Elizabeth English

Immediate Affinity

MOONDANCE NEWS & CHINESE NEW YEAR WISHES!

 CHINESE HORSE

新 年 乐

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and productive Chinese Lunar New Year of the Horse! I hope it’s good for me, too, as the horse (water horse) is my Chinese Zodiac sign… ~ My Very Best Regards, Elizabeth

In Chinese astrology, Horse year is considered a fortunate year that brings good luck and good things. Magical Horse has supernatural powers, is heroic, strong, and can even fly! Horse year is about freedom, returning to nature, and enjoying life and life’s adventures…you may feel more buoyant and able to tackle things that you have been putting on the back burner.

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HOLLYWOOD IN THE ROCKIES @ MOONDANCE 2014!

[ezcol_1half]HOLLYWOOD SIGN:BLUE SKY[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]BOULDER MTNS SNOW[/ezcol_1half_end]

Send in your submission now, and plan to attend the

2014 Moondance International Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado!

MovieBytes.com lists the Moondance International Film Festival

as one of the Top Ten competitions worth the entry fee!

SMALL STARFISH

SCROLL ON DOWN TO READ ABOUT: 

  • 2014 SUBMISSION INFO
  • ARTICLE: EARTHING: RECONNECTING
  • A MOONDANCE WRITES US
  • MOONDANCE RECCOMENDS
  • SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
  • CONTACT US! 

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HOW TO GET AN AGENT!

HOW • TO • GET • AN • AGENT

What Agents Want (and Don’t Want) to See

By Elizabeth English*

First, call or write to literary agents who are listed as being willing to look at unsolicited screenplays. Do not send a script unless you are invited to do so!

How to find listed agents:

  • The Hollywood Creative Directory’s Agent/Management directory
  • Writers Digest
  • Writers Guild of America (East & West)

Guidelines for getting an agent:

  1. Write killer titles, loglines and one-sheet synopses for the all the scripts you want to submit to agents.
  1. Write up a one-sheet document with titles and loglines of all your completed screenplays. You may be asked to send these before sending in a screenplay.
  1. Presentation of script: be sure to have a plain cardstock cover, front and back; a title page with all your contact info; three-hole punch white paper; two solid-brass brads in the top and bottom hole.
  1. “Attachments”, in the form of actors, director, producer, and most importantly: money, to your project, will always help get almost any agent interested. Mention this, if applicable, in your cover letter. These days, however, most agents only want to see submissions as attachments via email. Be sure to have a great cover letter with your contact info and with the script attachment.
  1. Have more than one screenplay completed. At least three of your best screenplays need to be ready to go, when and if requested.
  1. In your initial phone call or e-mail, try to find out what genre of story that agent is looking for, at the moment. Agents generally know exactly what the buyers want to see, and will usually only request those genres. But needs change all the time, and at a moment’s notice, so let them know what you have, even if they’re not looking for that at the time of your call.
  1. Story: This is the first thing agents look at, when considering whether to read your script or not. Unique story, well-told.
  1. Writing ability and style. Everything depends on this.
  1. Dialog: your ability to write good, memorable and believable dialog is paramount.
  1. Format and structure: in submitting your work to an agent, you should be sure the script is in proper format and structure. There are many books and online articles on these vital subjects. Edit every word of the script with a fine-toothed comb, and correct all spelling, punctuation and syntax errors.
  1. Budget: yes, a screenwriter needs to know about this. Many buyers are looking for specific subjects with very specific production budgets. Currently, a low-budget feature film will be $10-20 million, for example. If your script requires action scenes and/or CGI graphics, double that figure.
  1. If you know The Business at all, make the agent aware of this, so he or she will know you are a professional.
  1. Let the prospective agent know you are open to re-writes and edits of your scripts. You will almost always be asked to do re-writes, sometimes “on spec”, so prepare yourself mentally and be agreeable to it.
  1. Be willing and able to pitch your screenplay to production companies and studios, with the agent, in person. If you live far from L.A., let the agent know you can arrange to go there for pitching appointments.
  1. Be friendly and easy-going, yet professional and self-confident. Hollywood, even though it’s a “snake-pit” at times, is run on connections and contacts. If they don’t like you, and don’t feel they can work with you, you don’t have a chance there.
  1. Be honest! Never, ever hype yourself or your script unless the information is absolutely provable. If you’ve won a contest with your script, let them know. And if you’ve been submitting your scripts around to everybody for years, and they ask, tell the truth. Production companies and studios keep lists of what has been submitted, and you don’t want to embarrass your new agent!

How to get “discovered”:

  • com is a good website to post your scripts on, to be seen by many agents, producers, and development company executives)
  • If you live in or near Los Angeles, attend parties and other events where Hollywood types will be.
  • Enter film festival competitions, and win!

What should an Agent do for you?

  • Send out your loglines and one sheet synopses, and scripts to Development Executives at production companies and studios
  • Give suggestions on potential edits and re-writes that may be needed to sell the script
  • Set up pitch sessions for you at production companies and studios
  • Get the best deal he or she can for you, above schedule of WGA minimums.
  • Encourage and inspire you to create new material and projects.

