In the early stages, getting producers to even read your script can be difficult. Whether it’s because they don’t accept unsolicited scripts, or they’re currently not open to new projects, it’s disheartening to hear rejection after rejection

Here are 6 steps to walk through if you’ve got a script you know they’d be interested in… but you just can’t seem to get a foot in the door

1 – Mutual Interests

Add people to your list of producers to contact when you know they’re making the kind of films that you’re interested in

If their slate is all action, they’re probably not going to want to hear about your kitchen sink comedy two-hander

You can do this by watching their previous films, or finding the producers of films you’ve enjoyed

Read more: 3 essentials for making your own films

2 – Personal Connection

See if there’s any common ground already laid out

Maybe you have a mutual contact, went to the same school, attended the same festival or event lately. Anything that means you’re not complete strangers to each other

3 – Engage Slowly

If you can, find them on social media and begin engaging with their content. Don’t do this too intensely (it can come across as creepy)

Like their recent post, maybe leave a meaningful comment if it feels right to

By doing this every so often(remember, in a casual lowkey way) you get them used to seeing your name

4 – Don’t Pitch

I repeat, don’t pitch. Producers don’t need more ideas and you’re likely to be met with either ‘no thanks’ or ‘we don’t take unsolicited material’ almost immediately. That makes it incredibly difficult to pitch anything to them in future

Read more: What to do when they don’t accept unsolicited scripts

5 – Aim for a Meeting

The best way to begin building a relationship with them is though a 1-to-1 meeting. Offer to buy them coffee or see if they prefer a Zoom meeting

This way, you get to know each other and lay the groundwork for discussing your projects. You can also simply ask them if they’re looking for new projects at the moment

6 – Wait for the Ask

It’s virtually impossible to have a conversation with anyone in this industry without them asking what you’re working on. Consider this your invitation

When a producer inevitably asks you what you’re working on, take a sip of your coffee and give them the logline for a project you believe they’d be interested in

“At the moment I’m developing a…”

If they’re interested, they’ll ask for more. If you’ve spent enough time getting to know them, you’ll know exactly which project to tell them about and how to get them interested

This is how you get them asking you for the script

Read more: The best advice I’ve ever been given about pitching, financing and selling your films

Despite how it often feels, producers DO want to hear from you. We want to get to know you, hear about what you’re developing and be told why you are the best person to tell that story

Rushing into pitching your project is usually a surefire way to get a producer to say no

It just takes time to build up that relationship, which is the mistake most writer/directors keep making. There’s the myth of the elevator pitch, your one and only shot to make it happen, but in reality it’s a more drawn out process

Producers know they’re going to be working with you for at least a year, so you have to give it some time to get to know each other, make sure you’re both on the same page with the project and create a plan to make it happen

Finding producers should be the fastest part of the process, then you have plenty of time to actually get to know each other

The problem is that most writers and directors spend months or even years trying to find producers, so as soon as they find someone, they rush into pitching (especially if there’s a film fund deadline coming up) and the producer says no pretty much straight away

Making sure you find producers quickly so you don’t have to rush into telling them about your project will work infinitely better, just as it did for one of my students, Anna:

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