How To Sell a Screenplay

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You may have written the next Hollywood blockbuster -- but unless you can finance the film yourself, you'll need to sell the screenplay to a producer who can make it come to life.

To complete this How-To you will need:

An original screenplay
A copy of the latest Hollywood Creative Directory
Script-writing software (optional) (optional) (optional) (optional) (optional)

Step 1: Finish an entire script

Write and revise an entire script. Unless you already have a reputation, you won't be able to sell a treatment, a synopsis, or anything else but a full, complete script. In the industry, this is known as a "spec" script.

Tip: Make sure your screenplay is properly formatted. You can find information on proper screenplay format online. Or, use script-writing software to simplify the process.

Step 2: Register your script

Register your screenplay with the Writers Guild of America. Got to wga.org to find out about the registration process and how it can protect you.

Step 3: Come up with The Sentence

Distill the plot of the screenplay down into one sentence, known as the "logline." Whenever you meet anyone who might be interested or might know someone who is interested in your screenplay, you can tell them the story without wasting their time with 15 minutes of explanation.

Step 4: Research potential markets

Generate a list of potential markets by identifying the production companies that make films similar to yours. Reference books and typing production companies' names into a search engine can help you locate mailing addresses and the right contact names.

Step 5: Send out letters

Send query letters to production companies, and to agents listed in the Hollywood Creative Directory. Your query should be no longer than a page, and should include a one-line summary of your screenplay, a synopsis, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for their reply.

Tip: Do not send unsolicited screenplays. They will be ignored and filed -- in the trash bin.InkTip is a website that has a newsletter you can subscribe to that you get weekly requests for scripts from production companies and producers. I've noticed some good companies requesting lately.

Step 6: Sell

If an agent likes what they see, they'll take over the job of selling your screenplay, and they'll take a commission of your earnings if a production company buys your work. Or even better, a production company might purchase it directly from you or offer you an option -- payment for exclusive rights to produce your screenplay within a certain timeframe.

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[DamitaJo79]

sa-weet! thanks!

[TheCliffordCult]

Is 1:47 a woman or man?

[SteezeWizard99]

Have you ever sold one?

[MBS1995]

lol this is good advice but too everyone who TRULY has good ideas its gonna take more than what this video is telling you to create and sell your screenplay...I advice everyone on this page to buy David Trottier's book "The Screen Writers Bible" not only do you get excellent advice but hes lists a bunch of resources to get in touch with agents and production companies!

[RAULgmuser]

@ronoc9 About learning English.I can't wait till I learn english completely.Untill then It is possible to give up on writing scripts.Sometimes I am not a patient person.I would try,somehow,to sell a script to a movie studio from my country but I know that the most of them are ignorant.I will tell you a story about the movie studios from my country...

[RAULgmuser]

@ronoc9 thanks for the advice. as regards the trust..well...I intend to register my ideas to a copyrights protection company and then,It doesn't matter what the collaborator does as long as he write the script according to my ideas.I am willing to give up on copyrights even if I help him developing more than 50 % of script plot.sometimes you have to give up on your vanity so it is not so important as long as the person I collaborate with is a creative person and has interest in scripts.

[ronoc9]

@SergeyXvan thanks for the encouragement :D

[ronoc9]

@OnlyFoolsAndHorsesHQ high five!

[ronoc9]

@RAULgmuser Best thing to do is one of three things.

1. Write it in your native language and then use online translators (copy and paste) to translate it and then correct any mistakes (think of it as your own little side project for learning a language).

2. Get someone you trust to write it. If they're creative and understand your language, you can be a writing team.

3. Wait until you English improves.

I wouldn't trust a strange to write it for you, especially if they have the only English copy.

[RAULgmuser]

@MrChirobb Maybe you're right... or probably You're definitely right.P.S. I don't want people to understand I say all movies are bad quality.There are a lot of good movies,but also there are a lot of inept movies but they are still made.Besides,a lot of those inept movies are watched,wich is something I don't understand completely.

[MrChirobb]

@RAULgmuser its not what you know its who you know

[RAULgmuser]

I want to ask for advice.Suppose/what if I searched for people from California to write my movies ideas.Is this a good idea because I didn't learn/ haven't learnt/learned english language at a proficient level(I'm just upper-intermediate) so I can't afford to write a screenplay untill I learn english completely?Or,what else shall I do?An advice..something .. please ..somebody