How To Break Into Movie Writing

Do you have some great ideas for movies but no idea how to get them out to the producers who can actually make them into a film? Do you often go to the movies and think that you can do better and have better ideas when it comes to movie making? If so, you should know that the internet has given you options that were never before possible when it came to breaking into movie writing. There are a few ways that you can break into movie writing - you can know a producer who will listen to your ideas, you can write... Read more »

The Path to Getting Your Screenplay Sold

One of the most asked questions in screenwriting is “How do I sell a screenplay?” Over the last 10 years, I’ve interviewed many produced screenwriters and they all went through their own version of the following steps as they made their first sale. Those steps are: 1. A well-written script that is marketable. 2. A pitch. 3. A market. 4. An “in″ into the market. 5. A negotiation that leads to a sale. Of course, each of those steps can be fulfilled in many ways. My purpose in presenting this article is to help you easily recognize opportunities when they arrive and quickly surmise what might be stopping you from succeeding. Let’s... Read more »

Questions Every Producer Has About Your Screenplay

You′ve finally gotten up the nerve to attend a “pitch-fest.” Now, you′re there, standing in line, waiting your turn to pitch your screenplay and in about 30 seconds, you′ll be face-to-face with a representative from a major production company. Your turn. You′ve got 5 minutes to pitch someone who can make the miracle happen. You introduce yourself and find out that you′re sitting across from the Director of Development. Excellent! Now, before you start pitching her, there’s one thing you really... Read more »

22 Ways to Improve Your Screenwriting

Whether you are trying to win contests or sell your script, it is important that you take advantage of every opportunity you can to increase your chances of success. Some people have estimated the odds of a good screenwriter selling a script to be in the neighborhood of 1 in 5,000. What if you could cut that in half just by one action? Now, you’re at 1 in 2,500. Then, what if you could cut that by 1/5th by taking a series of actions. Now, you’re at 1 in 500. And if you continue on that path, sooner or later, you’ll get to 1 in 10 or even 1 in 2. If you don’t believe that, let me ask you this: What are the chances of Charlie Kaufman... Read more »

Where’s the Magic in Your Screenwriting?

If you′ve ever been to a great magic show, you were probably astounded by the tricks the magician was able to pull off. Chances are that you may have figured out a few, but most surprised you and added to the enjoyment of the evening. But to the professional, the actual trick is the least of what they are doing on stage. What makes a magician great is their understanding of how to work with an audience. Their performance is designed to incite emotion, provoke curiosity, capitalize on normal assumptions, misdirect the senses, cause people to jump to incorrect conclusions, and finally, astound us... Read more »