What agents DO NOT want to see:

  • A script sent to them “cold”, with no phone call, e-mail or letter first
  • A script that is too long (over 130 pages), or too short (under 90 pages)
  • A script that is bound incorrectly (no brads, no cover, no title page)
  • A script that is not formatted correctly & has grammatical and/or spelling errors
  • A cover letter that is more than one page long
  • A script that is mostly descriptions of people and locations, like a novel
  • A script with unrealistic or stilted/boring dialog
  • A script with more than 100 scenes (each scene costs money)
  • A script with a prospective production budget over that what is requested
  • A script that is not in the genre requested
  • A writer who calls or e-mails sooner than 2 weeks after the agent received the script
  • A writer who is unwilling to consider re-writes and edits
  • A script that has any typos, misspellings or poor syntax
  • A script without conflict in the plot and story-line
  • A script without interesting, memorable characters
SUGGESTED READING & RESOURCES:

RELEVANT E-ZINE ARTICLES BY ELIZABETH ENGLISH

BOOKS

  • Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434
  • Linda Seger’s How to Make a Good Screenplay Great
  • Linda Seger’s How to Make a Good Screenwriter Great
  • David Howard’s A Writer’s Guide to the Craft and Elements of a Screenplay

Books & Magazines:

  • Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434
  • Linda Seger’s How to Make a Good Screenplay Great
  • Linda Seger’s How to Make a Good Screenwriter Great
  • David Howard’s A Writer’s Guide to the Craft and Elements of a Screenplay
  • Creative Screenwriting
  • Scr(i)pt Magazine

MAGAZINES

  • Creative Screenwriting
  • Scr(i)pt Magazine

 WEBSITES

  • www.absolutewrite.com/
  • www.americanfilmfoundation.com
  • www.asascreenwriters.com
  • www.craftyscreenwriting.com
  • www.davetrottier.com
  • www.fadeinmag.com/
  • www.hollywoodnetwork.com
  • www.inktip.com
  • www.mermaid7seas.com
  • www.moviebytes.com
  • www.mwp.com/books/writing
  • www.ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/wcmartell/
  • www.screenplay.com/
  • www.screenstyle.com
  • www.ScreenTalk.biz
  • www.screenwriterstore.co.uk
  • www.ScreenwritersUtopia.com
  • www.ScriptForSale.com
  • www.scriptsales.com/DoneDLinks.htm
  • www.thestorycoach.com
  • www.wga.org
  • www.wordplayer.com
  • www.writersstore.com
  • writerswrite.com/screenwriting

WORKSHOPS

SCREENWRITING CONTESTS

Contact Elizabeth English at: [email protected], with GET AN AGENT in the subject line. 

 

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A MOONDANCE HAPPY NEW YEAR & YEAR-END WRAP-UP!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

May the stars shine upon you; 
may nature fill 
your heart with beauty; 
may hope forever be in your heart; and, 
and above all
, may this new year be wonderful for you. The new year is the time to 
reach toward new horizons & realize your  dreams, 
to rediscover the strengths & talents within you, 
to rejoice in simple pleasures, and to gear up for new challenges. 
Wishing you a truly fulfilling, prosperous, healthy, peaceful  and happy 2014! ~ Elizabeth

 1-1 MIFF BANNER + MERMAID

Happy New Year, and may 2014 be your best year ever! Thank you for your continued support of Moondance, and may all your New Year’s wishes come true!

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MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS INKTIP.COM for screenwriters, producers & agents!

 

MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS:

INKTIP BIG LOGO

This year, producers and reps used InkTip to option, purchase, hire, and represent

 more than 190 scripts and writers!

This has resulted in more than 35 movies going into production, in 2013 alone!

Over 200 feature films have been produced from InkTip scripts and writers.    

Producers Register Here: http://inktip.com/ep_online_apply.php?cat=ep&scat=joining

Writers Register Here: http://inktip.com/wr1.php?cat=sa&scat=services

Check out some of the companies who are members of InkTip:

Paradigm

CBS Films

HBO Films

The Weinstein Company

Echo Lake

Paramount Pictures

Magnolia Pictures

20th Century Fox

CAA

Lionsgate

ICM
(see more here)

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MOONDANCE & YOUR FILMS, SCRIPTS & MUSIC!

 

MERFOLK + STAR

WE WANT YOUR FILMS, SCRIPTS & MUSIC

FOR THE ONE, THE ONLY OFFICIAL 2014

MOONDANCE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL!

~ Our 15th Annual Season ~

(Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations!)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2013 MOONDANCE SCREENPLAY WINNERS & INKTIP.COM:

INKTIP.COM LOGO

• FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH / James P. Steffman  

• GRACE / Lynda Lemberg & Jeffrey Allen Russel

• THE GAME / Doug Nelson

• THE KIDS FROM NOWHERE / George Guthridge & Deborah Schildt

• THE OBLATE / Gar Hoover & Beth Hoover

• THE SINGING TREE / Marilyn Pesola & Peter Moss

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