Filmmaking / Directing : Script --> Trailer/Pitch Reel? --> ? by Ellecina Eck

There are lots of benefits these days to doing niche oriented projects. The trick is going into one with a solid plan about who your audience is and how to get it to a cable channel or distributor who needs to reach that audience. Start by making a list of all the Sports Cable channels that run sports related movies in addition to their sports content. Look at Netflix, Hulu and Amazon and see what they're offering as far as Indie films about sports. Then figure out what you can do that will bring attention to the project and make it appealing to your target audience and to potential assets (like actors or athletes you can put in it). Maybe you can reach out to someone like Serena Williams to do a cameo because it might promote youth tennis programs. After you know who you're going after and what product they want, write a script that is tailored to that venue. After you have your script and maybe an endorsement from a star or star athlete, research all the production companies that made the sports related movies you saw on the cable and streaming channels and send a query letter to a Creative Executive at that company (send it to a person by name, not a generic "to whom it may concern."). Be brief. State the nature of the project, why it's right for them and a quote from the star athlete (or asset) about how they want to be involved. If she is fortunate enough to sell this project, advise your mother not to sink it through hubris. She should express what she thinks is important to the people with money, but also remember that in the end it is their money. They want the creative input, but at a certain point they don't want a nut case calling them up in the middle of the night or dissing the film to the press when it comes out because it didn't match the original vision. Best of luck!

Hi Ellecina, I don't mean to be rude, but practically speaking, it will be up to the financier and how they think they're going to get their money back. Crazy example: Fifty Shades of Grey is a bestselling book. The author gets multiple offers to buy the film rights. She has leverage. She can demand certain Creative Controls, even getting to out-vote the Director! This is very, very rare. The financier recognizes the value of Fifty Shades, so the financier agrees to allow the author to retain creative control. If your mom doesn't have that kind of leverage, there is no practical way to retain creative control, but who knows, maybe she will get lucky, and the studio chairman will be a big tennis fan or something else...

As a producer myself, I don't mean to be an ass, but I'd say "too hard, moving on" unless there is a situation like Fifty Shades.

What is the financier's incentive to let the writer retain creative control, including having power over direction, budget, shooting, and execution? If there is no incentive (e.g. a bestselling book that has value), then there is no leverage to make a deal that the mom likes.

@David: thanks for the insight and direction! She'd mentioned the idea of approaching someone for a cameo, but I hadn't thought of using that to snowball getting more people on-board with the project. Thanks!

@Regina: Thanks for your comments, and I really appreciate your no-nonsense approach (no rudeness perceived). I read about E.L. James and her Creative Controls, and while my mom is certainly in no position to ask for anything like that, she also isn't approaching this as a "diva." She's not after retaining extravagant creative control, she just loves the tennis game so much she wants it represented accurately and respectfully. That's her main concern. She couldn't care less about having control over casting, budgeting, direction, etc., she just wouldn't want the tennis to get lost or watered down.

To clarify, the execution of the tennis (prep, production, post) all directly affect the budget, the schedule, the casting, the direction, the shot list, etc. So if the Writer requires creative control over the tennis scenes, she is, by extension, also asking for partial control of the budget and the "final cut" of the movie.

For example, the financier would not be able to cast an actor with poor hand-eye coordination. That means the Writer has partial control over the casting.

Another example, let's say all the tennis was shot well. But let's say the Editor wants to cut together a 10-shot rally as opposed to a 14-shot rally that was scripted. The Writer would have a creative approval, and the Editor would have to recut the scene. That also translates into man-hours and budget.

Ahhh, that makes a lot of sense, and I see now why that'd be an issue. Thanks for clearing that up! She and I talked about the potential of Kickstarter for a project of this nature. If the project were endorsed by an athlete, would Kickstarter be as viable an option as approaching a production company/Creative Exec, like David suggested?

I defer to the crowdfunding experts to chime in. But if it's been crowdfunded, I'm not sure why you'd want to approach a "Hollywood" prod co. The reason that the crowdfunded Veronica Mars movie needed Warner Bros. is because WB owns the rights. Typically, you go and make the crowdfunded movie as an indie.

