Hi everyone…so, I’ve been thinking about the whole pitching process and how to approach it as a new screenwriter without any credits yet. I know that I still have a ways to go as a writer, and I could start with self-produced low-budget short films, submitting to festivals, screenwriting contests, open writing assignments, etc…
But I do want to formulate a career plan at this stage, and what I’d like to focus on is horror/supernatural stories based on little-explored Middle Eastern lore(and set in the Middle East) - primarily because I know that when written well, those types of foreign screenplays could be really interesting and offer something different from the usual Hollywood horror tropes, while still appealing to an international audience + it’s a topic that I’m extremely passionate about and have been exploring and researching in-depth for a long time.
I know that Netflix(just an example) has taken an interest in foreign horror projects over the past few years(Spanish, Korean, etc…), and even with Paranormal(Egypt) in 2020. However, given the costs and logistics associated with producing projects like that - I feel that the chances of getting a script optioned would be rather slim for someone without any name recognition/major credits. Additionally, almost every previous attempt to utilize Middle Eastern lore has been a flop(Netflix’ Jinn 2019, Djinn 2013, etc…) - primarily due to horrible writing(and directing), not the core concept. But to an executive, the performance/ratings of those projects would be a major red flag in terms of the potential profitability of my screenplay, even if I have a killer logline and a flawless script. In the case of Paranormal(2020), it was an adaptation of a popular novel series, and so, it was a lot easier of a sell.
I’d really appreciate your input -
Should I just switch gears and focus on writing/pitching more marketable ideas in the meantime?
Or is there a way I could sell someone on a concept that has been butchered more times than Brenda Meeks in the Scary Movie franchise?
Thank you all in advance,
AJ
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You write what you're passionate about. Current horror films are mostly Euro-centric. Many other cultures have their own flavor of horror. I myself have been writing horror scripts based on African mythology. I find your idea of Middle Eastern horror/supernatural stories fascinating. Don't worry about what has failed. You didn't write it. You know what didn't work and you can do it better. Good luck to you.
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Thanks Martin :) I know I’m getting ahead of myself and I that should be more focused on actually writing at this stage - but as I was outlining my goals for the next year and the loglines that I want to develop into full screenplays, I started having doubts about how realistic it would be to actually pitch them, given the performance of similar projects. But you’re absolutely right, those other projects are a great lesson in what not to do.
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Ayman Jaber I agree with Martin Reese ("You write what you're passionate about"). If you can write scripts you're passionate about that are also marketable, that's gold.
"Or is there a way I could sell someone on a concept that has been butchered more times than Brenda Meeks in the Scary Movie franchise?" I suggest not writing scripts that are like movies that have been done over and over and over. You can, however, look at the film market and see if there hasn't been a certain idea (or genre or sub-genre) produced in a while. If so, you could write a script to fill that space. Or if you see that there are a lot of movies in one genre being produced (the film market is oversaturated with one genre), you can write a different genre and maybe a producer/production company will want to produce a genre that isn't being made by so many people.
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Thanks, Maurice Vaughan :) In terms of originality, while the concepts I’m working on are based on Middle Eastern lore/mythology that many Arabs may be familiar with, I’ve taken them in a different direction; reimagining the monsters/creatures, putting more emphasis on character development, fleshing out the worldbuilding aspects, etc… Every “Jinn”-related film/series I’ve seen has pretty much (unsuccessfully) ripped off the same possession/haunting formula from western horror screenplays - with zero character development. As for marketability, I can definitely see a gap that needs to be filled - but every time someone has attempted to do it, it flopped.
I think I’m just going to flesh out one of loglines, finalize a screenplay, and take it one step at a time - I might collaborate with a UAE-based indie filmmaker to produce it, as sort of a “proof of concept” + a micro digital marketing campaign on YouTube. if I don’t see any interest in it, that’s fine, learn from it and move on to the next idea.
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Horror is universal...70% of U.S. horror movies are "snatched" from Japan, Europe, South America originals...so when pitching just focus on the story/concept/originality, no need to reference anything "American" especially if pitching to local/Asia producers...
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Look into, for Middle Eastern producers whom are producing local language productions with Netflix. Approach those producers with your script(s).
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You're welcome, Ayman Jaber. It sounds like your ideas are marketable and unique ("...the concepts I’m working on are based on Middle Eastern lore/mythology that many Arabs may be familiar with, I’ve taken them in a different direction; reimagining the monsters/creatures, putting more emphasis on character development, fleshing out the worldbuilding aspects, etc").
From your second paragraph, it sounds like you have a winning plan. Proof of concepts are great for pitching projects because they let producers, production companies, etc. SEE the story onscreen, which sometimes is a more powerful pitch tool than words on a page (a pitch document).
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Ayman Jaber - I suggest reaching out to the Dubai International Film Festival >> https://www.facebook.com/DubaiFilmFestival/
Specifically, their film programmer. They may be able to give you some guidance about the top distributors they work with, and advice on how to reach them.
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Put what makes your project stand out front and center. Horrors are always looking for the next USP.
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Thank you everyone for the advice, really appreciate the support :)
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Hi Ayman! I agree with a lot of what's been said here, that being you are clearly passionate and know what you want. Stick with it. If you believe in something, it's much easier to get others to believe in it. We have some webinars you might find helpful, some specifically about Horror and some about pitching. (Pitching itself is something you want to get just right when you get to that part!) Here are just 2 suggestions:
https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Stage-32-Free-Workshop-How-to-Pitch-Your-Project-on-Zoom
https://www.stage32.com/webinars/How-to-Get-Your-Genre-Movie-Featured-on... Jonathan Barkan teaches the horror webinar and he also does consultation calls with a script read.
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Thanks Niki H :) I agree, it’ll always come down to how well I sell the idea, with passion for and knowledge of the genre/topic being key aspects to that.