How can you get your story read?

Here's a little bit of information you can use to maybe try to get your story out. It's almost impossible. Maybe impossible.

There's a site called Virtual  Pitchfast, it opened I think almost two years or so. Here's where they make money and you lose it. Maybe. I tried it out last year and spent a few dollars, $15 a script to get your script read.

The first thing is that there's three people in the "film industry" who say how wonderful this is to people who get real people reading your script. I got WGA rates and so I spent a bunch of money to see.

I tried to get 141 (or so) people to read my scripts. Each at $15.

It's pretty much against you (or me) because of a few single thing. Whomever will read it will be either a good reader or a bad reader. This works because you pay $15. This goes not to the reader but to Virtual Pitchfest or maybe a percentage going to the potential customer.

Here's the problem, and you may have read it in the last months.

As you remember that someone has to read your script. It can be a studio reader, or a kid reading for someone who pays him $10. Or $20. Or studios where it can be read for $100.

And the big wall is this:

You are sending a script to someone you don't know and they don't know either. Remember a few blogs back, I mentioned how important readers can be. And remember if you do send a script to a read (who is either of those above) they might not like you at all.

How about that couple at Spielberg's office back a few blogs. They liked the script but didn't like me.

So what do you do?

Well, you can take your chances or remember I sent 141 scripts over 2 years. A lot of them were good. But you don't know who your reader will be, or a guy in a small office off Wilshire.

I think this; to get a good reading you need a good reader. There are some of them, but they don't know you.

Remember when I met the secretary who took me to a major studio person who greeted me with "Mr. Emperor of Mars". That's the kind of contact you get.

So.

Should you do this? Spend $15 to see if the person you hope will see how wonderful your script was.  Here's an example of  one script that is liked.

BEACON

Logline: A mysterious DJ delivers his all-night show from a lonely truck stop diner as a runaway teen joins truckers and dreamers for one night of discovery.

FUND (Foundation to Underwrite New Drama)
"With great sensitivity the writer weaves this group of characters together, drawing us into their desires and dreams, creating a powerful picture of fragmented love in the transient modern world the large cast of key players all all distinct, keeping this conversant narrative very compelling. The writer's keen sense of detail and subtle action makes the small human drama rich in scope."

Sundance Institute
"This piece offers a lot of interesting and potentially compelling characters and situations. There is a great potential in this script-bas the potential to be a study in Americana that is somewhere between Robert Altman and Horton Foote and George Lucas."


Ontario Arts Council
"The dialog is absolutely enchanting due to the author's fine ear for natural rhythm and the region. The large cast of key players are all distinct, keeping this very conversant narrative very compelling . The writer has handled the characters dialog and the evocative themes with skill and sensitivity."


 
Okay, here's the kind of stuff that I write when I'm good. There are 4 people who had wanted to make it. So why not? I've got five more companies  just as good and with companies but eventually they couldn't find money. It was so close I was going to direct it.

Money, money, money.

If I were able to get all my movies financed I would be the happiest writer in the world.