My first simple tip would be to maximise your portfolio. In other words, write stuff that is achievable and that people actually want. This is because …

• Too many spec scripts are written FOR their own writers (not an actual target audience)
• Worse, too many specs are not possible to make at low budgets
• Too few screenwriters even know what ‘low budget’ means, ie. ££$$ range

Research is the key in finding out what the industry wants, plus what is possible for what money. This doesn’t mean you are ‘selling out’, just SELLING. It’s what professional writers DO. More on maximising your portfolio, HERE.

By the way, if you don’t have an agent, this is not necessarily an issue. Lots of people say it’s a ‘Catch 22!’ and you have to have an agent to get work. If this was ever true, it’s definitely not now. More info on how to get produced without an agent, HERE.

Lastly, if you DO want an agent? That’s okay too, CLICK HERE. Just know agents are hard to attract as a screenwriter without 2 or 3 on this list. More, next.

2) Create An Online Platform And/Or Following

NEWSFLASH: Agents, producers, filmmakers and other writers Google people. This means how we appear online is very important. Make sure you have a good online presence. I can’t stress this enough.

Google your own name, right now.  What appears in auto-complete? Here’s mine, at time of writing: 

Now look what appears in your text results. Again, here’s mine:

And here’s my image results:

It’s Not Accidental

None of what appears in my search results is accidental. Look at the keywords. I have cultivated these results, for a long time.

But what’s more, it’s not difficult. You can do the same, simply by adding to content online. Consider the below, when thinking about your results. 

• If you do not appear at all (or very, very low down the search results). This is bad news.  When relationships are everything in the media, a quick Google check is common sense. If people cannot find you at all, they may not want to work with you.
• If you DO appear, ask yourself a) Is it good? b) Neutral? c) bad? Good results are the ideal and relate to writing and filmmaking stuff. Neutral may be your day job, or unrelated good stuff like appearing in the local paper because your kid won something. Bad is (usually) you writing lengthy diatribes online or trolling others, especially in the industry. Massive own goal.

The good news is, your current ‘Googlability’ is not the way it must be forever. You CAN ensure your search results come back MUCH better in the future. Start today! A great online platform is a must in 2019. At the very least you should have a good website or Linkedin profile. 

Remember too, social media can help us or sink us!! That’s why I created the B2W course, Online Confidential. Sign up today for a guided course on how to create your own online platform. 

3) Create Some Buzz For Yourself

i) Make Short Films

Even after 15 years in the script reading trenches, I believe the simplest way of creating buzz is STILL making a short film. The good news is, advances in tech means this is more achievable than ever. It’s possible to create high quality shorts and documentaries at very low budgets on iPhones, even.

Creating buzz with shorts can mean different things. Obviously, winning awards and commendations at high profile film festivals is great. If you can do this, all power to you. But films festival submissions can be very expensive, plus there’s no guarantees you will win or place. So maybe you want to create buzz another way. Here are a few I have seen Bang2writers do:

• Work with charities, so they can access that charity’s audience (especially online).
• Taking part in 48 Hour Film Challenges and other initiative.
• Create your own short film showcases in pubs, village halls, online, etc and invite people you want to work with.
• Research and get commissioned by organisations to make your film, like The Exeter Phoenix’s. (Which B2W advises on, by the way). These commissions often lead to official showcases.
• Create a short with a learning objective, taking it into schools and orgs for talks and workshops.
• Making the film available online, with teachers’ resources as a free download so it’s distributed into classrooms by the teachers themselves.

This is not an exhaustive list. There’s ALWAYS ways to get your work out there, if you want to make a short film.

ii) Enter Screenwriting Competitions

That said, making films is not possible for everyone. There are lots of Bang2writers with responsibilities or challenges that mean making shorts is too much of a gargantuan task. Then there’s the writers who simply don’t want to! 

If you are one of these writers then, entering screenwriting competitions may present a viable strategy. The bigger ones include Final Draft Big Break, The Nicholl Fellowship, Bluecat, Scriptapolooza, Shore Scripts and The PAGE Awards. If you can win or place highly in 4-5 screenwriting contests in the same year, this can be one way of getting agents’ and filmmakers’ attention. Bang2writer KT Parker writes about this in more detail, HERE.

Lastly, I am fan of the book Screenplay Competitions: Tools and Insights to Help You Choose the Best Screenwriting Contests for You and Your Script by Ann Marie Williams. You can buy it, HERE.