Presenting a Script to get it Read

Presenting a Script to get it Read

Pitfalls to Avoid Outright Rejection of a Screenplay for Film

Completing a screenplay is not the end, but only the beginning, and the next phase can be very rocky, and full of pitfalls. Even getting a script read can be difficult. The following guidelines will help overcome the mistakes a novice scriptwriter might make.

How to Present the Screenplay

This might seem obvious, but presentation is everything. Every package that the reader opens is like looking into a shop window, and if a shabby or handwritten script or one that is ready to fall apart graces their eyes, the chances it will be read will be severely dented. Yet this does happen quite often.

How to Please the Reader in a Film Production Department

First impressions stick, and if the reader opens the covering letter and finds that the scriptwriter has written reams of passages explaining why they think their screenplay is good, they are unlikely to take your screenplay seriously. For the same reason, avoid fancy letterheads and gimmicks. Every screenplay must stand on its own merits. For this reason, a brief covering letter containing the screenwriter’s contact details is more professional. Be sure to enclose return postage if return is required.