Things You'll Need:
- Computer
- Interest in the Human Condition
- A love of storytelling
- Ability to communicate clearly.
-
Step 1
Learn to identify amazing true stories that may be the inspiration for a movie or television show. This may be your own life experiences, or those of someone close to you. It may be a news article you read, or a tv news story you saw. Non-fiction books that are biographical or first person accounts always hold potential.
It's possible you're close to a story that has the fodder for Hollywood success. It may be the story of your childhood. It may be the two tours in Iraq you took as a soldier. It may be the wacky business you run, or a compelling news article you read. These are the diamonds-in-the-rough that Hollywood mines for every day, and it doesn't take more than a bit of tenacity and know-how to sell the rights for an incredible true story to Hollywood, securing a position as a Producer, and financial success beyond your wildest expectations. -
Step 2
Secure the Rights: If the true story is of someone else, or a news story you read, you'll need to contact that person to establish an agreement allowing you to shop their story to Hollywood production companies. A simple deal memo that establishes the following is sufficient: Right to shop and sell to any viable third party production entity, Right to negotiate, Equal profit particiipation (or whatever you negotiate with the other party), Exclusive rights to the person(s) life story for a specific term (usually 1 year) with an option to extend the term if you're in discussions or negotiations with a third party.
-
Step 3
Consider writing an outline of your story. You don't need to write a full length script to sell a true story to Hollywood, but you do need to concentrate on communicating these three things in your story synopsis: What is the unique accomplishement or plot of the story. How is it relevant to today's social issues or interests. Is it a unique experience or story that very few others have ever experienced?
-
Step 4
Strategize how you'll sell your true life story to producers. Having the rights to an incredible true story gives you more leverage, and will open more doors than any "idea" or fictionalized screenplay. If your true story has no media coverage, try getting an article published about the story in magazines, newspapers, or on the internet. Media coverage give validity in a producer's mind.
Target production companies that have trackrecords producing "based on a true story" movies.
You may consider one of the referenced online industry sources to pitch your true stories to production companies scouting new projets, such at www.TVFilmRights.com . -
Step 5
Secure an Option Agreement: If a producer is interested in your true life story to develop and produce as a movie, they'll propose an Option Agreement. This agreement gives them the exclusive right to sell your story to a network or studio.
Seek the guidance and expertise of an entertainment attorney to assist in negotiating and closing the deal for you. In any standard deal, you will receive upfront money, a purchase price when they sell it to a studio, some form of producer or story credit, profit participation from licensing fees.
Comments
mdurrell said
on 6/28/2009 Nice article!