Screenwriter, blogger/podcaster Ashley Scott Meyers has optioned and sold dozens of spec feature film screenplays, many of which have been produced. Among these include “The Pinch,” “Ninja Apocalypse,” “Rushlights,” “Man Overboard” and the upcoming “Josh Taylor’s Prom Date.” Meyers attributes his screenwriting success to his own marketing efforts, which he teaches on his blog and podcast. I asked Ashley to answer a few questions about agents and how new screenwriters can break into the business.
What was the first script you sold? And how did you sell it?
Ashley: The first screenplay I ever sold was a script called dish dogs. It got produced in the late 90s. I sold it through an ad that I saw in the back of one of the trade publications, like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter. Back in the 1990s, production companies would sometimes post ads in the back of trades and I’ve had quite a bit of success submitting to them. In this day and age, most of that sort of thing has gone online with the various script submission services.
Agent submission, unsolicited submission, attorney submission or directly to director/producer?
Ashley: So my submission was straight to the producers. I did not have an attorney or agent at the time so I just submitted directly to them. I wouldn’t call this an unsolicited submission because they did advertise that they were looking for screenplays, but it was a cold submission, meaning I did not know anyone at the company nor did I have an agent or manager to walk it over there.
Do you outline before you write your scripts?
Ashley: Yes, I spend a lot of time doing outlines before I actually open up Final Draft and start writing the script. This can vary from project to project, but I would say it’s probably close to 50% of the time outlining and 50% of the time writing the script.
How does an unproduced writer get an agent?
Ashley: There really are countless ways that you could potentially find an agent. Direct submissions via telephone or email, being referred by a friend or colleague, networking on social media, etc. etc. I have gotten representation through cold query letters several times over the course of my career. And I know from interviewing a number of filmmakers on my podcast that this can work, as it has worked many times in the past for other people, too.
How can an unproduced writer find an agent?
Ashley: If you live in Los Angeles there are countless opportunities to meet people in person. So you could potentially get an agent that way, either meeting them at an event or perhaps meeting another writer who has representation and might be willing to recommend you to their agent. I think a professional referral like this is probably the way most people find their representation.
Is getting an agent the key to success?
Ashley: But in general I think new writers put too much emphasis on finding an agent. People have this idea that once they get an agent all they will have to do is write and their agent will handle all the selling and business stuff. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really work that way, and screenwriters must always be in control of their careers and forge new opportunities for themselves. All the screenplays that I have sold have a come as a result of my own marketing and sales efforts.
Do all good agents need to reside in the LA/Burbank/Hollywood area? Or do producers/directors shy away from agents not “in town”?
Ashley: There really is no easy answer about where an agent needs to live. But in general, I would say most agents worth their salt live in either New York City or Los Angeles. Being outside of Los Angeles, both as an agent or a writer puts you at a significant disadvantage so I can’t see ever wanting to sign with an agent that wasn’t in Los Angeles fighting in the trenches.
Do you WGA-register your scripts or copyright them or both?
Ashley: I usually do both, WGA registration and copyright through the United States Library of Congress. The WGA registration is cheap and super easy to do, and sometimes producers ask for the WGA registration number, so it’s handy to have. The Library of Congress registration takes a long time so while I always do it, it’s not something that happens quickly.
Does one have more leverage getting an agent if a producer or director says, “I like this script and would be interesting in producing/directing it?”
Ashley: Well, the short answer is “yes.” But it’s going to depend on who the producer or director is. Any screenplay that Steven Spielberg is interested in directing, the writer would have no problem getting top representation quickly and easily. However, as the budget goes down and the status of the director goes down, agents will become less and less interested. Again, I feel like new writers spend too much time thinking about how to get an agent when they really should be thinking about how to sell their script. Having a resume of quality projects will also be a big help in trying to find good representation. And this is probably much more likely than having Spielberg hand pick your screenplay out of the millions floating around Hollywood.
Same question in the case of an actor who says they like your script?
Ashley: I would say the answer is basically the same if you can get Tom Cruise attached to your project it won’t be hard for you to find representation. And as the status of the actor goes down, it will become increasingly more difficult to find a good agent who is interested.
If an unproduced writer is short on funds (most just eke out a living as bartenders, pool cleaners), can he/she afford an attorney to review an agent’s contract? Or is an agent’s WGA-contract pretty much standard?
Ashley: This is a good question and there is not an easy answer. If you are working inside the studio system and are lucky enough to option a screenplay to a big WGA signatory company, there will be enough money to pay an attorney. But what’s more likely to happen is finding a producer who would like to option your screenplay but is not a WGA signatory. This can get tricky and there often is not much money involved in these deals, especially when the option is being negotiated. What I did early on in my career when I was dealing with a lot of these modest option amounts was just do the best I could. I would read the contracts and try to negotiate everything myself. Sometimes it worked out, but sometimes it didn’t. So I’m not sure I would recommend this meth
Alex A. Kecskes is a published author of "Healer a Novel" and "The Search for Dr. Noble"—both now available on Amazon. He has written hundreds of film reviews and celebrity interviews for a wide variety of online and print outlets. He has covered red carpet premieres and Comic-Con events for major films and independent releases.
