Hey, wait a minute isn't this illegal?
Screenwriters often ask me what « unsolicited material » means…Well, as I’m the frankest person you’ll ever met and since I will never repeat what people robotically repeat decades after decades, and just nod in submission, I'm going to tell you exactly what this means:
When you receive a reply from a production company saying they do not accept unsolicited material, this means you are not part of their circle of friends, or you haven’t slept with any of them, or you’re not one of their relatives…To sum up the « no unsolicited material » policy is something I would call « discrimination »!
Hey wait a minute! Isn’t discrimination illegal?
Do not listen to those few (political correct and hypocritical ) people who will claim studios do this to avoid being sued if a movie similar to the idea you sent is made! It’s bullshit! Studios have million dollars to pay lawyers to defend them and win the trials! Young screenwriters don’t! Are they really afraid??? Nonsense! Thousand of comparable ideas are shopped around Hollywood everyday! Just look at their films! Sometimes, 2 or 3 films are made on exactly the same subject every year!
Do not listen to the people who will tell you you’re getting this reply because you’re not represented by an agent, it’s completely false! if the producer's best friend, just has finished a screenplay he wants his buddy to read, then, believe me, the producer won’t give a damn about his friend being represented by an agent, he won’t even ask! Same goes for their sexual partners! Or relatives!
So once again, this policy is a discriminatory policy that all screenwriters need to combat vigorously!
Just dissect the word: « unsolicited » what does it mean??? This means, they have to solicit (to ask for) your ideas…Well, and how do they do this with someone they do not know??? In that case, you have to be the friend of a friend, or a boyfriend/girlfriend, or their relatives…Then once again, how do you call this?
It's up to you to make your mind!
But I truly believe that once screenwriters will dare, and will consider these policies under this new light, then studios and production companies will better be afraid of them, because of course, one rebel screenwriter isn't that dangerous, but a thousand ones who realize they've been victims of a discriminatory policy can decide to actually sue them for this!
All it takes is courage!
Jordan.
When you receive a reply from a production company saying they do not accept unsolicited material, this means you are not part of their circle of friends, or you haven’t slept with any of them, or you’re not one of their relatives…To sum up the « no unsolicited material » policy is something I would call « discrimination »!
Hey wait a minute! Isn’t discrimination illegal?
Do not listen to those few (political correct and hypocritical ) people who will claim studios do this to avoid being sued if a movie similar to the idea you sent is made! It’s bullshit! Studios have million dollars to pay lawyers to defend them and win the trials! Young screenwriters don’t! Are they really afraid??? Nonsense! Thousand of comparable ideas are shopped around Hollywood everyday! Just look at their films! Sometimes, 2 or 3 films are made on exactly the same subject every year!
Do not listen to the people who will tell you you’re getting this reply because you’re not represented by an agent, it’s completely false! if the producer's best friend, just has finished a screenplay he wants his buddy to read, then, believe me, the producer won’t give a damn about his friend being represented by an agent, he won’t even ask! Same goes for their sexual partners! Or relatives!
So once again, this policy is a discriminatory policy that all screenwriters need to combat vigorously!
Just dissect the word: « unsolicited » what does it mean??? This means, they have to solicit (to ask for) your ideas…Well, and how do they do this with someone they do not know??? In that case, you have to be the friend of a friend, or a boyfriend/girlfriend, or their relatives…Then once again, how do you call this?
It's up to you to make your mind!
But I truly believe that once screenwriters will dare, and will consider these policies under this new light, then studios and production companies will better be afraid of them, because of course, one rebel screenwriter isn't that dangerous, but a thousand ones who realize they've been victims of a discriminatory policy can decide to actually sue them for this!
All it takes is courage!
Jordan.
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