Screenwriting : Producers by Rob Terpening

My experience with independent producers is you establish a verbal agreement with them to take your script to financiers. Often they'll want to tweak the script with you first. Hence, you don't have to bring anything to the table yourself, but the script (although funding and attachments would probably be welcomed).

"Calls themselves" is the issue. I can get business cards printed that say I am a producer for $20. But what have I produced?

Go to IMDB and look them up. If they are listed, look up their credits and check out the films. Netflix them. Know who the hell you are submitted to.

A producer hires stars and directors and secures distribution and financing. You have nothing to do with those things. They pay you. You don't pay them.

You always want to target production companies that make films on a regular basis. I think in my Breaking In Blue Book I tell the story of the production company on a studio lot that was sued by Sean Connery because they didn't make movies. They had a housekeeping deal with the studio where they were given offices and expenses every year, but if they made another flop they were off the lot. So they just didn't make any movies. But Connery was attached to some project they had... and sued them.

That's an extreme case, but there are lots of producers and production companies that don't produce many movies. Those you want to avoid. You want to target companies that regularly make films. And films that get distribution. A bunch of stuff I wrote in the 90s and 00s are still making money on places like Tubi even though those companies are long gone.

You want to deal with real producers. Research them FIRST.

I've made contacts that have made movies, according to IMDB. The conversation stops as soon as they find out the project isn't funded. I keep trying.

I failed to mention, the project does have some talent interested (verbally) including Bill Sadler (Shawshank Redemption).

If you wrote the screenplay in a compelling way then you've done your job as the writer. As a bonus, create a treatment that outlines your story and characters then include role suggestions for the project. This would help you pitch your story to producers and possibly gain their interest in the project. That's about all I would suggest doing as a screenwriter. I would leave the budget out of it. Saying you want to make a film for X amount of dollars without any production breakdown reasoning is a waste of time. You won't know the bottom line until the script is broken down in detail from concept to completion, which is typically a producers job. You've done your job as the writer but don't complete the producers job too. Producers need to show their value to the project as well.

I would also mention, if you choose to put on a producer hat and complete the ground work be sure there is an understanding when you go to the table with another producer that you're also both the writer and producer.

Role suggestions....the project is a biopic of an amateur golf great and requires an actor/golfer like Justin Timberlake. He'd be perfect for the part. I'm trying to have someone attached to him tell him that there's a golf story he might be interested in. So far, no luck.

"The Cinderella Kid"

Cool... Think about Mark Wahlberg as well. He plays golf and he's also a very skilled actor.

lol....Mark is left handed. It''s almost impossible to connect with top celebrities. If you comment on one of their posts, you;re one of 8 or 9 hundred..

If a producer cannot secure funding for THEIR film. I would drop them like a potato.

Remember they are buying the script off you. You may retain some rights or payment shares. But it will be theirs. Having talent attached is like having endorsements from people. That may get a producer interested as that person is guaranteed box office. Makes it easier for them to get funding.