Why producers WILL NOT READ YOUR SCRIPT – shocking case study from one exec

From Chris Jones' Blog

http://www.chrisjonesblog.com/2014/04/producers-submit-script.html

"A producer friend at a production company recently shared this email interchange with a writer. It painfully illustrates why most producers will only accept solicited submissions or via a reputable agent. Irrespective of the talent this writer may show in the future, this bridge is burned.

Read the rest

Hilarious. I'm surprised the producer even read it, must be a really really nice guy.

I don't want to believe people like this exist.

Very entertaining read. I'm surprised that the producer even gave him the time of day to start with, as this guy seemed unprofessional from the first exchange...

Ouch. Probably why I can't get an agent to read anything of mine either. LOL.

One can't help but write things that are derivative of other things... that's just a producer's way of saying they aren't interested in this particular concept.

Lots of grammar errors in the writer's emails made me think that his scripts are not going to be very good. Plus, he's a writer director, and most of them just can't write. They should stick to directing.

Yeah, that exec had WAY more patience with the writer than I would have.  Kudos to him for taking the high road, and it's good to know that there are execs out there who actually will give you the time of day, but if it had been me, I'd have told the pretentious writer/director to go blow himself.

I don't think the writer understood what the producer meant by derivative. He took it to mean plagiarized. The producer was pretty generous with his time, too.

Has anybody else recognized the writer starts almost every sentence with "I"?

It "appears" confident and direct... on the other side she /he appears very emotionally pushing and kind of difficult, so same time unconfident in that whole context by going that way.

I guess it was over after the first mail.

Good point Prussian. People, especially artists and writers, who come across that overly confident almost never have the goods to back it up.

Quoted from mmmarnie Good point Prussian. People, especially artists and writers, who come across that overly confident almost never have the goods to back it up.

Isn't that the truth, Marnie?

I also find the converse is true.

Many of the very best writers I know are constantly riddled with doubts about their work.

Quoted from bert Many of the very best writers I know are constantly riddled with doubts about their work.

If that's the case, I must be the greatest writer on the planet.  

I was like this writer at one time. I'd like to think I've changed.

It basically stemmed from my pride telling me that because I overcame a reading disability, that everything I wrote must blow the reader out of the water or it’s somehow something THEY are missing.

Everything changed in my eyes when I realized my opinions as a writer can be very flawed.

And my work isn’t always that good.

Shawn…..><

Wow. It's sad to see someone reduced to that kind of pettiness.

I love the way the writer demands names of films with similarities to his script when he himself gave one of those "popular movie meets some other popular movie" pitches.

Quoted from Demento I don't want to believe people like this exist.

They're best avoided. You find them everywhere, sadly.

Quoted from PM Has anybody else recognized the writer starts almost every sentence with "I"?

And this is how ye shall know them.

It's not about you. Or her. Or them. Or the other ones either It's all about me. Have I told you about me?

I've been here. And there. I've done that. I've driven them. I did that. Oh yeah, I've met her. And him. I think this. And that. But no, not that. Have I told you about me?

R

Quoted from rendevous I've been here. And there. I've done that. I've driven them. I did that. Oh yeah, I've met her. And him. I think this. And that. But no, not that. Have I told you about me? R

That sounds like the start of a great song, bro.

Shawn.....><

Quoted from Breanne Mattson I love the way the writer demands names of films with similarities to his script when he himself gave one of those "popular movie meets some other popular movie" pitches.

Actually, to be fair, that's typically the way producers pitch projects to potential investors.

-J.S.

Quoted from J.S. Actually, to be fair, that's typically the way producers pitch projects to potential investors.

That's not really what I was referring to. I was pointing out the inconsistency of naming movies similar to yours then challenging someone else to do the same as though it's impossible.

Quoted from Breanne Mattson That's not really what I was referring to. I was pointing out the inconsistency of naming movies similar to yours then challenging someone else to do the same as though it's impossible.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, "popular movie meets other popular movie" and "naming movies similar to yours" are not the same thing.

But, still, the writer is clearly off their rocker.

-J.S.

Quoted from J.S. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, "popular movie meets other popular movie" and "naming movies similar to yours" are not the same thing.

When someone uses an existing film to describe their script, yes they're saying their story has at least some kind of similarity to it. Similarities may be slight, but that is what they're saying. They're mentioning that movie precisely because they see some kind of similarity.

The film Open Water was described as Jaws meets The Blair Witch Project. It certainly has similarities to both of those films. Saying a script has similarities to a film isn't the same thing as saying the story is exactly like that film. Nor is it the same thing as saying the script lacks originality.

The writer in the article challenged the producer to name films that had any similarity whatsoever to his script, whether in themes, concepts, anything in any scenes, anything at all. It's inconceivable that there wouldn't be even the slightest similarity to the movies he named in his "this meets that" pitch.

I'm surprised I have to explain this. I looked up some of your past posts and you strike me as someone who likes to debate. I doubt there's anything I can say to sway you. We'll just have to disagree on this one.

Quoted from Breanne Mattson When someone uses an existing film to describe their script, yes they're saying their story has at least some kind of similarity to it. Similarities may be slight, but that is what they're saying. They're mentioning that movie precisely because they see some kind of similarity. The film Open Water was described as Jaws meets The Blair Witch Project. It certainly has similarities to both of those films. Saying a script has similarities to a film isn't the same thing as saying the story is exactly like that film. Nor is it the same thing as saying the script lacks originality. The writer in the article challenged the producer to name films that had any similarity whatsoever to his script, whether in themes, concepts, anything in any scenes, anything at all. It's inconceivable that there wouldn't be even the slightest similarity to the movies he named in his "this meets that" pitch. I'm surprised I have to explain this. I looked up some of your past posts and you strike me as someone who likes to debate. I doubt there's anything I can say to sway you. We'll just have to disagree on this one.

Well, yeah, when you take things out of context, a bird is a mammal.

-J.S.

Jees,

Will you two just get a room?

R