Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies Path: nntp-server.caltech.edu!news.claremont.edu!ucivax!news.service.uci.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!wupost!gumby!destroyer!cs.ubc.ca!newsserver.sfu.ca!sfu.ca!loh From: loh@fraser.sfu.ca (Keith Meng-Wei Loh) Subject: Re: Selling a screenplay/script idea Message-ID: Sender: news@sfu.ca Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada References: Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 21:58:31 GMT Lines: 37 rane+@cs.cmu.edu (Aaron Hughes) writes: >I've been kicking around the idea of writing a script >for an idea I've had bouncing around in my head for a >bit and was just curious as to how I would go about >selling it should I ever decide to actually write it, >and should I actually decide to try and market it. I've >got pretty good idea of the process for music groups >getting signed to a label from reading the rec.music.makers.* >groups and the process is probably similar. I was >just wondering if anyone out there had actually tried >it or knows someone that has. I'm in the process of finishing a television script but along the way I've found a few useful books you might also want to look up. The best book so far I've been reading is the late Irwin R. Blacker's "The Elements of Screenwriting". Even though it was put together after his death in 1986/87, it still reads pretty current. You'll want to read chapter 10: The Business of Filmmaking and his appendixes on the Writers Guild of America and the Writers Guild Agencies. You may want to look at something a little more current for agency lists and sample contracts. His tips still sound fresh, though. The major worth in the book is in his do's and don't's of writing the actual script and he spends a lot of time on Conflict, Characterization, etc. Other books: Alan A. Armer, "Writing the Screenplay: TV and Film" (1988) " Ben Brady, "Understructure of writing for film" (1988) Basically, all of them say: 1) Write it 2) Get an Agent 3) Wait and Starve 4) if anyone notable shows ANY interest at all in your work, be vewwy vewwy careful but be happy Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies Path: nntp-server.caltech.edu!news.claremont.edu!uunet!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!nott!cunews!freenet.carleton.ca!Freenet.carleton.ca!aa765 From: aa765@Freenet.carleton.ca (Brian Graham) Subject: Re: Selling a screenplay/script idea Message-ID: Sender: news@freenet.carleton.ca (News Administrator) Reply-To: aa765@Freenet.carleton.ca (Brian Graham) Organization: The National Capital Freenet References: Date: Sat, 15 May 1993 14:51:05 GMT Lines: 76 In a previous article, loh@fraser.sfu.ca (Keith Meng-Wei Loh) says: >rane+@cs.cmu.edu (Aaron Hughes) writes: > > >>I've been kicking around the idea of writing a script >>for an idea I've had bouncing around in my head for a >>bit and was just curious as to how I would go about >>selling it should I ever decide to actually write it, >>and should I actually decide to try and market it. I've >>got pretty good idea of the process for music groups >>getting signed to a label from reading the rec.music.makers.* >>groups and the process is probably similar. I was >>just wondering if anyone out there had actually tried >>it or knows someone that has. > >I'm in the process of finishing a television script but along the >way I've found a few useful books you might also want to look >up. > >The best book so far I've been reading is the late Irwin R. Blacker's >"The Elements of Screenwriting". Even though it was put together after >his death in 1986/87, it still reads pretty current. You'll want to >read chapter 10: The Business of Filmmaking and his appendixes on the >Writers Guild of America and the Writers Guild Agencies. You may want >to look at something a little more current for agency lists and >sample contracts. His tips still sound fresh, though. The major worth >in the book is in his do's and don't's of writing the actual script >and he spends a lot of time on Conflict, Characterization, etc. > >Other books: > >Alan A. Armer, "Writing the Screenplay: TV and Film" (1988) " >Ben Brady, "Understructure of writing for film" (1988) > >Basically, all of them say: 1) Write it 2) Get an Agent 3) Wait and >Starve 4) if anyone notable shows ANY interest at all in your work, >be vewwy vewwy careful but be happy > > I teach a screenwriting program. The reading list includes the above books and a few others as well. Syd Field, "Screenplay," "The Screenwriter's Handbook" and "Selling A Screenplay: The Screenwriter's Guide to Hollywood." Madeline DiMaggio, "How to Write For Television" (published by Prentice Hall). Robert (Bob) Kosberg -- known as Hollywood's King of Pitch, "How to Sell Your Idea to Hollywood" (published by Harper Perennial). And a series of books on technique published by Writer's Digest Books of Cincinnati, Ohio: "Dialogue" by Lewis Turco; "Characters & Viewpoint" by Orson Scott Card; "Theme & Strategy" by Ronald B. Tobias; and "Plot" by Ansen Dibell. You can also contact the WGA for information. They have a list of agencies with those accepting new clients marked and a Standardized Script Format Guide. Contact -- Writers Guild of America (West) Inc., 8955 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 Phone: (213)-550-1000 WGA also has a registration service for both union and non-union members that helps to augment government copyright registration and serves as a useful reinforcement of evidence in court should the need arise. Good Luck, Brian -- ********************************* Brian Graham: All The Write Moves aa765@freenet.carleton.ca *********************************