Despite the difficulty of selling a spec script, you won’t be wasting your time if you write a good one. Why? Because the real value in a good spec screenplay or TV script comes from using it as a sample. A sample is a script written with the intention of giving it to someone as an example of your work. Its purpose is not necessarily to sell, but rather to show the producer or story editor that you are good enough for them to take a chance on and give you a script assignment.
Many animated features are conceived by someone at the studio, such as a producer, director, or executive, not a writer. They then hire a writer to do a draft. If these people have read your sample script, and liked it, they might pick you to write their feature screenplay. This is where a good sample script is worth its weight in gold.
A spec animated feature is always something that’s for sale if someone wants it, but a spec TV script may not always be possible to sell. For example, if you write a spec script for a series that subsequently goes off the air, you’ll never be able to sell it. But you could still use it as a sample.
In choosing which animated series to write your sample for, the first thing to take into consideration is your skill. What are you best at writing? Comedy? Action? Preschool? Whatever it is, write your sample for that genre. The second thing to think about is what you most like to write. You might assume that writing what you are passionate about is the best way to go. This isn’t always the case. It’s often best to first write what the market wants, make some sales, and then write what you want.
There’s another important rule when it comes to writing sample scripts. It’s not always a good idea to write a sample for the show you want to write for. Because the producers and story editors know more about their show than anyone else, they will see every little thing that’s wrong with your script. However, if you submit a sample script for a series to the producers and story editors of a different series, they likely won’t have as deep a working knowledge of the series and will be more likely to see what’s funny in your script. If they think it’s good they might just give you a shot at a script for their series.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that any good script will get you work on any show. Many producers and network execs are extremely myopic when it comes to genre, and many feel that, even if you’ve written a good comedy sample, you may not be able to write action. So have as many sample scripts in as many genres as you are capable of writing well.
©Jeffrey Scott, All Rights Reserved
(Jeffrey Scott has written over 700 animated and live-action TV and film scripts for Sony, Warner Bros., Disney, Marvel, Universal, Paramount, Columbia, Big Animation, Hanna-Barbera and others. His writing has been honored with three Emmys and the Humanitas Prize. He is author of the acclaimed book, How to Write for Animation. To work with Jeffrey visit his website at www.JeffreyScott.tv.)
Read other articles from this series:
#1 The difference between live-action and animation writing
#3 It all begins with a premise
#4 The secret to developing your story
#5 Finding the scenes that MUST be there
#7 How to easily transform your outline into script
#8 A brief introduction to script writing
#9 How long should your scenes be?
#10 How to (and NOT to) edit your writing
#13 The importance of communication
