The spec market took a hit after the screenwriting boom of the '90s and, yes, even more so after 2008.Īccording to Vanity Fair, In 1995, 173 specs were sold. However, that leads us to another common misconception… 3. Abrams or anyone equivalent, odds are selling a pitch is going to be difficult, but even more likely, impossible. In short, if you’re not the writer of whatever latest hit, and if you’re not J.J. They’d have to buy the pitch, then hire a writer (or pay the screenwriter that pitched it to write it), and likely have to hire more writers on top of that. But in this day and age, it’s not good enough, and it only adds an extra step for the studios or powers that be. Everyone seems to have a “great idea” for a movie. ![]() Anything else is a gamble, and studios don’t like to gamble. The few pitches they do buy are from already established producers and writers. Studios dropped the many “term deals” they had (producers and writers that the studio bankrolled on lot to develop potential films) beyond major names, and they’ve become very frugal with their spending ever since. The screenwriting boom of that decade fizzled quickly, and any remnants of it were extinguished after the financial crisis of 2008, which changed the way Hollywood works. Feel free to test it out in contests and, by all means, seek any feedback that you can get. And those bridges will be quickly burned for good.Įven the greatest screenwriters bombed on their first try, so screenwriters should take comfort in knowing that all screenwriters, even the great ones, start from the same place.ĭon’t market that first script. They will see each and every lesson that was not learned, and they will see each and every mistake that shouldn’t have made it to them. They read and consider hundreds of scripts per month. Why? Because the efforts made while networking, as well as the luck that may have come forth, will prove to be a waste when the powers that be read that script. ![]() The worst thing screenwriters can do is jump the gun before they’ve honed their craft and go on to market scripts that aren’t ready. Making those bridges takes networking, luck, and above all else, great scripts. You haven’t had the time to make those necessary mistakes, and you haven’t had the time to learn from them. The art and craft of screenwriting is something that needs to be cultivated.įurthermore, Hollywood is all about bridges. You haven’t had the time to learn the fundamental guidelines and expectations of the film industry. You haven’t had the time to hone your screenwriting skills, instincts, or style. Here we offer five misconceptions that screenwriters often have when they look ahead to their screenwriting journey. Can you sell your first screenplay to Hollywood, make lottery-type money, and follow that up by selling pitches for millions while coasting on easy street? Believe it or not, many novice screenwriters believe all of that when they first consider a career in screenwriting.
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