Submitting Screenplays

We are interested in only the following screenplays at the present time:

SHORT FILM CATEGORY (See below for LONG FORM CATEGORY)

• Between one and 14 pages in length (films shorter than 14 minutes)
• Not previously produced
• Targeted to film festivals
• May or may not be a candidate for grant funding.  Not being a candidate for grant funding is not an impairment. (Forgive the double-negative, please.)
• Must be fundable at minimum cost, assuming all crew and talent compensation is deferred.  The producers will cover the incidental costs of production (licenses, catering, rentals, and similar), but will not fund special effects or major set construction.  Producers will fund minor set construction (2 to 3 interior rooms).
• Screenplay rights to be made available on deferred-fee basis, exclusive or non-exclusive
• Must be capable of being portrayed without nudity, animals or stunts (these are insurance policy limitations)
• Must be produce-able with a minimum of, or no, CGI
• Must be capable of being shot in or around the area of Reno, Nevada
• Genre and themes
  • Dramatic thrillers with an emphasis on suspense involving espionage and/or conspiracies
  • Thrillers involving anarchy, revolution or organized crime

If your screenplay has not been published or previously posted for open viewing on the Internet, we will send you a submission release which must be signed and submitted with the screenplay.  Or you may download the blank release form in .pdf here.  We WILL sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect your interests, and WILL destroy any and all of our copies at your request, if we elect not to produce your screenplay.  (Most producers will not make such an agreement to do so).  We recommend that you first send us a synopsis, treatment and/or tagline before submitting your screenplay to us.

Please make sure that you include your screen name with your contact information in your email to us.

Screenplays must be submitted in readable form.  That means it must have a cover sheet with the title of the screenplay, the year written, the author's name, and the author's contact information.  The author is responsible for paying copyright registration fees and making the copyright deposition.

Screenplays that are full of typographical or grammar errors (not required by the play) reflect poorly on the author's reliability as a potential business partner, and could be cause for rejection.

We encourage electronic submission in .pdf, .rtf or .doc format to:  screenplays@tradecraftfilms.com.  Do not submit in proprietary formats such as Movie Magic Screenwriter or Final Draft.

We will respond to every submittal, even if your screenplay is not selected for production.

LONG FORM CATEGORY

• A minimum of 90 pages in length
• Not previously produced
• Targeted to domestic and international theatrical release.  NOT targeted to MOWs, DVD or web distribibution.
• Target production budget is $2.5M.  High limit production budget is $4M.  Therefore, must be produce-able with a minimum, or no, CGI and a reasonable number of locations
• Fully-compensated once production is green-lit.  (That means that there is no compensation possible prior to signing investors).
• Must be capable of being shot in western North America (north of the Mexican border with the United States), including western Canada.
• Genre and themes
  • Dramatic thrillers with an emphasis on suspense involving espionage and/or conspiracies
  • Thrillers involving anarchy, revolution or organized crime
  • If you are comfortable with the genre, but uncomfortable with a espionage theme, two members of our staff have extensive experience with the US intelligence community and can assist you with technical advice or story fragments.
  • Production values that contain dark humor, violence and 'R' rated sexual scenes are acceptable.

If you have not yet written a screenplay fitting these requirements, but believe that you might be able to do so within the next several months, please let us know.  We are seeking to acquire an outstanding story and screenplay, and we will not compromise that goal by setting an arbitrary deadline.

It will typically require between four and ten months for us to build a business plan around the selected screenplay.  The screenplay and the business plan serve as the basis for approaching the investor community.  It may require between one and four years to obtain investment funding for this picture.  The screenwriter(s) will not receive any payments (including option money) until at least 80% of the investment funds have been subscribed.  Clearly, the writer is free to option his or her screenplay to any other party until such time as we generate an option and deal memorandum.

If your screenplay has not been published or previously posted for open viewing on the Internet, we will send you a submission release which must be signed and submitted with the screenplay.  Or you may download the blank release form in .pdf here.  We WILL sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect your interests, and WILL destroy any and all of our copies at your request, if we elect not to produce your screenplay.  (Most producers will not make such an agreement to do so).  We recommend that you first send us a synopsis, treatment and/or tagline before submitting your screenplay to us.

Please make sure that you include your screen name with your contact information in your email to us.

Screenplays must be submitted in readable form.  That means it must have a cover sheet with the title of the screenplay, the year written, the author's name, and the author's contact information.  The author is responsible for paying copyright registration fees and making the copyright deposition.

Screenplays that are full of typographical or grammar errors (not required by the play) reflect poorly on the author's reliability as a potential business partner, and could be cause for rejection.

We encourage electronic submission in .pdf, .rtf or .doc format to:  screenplays@tradecraftfilms.com.  Do not submit in proprietary formats such as Movie Magic Screenwriter or Final Draft.

We will respond to every submittal, even if your screenplay is not selected for production.

Questions are encouraged.  We attempt to answer every email every day, although it may not be until late at night.

All the best,

 Stephen Stough