Sell Your TV Concept Now"How can I get my (story, biography, idea, poem, etc...) made into a movie?" Every month, I receive hundreds of email requests from non-screenwriters asking how their "story" can be made into a movie. It usually goes something like this: "I have an interesting story about my father's time in the Vietnam war. I am not a writer, but my friends and family tell me that my story is very interesting. I want to have it made into a movie. Can you get a screenwriter to write it for me?"Frequently, they are even more demanding, with expectations such as "you need to read my book," "everyone says it's the best story they've ever read," and even one that read "if you don't find me a writer, I will sue you!" Nasty or nice, when they are unsolicited, they are unwelcome. In fact, I rarely even read them anymore, and when I do reply, I send a form response stating: "We do not accept unsolicited materials."
There is a valuable lesson for screenwriters here: DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED SCREENPLAYS, SYNOPSES, or even, LOGLINES. Movie decision makers (producers, directors, actors, studio personnel) are constantly inundated with movie ideas. Many are from known writers, proven writers that command attention, and even these are oft ignored. They frequently don't have time for the known pros, and will NEVER have time for (or interest in), unsolicited materials from new writers.
Does that mean there is no way to get read? Absolutely not. But a full frontal, brute force attack will fail. Be smart- do your due diligence, study your market, and learn how to submit properly. Then, just maybe, you can get someone to look at your idea.
Steven Kirwan
Posted in 
Tags: 
