The Agent / Search for Representation PART 1

Well, having created and crafted this script, I went into research mode on how to move to the next step. Evidentially you can’t just send a script to Bruce Willis and have it go into production mode.

who knew???

First, you need an agent to push the thing to a movie house or investors who will then THINK about optioning your script. If it gets optioned, that means they have the option of selling your script for production for a limited period of time. So, the writer gets like 1-2 grand for that period of time and more if the script actually gets sold.

What they don’t tell you is that finding someone to even read the damn thing is like selling dictionaries door to door. Lucky for the agencies out there, I don’t actually live in California where I could just walk into these places and push the script over the counter at them, then show up daily unstil something happened. Instead, the process for me is more of emailing blindly and sending out hundreds of submission letters with very little coming back my way.

I will say little because I did have two nibbles :

-          The first was Donald Glover’s (Community, Bro-Rape) agent, who took the script, then turned me over to his manager. The manager’s secretary told me he’s busy on tour and something like what I have (just words on paper) isn’t really in MR. Glover’s ballpark anymore. If I had something that was in production and ready to be shot, he’d be all for it, but for right now he’s touring as ‘Childish Gambino’… best of luck to him, I’m still stuck in Georgia writing scripts.

-          Secondly, I corresponded with an agent out of New York via email. Now, I have no idea what this person’s actual station is in the grand scheme of things, but I feel they were a small enough shop to listen to what I had to say, yet too small to get something actually off the ground. (remember this concept because it will come back again in ‘The search for representation Part 2’) While that guy did read my script his only real help was that I should re-format it and think about taking out some of the naughtier stuff. IF I were to re-write it as a novel he’d read it then. (Not going to happen)

Eventually, feeling that the distance between myself and these ‘agents’ was making the difference. I decided to take the process in my own hands. Instead of just going blind, I felt being able to sell this baby in person would make a difference. So, I set about to find a local agent who would listen to what I had to say.

More on that in ‘The search for representation Part 2’  Next week!

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