There are many ways to get a screenplay produced... all of them difficult. Executives, producers, agents and managers are inundated with material. They are all looking for a reason to say, "No." Their brains are like computers that systematically prioritize material and, because this is not a fair and just world, especially for writers. Very few people are willing to take a chance on new writers. They want known writers with some level of success so, if anything goes wrong, they can say, "Hey, he's a good writer, I didn't know he would screw up!? But if you are an unknown, you are a risk, and few people have the guts to take a risk.
And yet new writers do find their way into the industry -- always have, always will. Sometimes it's as simple as writing a great screenplay and being lucky enough for it to finally land on the the right desk. But there are many paths to success for a keen and imaginative writer. What grabs the attention of producers, execs, et al is that if your story has already achieved some degree of success, as a novel, short story, or play. The exec thinks, "Ah, somebody already invested in this, so I don't have to be the first one."
Writing an E-book, producing a play, or getting an article in a periodical gives you a big boost. Also, from a creative and legal position, you control the "underlying rights" to the original material. It puts you in a much stronger position when you negotiate a fee and your participation in the project.
From the beginning of the industry, Hollywood has gone to publishers and the stage for material, as well as magazines. For example, "Brokeback Mountain" first appeared as a short story in the New Yorker. Truman Capote made a career out of writing books and short stories that became films. Don't limit yourself to one form. And writing prose or plays gives you the opportunity to really explore character, dialogue and story without having to deal with the demanding architecture of screenwriting. So, when you do sit down to write the screenplay, so much of the fundamental work will have already been done.
I started out writing a play. I had backers audition to raise funds. A film producer was there and saw the work... she saw and heard the reactions from the audience. She didn't have to make the leap of faith that she would have had she read the play, if she even would have agree to read it in the first place.
The further you can take project in terms of garnering success, the better off you will be. Creating something that has momentum is attractive to the industry. - CC
Chris Canaan is an Emmy Award-Winning Screenwriter, Producer, and Script Consultant. He is the President of Canaan Entertainment, a film, television and live theatre production and development company.
