Hollywood has a notorious history of making movies for men, or more specifically, adolescent and twenty-something men.
This is understandable. The young male audience makes up a huge portion of the movie-going public. And although this portion of the market is a large part of the pie, there is still a huge segment of the movie-going public left over.
Take a look at the figures below:
Bridesmaids – $288.4 million
The Help – $206.7 million
Erin Brokovich – $256.3 million
Legally Blonde – $124.9 million
Toy Story 3 – $1 billion (plus)
Now, ask yourself, what do all these movies have in common except for the fact that they were all financial blockbusters?
The answer is: these movies all portrayed female protagonists kicking some serious ass!
As a woman, I can tell you that women love to see our gender kick butt. I also have a tendency to believe that men kind of like watching us kick butt too.
So what does this mean, especially for screenwriters?
It means that if you’re a screenwriter you’re allowed to think outside the “box” and write scripts that other segments of the movie-going public can enjoy. Because trust me when I tell you that women are screaming out for movies like these.
But you’re probably thinking, how would I pitch a screenplay like this to my agent or producer? How do I sell it to them?
Well, it’s simple. You just need to give them a scenario.
(I know because it worked on me when a client was pitching his idea for a chick flick).
My client’s scenario went something like this:
You’ve just written a romantic comedy or, even better, a political drama about a female heroin who kicks serious butt. You’re out for the evening with your girlfriend or wife or sister or mother and you both decide to go to the movies.
Now you have a couple of choices: Batman, Superman, Dawn of the Dead, Terminator 12, Rambo VIII and . . . a political drama about a woman kicking everyone’s ass and winning.
Which movie would you choose?
As a man, you might want to go see Batman or Rambo. But as a woman, I think most women would be leaning the other way.
Now, here’s the big question and the one that could help sell your quirky or non-traditional screenplay to agents all over Hollywood.
You want to go and see Batman, but which movie do you think you’ll actually end up watching?
You want to please your girlfriend/wife/mother/sister, don’t you? And we all know that life is a lot easier when a man makes a woman happy 😉
Now, I’m not saying that you should write a chick-flick. But it’s worth considering the fact that a lot of the general public is under-represented by Hollywood.
And if you can find a market for an audience that is under-represented and back this up with some solid facts or figures, you’d have some great leverage when trying find representation with an agent or when selling your script to a producer.
Hollywood is a truly global business that looks to reach the biggest audience possible. Thinking about foreign markets and untapped domestic markets is a great way to discover new ideas.
This method can lead to an easier sale when trying to sell your screenplay to Hollywood. It can even convince the most stubborn of agents to take a chance on a fledgling screenwriter–especially if you give them an angle from which to sell your script.
Remember, Hollywood loves it when they think they’ve found something fresh and new. And if your screenplay appeals to an under-represented segment of society, you might even have a blockbuster on your hands.
*Liz Fairbanks has worked as a reader, development assistant, and talent agent in Los Angeles over the last seven years. Liz loves traveling, reading and yoga. Liz also works as a freelance consultant for Script Mailer (a company that connects screenwriters with agents and producers in Hollywood).