I have a script! ...now what?

[Terry Lee]

So, what is one to do after they have written a script....?

Sorry to be so vague but I honestly am clueless.

[Brian Keith Moody]

That depends. Are you trying to sell it or produce it?

[Frank Simpson]

You're really going to have to ask a more specific question in order to get any kind of valuable reponse. You might as well have said, "I have a bowl of oatmeal, now what?" Well, if you're hungry you might eat it. If you're a restauranteur you might sell it. If you're a scientist you might analyze its chemical components... There's just no way to intelligently answer a question like this without more information.

If you have no objective for your script (did you write the script? commission it? find it on the sidewalk?) then you set yourself up to get all kinds of answers about nothing at all. Please rephrase your question with your general intentions before expecting any kind of serious response.

[James R. Leong]

Ask someone if it's any good, other than yourself!

[Richard Alvarez]

Rewrite it.

[Brian Drysdale]

Get feedback from a good script reader(s) (or people who will be tough) and then do a re-write. Writing is about the rewrite.

Once it's sharp then worry about it. Producers, directors etc., will still want a re-write, but it has to be pretty sharp (if flawed in places) to attract their attention.

[Terry Lee]

haha! Yea sorry guys! I was standing downstairs thinking about my post thinking "they are going to have no idea what I am talking about..." so I came back up to be more specific..


What I meant was, I have a script, but now how do I turn it into a movie? Lets say I want to try to make this into a major motion picture. Something you'll see among movie posters at the theatres. Can someone like me (with no experience in film making), turn their script into a movie? and If so, who do I need to get on the phone with?

I honestly don't think my script is good enough what so ever but I would like to know out of curiosity.

Thanks all! and again, sorry for the confusion..
-Terry.

[Steve House]

Again, the first question is, do you want to make the movie yourself or do you want to sell the script to a producer or studio who will make it? In other words, do you want your role to be the producer or the writer? For the first, start finding investors and raising money, take out a mortgage on your house, etc. For the second, copyright your script and register it with the Writer's Guild and then start shopping for an agent to represent you.

[George Kroonder]

Originally Posted by Terry Lee

I was standing downstairs thinking about my post thinking "they are going to have no idea what I am talking about..."

Use the almighty Google tool to search for "script reader" or "script coach" (or similar).

If it's more of a festival short, get some people together and work towards producing it.

If you think it has more potential, get coaching to work it into something "presentable", then get an agent to sell it for you (especially if you're not "local").

George/

[Brian Drysdale]

The studios won't even look at a script unless it comes through an agent.

You should work on short synopsis that both tell and pitch your story. At first, one page, then 100 words, 25 words, then a single line log line. Doing this also helps you work out what your story is really about and you need these to sell the script.

[Andy Graham]

Originally Posted by Brian Drysdale

The studios won't even look at a script unless it comes through an agent.

Exactly, i went to a producers seminar at the Edinburgh film festival and the producer said "don't give me a script, if you came up to me and gave me a script i'd put it in the bin right in front of you".

it has to come through a known channel before they will even give it the time of day.

My suggestion is as many have said re write it so it can be shot by yourself which means no explosions , crazy car chases, locations in other countries etc etc.

if you think its not great then it probably isn't, the way i write is to imagine a crap actor delivering the line (usually all thats available to a low budget filmmaker) which means your dialogue has to be so good that even a bad actor can't screw it up...........at least thats the idea.......iv seen many a bad "actor"

look out for a film called "five across the eyes" im told it was shot for £2000 (my camera cost more than twice that!) and was picked up by lions gate and distributed, i watched it and thought oh my god how in the hell did this ever get released, it was shot on consumer cams like the kind you use on holiday. I must admit by the time it came to the end i was enjoying it.......i really recomend it to boost your confidence if nothing else....link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwujWACLHLY

Andy.

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Andy Graham

Exactly, i went to a producers seminar at the Edinburgh film festival and the producer said "don't give me a script, if you came up to me and gave me a script i'd put it in the bin right in front of you".

Independent producers will read scripts without an agent, but you don't send them unsolicited scripts. It helps if you some track record in the industry, theatre, or published material, so they're aware of your work, but you really need to pitch it and then if they're interested they'll ask to read it (or their readers will). Usually these are often new producers, just starting out or smaller producers, who are keeping an eye out for good material.

The larger production companies are more wary and want to work through an agent.

[Mike Meyerson]

Originally Posted by Richard Alvarez

Rewrite it.

EXACTLY! No matter how many times it's "finished".

Some good sites for feedback are Scriptshark and Triggerstreet. Chances are other people will find details that will need to be refined...be open to criticism, it will help you make it better.

If you REALLY think it's finished, there's lots of film festivals that'll take scripts (as well as script competitions)...if it's well received, that will help open doors.

[Stephen Eastwood]

Do you want to produce it or just sell the script and have others produce it? if you want to produce it you need to find investors, not so easy, if others you need to find someone who makes movies who loves the idea and let them work on the investors. a rewrite is great, but finding money is more important and once you do it will dictate rewrites anyway. So if the script is solid go for the money and rewrite later.

[Cole McDonald]

Is this something you want to make on your own (your question implies a lack of experience doing this in the past). I would start by using a couple of shorts to figure out what you are doing if you want to make this on your own.