Martial arts spec screenplays? Are agencies even interested?

The305itself

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Hello. This is my First time posting a new thread here.

I've never made a martial arts film before, but I'm assuming that the fight choreography and the Physical Abilities of the main actors is the most important factor (besides storytelling).

So do you think that any agency would consider a spec script for a martial arts film with none of these attached. Would writing a script for a martial arts/ action movie be a complete waste of my time?

I tried googling this, but couldn't find any answers.

I also looked on imdb for recent action movies and looked at the writers to see if they had ever written anything before it. I saw that "the last stand" with Arnold Schwarzenegger was the first Hollywood script for its writer. Is that common?

Thanks!
 

Treehouseman

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You might go to the Scripts, Stage, and Screen section, it sounds like a discussion people could know the answer to there.

Also don't trust the IMDB! They are only for screenplays produced, ie, the script was purchased by a production company and the studio greenlighted it for production.

There are millionare screenwriters living in Hollywood who have never had a script made into a movie!

As a screenwriter, it will not be your business to choreograph or suggest choreographing the fight a moie. Your input will be relegated to explaining *where* the fight takes place, INT: DRAGON DOJO NIGHT and some basic directions ie: Jackie appears to take the upper hand until Bruce executes a move to incapacitate him". So don't worry too much if you don't have fight experience.

Onto the agency thing, there are specialised screenplay agencies, but a lot of time I've heard it's word of mouth that gets a production company interested in a script.
 
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The305itself

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Martial arts spec screenplays: are agencies even interested?

Hello. This is basically a copy and paste from a thread in the "ask an agent" forum place thing. I was suggested to post it here for more success.

I've never made a martial arts film before, but I'm assuming that the fight choreography and the Physical Abilities of the main actors is the most important factor (besides storytelling).

So do you think that any agency would consider a spec script for a martial arts film with none of these attached. Would writing a script for a martial arts/ action movie be a complete waste of my time?

I tried googling this, but couldn't find any answers.

I also looked on imdb for recent action movies and looked at the writers to see if they had ever written anything before it. I saw that "the last stand" with Arnold Schwarzenegger was the first Hollywood script for its writer. Is that common?

Thanks!
 

jvc

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In future, not just for you, but anyone else who finds they have posted a thread in the wrong forum and it would be better elsewhere, just ask the moderator of that forum to move the thread for you. They are happy to do it, and takes but a moment. Please don't start a duplicate thread.

I'll get another mod to move the other thread over here and merge it with this thread.
 

Old Hack

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I'll move this to the appropriate room, as it doesn't really belong in Ask The Agent. Hang on...
 

Kfu3000

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Hey 305,

I would never tell a writer to NOT write a story that they had a passion for, but I will say martial arts movies are generally a difficult sell. If you look at all the films made every year, there aren't very many martial arts movies among them since they're sort of a niche market. Action movies are however very popular.

The genre market (direct-to-video) does seem to have interest in martial arts films, but if you're talking about studio films -- the demand is fairly small.

As far as agents (or managers) and their potential interest in a martial arts movie, it's really all about the story. If it's a very interesting, creative, unique story that happens to have some martial arts scenes, then you might find some reps interested. If you just have a generic story featuring a bunch of cool martial arts fights, then less likely so.

In regards to the writer of THE LAST STAND (Andrew Knauer), while I don't know him personally, I have read that he wrote 18-20 screenplays before he optioned THE LAST STAND (in 2009) and it wasn't made until 2013, so while it was his first produced work, it wasn't his first screenplay. In addition, he interned at Lionsgate (2004-2005) and spent 3 years working at a top management company as an assistant. Andrew spent at least nine years working in the industry, learning the business, making contacts and writing nearly 20 screenplays, prior to selling THE LAST STAND.

It's really difficult to sell a script in the industry. It might not seem like it if you gauge some of the crappy movies that do get made (so it looks easy) or see a "first timer" like Andrew Knauer getting a big studio film made, but it really is a long road. There is a sort of running joke that people who make it are often "ten-year overnight successes" as it can (and usually does) take a decade or longer, working in the business to "make it", even though to the outsider it seems like they became successful in their first shot, almost "overnight".

So keep writing and working at it and hopefully you'll get your martial arts movie onto the big screen in the future.

Best of luck to you!
 
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The305itself

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Hey 305,

I would never tell a writer to NOT write a story that they had a passion for, but I will say martial arts movies are generally a difficult sell. If you look at all the films made every year, there aren't very many martial arts movies among them since they're sort of a niche market. Action movies are however very popular.

The genre market (direct-to-video) does seem to have interest in martial arts films, but if you're talking about studio films -- the demand is fairly small.

As far as agents (or managers) and their potential interest in a martial arts movie, it's really all about the story. If it's a very interesting, creative, unique story that happens to have some martial arts scenes, then you might find some reps interested. If you just have a generic story featuring a bunch of cool martial arts fights, then less likely so.

In regards to the writer of THE LAST STAND (Andrew Knauer), while I don't know him personally, I have read that he wrote 18-20 screenplays before he optioned THE LAST STAND (in 2009) and it wasn't made until 2013, so while it was his first produced work, it wasn't his first screenplay. In addition, he interned at Lionsgate (2004-2005) and spent 3 years working at a top management company as an assistant. Andrew spent at least nine years working in the industry, learning the business, making contacts and writing nearly 20 screenplays, prior to selling THE LAST STAND.

It's really difficult to sell a script in the industry. It might not seem like it if you gauge some of the crappy movies that do get made (so it looks easy) or see a "first timer" like Andrew Knauer getting a big studio film made, but it really is a long road. There is a sort of running joke that people who make it are often "ten-year overnight successes" as it can (and usually does) take a decade or longer, working in the business to "make it", even though to the outsider it seems like they became successful in their first shot, almost "overnight".

So keep writing and working at it and hopefully you'll get your martial arts movie onto the big screen in the future.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks! Very helpful. I was toying around with the idea of writing it and filming it myself with a bunch of friends who call themselves "martial arts enthusiasts". I'm not so sure though. Probably won't happen.
 

Treehouseman

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Thanks! Very helpful. I was toying around with the idea of writing it and filming it myself with a bunch of friends who call themselves "martial arts enthusiasts". I'm not so sure though. Probably won't happen.


Why not? I did it, and it was lots of fun. Helped a lot with my prose writing too, because you learn continuity and character. Visual scripts are ALL showing, no telling. (Which is why the voiceover is so maligned a feature.)
 

The305itself

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Why not? I did it, and it was lots of fun. Helped a lot with my prose writing too, because you learn continuity and character. Visual scripts are ALL showing, no telling. (Which is why the voiceover is so maligned a feature.)

Yeah, I think it would be a great learning experience, but scheduling is going to be hell. It would take us ten years to get it done. I'll see how things workout.

Edit: not to mention I'll be moving soon.

Thanks for all your input everyone!
 
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