Q&A for How to Sell Your Screenplay to Hollywood

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Can the writer of a screenplay also star or co-star in the movie?

Community Answer

Yes, plenty of writers and directors appear in their own works.

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Question

Can I send my screenplay to Hollywood online?

Community Answer

Yes. Start by saving your screenplay as a PDF (to make it easier to view regardless of who you send it to). Then, go online, start collecting some websites or email addresses that accept screenplay submissions, and begin sending out your screenplay!

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Question

Is there a certain age that I have to be to submit a screenplay?

Community Answer

Generally, no, though you will have to be 18 to sign a contract to sell your script, or have an adult available to sign on your behalf.

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Will producers need the writer of the screenplay to be present while filming?

Community Answer

It would be a great help to guide them on how you want the movie to be setup, but you will find that all directors and producers are different, and may not want you there.

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Can I be the director of the screenplay I've written?

Community Answer

Possibly so, but you'll probably have to be 18 to do so, unless a you have a parent on your behalf. You could also have someone else direct for you, someone with experience.

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Can I audition as an actor for a screenplay I've written?

Community Answer

Of course! You can write roles for certain actors or specific people, including yourself.

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Question

Where would I go to enlist in a screenplay contest?

Community Answer

It depends on the contest. Screenplay contests will have websites, e-mails, or even physical places to send your script. Check the website for the specific contest for the most accurate instructions on how to enlist in the contest.

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Question

How can I sell a different and unbelievable story if I am an Indian writer?

Community Answer

Be better than everyone else, work harder and make your voice impossible to ignore.

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Question

Would it be advisable to get a degree in screenwriting or are online self-study courses just as useful?

Community Answer

The degree in screenwriting looks better on a resume. However, it isn't essential.

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How do I sell a screenplay to Bollywood?

Community Answer

Contact producers with your screenplay.

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Where and how can I protect my writing? Amazon is providing a service to just upload some video material as pitch, where do I protect that?

Community Answer

In order to protect your writing, do the following: if you're using a Mac, make sure everything's typed out and then press Option + G, which will give you the Copyright symbol. If you're using Windows, the process is almost the same, except, instead of putting the Copyright symbol in using a shortcut, you do the following: first, open Word or any word processor that you may be using. Press the Shift button and then press the number 9 to get the left parentheses. Now press Caps Lock and type C. After doing that, press Shift + 0 to get the right side of the parentheses. When combined, you should have a symbol that looks like this: ©. After doing that, you may put "All rights reserved".

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Question

I have a short story that's only about 20 pages long. Could this be a basis for a screenplay?

Community Answer

Yes, but it would become a pretty short production, so I would recommend lengthening either the original story or the screenplay.

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Question

Can I make a screenplay out of a book that someone else wrote? If I can, how would I do that?

Community Answer

You can, however, if you want to sell or make any money off this script, you would need to contact the author or owner of the book and procure permission.

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Question

I have some ideas for a Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham screenplay that DreamWorks could produce since they've never done it before. How and where can I submit my screenplay to them?

Community Answer

The reason that major companies are making Dr. Seuss movies in the first place is that the people who own the copyright to Dr. Seuss's books are getting paid millions of dollars so that the companies can make the movies. If Dreamworks isn't making any Dr. Seuss movies it's because they don't want to pay all that money. You could try Illumination, though considering the 6-year gap between The Lorax and The Grinch, it might be a while before they try again (they did make a lot of money from both, so they might take it).

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Question

Would it be legal if I were to create a document explaining what they can and can't do with my screenplay if they decide to take it?

Quinn Tanner

Community Answer

Likely, yes. But not like how you say it is. Sometimes when adaptations are made, things will be changed due to it being too expensive, irrelevant to the plot, or didn't seem like it was important, if you demand that somethings cannot be removed or changed then your chances of it being adapted aren't likely.

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