Selling film ideas to production companies

Most people think they have a great idea for a Hollywood movie. It is not easy transferring your idea from your head onto paper in such a way as to present it to film makers. Selling your idea is the biggest challenge you will face. Read on to find out how it all works.

Entertainment media sales jobs are in a cut-throat industry, so you need to be confident of your idea and stick to it.

You need to follow these steps to get your movie idea sold:

Conceptualising

Your story idea needs to be based on a catchy focus point. Just like a song has a catchy hook which the rest of the song is based on, so too does a film rely on a hook idea. Get your story idea down to its core by writing the basic idea of the story into a single paragraph.

Researching

Researching the market is vital. You can get a feel for the market by reading up on films currently in the pipeline. List the genres favoured by the various production companies. Try to determine whether your idea works in the current market.

Write your pitch

Show how the story will unfold by expanding on the beginning, middle and end acts of your film. Your idea can be understood better with this detailed synopsis. Keep it between 3 and 7 pages. It should be interesting enough to prompt the reader to read the whole thing.

Submit It

Find out who you should send your idea to by ringing up the development executives from production companies. You can also try to get an idea of what type of films they are interested in, even if your's is not the right fit, as this will help you in the future.

You can also use online industry scouting services like the TV/Film Rights Marketplace www.tvfilmrights.com as an additional place to pitch your movie idea. Remember to always keep an electronic record of materials submitted to companies by email, fax, or certified mail.

The Live Pitch

If a production company accepts your submission of your movie idea, you will should receive a call to arrange a discussion about your movie idea. Be ready to talk about every aspect of your story, but keep your focus on the core concept and unique hook. The most important thing is to make a good connection and have a creative discussion.

A Company Bites

Should a company want to make an offer, get a lawyer to help you negotiate a deal.