Hi guys.
I didn't know where to post this topic, so I posted it here. If I posted it in the wrong place, I'm sorry, you can move it to where it should be.
I'm finally finished with my first ever movie script. I triple checked everything, re-written, re-arranged it etc. and made it ready to (hopefully) be sold. Problem is, I'm in a complex situation to make that second step and I would like someone with experience to help me out. I'll dissect my whole situation for you to understand my situation and then I'll list the questions I have regarding sending and selling my script to the world of Hollywood below it. If I forgot to ask some very important questions or if there's anything else I should know, please reply. Bare with me as I'm very new to screenwriting and I'm doing this for the very first time, so I'm sure you can imagine how determined I am to do this right.
Before you read everything, know that I've done my homework. I realize how hard/almost impossible it will be to sell my script, especially (as you will soon see) being in my position, I realize all of it, but I simply refuse to be discouraged by it and I want to face this challenge. I just kindly ask you guys to point me in the right direction and whatever happens, happens. So, here goes...
I don't live in the US. I live in Europe and for most of you, I'm probably just a kid cause I've barely entered my 20s. I haven't taken any professionally guided screenwriting courses or anything as there simply aren't any in my country since screenwriting here is basically non existent, so I learned on my own by reading every instructional material I could find on various screenwriting sites or by asking people here on the forums who were kind enough to help me out. I realize those are the things that could be my biggest problems when trying to sell a script, but like I said, I still want to see what happens.
Now, to the questions (again bare with me, most of these questions will seem idiotic to you, but it is what is, I can't know if I don't ask. I'd appreciate if you could answer them as clearly as possible as there will probably be confusion on my part, it will be a lot to take in):
1.) Being from a different continent, I think it must be a very different procedure when it comes to sending and selling a script (I might be wrong) to Hollywood, so what changes as oppose to me living in the US? What do I need to know?
2.) I'm pretty sure I need a legal representative. How does that work? I'm not sure there is a legal representative for screenplays in my country, there are regular lawyers though, so who do I go to for this? Do I have to get in contact with one of the legal representatives in US for this?
3.) How to get to any Hollywood contact? Do I have to send a query letter in an e-mail to the film studio, introduce myself and say I have a script I'd like to sell and wait for their approval of me sending it to them? How do I let someone in Hollywood know I have a script? Or does a legal representative do that for me when I find one?
4.) Being in my position, do I need to ship a printed script via regular overseas mail or can I send a script file in an e-mail? Also, if there even is such a thing as sending a script via e-mail, does that mean I need to export it as PDF file from Final Draft and send it like that?
5.) Am I allowed to send my script to multiple studios at the same time or I have to send to only one at a time? The latter doesn't make sense to me as it would take me years if I sent it to one studio and then waited to see if they reject me or not so I can move to the next one. I want to maximize my chances of finding a buyer, but I don't know if sending it to multiple studios at once has legal consequences?
6.) I read that, along with a script, I need a logline. I don't have that. I know it's a one sentence or two sentences short synopsis of what the script is about, but where do I include it? Do I write that in Final Draft on the first page or do I have to use a different program for it? Do I need to have a logline page? I only have a script and a title page.
7.) I made my title page as instructed, but I only included a cellphone number at the bottom left corner of the page. Do I have to include an e-mail too or is a cellphone number enough?
8.) Is there anything else I need to include except a script in flesh, a title page and a logline?
Those are the questions I felt it's necessary to ask, but I realize there might be more, so I kindly ask that you answer all my un-asked questions that are vital for me to do the procedure the right way. I know it's a long post and a hassle too, I'm sorry, but I guess that shows how important this is to me.
I didn't know where to post this topic, so I posted it here. If I posted it in the wrong place, I'm sorry, you can move it to where it should be.
I'm finally finished with my first ever movie script. I triple checked everything, re-written, re-arranged it etc. and made it ready to (hopefully) be sold. Problem is, I'm in a complex situation to make that second step and I would like someone with experience to help me out. I'll dissect my whole situation for you to understand my situation and then I'll list the questions I have regarding sending and selling my script to the world of Hollywood below it. If I forgot to ask some very important questions or if there's anything else I should know, please reply. Bare with me as I'm very new to screenwriting and I'm doing this for the very first time, so I'm sure you can imagine how determined I am to do this right.
Before you read everything, know that I've done my homework. I realize how hard/almost impossible it will be to sell my script, especially (as you will soon see) being in my position, I realize all of it, but I simply refuse to be discouraged by it and I want to face this challenge. I just kindly ask you guys to point me in the right direction and whatever happens, happens. So, here goes...
I don't live in the US. I live in Europe and for most of you, I'm probably just a kid cause I've barely entered my 20s. I haven't taken any professionally guided screenwriting courses or anything as there simply aren't any in my country since screenwriting here is basically non existent, so I learned on my own by reading every instructional material I could find on various screenwriting sites or by asking people here on the forums who were kind enough to help me out. I realize those are the things that could be my biggest problems when trying to sell a script, but like I said, I still want to see what happens.
Now, to the questions (again bare with me, most of these questions will seem idiotic to you, but it is what is, I can't know if I don't ask. I'd appreciate if you could answer them as clearly as possible as there will probably be confusion on my part, it will be a lot to take in):
1.) Being from a different continent, I think it must be a very different procedure when it comes to sending and selling a script (I might be wrong) to Hollywood, so what changes as oppose to me living in the US? What do I need to know?
2.) I'm pretty sure I need a legal representative. How does that work? I'm not sure there is a legal representative for screenplays in my country, there are regular lawyers though, so who do I go to for this? Do I have to get in contact with one of the legal representatives in US for this?
3.) How to get to any Hollywood contact? Do I have to send a query letter in an e-mail to the film studio, introduce myself and say I have a script I'd like to sell and wait for their approval of me sending it to them? How do I let someone in Hollywood know I have a script? Or does a legal representative do that for me when I find one?
4.) Being in my position, do I need to ship a printed script via regular overseas mail or can I send a script file in an e-mail? Also, if there even is such a thing as sending a script via e-mail, does that mean I need to export it as PDF file from Final Draft and send it like that?
5.) Am I allowed to send my script to multiple studios at the same time or I have to send to only one at a time? The latter doesn't make sense to me as it would take me years if I sent it to one studio and then waited to see if they reject me or not so I can move to the next one. I want to maximize my chances of finding a buyer, but I don't know if sending it to multiple studios at once has legal consequences?
6.) I read that, along with a script, I need a logline. I don't have that. I know it's a one sentence or two sentences short synopsis of what the script is about, but where do I include it? Do I write that in Final Draft on the first page or do I have to use a different program for it? Do I need to have a logline page? I only have a script and a title page.
7.) I made my title page as instructed, but I only included a cellphone number at the bottom left corner of the page. Do I have to include an e-mail too or is a cellphone number enough?
8.) Is there anything else I need to include except a script in flesh, a title page and a logline?
Those are the questions I felt it's necessary to ask, but I realize there might be more, so I kindly ask that you answer all my un-asked questions that are vital for me to do the procedure the right way. I know it's a long post and a hassle too, I'm sorry, but I guess that shows how important this is to me.
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