ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXFilm business contacts
9 years, 10 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes
How useful have you found the the paid for screenwriting directory's which are focused on industry listings / contacts? Is there one publication which you swear by, use all the time and why?
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9 years, 9 months ago - Dan Selakovich
If you're looking for advice, I'd simply contact 6 writers who's work you admire. Don't ask them to read your stuff, just ask them if you can buy them a coffee or a lunch so that you can pick their brain. They might be interested enough to take you up on it. Doesn't hurt to try.
If you want your stuff read, find out who the assistant is to an agent or producer. Send your script directly to the assistant with a release that holds them free of liability from getting sued. Everybody, and I mean everybody, wants to find that next great script. Assistants are your best bet because they want to move up the ladder. A great script is how they do that.
9 years, 9 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes
Thanks for the additional comment Dan - really like your suggestion around reaching out to assistants.
9 years, 10 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
The most useful contacts will always be personal ones - meet people and leave them wanting more ;-). I get maybe 20 various contacts a week from people I don't know wanting work, advice(!), comment, pitching projects, and I'll ignore/delete skim-read 19 of them. Someone who offers me a cup of coffee, however, will probably get my attention and be the other one! Someone I've actually met already will be far higher on my radar when they want comment, advice(!), etc. Find a way to meet people, buy them a coffee ;-)
9 years, 10 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes
Hey Paddy,
I agree with you r.e. the whole face to face thing, though I am just working out the lay of the land before getting back out there. I was thinking of going to a few of the shooters pub evenings to see what they're like.
9 years, 10 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes
Hi Vasco,
I am thinking of publications like Hollywood Screenwriting Directory and The Writers and Artists Yearbook (this I've reviewed in the past).
9 years, 10 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes
Thanks Nick.
9 years, 10 months ago - Vasco de Sousa
I'm not sure what you mean by screenwriting directory.
Some directories that I've looked at for film companies and people - such as stunt coordinators, insurance, dvd duplication, and other film roles - are the White Pages (a print publication in the library), Kays https://www.kays.co.uk/, and their American equivalents.
Some directories list agents, writing competitions, and producers include the Writers and Artists Yearbook.
The only screenwriting directories I can think of that are useful is the WGA's (Writer's Guild of America) lists of WGA signed agents and WGA signed producers. Those aren't lists of screenwriters, but of people who might help screenwriters.
If you want a list of screenwriters, then I'd be looking through a kind of "who's who in cinema" book, rather than a directory. Maybe look up specific projects, and see who is credited with writing them. There are free online sources for that.
Screenwriters are listed on sites like Shooting People and Stage 32, but I find most of these people have never even written a script, so these lists are pretty much useless. If you're looking for writers, just advertise yourself as a producer in the right places, and if they think you're serious and professional then writers will send you pitches.
Can you name some of the directories that you're considering, and what you're using them for?
9 years, 10 months ago - Nick Goundry
I've used The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook. It's good as a start point, but it's definitely more of a means to making personal contacts with specific individuals. As is often is the case with these things, it depends on what specifically you're trying to accomplish.