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Position:Home>Arts & Humanities> The producer from "Pirates" sent mail back saying I can not send him m


Question:

The producer from "Pirates" sent mail back saying I can not send him my pitch bc it might lead to plagarism?

jerry bruckheimer
So, what should I do now????? (And you better have a real answer! If someone says Idk to just get points or anything, i will seriousley go crazy on you!) it has nothing to do with pirates! its my own story. just i am pitching it to jerry b. who is the producer of pirates!


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Here are your options, and they all necessitate that you've completed writing the screenplay. Loose ideas are useless and ultimately unprotectable. If you have a completed screenplay, you can register it with the WGA or the Library of Congress and have some measure of protection from it. Also, it's important that your script is completely original and doesn't use characters from an existing franchise. Producers will definitely not listen to the pitch unsolicited. So if your pitch was going to be a story idea, say for POTC 4 (or any other existing franchise, I recommend that you change the characters and rework the story to one that does not require the backstory of the first three movies.

1) Keep plugging away, and query other producers to read your script. Most of the larger players will not accept unsolicited scripts from unrepresented writers, but some of the smaller ones might if it's within their budget range. Get a copy of HOLLYWOOD CREATIVE DIRECTORY and find companies that might be a good match for your script. Odds are there are more out there than just Bruckheimer films.

2) If you live in L.A. or can make your way there, consider attending a pitchfest. This is sort of like speed-dating for screenwriters. Writers pay a fee (and the price structure is different for each event) and they are given a short amount of time to pitch their stories one-to-one to development executives at the event. This is still a longshot, because after a day full of listening to bad pitches, sometimes execs will just stop listening and stare blankly at you while you pitch. But at least you are guaranteed five minutes of their time, minimally. The Great American Pitchfest was just last weekend. Creative Screenwriting and Script Magazine co-sponsor a pitchfest at the Screenwriting Expo in October. Sherwood Oaks Experimental College runs one from time to time, as well as other smaller organizations in L.A. And there may be other pitchfests in other cities. Google "pitchfest" to find out if there is one coming up near you.

3) Enter your screenplay into a contest. There are quite a few out there, one of the best being the Don and Gee Nicholls Fellowship for Screenwriting, run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. If youre one of the five finishers in this competition, not only do you get a nice cash prize, but your script gets read by all the major decision makers in Hollywood with the recommendation of being a Nicholls Fellow. The Disney Fellowship is another good program, and there are many others. But do your research. Just as there are many good contests that will give a winning writer money and help them further their career, there are many more that are set up just to make money for the organizers of the contest and do little to further your career.

4) Arrange a staged reading of your script. This is where you have a small cast of actors. One reads the scene directions from the script, while the other actors, in one or more roles, perform the dialogue and may even mime out the actions. Im trying to think of the main theater group in L.A. that does these, but I'm currently drawing a blank. I'll add it if it comes to me, but you can also arrange one yourself. Rent a space, get some actors, and invite producers to see it. Having a staged reading is also a good way to visualize your script, get feedback, and see what needs to be reworked in your script.

5) Make the movie yourself. Depending on how complicated and expensive the idea is, you may just want to find some independent investors and try to make it yourself, then show it on the film festival circuit. Or even if it's too expensive or complex to make in its entirety, you can still shoot one scene or a faux trailer, which you can use as a demo reel to show the potential of your film in future pitches. All it takes is a camera and some editing software and some know-how.

Good luck to you!