Where can producers buy screenplays?

Where can producers buy screenplays? It’s a buyer’s market. Plenty of screenplays are for sale in this world, and plenty of writers are happy to write something custom for your vision, franchise, or business model.

Your problem will be sifting through many, many screenplays and writers, finding the right project and team. There’s no shortage of creative people who want to sell a vision for an entertainment product (or their grand personal statement as it may be).

Here are a few tips for producers looking for screenplays, writers, agents, local film communities. Where can you find them?

Networking. Hollywood has always worked on word of mouth, personal relationships, track records, and trust (and intrigue, sure). Even if you’re not Hollywood, meeting someone in person has the benefits of giving you a chance to assess whether your would-be business partner in the transaction is crazy, unrealistic, brilliant, savvy, articulate in conversation, or whatever impressions you come away with.

Networking resources:

• Professional associations for those on the business side. I’m personally aware of the Dallas Producers Association and can tell you more about them. There are gobs of others and may be one in your geographic region.
• Professional associations for screenwriters. I’m personally involved with the Dallas Screenwriters Association (DSA) and can tell you more about them. The more business minded members will be very happy to pitch their screenplays to you on a moment’s notice.
• Agents.  Now, the business model for filmmaking is changing profoundly as I write this. I think the trend is toward a reduction in the services of middlemen, more about people going direct to the talent, cutting deals, and making films more as personal statements or small business ventures. The days of major films supporting a huge cast of characters on the business side are definitely on the wane. However, you can always call CAA or other artist agencies (mostly in Hollywood) and major entertainment lawyers, and see who’s shopping what projects these days.
• Ask around. Who else do you know? Even if you haven’t produced films before or previously worked on film projects, you could run across someone in your social circle who has funded a movie, hosted a location shoot,  or otherwise can connect you personally to your region’s film community. You never know what might surface if you simply put the word out.

Online. Vimeo, Twitter, and many other websites are rife with screenwriters hawking their ideas, directors looking for projects, composers of every stripe, actors, voice over talent, you name it.

Also, consider my book length collection of short film screenplays. If you don’t need or want to own an original idea outright, it’s worth your time to review the types of films that can be made from the short screenplays I’ve written and see if any are simpatico with your creative vision.

Here’s the commercial vision for my Creative Commons licensed screenplays for producers. Quite simply, you don’t owe me royalties if you make money from filmed projects using my screenplays. You just give me credit. Simple. Low budget (you just buy the book and use it). Ready to produce.

Good luck with your projects!