have to really read it because it basically tells you that they don't exist.


2. One of the ways is to research them and send them unsolicited material and hope at least one bites. The best way is through networking.

[Adam Dayton]

Quote: Originally Posted by YankeePride

Here are some articles you might want to read: Do Writer's Get a Percentage on the back end? Million Dollar Screenplay: Step 3 (and most importantly because you mentioned your script being 125 pages) Write shorter scripts. In our ADD-riddled culture, the average selling spec is no longer 120 pages. 110-115 is more the norm, and in comedies especially, it's under 110 (somewhere between 95 and 105 seems to be the contemporary comedic sweet spot).Generally, less is more. Some scribe once likened screenwriting to crafting "a hundred pages of Haiku," and most scripts I've read that have sold in the past few years have a compressed, shrewdly compacted energy born of achieving the most with the least amount of words. To add to all this: 1. Writers get a fee. The fees can be six figures or very close. They don't get paid by the hour or the day. They are paid by the project. Keep in mind "project." A lot of the time, writers will get paid once and still be required to write draft after draft after draft for no additional fee. It's the project. Read the article on back end profits. Well, you don't have to really read it because it basically tells you that they don't exist. 2. One of the ways is to research them and send them unsolicited material and hope at least one bites. The best way is through networking.

Oh, I was referring to how the managers get paid, but thanks for the links man. I read that most agents won't except unsolicited material, but I haven't read anything about managers. I will def start networking through people (My cousins wife writes books) and online. Thanks again.

[CMH]

Managers get paid a percentage of the overall fee. I believe the standard rate is 10%.

Another neat little article about Agents and Managers.