If you have family or friend connections with producers, agents, and managers, that’s ideal for opening doors to showcase your synopsis or script. Likewise, if you go to a film industry conference and can make a pitch to an industry professional that can start the connection process. But if you don’t have such personal or professional connections, the query letter is the way to go. You may also need a query letter to follow-up after you make an initial contact through a referral or from a phone or face-to-face meeting.
The basic rule for writing this letter is that you want to keep it short and to the point, as well as point up any special credentials you have as a writer, such as being already produced, obtaining some financing, or having a name actor already interested in participating. Think of this query letter as a marketing letter, in which you want to quickly and powerfully get across your message, so the recipient wants to positively respond to you.
When you send this letter, don’t include any attachment, such as for your synopsis or script, and don’t include any graphics or photos, because recipients commonly will not open such emails, due to fears of Internet viruses, trojans, and other malware. Another reason for not sending a detailed synopsis or script is for your own protection, since you don’t want to reveal details about your script, until you have established a paper trail through an email response. This way you can show that you have sent a synopsis or script to a particular person. Then, too, by not including this detailed information, the recipient also feels the protection of knowing this material is only being submitted upon request and is not being made available to a large number of people who have gotten your pitch. Though you can include links to a synopsis, treatment, or script on a website without arousing the concerns due to sending an attachment, it is best not to do so, unless this is a private password protected link, in order to protect your copyrighted material and show the recipient that you are doing this.
There are various formats for writing these letters. One common one is to specifically indicate each topic included in your letter – most notably the following:
– a Logline,
– Genre description,
– Short Synopsis, describing the story, major plot points, and main characters,
– Appeal of the Film,
– Author’s Bio, including any special credentials in the industry.
Another approach is to use these topics as a guide to writing the letter, which is the approach I have used both in pitching films and books.
In either case, begin with a compelling subject line in which you sum up the genre and essential story of the film in about 10-15 words and note any special credentials that will make the recipient want to read your query, such as: “written by a multi-produced writer,” “based on a true story in the news,” or “with a budget to hire a writer.”
Then, after you include the major topics noted above, conclude with an invitation for the recipient to ask for a synopsis or complete script, and end with your contact information, including a phone number, email, address (or minimally your city and state), and any website.
As noted in a previous article, don’t go into too much detail about the plot or be very vague and cryptic about what the story is about. You want to find that middle ground between telling too much or not enough, so you provide the gist of the story and make the recipient feel compelled to ask for more.
Another caution when you write your bio. Primarily highlight your credentials that relate to the film industry, such as if you have been a produced writer, written and directed any award winning short films, graduated from a recognized film school, or won some prestigious competitions for screenwriting. Avoid listing all kinds of non-relevant or early experiences, such as where you graduated from college or your jobs in other fields, unless they are the setting for your script.
And don’t say things like “the members of my family loved my script” or that “this is my first script” or “I hope this will lead to a career in screenwriting,” because such comments sound very amateurish. Then, too, avoid any outpouring of emotion or sales hype, such as saying you think this is an “amazing breakthrough” or “unique one-of-a-kind, never done before” script. Such gushing comes across as non-professional and overly pushy.
Conversely, don’t come across as overly humble, such as by thanking the recipient for his or her time in reading this letter, since you sound like you are begging, asking for a favor, or unsure about the potential value of your script to the recipient. Instead, think of the pitch as your offering the person the opportunity to work with you on producing a great script, though that sentiment should be implied, not stated directly. Rather simply invite the person to contact you if interested in getting a copy of your synopsis or complete script.
Finally, even if you think of yourself as a great writer, consider having a professional write your query letter, since this is a marketing pitch letter, which is a very different type of writing than writing a script.
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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, is the author of over 50 books with major publishers, including two on the film industry: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING, PRODUCING, AND DIRECTING A LOW-BUDGET SHORT FILM and FINDING FUNDS FOR YOUR FILM OR TV PROJECT, both published by Hal Leonard. She has written and produced over 50 short films, has written 15 scripts for features, has three other films in preproduction, and has one feature film she wrote and executive produced in post-production for release in November 2014. She also writes scripts for clients, and has several film industry Meetup groups which have meetings to discuss members’ films.