Getting my screen play off the ground

[Rieff]

I'm an actor but I wrote a screen play that I'm trying to get off the ground. What's the next step to getting your screen play off and running how do you go about funding? Finding directors? Hell finding someone to take a look at your script

 

[countevil]

Judging by your location you're in the best place to do it.
If you're an actor you must have some contacts. It probably depends on the type of script you have how easy it will be.

 

[wcmartell]

I your intention is just to sell the screenplay, you get producers to read it (query letters, networking, etc). If you plan on making the film yourself, it's networking and packaging the project with stars and director and making a budget and schedule... or maybe just funding it yourself.

- Bill

 

[barnaclelapse]

The acting thing could really come in handy here. L.A. could probably build another city for the actors or other people on a film crew who have written scripts, but as someone else said there can still be something in those connections you build up working on whatever projects happen to come along. My advice would be to stick with the acting thing and try to build up a name with people. It's been my understanding and even experience on a pretty limited level that a lot of this stuff comes down to who you know.

Make sure you get it copyrighted, and then just take it easy and work at it when the opportunities arise through your acting gigs, which I'm sure they will.

 

[citychik]

I'm an actor but I wrote a screen play that I'm trying to get off the ground. What's the next step to getting your screen play off and running how do you go about funding? Finding directors? Hell finding someone to take a look at your script

If you want just to sell your screenplay, you should know that it is pretty impossible for a first-timer to sell a script without an agent, and also that no one ever sells a first draft. What you should do next is "workshop" it and let other writers read it and give you feedback on what works and what doesn't. Then you re-write until it's good enough to sell, which could take months or years (you didn't mention whether it's a feature or short -- how many pages is it?). Register the copyright. When you're ready to shop it around to get an agent, you should also have a few other scripts ready to for them to look at as well.

If you want to produce it yourself, network to surround yourself with a good crew. The script will need to be broken down to figure out how many locations and actors you will need. If it's simple, you should be able to attract people who want to work on it. Before you seek funding you also need to use your script breakdown to create a budget. No grants organization or funder will be interested if you don't have a packet put together with your budget and all details of how you intend to get the thing made. But that's not too difficult to do. The hardest part is making sure you have an undeniably great script.

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