Screenwriting for The Independent Film Market

Screenwriters on the whole are an artistic lot which is why they have chosen to write screenplays. However, some seem to forget who or what they are writing for. The reality is very, very few script writers will be able to reach Hollywood Studios to showcase their work. Only a hand full of agents deal with the studios and it is impossible for a writer to send an unsolicited inquiry without it being returned unread.

Accepting the above is true then the average screenwriter is left for writing for the independent film market. Realistically the average independent filmmaker doesn’t have access to anywhere near the sort of funding the studios have. Often the independent filmmaker relies on government money and other tax incentives to get his film made. So the average producer will have something like 5 million USD to make a similar film a studio would throw 30 million USD at.

The screenwriter needs to be aware of this and there would seem little point in writing an epic period piece with oodles of special effects.  The writer will have more chance in getting his work accepted if he gives some consideration to the eventual cost of the finished production and write his script accordingly. The longer the film is, the more it costs and for screenplay purposes it is better to have a cut off at around 90 minutes to 120 minutes. Longer films than this can be very costly. Unless you have commissioned work avoid period pieces as even a film based 20 years in the past will be costly to produce. Imagine the continuity problems of a film set 20 years ago . The clothes we wore were of the fashion of the time. The cars were different and certain technologies we have now did not exist 20 years back. The further you go back in history the more difficult the problems become.

To be assured of success in a very competitive world of screenwriting keep it simple and compelling, avoid stunts, fancy camera work and keep it contemporary. Unless very prevalent to the script avoid lots of fancy and exotic locations. Some filmmakers in the past have written scripts to be filmed specifically in the desert to avoid location fees and dealing with local authorities.  

I am not suggesting we should all be writing desert scenes but just be mindful of the costs involved in producing your favourite screenplay.