An intern with a script
I’m a USC student, and I have a summer job as an assistant at one of the big agencies in town. Would it be a faux pas to ask someone, like an agent, to read my spec script? The assistant who sits next to me has a script, too, but is submitting it to Disney rather than asking someone here to read it, which makes me think it’s not done, to ask someone here to read my spec. Any thoughts?
– J.G.
Here’s the thing: Every intern has a script. So don’t shove your spec on anyone at the agency. Buckle down and do your internship, asking smart questions or becoming invisible as the situation warrants.
As the summer progresses, figure out which of your fellow interns are not evil. And if the situation warrants, invite them to read your script — and do the same for them. These peers are actually far more helpful in the long run than your superiors.
If, as the internship is winding down, you’ve really hit it off with one particular agent, you can mention that you wrote a comedy about vampire wrestlers in Tucson. If he says, “Hey, I’d like to read that,” great. If he nods and looks uncomfortable, don’t push it. You’ll ruin a possible contact later on.
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June 1st, 2007 at 7:49 am
All this stuff terrifies me. I have too many financial obligations to quit my okay-paying office job in Woodland Hills and get an entry level industry job somewhere else, but people are always talking connections.
So instead I’m trying to do what Terry Rossio advised: Write the best script I can. And he says if it’s good enough and I bury it in the backyard then people will dig it up and pay me for it.
Or something like that.
Maybe I misunderstood.
Just don’t be pushy, J.G. There’s my advice. No one ever complains about meeting a really nice person.
Except women sometimes…
But you don’t want to date those kinds of women anyway. They are a headache.
Er, good luck!
June 1st, 2007 at 8:45 am
The thing about Hollywood is that everybody has something and everybody wants something. Everyone knows it, too. While I am just an intern myself, I have a friend who is a working screenwriter out here. He says the trick is to develop a relationship so that the person will ask you to read the script - let people know you’re working on it, but don’t be specific. When someone asks, make sure you have your logline perfect. If they’re interested, maybe they’ll ask you to read it. Maybe they won’t. The best you can do is put yourself in a position where it might get around.
Case in point: when J.J. Abrams first met Tom Cruise at a party, the two were friendly. Then J.J.’s assistant sent Cruise a boxset of Alias as a gift, which Cruise did not watch for months until he was on vacation. Once he started watching it, he called Abrams and, as Abrams describes, they went on “dates” for the next four months. After that, Cruise demanded Abrams helm M:I3. Abrams didn’t ask Cruise to watch Alias and he didn’t ask to direct the next M:I, but he got in a position where Cruise felt comfortable enough to ask him. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but the more people you know - and the better your work - and something will come.
June 1st, 2007 at 10:32 am
Here’s a rule of thumb that has served as a useful litmus test for me:
Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and you’re facing the Real You’s request/circumstance for the thousandth time. Also factor in that you’ve “known” the other person for less than a year - and that your total interaction can probably be counted in hours, if not minutes.
People talk a lot about “relationships.” Despite the stereotypes about Hollywood, what you need are genuine relationships. They may be your own, or through referral, but ultimately it’s the genuine relationship that forms the foundation of people’s interest in helping you.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:12 am
So all you need to do is create a hit show, meet Tom Cruise, and be cool about it. On it!
June 1st, 2007 at 11:27 am
I agree whole heartedly with John on this. Most indistry people (agents in particular) are used to having scripts pushed on them… It POSSIBLY could create an awkward situation for the agent if he’s one to pass off reading to his assistant or something (knowing that you’d know about this or forcing him to flat out say ‘no’).
Remember some agents barely have the time to read scripts submitted to them from established writers so in essence you’d be asking them to take time out of their day that is dedicated to reading scripts that have actors attached or are from writers who’re very likely to sell them. (also i guess it should be said that you may want to ask around the agency to anyone you trust to see if its okay to ask an agent to read your script and which ones to ask).
My advice (for whatever it’s worth) is that if you’re going to do it as an intern you should either A. be sure that you have the kind of relationship with the agent where you feel he’d be okay doing you a solid (call it the 50 dollar test: If you feel comfortable borrowing 50 bucks from him then you’re probably okay) or B. As John suggested you should ask the other interns and/or assistants to read your script in their spare time. Building a ‘buzz’ around the office about your script rather than just dropping it on an agents desk is a good idea for two reasons. 1. you’d be building a relationship with the assistants/interns who’ll be rising up the ranks just like you and 2. if it’s good and some of the assistants/interns like it, it very likely could reach the ears of the agent so by the time it hits his desk it’ll be more than ‘this is the script from the skinny brown haired kid who gets donuts’ it’ll be ‘this is the script that jason and allison really liked’. Also it’s good to note that many of the assistants want to be known for finding good material so if your script is good they’re going to want to be able to bring it to their bosses (the non-evil ones that is… and there are plenty of people who’ll want you to fail or to ridicule your efforts… but if it’s good you surpass all of that. cuz no one wants to be the assistant saying ‘jake’s script is so embarassingly bad’ as the agent says back ‘i think it’s got huge commercial potential’).
