Keira's Agent

[brownplayboy310]

Originally Posted by hasselbrad

He's not the first...and he won't be the last.
I'll admit it, a couple of the screenplays I've written, I envision Keira in the lead role as I am writing. However, if I sell one, they can cast Judi Dench in it for all I care. I just want to get paid.

hmm, this is actually my first screenplay. and after consulting with a few folks in the biz and letting people see it for the first time I'm not so sure of myself anymore. i think i need to take a class because apparently i have some serious format issues. i also need to restructure the story because it doesn't draw the reader in quickly enough. and according to these folks its also way too long. but aren't epics supposed to be long? and whose to say that you can't write an epic about a drug dealer's search for god?

[hasselbrad]

Get a screenwriting program. I have seen a basic program in CompUSA for about $40.00. I use Final Draft 6. If I ever start making any money, I'll upgrade. Final Draft and Movie Magic are two of the best programs, but they'll set you back $150 or more. However, the investment is well worth it when you are able to forget about formatting and just write.
Also, get a screenwriting format book. The guy I just took a class from recommends this book. I bought a different one, but for the price Amazon has this for, I'd get it.
Taking a class is a great idea. I took a six-week class and it has really helped me to understand conflict and how to use it.
Also, the guy who taught it explained how to write for budget. I know what it's like to have an epic piece burning a hole in your cranium, but the reality of the situation is that you will probably have to write screenplays with few characters and limited scenes and/or locations for a while. Independent film makers have to be very creative with their budgets.
I think it costs somewhere around $100,000 per day to shoot outdoors (city) because of all of the crowd control issues, etc. Special effects and action sequences are budget busters as well. Selling something to a big studio right out of the box is the longest of longshots. Executives and producers want writers that they can stake large production budgets to.
If the story is strong, think about stripping it down to the bare essentials and drilling down to the core values of your characters. Figure out ways to tell the story without car chases and shootouts, and you might find an indie film company that is willing to produce it.