Thread: Do UK agents take unsolicited scripts?

Hello all,

I'm a university student who has been writing screenplays as a hobby I suppose for a good long while now, but it's reached the point where it's become a passion and I'm looking for an agent to represent me.

I'm talented (and I don't have any qualms about saying that because writing screenplays is the first creative thing I've ever been genuinely talented at) but I'm obviously just a student and I've never had any work published.

I'm well aware of the BBC Writers Room service but does anybody know whether there are any agents out there likely to at least read my script, given my total lack of experience? I've emailed a few of the big ones who've got back to me to say they're too busy to take anybody on which I assume is code for 'we don't do young, untrained scriptwriters'.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice anybody can give me...

Some do and some don't. You have to be careful about who you submit to. I had an agency email me several times wanting to represent my book. But Predators and Editors showed them to be a scam, rip off agency with no success and possible plagiarism in mind. Predators and editors shows who is accepting unsolicited manuscripts. It also gives links to their websites and shows a proven track record of success as far as publishing and sales goes. Here's a link....Preditors & Editors

Hello Jark, I've been writing scripts for 11 years now and had no success. I did have almsot one foot in the door when John Travolta read my script and said yes. You can imagine how I felt, but getting an agent to like my stuff is like threading a needle with rope. There are agents out there and I'm speaking to one who represents Miacheal Caine with a view to getting him to read it then the agency would take me on. Search the web for actors seeking scripts, don't try agents seeking scripts, mostly scams, sometimes producers seeking scripts will work, but the reply rate is 1%. Best of luck, you'll certainly need it as I'm still trying. PS do you have Final Draft as all scripts must be in that format and New Courier 12 font? Mockingbird

You sound like me about 25 years ago Jark!

My advice is stay away from producers, as they'll legally kill you with an option agreement... for your script, you will get £1.00, which is your option fee. this will give them ownership of your script for the next 6 months, with an automatic right to renew it for a further 12 months... IF, they manage to acquire funds, under the protection of UK law, you will be entitled to... 2.5% of the production budget, and thats all.

Now then, imagine that you are a one hit wonder, and you write a story called, the blair witch project... it takes over 600 million, but the budget was £23,500.00 GBP Sterling... under the protection of UK law, you would only be entitled to enough money to buy a leatherman wave, which is all that you would need to open your wrists up

It's a hard slog Jark... real hard.

You might be better off joining a group called shooting people... its full of people like you, but not all writers. some are actors, some are techies... find the right crowd, collaborate, and make like ben affleck and matt damon with good will hunting.

As a script writer, you will be at the bottom of the pile... which has always annoyed me, as you can take the best actors, producers, techs, locations and so on, but if you dont have a basic script to work from, you have nothing.

Without writers, there is no film industry, so why isit that we always seem to be right at the bottom of the food chain?

You're right about the bottom of the ladder - the guy who creates the sleave for the DVD release gets 5 times more than the writer. But I insisted on 3% upfront budget and 3% backend. The producer accepted it in writing. My script Flip Side has also been optioned on same basis and a big Brit director is signing up today with funding and a big Brit cast to boot. It's taken a long time but I didn't let the constant failures get me down, well not too down - as for agents - done all this without one and I don't have to pay those vultures a dime.