So yeah… i’d say show it around in tiers. Show it to people you trust implicitly first (classmates… friends who’re really into cinema) and see what sticks out to them first (solicit criticism if necessary). Then integrate the notes you’ve received as you see fit. Then start showing it to the next tier of people (maybe people who aren’t best friends… maybe some coworkers who you can trade scripts with)… see how major the notes are that you get and make the improvements as you see fit. When it’s in great shape like Sam said, have your logline ready and when the opportunity presents itself mention it and see if the agent wants to read it.
Anyhow, i’m not sure if any of that helps or how much of it is specific to your particular script (for all i know you may be on draft 40 and it may be in perfect condition), but that’s how i’d go about it. Good luck.
June 1st, 2007 at 5:49 pm
I think in a round about way, J.G. is asking what it takes to get noticed. I wonder this myself. After two scripts i have an agent, but I am the low man on the totem pole. It seems that we are low priority.
I was attending Sundance this year with my students and I ran into a major production company president. (By the way John, saw you speak at the music lecture) Instead of waiting for our agent, my writing partner and I agreed to send this gentleman one of our scripts because he really liked the title when I told it to him (Butterscotch and the other is Throwing Stones). I never pushed the idea on him. He brought it up.
We sent the script to him in February and his assistant read it and enjoyed it, and then passed it along to the VP of production, who also said he enjoyed it. Our agent took over from their, and got it in the hands of the President. That was two months ago. Our agent really hasn’t followed up much and I am frustrated. Shouldn’t we send out numerous scripts to numerous production companies? Very new at this and have no clue. Should I let my agent handle it, or is he leading us on? As I wait…I continue to write…and wait.
June 1st, 2007 at 6:37 pm
If you follow the theory that there’s no such thing as a stupid question, I think you can just ask the question in a non-forceful way, eg “I’m not sure if you’re interested but here is the comedy spec I’ve just finished.”
I’m an intern, and I can tell you once I finish my latest script I will ask everyone I know if they’d like to read it. If people are insulted that I ask such a question or in some way I burn a bridge by asking the question then that’s ridiculous. Is it really that hard for them to say “No, I’m sorry I only read scripts submitted by agents” or something to that effect?
I always love the August advice, but so far I think the June advice has been below par.
June 2nd, 2007 at 2:59 pm
First of all. There is such a thing as a stupid question. In terms of it’d be stupid for you to put yourself and your internship on the line (this could lead to a day job, you know?) Anton or JG, I’d recommend asking them to read your stuff maybe after your internship has ended. It would make it an uncomfortable working environment if you push scripts on people. I took an internship once on a very popular late night talk show here in New York and a condition of working on the show was you weren’t allowed to pitch ideas. You could get fired from the internship if you pushed a joke, sketch, script, etc. Keep it professional, you can mention you’re a writer, but let them ask.
June 4th, 2007 at 8:42 am
If you are sly, you should probably be able to figure out how to get the agency’s readers to cover your script without them knowing it’s you. Getting agency coverage to see where your script stands is FAR more helpful than asking the agent — since the first thing the agent is gonna do is have it covered anyway.
Or, alternatively, just befriend the readers, offer to pay one of them their going rate, but ask them to do it off the agency books. (But still get the hardcore agency coverage.)
Every reader I’ve known is always looking for something to kick up the chain, so it benefits her/him as well.
Do NOT ask the agent. I learned the hard way that even if the agent says yes, you generally only get one shot with people, and there is a 99% chance that your script is not nearly as good as you think it is, especially since you’re in college and still learning.
(That’s not to say YOUR script doesn’t beat the percentages, just what’s likely.)
Make friends with the other interns/writers. Form a writers’ group. Make allies.
Besides, if you decide you want another internship next summer, you do NOT want to be known as “the guy who only interns for a script read,” as the agent will tell them when them call him/her for a reference.
June 4th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
The only thing I have to add is to not look at this as your one shot, and only this one shot, to get your material read. It just strikes me that you are too focused on ’show my script now or I won’t get another shot’ and not enough on building relationships. I’ve only recently begun to ‘get’ it about relationships and why they are important.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Thanks for all the comments. I found akaison’s to be right on the mark and especially helpful.
December 21st, 2007 at 9:59 am
For Dante, scratch that… for anyone worried about contacts…
People really do LOVE brilliant scripts.
They’re the best thing in the world. They’re a breath of pure oxygen to a reader in the slush, and the perfect aphrodisiac to the powers that be.
Have the best product.
Don’t have a script that can compete… have a script in your hand that will remind people why they wanted to be in film again.
Make the bicycle fly.
Do that one thing.
And then when you get over the residual terror from the 5 agents beating down your door… come back, help as many as you can… and write a blog telling the up-and-comers, “Don’t worry about it… focus on the masterpiece.”
-synthian