The Basic Guide to Pitching, Producing and Distributing Your Film

By Gini Scott and Gini Graham Scott PhD

The Basic Guide for Pitching, Producing and Distributing Your Film features 70 tips on how to successfully pitch your script or TV series, produce your film, and find a distributor for your completed film. It suggests how to create a Show Bible for a TV or streaming series, and it includes chapters on producing a low-cost documentary and on the legal basics for producing a feature film or documentary. It describes how to find a distributor, what to submit, and what to expect in a distributor contract.

            The book is formatted like a journal, so readers can write down their ideas for what to do after reading each tip.

 

            The book combines seven short books in a series, in which each book features 10 tips and techniques for becoming more successful in the film industry.

GINI GRAHAM SCOTT, PhD is a screenplay writer, indie film producer, and TV game/reality show developer, plus a nonfiction writer who has published over 200 books, 50 for traditional publishers and 150 for her own company Changemakers Publishing. She also writes, reviews, and ghostwrites scripts and books for clients. She has written scripts for 20 feature films and has written and executive produced 10 films and TV projects.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Changemakers Publishing
• Release date: Apr 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201920531

Gini Scott

Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D. is the author of over 50 books and a seminar/workshop leader, specializing in work relationships and professional and personal development. She has written a dozen books on work relationships, achieving your goals, and enjoying your work and life more, including: Want It See It, Get It!, Enjoy! 101 Little Things to Do to Add Fun to Your Work Everyday,  A Survival Guide for Working with Humans, A Survival Guide for Working With Bad Bosses, A Survival Guide to Managing Employees from Hell, and Disagreements, Disputes, and All-Out War – all from AMACOM.  A number of her books have dealt with management topics, including: Work with Me! Resolving Everyday Conflicts in Your Organization (Davies-Black) and Building a Winning Sales Team (Probus). She has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley, and MAs in Anthropology, Mass Communications and Organizational/Consumer/Audience Behavior, and Popular Culture and Lifestyles at Cal State East Bay. She has gotten extensive media interest in her previous books, including appearances on Good Morning America, Oprah, Montel Williams, CNN, and hundreds of radio interviews.  She has been frequently quoted by the media and has several Web sites for her books on improving work relationships and professional success, including: -Enjoy! 101 Little Ways to Add Fun to Your Work Everyday (www.enjoythebook.com) -Want It, See It, Get It (www.wantitseeitgetit.com) -Disagreements, Disputes, and All Out War, A Survival Guide for Working with Humans (www.workingwithhumans.com) -A Survival Guide to Managing Employees from Hell (www.workingwithhumans.com) -A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses (www.badbosses.net) The site featuring her books and speaking on work generally is at (www.workwithgini.com). Her overall workshop is at (www.ginigrahamscott.com).

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

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The three basic steps to getting your film on the market are: 

1) Creating a good script or Show Bible for a series of episodes.

2) Finding a producer or producing the film yourself.

3) Finding a distributor or doing your own distribution.

The Basic Guide to Pitching, Producing, and Distributing Your Film provides the basics for successfully creating and pitching your script or Show Bible, getting your film produced, and finding a distributor for your completed film. The next book in this series focuses on doing your own distribution.

The film industry is highly competitive, so only a small percentage of the many thousands of scripts and produced films end up in the marketplace. Only a small percentage of the films that are distributed make back their original investment. But when the films that are distributed do well, the returns can be substantial—and extremely huge for the most successful films. 

That potential for a big win, fame, and glory, along with the opportunity for creative expression and making a difference in the world, keeps filmmakers going, despite the low odds.

However, any way to improve your chances can help your script or film break through the heavy competition.  And that’s what this book is all about—providing some basic tips and techniques to help you make that breakthrough.

To this end, Part I deals with creating and pitching the your script or Show Bible to help you find a producer or financial backing for your project. 

Part II describes how to find a producer or obtain an agent who can open the doors to bigger producers. If you want to be your own producer, Part II includes two chapters on that.

Finally, Part III features three chapters on how to get a distribution deal once you have a completed production—the ideal way to go when getting started.

What if you can’t find a distributor or prefer to try to distribute your film yourself? The Basic Guide to Doing Your Own Distribution covers how to distribute and promote your film.

All of the tips begin with a blank page before each tip. That’s so you can write down your thoughts about how to implement that tip for pitching your script, producing your film, or finding a distributor.

PART I: PITCHING YOUR SCRIPT AND SHOW BIBLE TO FIND A PRODUCER

CHAPTER 1: 10 WAYS TO PITCH YOUR SCRIPT MORE SUCCESSFULLY

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Given the thousands of scripts and films pitched to producers, agents, and distributors each year, it is hard to stand out among the crowd.  Unless you have a family member, relative, or close friend on the inside, it is truly difficult to get through. Even so, if you are trying to get in, here are some tips on how to do it. No guarantees, but you’ll increase your chances.

This first book focuses on scripts for films and TV shows. The next book in this series will focus on finding a distributor or co-producer for your film.

Aside from starting with a good script, copyright it with the U.S. Copyright Office. You might also register it with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in L.A., though the copyright registration is more important. If you are asked to sign an NDA, sign it, since no one will look at your script if you don’t, and don’t expect industry professionals to sign your NDA. Normally, they won’t, since the big fear is being sued for looking at anything that is remotely like something they are already developing in house or considering from another writer.

Use the blank page before each tip to write down your thoughts about how to apply that in your own project. Now here are the tips for pitching your script.

1)  Use the three step logline to paragraph to short treatment approach, which is based on the principle of letting them ask for more. Often screenplay writers send a query letter in which they go into detail about their script, their background, how this is their first script, how they took a course with a writing professional, or got great reviews in their local writing group. Wrong! You want to come across as a seasoned pro.  So start that way.

In this approach, you just send a brief logline. Then, if the producer, agent, or manager wants to see more, you send your logline with a paragraph or two describing the story and a key selling point.  You can later follow up with a short 4-5 page treatment where you describe your script like a dramatic story.  Finally, you send the script.  Or if it’s for a series, send a Show Bible.

Alternatively, send a query letter with a logline and paragraph or two about your script or series, and offer to send a synopsis, the first 10 pages, the full script, or a Show Bible for a series.

Importantly, focus on one film or series at a time. You can mention you have other film ideas or series, but that’s all. You don’t want to