Ellicina, As Regina said, there will always be compromises and challenges, whether you go with crowdfunding or try to sell the project to a traditional media company. Whether you are trying to raise money from rich dentists, Kickstarter Donors or an executive at a studio or network, you are always faced with the need to entice someone to part with money - either their own funds or from a limited pool they control. To do this you need to put together a package that either clearly shows how they are going to make money or promises them something they think is worth their donation or is an amazing take on a subject they really want to see. To do that you often need to put together a package with unique or exclusive assets only you can bring to the table. The hardest thing about crowdfunding is getting your message out and having a unique product that will get people to just give you money. But if you can do it, you will maintain a great deal of creative freedom. But even once it's made, its very hard to find anyone to buy an indie film because the market is so glutted with them. The advantage in niche filmmaking is if you target your audience correctly and do a good job, it will probably find a home. The hardest thing about traditional media companies is there are so many ideas and scripts out there, it is very hard to get anyone to take yours seriously - no matter how good it is. But if it gets bought and made by a big company it will have a machine behind it that will be determined to do a great job and the film is almost guaranteed to be distributed or aired because it already has a support system in place. My biggest suggestion is write a great script. But write it understanding at every stage who it is for, how it will be marketed and what is the one big reason someone will part with their hard earned money to see it. Write that one big reason down and never lose sight of it. It's how you are going to monetize the project and get it made.

If I can be blunt, I think it's pointless to worry about financing and creative control before the script is even written. My suggestion is to actually write the script, then (after multiple revisions) see what you've got. I understand she's having fun dreaming ahead, but none of this stuff should even be talked about until the screenplay is complete. How much writing has your mom done? Has she written screenplays in the past?

Hi Ellecina, To offer a counterpoint - sports scripts are a tough sell, indie or studio route. I'd strongly suggest you look at sports based films over the last couple of years, Moneyball, for example. There was very little about baseball, per se, in that script, or Foxcatcher, very little about wrestling. The story focuses on characters, their relationship, the conflict. The two examples above are also based on a true story, which is another hook for a producer, or investor. You need to understand who your target audience is, that will determine who and where to pitch it and what likely finance you can raise. I'd suggest focusing on the core story first - that's where the sell is. The tennis, is just a backdrop. Bear in mind, this is a subjective opinion. I'm not trying to kill your dream, just provide you with a more firm grounding. :) If both of you are involved as writers and producers who approach investors, then you should have a very firm grasp of how to pitch and you could prepare a teaser trailer etc. Joey Tuccio of Happy Writers has helped a lot of members on this forum with preparing pitches and received very positive feedback. I recommend you check it out. Best of luck with your project! Kind Regards, Eoin

O'Sullivan hit the nail right on the head - "the story" with tennis as the background without a story no producer will even consider it - all things you are thinking about are find options AFTER THE STORY If you can not make a variable story the other recourse is a Documentary this will of course limit your audience to "the tennis sector" and those who might be interested in learning about the background of tennis again depending on how much she know about the history of the sports it could involve a lot of research. Another point you stated "portraying the beauty of the tennis game as much as telling the story" you should except that fact that not all she writes will be in the film no matter how much she wants it. You will have to pick and choose she should be prepared for that - hint - 120 pages - even if all the stuff in the script is great budget limitation will force the order of the film There are many FACTORS you need to consider but the story is FIRST !!!

I agree with O'Sullivan and Pagan about the story and then the tennis, so I won't repeat. The thing that some people overlook is the check and balances that go into making a film. If you do it all yourself then you are missing this important test. The producer/director/studio/etc. way in on their ideas and what works and doesn't work. If I see the same person in all the roles writer/producer/director ...its a flag for me because this process of checking for weaknesses, etc. did not happen. Not that it can't be done and certainly there are many talented people that can but probably not their first film. If this is really her baby, then perhaps pause it and write another screenplay that isn't so you learn the ropes and not be emotionally attached to anyone or any scene. Or do it yourself but might not be the best it could be without guidance from others that have been doing it. In this case you could hire a script doctor to fix it and your name still on it.. that would be a good way. OR be okay with letting others changing it and get a movie made like Lee states. The good news is that everyone wants it to be a success. Like Ellis said, you first need the screenplay. BTW your mom is awesome! Congrats for her doing so much work on it and time and energy into the story!

