[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: Is it a bad idea for a new screenwriter who has just finished a screenplay to immediately send it out to an agent or manager?
Steve Douglas-Craig, Owner/Teacher at The New Screenwriter, Financier, Screenwriter and Producer: Absolutely. There’s some advice that I like to give in this area because I do get this question a lot of I’ve got a screenplay, what do I do with it now?
First of all, you want to have a couple of trusted people who know how to read a screenplay and give notes. You should never send the first draft of anything out. Even seasoned screenwriters don’t do that. They have their managers go over their material and give notes, give suggestions. If you’re at a point where you have had someone give a lot of notes and you’ve done rewrites, you’ll hear Screenwriting Is Rewriting. I’m sure you hear that all the time. I’ve heard it a lot in my career because it’s the truth.
Being able to send your work out into the world is essential because it’s a collaborative medium. You write a screenplay because it’s supposed to become a film or a TV show or whatever it is. Having someone that you trust, for instance I have a couple of people I went to the AFI [American Film Institute] with who are in the industry, who always read my work and give tremendous notes and I do the same. I don’t send it out to 10 people because you’re setting yourself up for hell. You want a couple of trusted people that…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
About:
After graduating from the AFI, Steve Douglas-Craig was recruited by Sony Pictures Entertainment to work as a Story Editor & Acquisitions Executive for the Worldwide Acquisitions team in Los Angeles where he received an induction into story & business development, feature film packaging, domestic & international distribution, theatrical marketing & product acquisition. He helped develop & shepherd film titles including Terminator: Salvation, The Book of Eli, Django Unchained, War Room, Don’t Breathe (Sequel current in post-production), the Insidious horror movie franchise, Manchester By The Sea, The Grudge (reboot), Searching, Arrival, Whiplash, The Call, Attack The Block & many others (including TV releases – The Tudors, House of Cards). Steve’s tenure at Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions was followed with a promotion to Senior Story Editor & Creative Executive at Screen Gems where he was involved in the development & release of theatrical titles like the recent releases of Monster Hunter & the adaptation of James Herbert’s novel – The Unholy. Before that he helped shepherd Black & Blue, The Intruder, Possession of Hannah Grace, Brightburn, & Slender Man. He was also heavily involved in developing content strategies that attracted financiers & talent to specific projects for the studio. Steve is also a professional screenwriter having worked as a freelance staff writer for the hit CBS TV series Hawaii Five-O over a number of seasons & currently has a pilot & several feature films (including a creature feature) going out through his literary managers in Los Angeles.
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