Commercial/Skit idea?

Breaking into Hollywood: I have an idea for a story (original / inspired by some existing story). I can develop it into a rough script for a movie / TV show / game with charactes and environments and everything. Is there any way I can sell this story / script / idea to prospective buyers?

  • Basically I am looking for a portal where i can submit my script, interested parties can read my script, if they find it worth investing they can buy the story/idea for a decided amount. Note: . Oliver Emberton's answer was approached by many people so they could create a movie/tv-show out of it. He finally settled to write a book about the same. My question is along these lines. Update: I think my question was a little misinterpreted. I am not asking how to sell my ideas. 1. I have an idea in my mind. I can develop it into a story, with all characters and environments and dialogues(basically almost everything from start to finish). I don't want to write a novel. I just want people to take a look at what I have to offer(the entire thing, not just the idea) and implement it in a way they see fit. 2. I am not in this for money. I just want my imagination and experience developed into screen form so that the rest of the world can appreciate it. And the last thing I want is fame. I don't even care if I am not even credited for it. 3. It seems sad that great ideas are implement horribly. That is why i am asking this question. Lets take an example, say Man of Steel (2013). Personally I felt the movie was average, but could have been made pretty good. The action was great, but the character development was poor and the movie felt out of places most of the times. Now suppose somebody (say X) had his own idea for a new superman reboot. X is good at drawing and has a great idea in his mind for the movie. He knows he just cant shout about I have a great idea. So he develops the plot on his own, designs how the characters should look like, creates all the dialogues, explains how the action sequences should look like (all this targeting a movie). X doesn't have any contacts. He wants someone to look at what he developed and see if it has potential. What will X do? This is my question. X is not looking for money or fame. He just wants people to see the movie created out of his brain.

  • Answer:

    A2A for me, but after reading 's answer, know that he pretty much said all that I would have said.  Ideas are like a**holes.  Everyone has them.  I've handled similar questions here on Quora many times over. The below would be my wiki: Again, everyone has ideas.  Ideas mean nothing.  You can't copyright them.  You can't sell them.  They mean nothing. The only thing that matters is the implementation of ideas.  And even then, there are hardly any guarantees.  As a script reader for Sony and through some major screenwriting competitions, I've read thousands of scripts.  I've seen great ideas implemented horrendously... and in turn... I've seen average ideas implemented stupendously.  Point being?  It's all about the implementation.  And even then, it's damn difficult to even get it read. So let's sasy you do write the script.  Well, chances are it is your first. And your first is ALWAYS the worst.  So you don't want this one to be your first.  You want to hone your craft and prepare yourself for X great idea so that you can implement it well.  But now you're talking about at least a year or two out.  Just enough time to... Bring your head down from the clouds.  Because even if you have a great script, it's very difficult to get it sold.  Most spec scripts (scripts written under the speculation that a sale will be made) don't get purchased.  Even if they are outstanding.  The best case scenario 9.99 times out of 10 is that the spec script will get you representation and that will get you possible assignments. Sure, there are anomalies out there.  Examples where an individual was in the right place at the right time with the right person and a deal was made on a first script or something.  You know what?  There are also people that win the $400 million Power Ball.  So are you going to drop everything and spend your life with all of your eggs in that one basket because an eighty year old woman from Florida got lucky on a $1 quick pick?  Obviously not.  You're smarter than that. Lastly, now, I don't know Oliver.  I read his story and it sounded pretty cool.  I don't doubt for a second that it went viral.  But let me shed a little light here.  Going viral means nothing.  Having people say that the story is amazing means nothing (Beyond making the writer feel good, which I'm all for).  Having people offer to take a look at the script version or novel version of the story means nothing (Again, it's all in the implementation).  And in all actuality, we don't know the context of who these people were.  And let's say best case scenario is that they worked at a name studio or production company.  Do you know how many times these people smile and say, "Wow.  Great concept.  I want to see that script or book on my desk when you're done." All of the time. Take it from a warrior that's been through many battles in the film industry, on both sides of the table as a screenwriter and as someone who has worked in development.  If they aren't paying you to take that concept off of the market right then and there, it means nothing.   I'm an optimist in almost every other aspect of my life, except when it comes to the film, television, or literary industry.  You need to be a realist.  You need to get your head out of the clouds.  Oliver is writing the book on his own.  No deal from a publisher.  No advance check.  No option payment from a studio.  He's had a good Quora answer that went viral and that's awesome.  I've had a few myself.  Many others have more so than us I'm sure. So please, come down from the clouds and let's talk.  Are you with me?  Okay... I support anyone believing in an idea and wanting their dreams to come true.  But it's not going to be handed to you.  You can't simply go to some portal and have some magical dream deal appear with vast riches and maybe even some fame.  It just doesn't work that way.  And if you're in it for the money?  It REALLY doesn't work that way.  Being a screenwriter is a grind.  Only the top 1% make the great money.  The six and seven figure deals you read about aren't common practice at all.  And most of them, if not all, are by established writers with representation, contacts, reputation, etc.  So if you're looking for a quick profit.  Walk away right now and safe the good ideas for stories with your buddies.  Or, man or woman up, learn the art and craft of screenwriting, write, write, write, get some scripts under your belt, hone your craft, network, make contacts, write some more because you're STILL not ready, and then let the fates decide.  Sound like a lot of work?  A lot of hassle?  Then it's not for you.  Again, no disrespect to Oliver or others that have had stories like him.  He's still just a guy with a story in his head... now writing a book that hasn't come out yet.  I just don't want people seeing stories like that and drifting off into those clouds because they only thing they will do is waste time, efforts, and likely money.  Best of luck...

