Screenwriters Score Successes Online

by Jenna Glatzer

The online screenwriting community has had plenty to cheer about lately; finally, we're beginning to see direct evidence that the dream of selling a screenplay via the Internet is within reach.

Film is a notoriously difficult business to break into, especially for those who live outside Hollywood and are unable to "schmooze" with people in the industry. Over the past year, we’ve seen the advent of several new sites designed to help screenwriters get their work in front of agents and producers. Writers have flocked to sites like these as an alternate way of reaching the "Powers That Be." Meet three writers who've succeeded.

Barry
Scottish writer Barry Hutchison sold his script, Curse of the Bog Women, after posting it at the American Zoetrope website http://www.screenplays.fcoppola.com. Barry was a 17 year-old college student when he wrote it, and kept it hidden in a drawer for three years because he knew nothing about marketing a screenplay. Luckily, the script found its way out of the drawer and onto the Internet, and other writers loved it. The buzz it generated on message boards drew Chris Bancel, an independent producer in New York, to read the script.

Chris loved the script and immediately bought it. In keeping with the project’s beginnings, it is currently being promoted heavily on the Internet at the Bog Women website http://www.bogwomen.com. The site is based on the characters and news in Glen Lachart, the film’s fictitious setting.

Not all site visitors realize the tongue-in-cheek nature of the site, however, and many have contacted the Highland Tourism Board seeking accommodations in the town. The confused tourism board assured would-be tourists that there was no "Glen Lachart" on any map of Scotland, then investigated the source of the calls about this modern Brigadoon.

That's when the U.K. media began following Barry around.

"I acted all modest, of course," he says, "But every time a camera flashed in my face, I had to fight the urge to scream, 'FAAAAAMOUS MEEE!' from the rooftops."

The film will be shot next year near Barry's home in the Highlands, and released in the United States.

For new writers who'd like to be in Barry's shoes, he suggests spending less time worrying about minor details like the "two or three brads" debate, and more time working on the craft of storytelling. "If you can write something exceptionally good, you could bind the pages in a brown paper bag and you'd still have producers queuing up to buy the script," he says.

Eric
Barry's not the only screenwriter to achieve success online. Eric Heisserer recently sold his script, The Manifestant, to Artisan Entertainment.

"After being in the screenwriting community online for about four years," says Eric, "I've found a few private circles where I can share my work with friends. One friend just happened to be a manager."

Lucky for Eric, because when this manager read The Manifestant, his excitement convinced Eric that his representation could be the key to a sale.

"It was an easy decision," says Eric. "He's a remarkable man with great marketing skills, and he doesn't get paid until I do."

Eric's script traveled around several production companies, drawing positive coverage from development executives. Finally, the script landed in the hands of director Ronny Yu. How? Yu was in Australia when his agent read the script, but the agent was so enthusiastic that he FAXED him the entire thing. Despite the fact that Yu has turned down every script his agent has suggested for two years, something about Eric's script compelled him to call and say, "It would be an honor to direct this film."

Eric's advice for new screenwriters? Be prepared to take notes! "Have the humility to know when you're not telling your story in a way that others can follow it."

Pauline
Louisiana-based screenwriter Pauline Baird-Jones also has tips to share, now that she's sold her script I Love Luci -- When I Don't Want to Kill Her to IndieGals Productions. Based on the advice of an online screenwriting group, Pauline decided to pitch her script through e-mail queries. She subscribed to the Hollywood Creative Directory http://www.hcdonline.com and searched for e-mail addresses of appropriate production companies.

It happened that IndieGals was looking for a script based in New Orleans, and Pauline's script fit the bill perfectly. Originally written as an e-book, Pauline adapted Luci to screenplay format when an agent suggested that it read more like a script than a novel. Because e-publishers generally only take electronic rights, Pauline was able to sell her works again in other formats -- including audio, hard copy, and of course, film.

Regarding e-mail queries, Pauline suggests, "Be very brief, and use the subject line well. I found that when I used 'epitch' in the subject line, I got nowhere, but I Love Luci -- When I Don't Want to Kill Her… let's just say it got their attention."

All three writers are thrilled that the Internet has afforded them new opportunities to improve and market their work, and they hope the trend will continue. Savvy agents and producers are quickly learning that the Internet houses a veritable goldmine of fresh talent, and many companies are working to establish better online presence. If the kings of the Big Screen keep tabs on what's happening on their computer screens, expect to see many more of these success stories in the coming years!

To find out more about these writers:

Barry's site: http://www.bogwomen.com

Eric's site: http://www.heisserer.com

Pauline's site: http://www.paulinebjones.com

There are several types of websites available to help writers market their work.

• The Spec Script Library http://www.thesource.com.au and Hollywood Literary Sales http://www.hollywoodlitsales.com offer the opportunity for writers to post loglines (read: very short synopses) on their website for industry professionals to peruse.

• Screenwriters Market http://www.screenwritersmarket.com allows loglines and the first ten pages of spec screenplays in password-protected areas.

• Columbus Entertainment http://www.columbusentertainment.com and Goodstory http://www.goodstory.com allow writers to post entire scripts online.

• Scripteaser http://www.scripteaser.com posts synopses and bios, then snail mails the scripts to producers who make requests.

• American Zoetrope http://www.screenplays.fcoppola.com offers the chance for peer critiques. The best received scripts are promoted for staff consideration.

-- JG
©2000 Jenna Glatzer