Maybe this question has an aditional difficulty: I’m from -and live in- Mexico. I have hundreds of movie plots ideas (ok, I’m exaggerating). But I swear most of them are very original enough to make blockbusters or cult films. Excuse my lack of modesty but if I don’t use it I would never get a chance.
Can someone tell me the steps I have to take? (supposing that initially is hard for me to go to USA)
Well I think movie plots by themselves are not going to get you far. You’ll probably need a screenplay.
Not sure about how to get past that stage, unfortunately. You could mail it to movie studios, but that seems a long shot. There are some websites where you can put your screenplay, though. TriggerStreet.com is one good community where people review each other’s screenplays.
Note that I have no experience with Hollywood whatsoever. I literally live on the opposite side of the planet to Hollywood.
Plot ideas are a dime a gross. You need to actually write a script.
And that’s the easy part.
To sell a script to Hollywood, you first need to move to Hollywood. Breaking in requires a lot of schmoozing and making friends with the right people; you can’t do that from out of town. You need to find a way to get to know those who know those in authority in the studios.
You also need to get an agent with experience selling scripts. This also requires a lot of schmoozing – few legitimate Hollywood agents are looking for scripts coming over the transom. If you meet an agent and make friends with him, and get to the point of suggesting he might want to read your script (and I suspect most agents are very wary of people who pretend to be friends for fear they will suddenly whip out a script and ask them to read it), you might get an in.
Another way is to become friends with scriptwriters for TV shows. They may suggest you for a staff writing job, which gives you the contacts you need to sell your script.
Now, if you think this is next to impossible (and it is), you can consider finding an independent film producer, or even producing the film yourself (Robert Rodriguez made his first film, El Mariachi for $7500; Kevin Smith made Clerks for $27,000).
The writers of “Pirates of the Caribbean” (who also wrote “Shrek”) have a website all about screenwriting, screenplays, advice, etc. I think you’d like it. Here is the link: http://www.wordplayer.com/
In fact, I mean movie plots/ideas but what I pretend is materialize them in screenplays (I just didn’t express it well). But the real problem for me is what are the chances to get them know my work without a risk of being stolen.
I’ll try some of your advicements. In fact, I’m producing an indie film. Its name is SoD: Suspension of Disbelief, I promise I’ll give you the link to my site when its finished. By the way, where are the “talent searchers”? Does the internet help us to be at their reach?
I heard you should film a scene of the screenplay you are coming up with and send that instead of the actual screenplay. If they like what they see, they will contact you.
Ok here is a short way to try without having to move- Write it as a short story or book first.
or
Have it made in France (Hollywood is such a copycat)
or
Get a crazy, yet halfway respectable person to read the book and love it. (try Susan Sarandon/Tim Robbins or Salma Hayek-thats the ticket)
or
Invent a new religion based from the indiginous tribes of the americas and get Thalia to convert. Then cause a scandal involving money, sex and retreat to your mountain home and vow to never come out again- except…
When you start making the most outlandish claims of stardom and renown in your country- Get a PR company- have them throw parties and invite only one star from the most famulous novella or invite all but one- make sure that you exclude the second billed person so as to drive them more jealous!!
Convert more producers/starlets/major boy groups into your religion- do not waste your time on the common people!! This new “cult” is the most expensive and exclusive to join-
Get someone who considers themselves “International” to learn more about your cult and ahem, your movie idea. Right now I cant think of anyone but JACKIE CHAN!!! or maybe Eddie Murphy because he really needs help.
And there you go…how to make a hollywood movie without really spending your money and using others all the way to the bank!
SHHHHHH!
Grousser,
If you ever want to make a writer avoid you for life, just repeat the following sentence to him:
“I’ve got a million neat ideas. If you’ll just write them up, we can sell it to Hollywood and split the money 50-50, whaddya say?”
See, the writer has enough mind-blowing ideas of his own that he really doesn’t want yours. Having a mind-blowing idea is easy; a 300-page treatment that makes the mind-blowing idea make sense in the context of a story structure, complete with realistic dialogue, interesting characters, and a cheesy hook that’ll get some agent-producer-director’s attention–that’s the hard part.
Write it yourself. If you ever meet someone even vaguely connected with a studio, instead of repelling them with the “I’ve got a million ideas” routine, you can say “I have a screenplay.” That’s different. Looking at screenplays is their job. It can be flawed; no script is so perfect that some committee won’t make a truckload of unnecessary changes to it anyway, and if your killer idea is as good as you say, that alone might seal the deal.
Write the screenplay. Do it yourself. There are all manner of screenwriting software packages out there (I recommend Final Draft). Even if no one else ever reads it, you’ll have some idea of what you’re asking another writer to do next time you make the “I’ve got a million ideas” pitch.