I understand that for most people, moving to Hollywood is simply not an option (especially in this economy), so in the meantime, the next strategy we can undertake is to build relationships through email, with up-and-coming writers and directors in the industry. So now we come to a very important question: how do you find these newcomers if they are not famous yet?
This is where we come back to something I’ve mentioned over and over again, it’s a good idea: go to the movies. Seriously, start watching smaller indie films, or maybe you’re a fan of music videos, and take notes on who the person who directed it is, especially if you think it has a visual style that will strongly complement your writing. If you are a writer who is passionate about selling your script, but never plans to direct a single second of one of your scripts, this will be especially important to you, as you will want to build a long-lasting partnership with that director, as the trust It’s hard to build, and doubly so in this industry.
Rising actors are also people to watch out for in terms of selling your script. For starters, I would try to watch independent movies that are in the same genre that you feel most comfortable writing in. If you’re not a genre-specific writer, or you need a strong actress specifically, and this might sound weird, but hear me out, try watching some low-budget horror movies. A lot of the time, decent to more than moderately talented actors will take part in those kinds of movies because they simply need the money. Keep an eye out for the ones who pull off great performances despite bad scripts – those are the ones who want to work, and because of that, they’ll probably keep doing it.
Think of it this way: if you’re watching a movie and notice someone’s performance stands out to you, what does it mean that a producer working on bigger projects won’t see the same thing? This is also another way that the Internet can be very helpful to your cause of selling your screenplay. Blogs, trailers, and movie reviews are key because if someone is about to make it big in their career, they’re going to hear about it on the internet first, trust me. Obviously there are too many blogs and review sites to list here, but do your homework and find ones that cover people who are new to the industry; if social media is in an uproar about it, it’s at least worth checking out.