First of all, she needs to write the script. No producer is going to be interested in securing financing and attachments based on a beat sheet and scene cards. Second, as has already been mentioned, the story and characters need to be front and center. You can have the most real portrayal of tennis ever put to film, but if the story is weak and the characters paper thin then you'll lose your audience.

In Ellecina's defense, she totally acknowledged that script comes first in her OP: "The obvious first step is for her to write, rewrite, and polish it. It's a sport script, essentially Karate Kid, but tennis. Her question(s): How do you find a producer who will stay true to the necessary technical components of the script?" She should be allowed to ask her question. She even framed it for us and showed that she is not putting the cart before the horse.

ok So we all think we know tennis hit a ball back and forth score point etc - no matter what the technical aspects are involve a "movie" has to maintain the interest of the audience - slowing the movie down for 10-15 minutes to explain that will surely affect the possibilities of a successful movie. People these days tend to expect "action and fast flow" even in a love story. They are not interested in the details however in a DOC we expect to get the details of the technical components. If I was the producer I would work with her to try and balance the best of the two and I expect she will have to make some comprising to get her movie on the screen. Sorry but that is just a fact. Unless this story relies heavily on the technical aspects to make the plot complete, I for one see no other solution but I do have some ideas in the back of my head on how to infuse the technical aspects.

So this comes to mind. I remember this movie, and Ellecina's mom might know what I'm talking about, where this girl's dream was to be a tennis champion and she was really good, but she was riding a horse along side the road and the cement truck funnel wasn't attached properly and it swung and hit her as it passed by. Now, I didn't know anything about tennis (and still don't) but it was about a girl with a dream and I could relate to that. Then this tragic incident happened and to this day I can see that scene in my head and I've only seen the movie once and must have been around 1983-4. I couldn't tell you about any of the tennis matches in the movie today or what but that scene hit me emotionally. Here is this girl with her whole life in front of her and she was good at tennis all taken away from her. Now, that I'm thinking about it, after that movie I started hitting a tennis ball against the only outside wall on the house without windows with a tennis racket for hours and hours everyday. I even wanted to sign up for the tennis class at school but my mom said no and blamed my asthma. : ( Anyway, that was the heart of the movie.

My advice would be to look for a director or a name actor that loves tennis and try and get them on board. Any producer will eventually have to get a director attached and once they come on board the film becomes their "vision" and the writer is pretty much kicked to the curb. Find a director who is nuts about tennis and you have a much better chance in my opinion. An interesting side note to the technical aspects of the film, I remember reading that the tennis match scenes in the film "Wimbledon" were all done with a CGI tennis ball.

Producers want make movies that appeal to the widest possible audience in an attempt to make the most money. Your mum is writing a film for a very small audience. This instantly means she is facing an uphill battle. If she wants some form of creative control she needs to be involved in production, which means funding it. Money really does talk. Once you sell your script it is no longer your script. It belongs to the purchaser and they can do what they want with it.

Lots of great comments on here already. My contribution is simply to reinforce what you already said -- you do have to be willling to lose some creative control and trust the process. Even on an independent film -- even one on which YOU are the producer, you will still have challenges trying to do what you're describing. Why? Because budgets are burning. Getting that perfect shot of the tennis ball rotating slowly as it impacts a sweaty racket and droplets spray off as the player's foot digs into the clay -- that's hard. The more times you reshoot a shot, the longer the shoot will take. And more time means more cost. We all have images in our minds of what we hope for. The best we can do is get the script nailed, and then hope you can find the right people and the financing to do the rest.

Wow, a huge thank you to each of you that's taken the time to respond! I read the majority of the comments to my mom, and I believe it helped for her to hear some realistic expectations; she's also still very determined :) I've learned a ton just from reading what you all had to say, so thanks for your input! E

Seem to be on the trend is the way to go. Unless your material is out of the way and awaken producers it's a deadpan. I may be on that list of dead planners or trash pile; but I believe in my story and going full speed ahead! Iceberg or not.

I disagree that this film has a limited audience - once again it depends on the "Almighty Script". Tennis is a "popular pass time" with many famous tournaments that are viewed world wide. I am not a tennis follower, but I do watch the big matches. So there is a worldwide audience potential .