Production/Query

[vigilante]

Hi gang
Is sending query letters to production companies a waste of time? Is accepting cold queries something they just won't do or if they like what they see they will?

[ihavebiglips]

Originally Posted by vigilante

Hi gang
Is sending query letters to production companies a waste of time? Is accepting cold queries something they just won't do or if they like what they see they will?

Not an expert, but my take:

I wouldn't call it a waste of time at all. Hustle to get your work into the hands of folks that make films. If the concept is something they're interested in, and your query rocks, you'll get some interest.

If you don't have reps: There have been more than enough stories of folks getting their script to a production company and scoring an agency referral from the producers, etc.

Keep detailed data of who you expose your work to. If you do get repped, they're gonna wanna know who has seen the script, and what state it was in (draft). Over-exposure is not your friend.

[sppeterson]

It depends on the kind of screenplay you have.

But production companies can be the best place to target. If your script is relatively affordable then there are a lot more production companies around reading queries than agents or managers.

And in my own experience, I've had much more luck pitching horror screenplays directly to producers.

[SoCalScribe]

Originally Posted by vigilante

Hi gang
Is sending query letters to production companies a waste of time? Is accepting cold queries something they just won't do or if they like what they see they will?

The odds of someone accepting cold queries is very small (many companies won't look at them at all)... but there are companies out there that will make an exception if they come across a logline they like. So it may feel like a waste of time if you're not getting any requests for submissions... but it's hard to say that the activity itself is a waste of time, since it's the content you send them (and not the practice of sending it) that determines their level of response.

The way I look at it is, if you cold query... you may get some interest, you may not. But if you don't cold query... you have zero interest. So the thing you have to weigh (and each person is different) is whether the time and effort to contact these companies is worth the CHANCE of having something happen.

Depending on your situation, that time and effort may be worth it, or it may not.

[brubenow]

I did manage to get a few reads from a few prod co's by emailing them directly, but have also had my share of rejections from them. It's also a lot harder to get email contact info for a prod co vs. a manager or agent.

So knock yourself out. You don't have anything to lose.....

[vigilante]

Thanks gang for your input, you folks a great

[Biohazard]

Originally Posted by brubenow

It's also a lot harder to get email contact info for a prod co vs. a manager or agent.

Makes you wish there was a Production Company E-Mail List at the top of the forum like we have for agents and managers.

[sppeterson]

I don't think production company emails are any harder than for agents certainly -- and maybe about the same as for managers.

Really big production companies stay off the radar. But there are a bunch of places making stuff under 20M that you can look up via IMDb and at least find the email of one or two producers, or the CEs.

What makes it hard is that there are an awful lot of them and the smaller ones do specialize in genres. The best method I've found is to grind it out and go through a bunch of movies similar in feel, genre, and budget to your script. Then click on every producer or X-producer on the list and collect emails.

Every script read you get this way, even if it doesn't result in a sale, turns into someone who's more likely to read your stuff in the future.

[catcon]

Originally Posted by Biohazard

Makes you wish there was a Production Company E-Mail List at the top of the forum like we have for agents and managers.

I second this!

What with bouncing around between here, Google, and Linked in, sometimes and only sometimes, after about 15 minutes, I might find an email structure somewhere/somehow, then some current and relevant employees in LinkedIn, and then apply that name to the email structure.

But it's a load of work.

However, I heard about a concern that this site is Googled by its robots and that's why they stick to the PM'g back and forth, supposedly. They'd rather keep it under wraps between members (or those who PM and ask nicely).

[true_illusion]

Originally Posted by vigilante

Hi gang
Is sending query letters to production companies a waste of time? Is accepting cold queries something they just won't do or if they like what they see they will?

Definitely not a waste of time, i have had more success going to prod company route than agents/managers. Most agents and managers don't want to hear from you unless you have something optioned/sold/produced.

I myself am looking at potentially landing my first deal next week as a prod company wants to option my low budget thriller/horror spec and have asked me to call them next week to talk about the details. And no, i do not have an agent or manager.

So here is to hoping things don't fall through