You’ve completed the exhaustive journey of writing your feature movie. This is a fantastic achievement. But I have some bad news... unless you’re happy putting that stack of papers on a dusty shelf and forgetting about it, you have a daunting task ahead of you. Writing your screenplay is just the first step.
What to Do After Writing a Screenplay?
Getting an agent or producer interested in your screenplay is harder than writing it. You can’t get your screenplay into the hands of someone with the power to make your movie unless you have an agent. And getting an agent without a network of family/friends in the industry… well it’s tricky.
Avenue A - Screenplay Competitions
Placing your aspirations in the hands of a competition, hoping the value of your screenplay will be recognized by the amateur screenwriter, a dozen or more scripts on his or her desk, reading them for twenty bucks a pop - that’s madness. Not to mention the possibility that your screenplay analysis is being done by ChatGPT. There's a whole industry built around these screenwriting competitions. It's called the false hope industry...
Avenue B - Query Letters
Fuggedaboutit! Plenty of stories of movies getting picked up this way, but they're all from a decade or more ago. Send a million well-crafted, personalized query letters to agents you know have a connection with the work you’ve done. Tell me they’re not all tossed in the bin.
Avenue C - You’re Going to Make a Short Film
A short film is a powerful weapon for demonstrating your screenplay's value. Nobody needs to read a script and use their delicate imagination when there is a visual representation of your movie playing out right in front of them!
You've written ninety-something pages? Strip it down to ten. Ten pages that demonstrate the power of your screenplay. This is where we have a part to play. Red Diesel Production is here to provide you with the equipment, guidance, and technical- assistance required to turn your short script into the cinematic experience you have envisioned.
The credibility of your screenplay is amplified by an order of magnitude when you demonstrate that your writing translates cinematically on the screen.
The Film Festival Avenue
Get representation/production interest. Film festivals are your gateway to the world of industry professionals. Having your short film screened at a film festival expedites your journey into the world of cinema, opening a vast array of doors for your feature screenplay and your future self.
The GoFundMe/Kickstarter Avenue
With a short film to demonstrate the power of your screenplay, people will be excited to donate to the production and you can produce your feature yourself.
If you still have any nagging questions about how best to approach the big bad world of movie making, contact us, we're here to help!
Napoleon Dynamite (Peluca) 2004
Obvious Child (Obvious Child) 2014
The Evil Dead (Within The Woods) 1981
SAW (Saw) 2004
District 9 (Alive in Joburg) 2009
Whiplash (Whiplash) 2014
Mr Malcolm’s List (Mr Malcolm’s List) 2022
Competitions undoubtedly play a role in bringing new talent to the industry. I won Best Feature Drama in Final Draft's Big Break Competition back in 2021. It was a wonderful experience that introduced me to some incredible people and I wholeheartedly encourage writers to enter industry-recognized competitions... but I cannot advise that you make entering them your only strategy.
SET UP A CONSULTATION NOW
We offer a two hour consultation to any screenwriter ready to approach this industry head on!
Entering dozens of screenplay competitions is not a strategy for breaking into this industry.