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The Screenwriter in Cyberspace
By Charles Deemer

Mr. Deemer is an award-winning playwright, a screenwriter, an editor and writer. He is the webmaster of The Screenwriters & Playwrights Home Page and author of the book Secrets of the Webmaster: A Guide to Web Page Design. For more information on Mr. Deemer and his work, please click here. This column is a guide to using the Internet to a writer's advantage in matters of craft and marketing.

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Column #16: Success in Cyberspace

Have no doubt about it: successful networking can be as important as talent in establishing a screenwriting career (see networking area of my screenwriters' site). This has been one of the revolutionary potentials of the Internet: to make networking from afar easier for those of us who do not live in Los Angeles. How well is this potential being realized?

Getting work via the net

To find out, I sent out a net-query for "success stories in cyberspace," hoping to hear from writers who are proving that networking from afar is a reality. Although my email box wasn't flooded with replies, I did hear from enough people to make the case that the situation for distant writers is much better than it used to be.

"My first freelance writing job came as a direct result of meeting someone on the AOL Writer's Club boards," writes Genia. "It led to my first staff job. This same guy referred me for my latest freelance job. I've also met a couple of people on AOL who are working professionals in the TV business, and I'm building relationships with them."

Building relationships is precisely what "networking" is about, of course. And for all its recent problems (and despite my personal dislike of its corporate posture), AOL does have an active screenwriting faction that many writers are using to advantage.

"Because I use AOL," writes Brian, "I'm a regular visitor of a particular chat room filled with many "Hollywood" types. I've submitted to them, and I'm currently in discussion with one producer at Paramount and may do a rewrite for him on a different script I didn't write but have a strong background in."

Online script-seekers at AOL, however, have not always had the best reputation, generating discussion whether or not writers should respond to them or not. Jeffrey took a chance.

Selling options online

"Early in '95," writes Jeffrey, "I was reading some posts on America Online when a folder appeared from a producer requesting material. Naturally, everyone online was more than hesitant because of the reputation online script seekers had at A.O.L., but I decided what the hell.

"The request was from Paul Kaufman of The Kaufman Co. and Kaufman & Kaufman, an L.A. based producer who's worked mostly in television (Tori Spelling MOV) and who was branching out onto the big screen with his first feature Lover's Knot starring Bill Campbell, Jennifer Grey and Tim Curry. I didn't e-mail him, but decided to write the standard query letter for my script HIGH NOONISH.

"A few weeks later I received a phone call from his development director who said send it in. Four months later we signed an option. We've spent the past year and a half developing the script and finally in late January of this year arrived at a polished draft. The script is now being looked at by Touchstone and a few actors' agencies."

Other writers have sold options online as well, following leads found at the newsgroup misc.writing.screenplays.

"Almost two years ago," writes Cyd, "I answered a request for submissions over the internet that was originally posted to the misc.writing.screenplay forum, I think (it's been so long, I don't even remember the forum's name). The producer was up in Canada. I mailed the script for Pleasure Pyramid up there and forgot about it. Months later I get a phone call from the producer in Toronto, asking if the script was still available. He optioned Pleasure Pyramid and mailed me a decent option payment."

Others made connections that led to options via the Screenwriters List.

Tracie writes, "All three options on Space Cadets were due to contacts I made on the Scrnwrit List. ... Finally, just before Christmas, I got an email from someone I'd met two years ago on Scrnwrit, who'd also read Space Cadets and now asked if the option was available on it. After a few minor negotiations we signed a deal last month..."

"Other contacts I made online," Tracie adds, "led to meetings with Morgan Creek and Touchstone Pictures. And of course, I found out about contests online, and the two contest placements I had generated their own leads and contacts."

The exception or the rule?

How typical are these cyberspace success stories? Industry professionals who now use cyberspace to generate business are optimistic, which no doubt is what keeps them doing business online in the first place.

"While Cyberspace won't change Hollywood overnight, it should help bring together writers and hungry producers," says Rob Eberhart of Screenwriters Connection, a site that (for a fee) strives to make such connections. "With websites such as ours, writers no longer need to be in L.A. to pitch their scripts. Moreover, they no longer need to submit through an agent (another person who can say "no") to get to a buyer who can say "yes."

"Is this reality or theory? Based on our experience at Screenwriters Connection, we'd say it's quickly becoming reality. In the several weeks since we premiered our website, producers have requested dozens of scripts. The reality of selling scripts in Cyberspace is upon us!"

Carlos de Abreau of The Hollywood Network (where you are right now) agrees, citing success stories that have happened at his site.

"From the scripts that writers posted in our logline and pitch rooms, we were told that 17 had been optioned," Carlos notes. "Also our second place winner for the Opus Magnum Book Discovery Awards submitted his book because he saw us on the Internet. In addition one of our Discovery of the Month winners and finalist in our Columbus Discovery Awards found us through the Internet and she was able to attach international film star Franco Nero to her project.

"We receive emails from writers thanking us for the fact that producers have been requesting their screenplays."

But Carlos adds a cautionary comment about marketing in cyberspace:

"I have been informed by major studios and major production houses that they do not look favorably on writers who try to email and/or fax and/or send them their log lines/treatments and/or scripts unsolicited. They actually send those writers major legal disclaimers, destroy their scripts and ask them to not even think about doing it again."

"According to our available data," Carlos concludes, "I continue to believe that there are deals to be made online; however, they will be done between independent producers and writers at large. In Hollywood the film industry still relies on the established channels (agents, etc.)."

Developing an online strategy

These success stories, despite having more to do with independent producers than major studios, should encourage screenwriters to develop a marketing strategy in cyberspace. For guidelines, see the marketing area of my website for tips and shared experiences from other writers.

I've had some success in cyberspace, too, selling one option via an Internet connection and getting many readings from email queries. I'm convinced the online marketplace will grow and become more important to screenwriters at large. And eventually, perhaps, even the major players will see the advantage of being active online.

--Charles Deemer



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Originally appeared at the Hollywood Network.