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Originally posted by Tehz

I'm very strongly considering a career in filmmaking, but there are some things that I don't quite understand; I figure that if I knew how they worked, then deciding whether or not I want to do this would be a great deal easier. Here are my questions:

A. How do I get funding? And I don't just mean the money I can scrape together myself, I mean a real budget. Are there people who I go to and ask about it? Does the script have to be bought by a studio first? I'm really not sure.

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Yes. There are people who fund movies.

Here?s a few questions an investor will ask. Have all this available in writing as part of your business plan and pitch.
1) What format is it being shot on?
2) What is the budget?
3) What's the intended market and what is your distribution plan?
4) What ROI are you offering?
5) What funding do you have in place already?
6) What names are involved in the project?
7) Is there anyone involved in the project who has successfully taken a film to market and produced a profit for investors?
8) What existing feature credits does your primary team have - writer/director/producer?
9) How many days/months from pre-production to first screening will it take?

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B. How do I get my script to be made into a film? By this I mean, how can I get a movie studio to buy the film? Do I just bring it to them? Once again, might I remind you how clueless I am about all of this.

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Essentially, that's what you do. You send or bring them your script.

It's not as easy as dropping by the Paramount lot, walking into the office and handing the producer your script - there are protocals that must be followed. Much more than I can offer in a messageboard post. There are dozens of books out there that address this - even for the clueless.

Screenwriting is the hardest of all the writing disciplines to break into. Why? Not a lot of films get made (that get released to theaters or DVD) versus the amount of scripts written. About 100,000 scripts get registered with the WGA each year and these scripts are out there for many years trying to get sold.

Only 5% of all films made each year are spec scripts. That means 95% of all films made are sequels, adaptations of books, remakes, script ideas from studios or producers, materials from other mediums (like comics, graphic novels, newspaper stories, you name it) or scripts pitched from established writers.

Most spec writers make the HUGE mistake of writing BIG budget scripts. Hollywood doesn't want big budget scripts from new writers. Why should they take a chance on that kind of investment in an untested writer? Most big budget specs from new writers go into the reject pile immediately. Writing a script with a low or even medium budget is the smart way to break in. Established writers like to not have budget restraints (they do a lot of times anyway, but they still don't write the low budget stuff) so that is where the opportunity lies for the unproduced writer.

But someone is selling those 5%. And it's the people who take their time to write a compelling story, whether serious or scary or funny or thrilling or action-packed AND learn how to get it out there within the system the studios and prodCos have set up that succeed. There are no shortcuts. There are no tricks. There is NOTHING that hasn't been tried a hundred times or more.

Plus that compelling story has to be in flawless format, with no spelling errors. Written in the leanest way possible in real time, showing only what will be ON the screen.

Whether you use the query system or the networking system, or try the contests, all of it takes more time than you would ever think it does. There is NO instant gratification in screenwriting. NONE. The average time from option to principal photography for a script is about 8 years.

If you expect the script you are writing today to see the screen, look about 8 years into the future for it to happen after you option it. Some have taken longer. "Runaway Bride" and "Witness" (which won the Oscar for screenwriting) took ten years each for example. And some take shorter time, 3 to 4 years. But it's always YEARS. Not weeks or months.

If you are choosing to do this, then you have to be patient, hard working, and determined. You have to LOVE rejection because you'll get a LOT of it. You have to be open minded to change. You have to be willing to sell your script and let it go for someone else to rewrite. You have to be willing to hand your vision over to others who will do ANYTHING they want with it. You can't demand to direct it, or act in it, or cast it, or even be on the set if they film it.

This is the first time spec screenwriter's life. It not very pretty. But there are some pretty nice rewards if you hang in there, are in the right place at the right time, and have written a great script.

Don't give up your day jobs to do this. And write every time you have a chance. Remember, someone has to be part of that 5%.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

If I were to go to film school, how much better would my chances be?

Not much better unless you happened to meet someone at the school who went on to become a producer or director and could help you get noticed. The best solution is to write a great script and send it out... if it's in the top 1-2% of scripts then someone will probably at least want to option it.

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Originally posted by Tehz

If I were to go to film school, how much better would my chances be?

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I agree with Mark - and would take it a step further. Going to film school doesn't provide an answer to any of the nine questions an investor will ask. Nor does going to film school make a difference in selling a script.

Investors want to know the answers to the questions I posed and studios, producers and prodCo's want to read your finished script, not your degree.

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You can't demand to direct it, or act in it, or cast it, or even be on the set if they film it.

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Just for the sake of playing Devil's advocate, Michael J. Bassett broke into directing by demanding to direct his screenplay. No Man's Land was his first screenplay, and he found many parties interested in purchasing and creating the film. One of MR. Bassett's demands was that he would be able to direct the film. Most of the parties dropped out, but in the end one remained. This is how is first film, Deathwatch came to the world.

Shame Deathwatch was such a lousy movie.

Shame that comment has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

Deathwatch may not have been a blockbuster, but it was in no way lousy.

Well, you brought it up, and yes, it was a lousy movie. It's a long time since I watched it, but it was just another really bad British 'horror' movie that made little to no sense and was full of plot holes.

But it is relevant to the topic anyway, because I've no idea how such a bad script actually got funding; I'd be interested to know where the money came from?

I would suggest that film school has to increase the chances as you can direct your film yourself there. Or you can team up with a student/director. Yeah this isn't made in the Hollywood sense but it the end product is decent you'll find it easier to get someone to read your followup screenplays.

And thanks certified instigator for the post. Its worth rereading that information from time to time.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

True, but you can make a few shorts for far less than the cost of film school.

Also, from what they've told me the film schools that some of my friends and acquaintances went to only allowed a fraction of the students to direct their own short in any case.

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Originally posted by MarkG

Well, you brought it up, and yes, it was a lousy movie. It's a long time since I watched it, but it was just another really bad British 'horror' movie that made little to no sense and was full of plot holes.

But it is relevant to the topic anyway, because I've no idea how such a bad script actually got funding; I'd be interested to know where the money came from?

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Originally posted by MarkG

Well, you brought it up, and yes, it was a lousy movie. It's a long time since I watched it, but it was just another really bad British 'horror' movie that made little to no sense and was full of plot holes.

But it is relevant to the topic anyway, because I've no idea how such a bad script actually got funding; I'd be interested to know where the money came from?

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Just because you say it Mark, doesn't make it true. There are a ton of people who enjoyed Deathwatch. Also, Deathwatch made perfect sense (except for the ending which was left up to interpretation). A fact that cannot be disputed is that Deathwatch was ultimately a profitable film. Seems to me like you are being overly cynical.

Hey Tehz,
I recommend doing some more reading on all these topics. Just by spending more time on industry websites like the major newspapers (Variety, Hollywood Reporter etc.), you'll become more familiar with the process. Also, there's a website that offers great behind the scenes production details on call sheets, scripts, and funding, I posted it earlier at http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5290
Good luck and keep on trying. I know I am.