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In your hands, the diamond in the rough: A spec script, better than hundreds of others, and maybe better than much of what you see being produced today.
Producers aren't interested.
Why?
A couple reasons.
1. The film industry wants to keep the money within its own ranks.
Everyone in Hollywood has connections and friends in the industry, that's how everyone gets everything done. They hook their friends up first. If a producer has a couple buddies waving scripts at them, and only enough bandwidth (and $$) for one or two, they're going to pick from what's in their face, from a trusted source, even if it's not as good as your work. Who has time for you? And with profits in the industry not what they once were, why would they spread a dwindling supply of cash to outsiders?
2. All Hollywood knows how to make these days are A) Remakes of previously successful films, and B) Comic book movies. Creativity doesn't seem to be rewarded anymore... And no producers have the stones to take risks on new ideas. But if it was a mega hit in the 80s, i.e., Total Recall, then it will certainly do well now. Right? So unless you're rehashing old work, or miraculously have rights to do an adaptation of a comic series, you're pretty much discounted right away -- even if you do have friends in the right places.
Plus, the idea of the studio reader is the most asinine concept in the industry. Most producers lack the ability to discern good work, so how is some gung ho recent college grad eager to pick something apart so he can flex his new found education going to pick something great? They are too focused on whether you're following "the book." If you doubt my statement that producers have no clue what good material is, get on Netflix and browse. Tell me there isn't a stunning pile of garbage floating everywhere... And that's not even all of the crap that gets green lit. Hallmark Channel. Lifetime. Straight to video. Look at everything out there and ask yourself, who the hell thought it would be a good idea to sink money and time into that junk?
The same people who might be reading your screenplay.
Producers aren't interested.
Why?
A couple reasons.
1. The film industry wants to keep the money within its own ranks.
Everyone in Hollywood has connections and friends in the industry, that's how everyone gets everything done. They hook their friends up first. If a producer has a couple buddies waving scripts at them, and only enough bandwidth (and $$) for one or two, they're going to pick from what's in their face, from a trusted source, even if it's not as good as your work. Who has time for you? And with profits in the industry not what they once were, why would they spread a dwindling supply of cash to outsiders?
2. All Hollywood knows how to make these days are A) Remakes of previously successful films, and B) Comic book movies. Creativity doesn't seem to be rewarded anymore... And no producers have the stones to take risks on new ideas. But if it was a mega hit in the 80s, i.e., Total Recall, then it will certainly do well now. Right? So unless you're rehashing old work, or miraculously have rights to do an adaptation of a comic series, you're pretty much discounted right away -- even if you do have friends in the right places.
Plus, the idea of the studio reader is the most asinine concept in the industry. Most producers lack the ability to discern good work, so how is some gung ho recent college grad eager to pick something apart so he can flex his new found education going to pick something great? They are too focused on whether you're following "the book." If you doubt my statement that producers have no clue what good material is, get on Netflix and browse. Tell me there isn't a stunning pile of garbage floating everywhere... And that's not even all of the crap that gets green lit. Hallmark Channel. Lifetime. Straight to video. Look at everything out there and ask yourself, who the hell thought it would be a good idea to sink money and time into that junk?
The same people who might be reading your screenplay.