Screenwriting is a freelance profession. No education is required to become a professional screenwriter, just good storytelling abilities and imagination. Screenwriters are not hired employees but contracted freelancers. Most, if not all, screenwriters start their careers writing on speculation (spec) and so write without being hired or paid for it. If such a script is sold, it is called a spec script. What separates a professional screenwriter from an amateur screenwriter is that professional screenwriters are usually represented by a talent agency. Also, professional screenwriters do not often work for free, but amateur screenwriters will often work for free and are considered “writers in training.” Spec scripts are usually penned by unknown professional screenwriters and amateur screenwriters.
Gandharva Media has a secure network of more than 4000 Industry Professionals. More than 37 films have been made from scripts and writers found through Gandharva Media, and each year, an average of 28 movies go into production from scripts and writers found through Gandharva Media.
Our vetting process includes checking references and credits for Industry Professional members. For more information regarding how we vet our members please go here.
You also receive full disclosure of who views each of your synopses, scripts or treatments, and when, and can access this information by logging into your Gandharva Media account.
Use of this site is for members only. For the protection of everyone concerned, members may not lend their user ID or password to others.
Random checks are done to verify that the registered member is the person using the services of Gandharva media.
In order to qualify for listing with Gandharva media, scripts must be registered through the Indian Copyright Office or any other recognized copyright/registration agency. Mailing it to yourself is not acceptable.
Important information regarding contacting entertainment professionals!
Screenwriters and book writers contacting an entertainment professional concerning a viewed logline or synopsis is prohibited. Violation of this is subject to immediate removal of all of the screenwriter’s scripts, without refund.
If the producer, by reading the synopsis or logline, feels the script/book is right for their needs, he/she can contact the writer or look at the script/book online.
Producers can look at 10-40 synopses and hundreds of loglines on any given day. It does not mean that they then want to see the script/book or want to answer e-mails or phone calls from those writers. Even managers and agents don’t bother contacting the producer if only their client’s logline or synopsis was viewed. Having a record of who saw a writer’s synopsis or logline serves ONLY as a courtesy and form of protection for the writer.
Writers are also informed of anyone who downloads/looks at any of his/her treatments or scripts/books. A screenwriter, if unrepresented, must allow 3-6 weeks to go by before contacting an entertainment professional (producer, representative, director, etc.) who has viewed their treatment or script. Contact with the entertainment professional should be by snail-mail letter only. If represented, a screenwriter must coordinate any contact with an entertainment professional through their manager and/or agent.
When a writer violates this User Protocol, the trust we’ve worked to build with our industry members is instantly destroyed. Usually this means the industry member will stop using our site to search for scripts. Not only that, Hollywood is a small town and word gets around. This makes it harder for us to recruit major producers because they’ve heard that our writers are going to harass them. We have lost major production companies due to this violation, so we take it seriously.
If Gandharva media receives several complaints concerning a script due to quality, Gandharva media reserves the right to remove it from the site. In such a case, once the improvements needed are made on the script, the script may then be re-listed for the unused remainder of paid time.
Scripts for the purpose of pornography are strictly forbidden. The decision as to whether a script is pornographic is at the sole discretion of Gandharva media. There is no refund on scripts removed from Gandharva mediabecause of pornographic content.
It is understood that the way Gandharva mediais able to entice new entertainment professionals to use Gandharva mediais by promotion of Gandharva mediaresults. Therefore, I promise to always inform Gandharva mediaof any relationship I form with any entertainment professional that was in any way found, heard about or nurtured through Gandharva media, so that Gandharva mediacan not only promote myself and my works, but also promote themselves. It is understood that this is a condition to using Gandharva media. If a Subscriber gains writing work, sells or options a script, goes into development with a script or obtains representation as a result of our newsletter, Gandharvamedia.com may post this success on their website and in their newsletters and press releases. If a script is sold/optioned or the writer gets work, a development deal, representation, etc., through Gandharva media, the writer must inform Gandharva mediavia email. Gandharva media reserves the right to announce any successes obtained through our network.
Gandharva media reserves the right to change this protocol without notification.