As was mentioned in the previous post, Mike Richards sent his query letter to both script agents and producers, receiving a positive response from a well-known producer two weeks later. Let’s take a moment to look at Mike’s query letter.
Mike Richards’ query letter
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Dear [agent/producer’s name],
I am looking to collaborate with you on a movie that has huge profit potential.
Genre: Thriller/Adventure
This is a movie based on The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Unlike the original story, this movie is set in present day America and the story is a modern day adaptation of Dumas’ classic tale of revenge.
I have written numerous articles for online and national publications. I also have extensive experience working within the film industry and have developed products from creation to launch phase.
If you are interested in a productive, profitable and rewarding collaboration, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
(Note: The Count of Monte Cristo is a novel in the public domain.)
Sincerely,
Mike Richards
(number and email withheld)
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One look at this query letter tells you that Mike did his research here. He found out that the novel was in the public domain (which means he doesn’t need to get the original author’s permission to start work on an adaptation). What also helped Mike’s cause was the fact that he spoke the language of a Hollywood producer.
Success Tip: Sell Your Idea
Producers are essentially businessmen, not necessarily film lovers or movie-buffs. A producer, more often than not, is in the money-making business and Mike appealed to a desire for profit more than anything else in his query letter.
Mike also mentions that he has extensive experience working within the film industry. When I asked Mike what his experience was his response shocked me:
“I used to put together flyers and promotions for local video stores in San Francisco. Although I never officially worked in the “industry,” I was technically working in the industry. I was still affiliated with Hollywood, even though I wasn’t actually in Hollywood.”
I had to laugh when I heard Mike’s response. Of course he’s technically correct. He does have experience working in the film industry. Though it might not be the experience the producer was expecting. Nevertheless, Mike’s query letter opened doors for him. I asked him what he meant when he said he had worked on products from “creation to launch phase?”
“That’s a reference to the flyers I used to put together. I helped create those flyers, selecting the graphics and writing those catchy headlines. Then I sent them out to the local community. That’s the launch phase.”
I wondered what the producer first thought of Mike when they sat down in a room together to discuss Mike’s movie idea. In Mike’s own words:
“The producer was a real friendly guy, but I could tell he was one of those hard-nosed businessmen. He was really interested in one thing and one thing only. How can we turn this idea into a profitable film as effectively as possible. He didn’t care that I had no hands-on experience, I had the idea. To him, that was the seed of something great. I think the fact that I was profit-driven and thinking about the bottom line really helped him feel comfortable doing business with me. We were effectively on the same page.”
Now you might be reading this and think: it’s not fair. Mike Richards hasn’t written anything. He hasn’t even written a single screenplay. The reality of the industry is this—Mike doesn’t have to. He’s probably never going to be a screenwriter, and is much more likely to end up becoming a producer than a writer. The point is to demonstrate the power of the query letter when it comes to opening doors.
Some of you might also be wondering why the Hollywood producer didn’t just steal Mike’s idea after reading his email. It’s a good question. And as we’ll explain in the next post on protecting and copyrighting your work, you don’t have anything to worry about.
*Jennifer Sloane has worked as a screenplay agent in Los Angeles and Nashville for the last five years. Jennifer loves good movies, music and animals. A former television and movie executive, Jennifer currently heads business development at Script Mailer (a company that connects screenwriters with agents and producers in Hollywood).