I was able to hear from some of the users and the general opinion of the users has been very positive. In fact, Eric Patton, one of the initial screenwriters attested that “if on-line dating websites worked this well, no one would ever be alone again!” While Mr. Patton’s statement might be a bit given to hyperbole, the concept and the layout of this clean and easy-to-use site are quite impressive. So much so that, I had to sit down and chat with Mr. Moon about what led him on the journey to create this new assault on tradition.
JH: So, in your own words, why exactly did you start GuerillaScript?
RM: Well, I honestly just started a service that I wanted to use myself. When I got into screenwriting, I was really put off by the whole process (or lack thereof) that took place in order to get your work read. The fact that you needed an Agent...just to GET an agent! The expensive screenplay competitions you had to compete in just to try to find someone who would be willing to take you on. And, of course, the fact that NOBODY accepts unsolicited material.
I read every book I could find on how to market my script. I went to expensive seminars packed with other hungry screenwriters while some successful screenwriter sits on stage with a glass of water and a microphone yelling at us to "Hang in there" or "If your work is good, it will be read!"
JH: Ah, yes! The Field of Dreams school of scriptwriting! “If you build it, they will come!”
RM: Jesus, on one professional’s advice, I even bought a suit and hung out at the Four Seasons Hotel Bar in Beverly Hills every day for a week straight sipping on Diet Coke in the hopes that someone might come up and say "So...how much you want for the script?". All I got out of that was a phone number from a young starlet who was pretty much there doing the same thing as me. (My date with her took an interesting turn the second she found out I'm not exactly a successful writer!)
JH: You should have told her you were a producer. You know ‘the guy behind the guy behind the guy.’ It worked for Vince Vaughn in Swingers!
RM: Yeah. Tell me about it. So I hit the net seeking salvation. The only service I found was InkTip.com...but they charge the writer money! AND they want the writer to sign and mail a contract stating that InkTip has the right to distribute your material to whomever they see fit. Don't get me wrong, I think they offer an extraordinary service...but I simply wanted something that was for free and that the user could have total control over.
