What the Director of Intelligence advises

The problem

Hi,

Could you please advise me of the best/correct procedure to follow in an attempt to get my film script viewed. To whom should I send it?

Thanks kindly,

Trev.

The Director of Intelligence replies

Lesson #1

Make sure that your script has been formatted according to the industry standard. Nothing makes a script look more amateurish than bad formatting.

The first rule is constancy: all your script will be in the same font, the same size, with no bolding, italics or underlining and laid out the same way on each page. This is a hangover from the days of typewriters but it does make for scripts which are easy to read and it avoids the temptation to be "creative".

The standard font is 12 point courier, the closest thing a computer has to a typewriter's font.
Lines should be either 1½-spaced or double-spaced: this allows for lots of blank space in which to write notes.
Type is confined to a column down the centre of the page, about one third of the width.
The only exceptions are on the title page: the draft version is righted and the contact details are lefted.
Scene locations are always in UPPER CASE.
Scene locations are always lefted and begin with INT (interior) or EXT (exterior), the location (eg FRANK'S BEDROOM) and the time of day (eg MORNING).
The scene number is righted.
The first time a character's name is mentioned in the action it is in full (ie personal, family and nicknames) and in UPPER CASE.
Scene descriptions and action are lefted.
Character's names are always in UPPER CASE immediately prior to their dialogue.
Dialogue is lefted in a narrower column than action.
Dialogue instructions are placed (in parentheses) and on their own line.
Instructions to camera (eg FADE IN) are in UPPER CASE.

Check out the following images of the correct formatting:

Lesson #2

Spell-check your script. Nothing makes a script look more amateurish than bad spelling, apart from bad formatting, of course.

Most word processing programs have built in spell checkers. Remember to set the language for your document to Australian English if you want to sell the script in Australia. If you want to sell the script in Hollywood, create a second version and check the spelling in USA English.

Lesson #3

Include a one page synopsis so that anyone reading your script can get a quick idea of what it's about.

Lesson #4

Get a dramaturg to check your script.

A dramaturg (dramaturge) will read your script, checking it for spelling, grammatical and formatting errors.

They should also give you notes as to any problems inherent in the script, such as:

Incorrect timelines (effect precedes cause: characters refer to a dead person who appears in a following scene)
Unexplained changes in a character's behaviour (a manual labourer becomes an interplanetary spy)
Failures in logic (someone suddenly has a gun where they had none before)
Dialogue or actions attributed to the wrong character
Inappropriate dialogue or actions (a 12-year-old discussing Freud)
Cliché alerts!

A good dramaturg will also look at non-technical matters like:

The depth of your characters
The "voice" of each character
Story arcs
Plot
Flow
Originality

Dramaturgs should charge between $50.00 and $100.00 depending on how much work they do.

Lesson #5

If you're serious about writing for film you should invest in a program designed especially for script writers. There are many different products out there: go to your favourite search engine, enter "script writing software" and you'll find a heap. Prices range from $100.00 to $1,000.00.

Lesson #6

Print your last draft script on one side of clean, unused paper - do not attempt to save any trees at this stage of the game - and attach the pages together in the top left corner. Put it into a large envelope - do not fold it! - with your synopsis and a brief introductory letter. The letter should contain only the following:

Your contact details
Your enclosures (eg script, synopsis)
The title of the script
The genre/s (eg action, drama)
The running time (1 minute of screen time per page)
A thank you

If you want the script back you must include a stamped and addressed envelope. If you are paranoid you can also request confirmation of receipt to be sent back to you when they get the script, in the form of a stamped and addressed envelope with the words "script received on date" on the back. They might send it back, they might not.

Once you have sent your script away allow eight weeks before contacting them again, longer if you have sent it overseas. If you haven't received your confirmation of receipt you can contact them to make sure that they did, indeed, receive it. You can then wait around some more until they finally contact you. The most feedback you will get is a "Yes, please" or a "No thank you".

Do not send more than one script out at a time to various studios/production companies as it is an ethically grey area to be offering the same work to different people at the same time. No-one will appreciate it if you tell someone that you've already sold the script to someone else.