British Scripts- Any interest?

[batman]

Originally Posted by homeguard what I need now is Peter Weir's address (Director/Writer on Master and Commander). Regards, HG

Peter Weir
Creative Artists Agency
9830 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, California 90212-1825
USA

[homeguard]

Thanks Bats! Worth a go, eh?
Actually, to flesh-out the final curtain, UK Film Council have invited me to send the script to an independant feedback service which they support. Called the Script Connection, they will commission a script report (free!) to assist in helping me develop the script elsewhere. That's a kind offer I thought. As I didn't want their money anyway, just an intro to somebody in the business, this could also be a way forward.
Keep you all posted. I wasn't successful, but I hope all you other budding script writers have a go. Somebody might have the right format, so good luck.
Regards,
HG

[samkydd]

Originally Posted by homeguard I'm just about to pay £250.00 to a company to read a script just to be able to use their contacts in the industry to get it to a production company who might then read it! Am I insane? No, just desperate. With a script written about an incident in the First World War, and with the 90th anniversary of the ending of that war in November, my despair increases daily. Is there somebody out there who is a pal of Sir Ridley Scott, or Sir Ben Kingsley, or Sir 'Dickie' Attenborough who could ask them to just look at it for me? It seems that British script-writers are so numerous that nobody is interested in their work. Help. Regards HG

I was always told never to pay for this type of service because it's a business in itself and no matter how good the script is they don't really care . It's like extras agencies charging potential extras for registering with them , it's a money spinner and so finding work for the individual writer/extra is not high on the list of priorities.

I've had years of touting my stuff around, and apart from a big TV company interested in turning a TV drama of mine into a sitcom, and then blowing me out, I've been regularly disappointed.

This is down to me of course because trying to juggle a day job and family life with writing can be difficult. Focussing on producing decent stuff with life's many distractions is not easy unless you happen to be one of those single-minded types who can concentrate exclusively on whatever the job in hand happens to be at that moment.

The writing part I find very easy in that I get many good ideas all the time, and writing spontaneously usually brings out the best work. The daunting part is once I've finished and spend weeks trying to tout my wares around the marketplace. Whether it's a radio play, a novel, a TV drama etc the industry doesn't seem that interested unless it's written by a celebrity, ex-footballer, ex-Big Brother contestant or failed politician!

Eventually you start to believe that the masterpiece you've written isn't worth the paper it's printed out on and so you push it to one side and start on something else!

The only solution I can come up with would be to employ a part-time secretary who has the dogged persistence to be able to push the work in the faces of the right people; literary agents, publishers, drama producers etc, and they would not be put off by rejection letters in the same way that you the very sensitive and thin-skinned writer would be!

Two hundred and fifty pounds may buy you a few sessions with an experienced temp, and like cold call double-glazing salesmen, persistence and badgering may eventually pay off!

[homeguard]

I agree Sam. Actually, I took Bats's and Penfold's advice, and now I'm going to have my script read for free, courtesy of the UK Film Council. Of course they may decide it is tripe, but like you and yours, obviously I think it has some merit. It amazes me, however, that there must be thousands of good stories kicking around and America and India just seem to churn out the same format all the time. It probably is a lost cause, but I'm not giving up. After all, it only takes one.
Regards,
HG