I'm poor. I can't afford planes, Ubers, or hotels. Plus, psychologically traveling is not my thing. I want to sell scripts via contests, emails, and Zoom meetings EXCLUSIVELY from under my little rock in Anytown, USA..
I have an awesome feature comedy script almost ready and am researching the best thing to do with it.
Any constructive advice is appreciated. Thanks.
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If you are poor, then you really need to stay away from competitions as a way of selling scripts. They are akin to gambling at that level.
Networking is how most screenwriters generate income, and that is overwhelmingly via assignments, not spec sales. You can network on here and on LinkedIn for free.
I managed to break in from the UK with next to no money and have now written five US feature productions.
Thanks, CJ Walley. Could you give a little more detail about how you networked and how that led to assignments? I'm good at writing, but social skills are my Achilles heel.
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If you Google me, you'll find loads of blog posts and even a book detailing a lot about how I broke in. It's too much to put into a post comment.
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Will do. Thanks.
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Hey Scott Evans the best screenwriting contests are the ones where you can connect with working execs if you win them. That way you are able to grow your professional network and start building real relationships as the prize, like ours here at Stage 32. In the past year we've partnered with companies like Zero Gravity Management, Pathfinder Media, Mammoth Pictures, Color Farm Media, Dramabox, and Evoke Entertainment to help our contest winners make those real connections.
In terms of being in LA, it's not as big of a deal these days when you're starting out. On a Zoom a few months ago with Manager Andrew Kersey, he mentioned that because of Zoom and the ability to teleconference with anyone anywhere anytime, it's less important to have to be in a big film hub to do what we do best - write scripts!
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Thanks, Pat.
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Hi Scott! Good to see you here. CJ’s website is great, definitely check that out.
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Thanks, Mike.
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I suggest that you wait with contests. Join your local group with no-budget filmmakers. When you see what works in practice, you will understand what to correct in your screenplays. And if you are a good screenwriter, the other persons in the group may volunteer to film a short script of yours, making it possible for you to show that you can actually create, not only put words on paper.
When it comes to the importance of contests, I made a posting two years ago. I checked the 11 finalists in a contest. In the years after the contest, a third had their career improved, for another third it was the opposite and for the remaining third there was no change.
Thanks Goran.