Ken Miyamoto at Quora Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

Unless you are an established writer, director or producer who has a lot of influence, your pitches and story ideas will not be bought and made into a movie. You need to have a completed script that you can present to the right people. Television shows are more or less the same. No one is going to buy an idea. You need to present a completed pilot and some ideas for follow-up episodes, preferably enough to fill an entire season. Nothing can be roughly sketched. Everything must be fully formed. I know it's tempting to cite Oliver Emberton as an example, but he is quite the exception. Apart from his fantastic answer about movie villains - which I upvoted almost a year ago today - he already had an extensive body of work that interested parties could view. He has some of the most highly upvoted answers and blog posts on Quora (all listed here: https://neverbefore.quora.com/For-the-benefit-of-my-mum ), including one post with 16K upvotes and over 400K page views. He also has his own site (http://oliveremberton.com/) full of wonderful posts. Even if he hadn't started writing a novel based on his super villain post, he could have written a self-improvement/motivational book. And not only written it, he could have provided the illustrations as well. In other words, he has proven his skills as a writer, built up an audience, and consistently churned out quality material. If you're looking for advice on what to do with your ideas, I would recommend checking out Scriptnotes (http://johnaugust.com/), a site run by screenwriter and former Quora user . August wrote Go, Big Fish, Corpse Bride, and several other films. His co-host, Craig Mazin, wrote Identity Thief and Hangover 2 and 3. On the Scriptnotes Podcast series, they discuss issues regarding screenwriting, and they welcome and answer questions from their listeners, all aspiring writers from around the world. Though August and Mazin specialize in screenwriting, they often field questions about other forms of writing. Now, before you decide to ask them the question you posted here and face the wrath of Craig Mazin, I'll just repeat what I said earlier because it is a frequently asked question on their podcast. Ideas don't get made into movies. Why? Because ideas are everywhere, and very few ideas are unique. Everyone has an idea or two for a movie. What makes a good idea stand out is how it is executed. Execution comes in developing a full screenplay. If you really want to do something with your ideas, fully them flesh out and mold them into a complete screenplay, teleplay, play, manuscript, short story, or whichever medium you choose to write. After that, then we'll discuss what your next step should be. One last thing. You should probably pick one format and stick with it. Which one you should choose depends entirely on the nature of your idea, but you won't find success trying to spread your efforts across the board.

Aaron Ellis

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.