Have a few successful films with festival runs under your belt, or a stint as a writer’s assistant on a TV show, or simply have a ton of great scripts on your shelf, and demonstrate how prolific a writer you are (agents love writers who write!). They can spot who’s worth working with, and who’s not, from a mile away.Īnd, duh, you want to be one of those folks who’s worth working with. But in doing so, they’ve also got their filters up, just as hardcore. So they’ve got their feelers out, hardcore, for new talent, because they don’t want to miss out on a great new spec script from a hot new writer. They simply want to put together the best quality, most profitable packages (script and talent) as humanly possible. They’re not out to ruin your day or dis you or your script. Some may be artists themselves, but all of them are primarily businesspeople first, artists and patrons of the arts second, babysitters third, shrinks fourth. Agents love a screenwriter who makes herself valuable That is, if you can force yourself to think with these restrictions, you’ll discipline yourself to think more strategically about your script’s concept and how you pitch it, and that will boost your chances of connecting with an agent or other gatekeeper.įor more on pitching a concept, see my post on “elevator script pitches” here. You’ve got to practice with these weights in order to build your muscles. Granted, I’m being pretty drastic with these arbitrary rules, but think of these rules as weights, and you’re a bodybuilder. Hint: If you can’t say it in 20 or so words, and it doesn’t blow someone’s mind when they hear it, go back to the concept drawing board. …then I’m asleep within the first few words, not only because it’s a non-specific, super-boring concept, but because you took an extra four seconds to articulate it. Maybe Wedding Crashers isn’t the most amazing film (although I chuckled a few times), but the concept is super strong.Ī police detective pulls the lid off of a police corruption ring and gets more than he bargained for. The best sign of an awesome amazing concept is that it can be said in one sentence: So that film of yours with the two guys talking in the coffee shop with the guns? Maybe mind-blowing in 1990, but in 2012, it’s a retread, and probably an instant pass.Ī mind-blowing hook is simply something about the script that, when you tell them in one sentence what the script is about, makes people - all people who can read the printed word, universally and without exception -say any or all of the following:Ĭ) “Wow! How much do you want for that idea?”ĭ) Or if you’re Christopher Walken: “My mind, it is blown… by this hook.” Agents love a concept they can remember easily What do agents love? Agents love a screenwriter with an amazing conceptĮasy, right? Well put it this way: if you haven’t been able to come up with at least one script that meets this criteria, you probably shouldn’t be sending your work out there just yet.Ī mind-blowing concept is really the only thing that gets turned into a film these days, other than reboots, remakes, movies based on toys, or the occasional heartfelt honest art film that’s a pet project of a name actor, producer, or director, so you’re really fighting an uphill battle if you don’t have a concept that’s simply smashing. You may want to consider a few of them before sending out that first query letter. Here are five things lit agents look for when considering a prospective screenwriter client. If you’re a screenwriter looking to sign with a literary agent, you’ve probably got the basics down: you can tell a reasonably-entertaining story on paper, you’re a hard worker, and you’re a nice gal.īut, alas, it takes more than that to win the affections of an agent.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |