E-mailing scripts to agencies

[elephant1978]

I have one particular agent who always asks me to e-mail my submissions. I realize it's faster but something makes me uncomfortable about it. Anybody else feel weird about e-mailing scripts?

Ele...

[wildgrace]

I like email, saves me the hassle of going to the post office.

I just CC a copy of the email to myself and the attachement and I have on file exactly who I sent the email too and what file was attached to my email.

[jimjimgrande]

I have emailed pdf's to agencies

saves me money and if it's a big agency, they're just going to scan what I send them into their system anyway.

and like grace says - I cc myself at a second email address so I have a record of it.

[Winter in New York]

I've heard a lot of people frown on emailing scripts. But, I'm a big techno-geek, so I email pdfs to my agent and manager.

After all, it's quick and free.

Be interested to hear what Creative Exec thinks about this?

I've also emailed stuff to production companies directly from time to time. Though I do tend to get a bit nervous about this, and won't do so unless I have a pre-existing relationship of some kind with them.

And I ALWAYS send a pdf. Not a word, or MovieMagic document.

Winter in New York

[DUCPHO]

My Rep transmits much of my work electronically and on some rare occasions she has asked me to send partial projects to interested parties directly, files she did not have access to, only the logs I had supplied her with.

When this occurs I simply export from Final Draft under the export feature, then using the drop down box convert the file to RTF(Rich Text Format) and save.

Go back and write your e-mail and then hit attachment button. When the next box comes up hit the drop down box and click on "C" Hard Drive, then when the next window pops up click on "Program Files", in the next box "Final Draft"... then simply seek out the now converted file that you named and converted to RTF which will appear as a Word Document in you Final Draft Folder.

Attach it with a cover stating that has been exported from FD to RTF and will download as word!

If everything went Okay, you should be able to now go to your sent mail box, pull up their e-mail, open the attachment and have a converted "word version" of your script!

Crazy isn't it!:lol

[elephant1978]

Uh...thanks for the computer lesson, duchpo. If I had a rep like you do, I wouldn't feel so paranoid about e-mailing scripts. I'd feel a bit more protected. And you guys make a great argument for PDF files, but I still feel like it's risky because the file can be sent to so many people at the click of a button. I don't know. Maybe it's not a big deal. I'm just old school.

Ele...

[MacG]

Welcome to the 21st century, Ele! :b

I e-mail my scripts...my manager e-mails my scripts. As long as its in a .PDF and registered with the Guild, you really shouldn't be concerned about anything happening to your work.

[RoloTamossy]

I think the only fear of e-mailing scripts is having the recipient change a few words here and there and then claim they wrote the script. But you don't have to worry if you're sending it to agents and managers, and if you're sending it as a pdf file, which can't be altered.

Speaking of which, where do you go to convert your files to pdf files for free?

[JMather]

Rolo,

This may not help (since it's not actually free if you don't have it) but Final Draft 7 will let you save in pdf.

Take care, Jim

[ybanon]

MacG (and anybody else),

Is it important to send it in .pdf format instead of .rtf?

I guess it would make it harder to do a cut-and-paste robbery.

ybanon

[elephant1978]

My fear isn't necessarily cutting and pasting, just that it is easy to access it and send it to any number of people. It's a lot more work to copy something in a Xerox machine. I feel like that would ward off foul play. I mean, who has the time?

Ele...

[vegasbeloved]

You need the program acrobat &pdf writer to convert your document to a pdf.file... I'm not sure of where you can convert for free, but its a good investment to buy the programs if you're looking at long term career.

You can go to FILE scroll down to Document INFO then to SECURITY FEATURES where you will find a list such as open password to open the document, printing allowed, changing text allowed and security password in order to alter any of the above.

then when you SAVE AS - a window will open up and list security... hit that button and add whatever security measures you would like. It seems like I'm missing a step so if anybody want to add to this....

hope this helps...

[Winter in New York]

MovieMagic ( www.screenplay.com ) pdfs files in about 5-10 seconds.

Now if only I could write a script at that pace... ;)

Winter in New York

[vex]

www.pdf995.com - great free software that I used to convert my work to PDF before I got Final Draft 6.

It creates a printer on your computer, and when you print using the PDF995 printer, it simply saves your file as a PDF. Great tool, I still use it for things other than screenplays.

[KidCharlemagne108]

Hi

Emailing scripts seems to becoming the norm thankfully. I've emailed scripts to studio executives, producers and agents (big and small). Most people in Hollywood seem to be quite comfortable with this method. I always send them as .pdf's.

I've been sending scripts out to talent agents at the big five, the boutique's and UK agents and in 90% of the cases I have emailed the scripts. It hasn't been an issue.

Being able to send scripts out via email is a real god send if you don't live in LA. There may be a downside if you're trying to get an agent's attention and he's not highly motivated to read your script. I suspect in these cases that there will be occassions where the email is left in the inbox and the agent forgets to forward the mail to his assistant in order to print it out.

So if you are emailing agents and they request your script I would make sure you hook up with the assistant and get their email address and email it to them to make sure they print it out and hand the hard copy to the agent. I would check back a couple of weeks later just to see if the hard copy script has been forwarded to the agent.

KC

[creativexec]

I'm not sure it's the norm. Hard copy scripts still
lead the way. Studios, prodcos, and producers,
for instance, have never sent an e-mail script
for Mel or Denzel's consideration.

The majority of the e-mail scripts I get are
informal submissions from friends or from
writers still trying to break in.

But I prefer e-mail. Keeps my office neat and
tidy. I can read the script on the screen or
print it out if necessary.

But it could be a full-time job printing out
hundreds, even thousands of scripts a week
for a big outfit.

[elephant1978]

Thanks, CE.

The way I see it is that sending a hardcopy is almost a courtesy because the agent doesn't have to print it. I just feel there's something more professional about it. And for somebody who is trying to get an agent moving and reading something, it doesn't hurt to have a visual reminder in their office. Or maybe I'm just old school. :lol

I mean, when a hot shot agency is sending work out, they put a nice, colorful cover on it with their name. That doesn't work as well in e-mail. I just feel hardcopies puts your stamp on it, even it my agency is lil' ol me. :p

Ele...

[DUCPHO]

Made his appearance around these here parts about six months back.

Said he was the "Ben Cahan" that started BC Software (Final Draft) and was now looking to manage and produce... no wonder he never responded after getting my script... hell, I haven't bothered to upgrade since I bought Final Draft 4.0, or 4.5, I can't remember!

Wow, they're up to a Final Draft 7 now! Something "spooky" bout that!0]

[Dennisss]

What software do you use to change Final Draft to PDF? My experience is that Adobe doesn't recognize the file type.

[jimjimgrande]

Dennis - to convert a final draft file to PDF all you have to do is open the print window and there is a button that says - print as pdf - just click into the FInal Draft Six pull down window to make sure you are printing you title page and all that before you do it, then change the title so that it ends in .pdf. I can do it which means it's really easy

[Dennisss]

Thank you! How silly of me in that it was there all along. I need to stop being fooled by help menus that do not list what I'm looking for, even though the software has the capability.

[Pooks]

The "antis" to submitting electronically aren't just a matter of somebody changing a few words and claiming they wrote it. It's the potential for them to change "a few words" or rewrite entire scenes, and leave your name on it. I know a couple of people who have had managers that did that, and they were unhappy about it.

The other risk is that it's so easy to forward and forward and forward -- you lose any control over where your script goes. While people can also photocopy and pass it around, that's much slower and more cumbersome. I had a friend who suspected that a potential manager forwarded her script to a few producers to get a feel for whether or not they were interested, before getting back to her.

If these things don't bother you, then there's no reason that I know of not to submit electronically when asked.

[KidCharlemagne108]

Hi CE

By, 'it's becoming the norm', I meant that I have found little resistance from agencies, studios and producers to electronic submissions. I was quite surprised by how open people were to doing this especially studios who I initially thought would have a strict 'hard copy only' policy.

I've submitted to some major actors at a big three agency via email and I submitted to a well known actor at a boutique recently and at no point was it deemed an issue. In fact I've had agents and producers simply say 'email it to me' before I even mentioned anything about electronic submissions. However I do live in Europe so maybe they are cutting me some slack because of the time (and expense) of snail mailing from here.

I'm submitting projects to the animation studios on a regular basis and I just submit via email. It's never come up as an issue. Actually come to think of it I met one of your guys at a film festival and he requested that I email him the script, but, like I said, maybe this is something that is done for people like me who live on the other side of the pond.

Still, it seems to be more prevalent over here too. My co-producer and I are out to 3 UK actors and have emailed the script to all 3 UK agents. If they get a paying gig for their actors I guess the cost of 120 sheets of A4 paper is an OK deal :-)

KC

[zz9]

A tech question from those of us on this side (UK) of the pond.
If I save a script in PDF, while my PC is set up for A4, will it affect printing on US letter paper? Since A4 is an inch longer will PDF put page breaks in the wrong place?

[BROUGHCUT]

it's easy to change to US letter to create the pdf.