JH: I completely understand. A lot of the reason I felt led to start MFM is because, at the time, there was no filmmaking magazine that was completely geared toward low-budget filmmakers and the concerns they have that didn’t charge them for the privilege!
RM: Exactly. I'm a huge fan of Craigslist and I think they deserve a Nobel Prize. It’s a simple and free service (except for job postings), and it streamlines the objective...connecting people with each other to satisfy one or more facets in their lives. Whether it be buying/selling/trading a 1987 Cadillac Radiator, searching for that special guy/girl/(both?), or ranting and raving about the person in front of you in line at Starbucks...it’s simple and it’s free.
I wanted to create a site that is free for ALL users and streamlines a certain objective: GET READ!
Everybody whom I ran the idea by thought it was a slam dunk, but the major concern was safety. So I developed a way where GuerillaScript is actually safer than handing your script to somebody in person. First of all, you have COMPLETE control over who sees your work. The process is simple: Writers create a free account and upload a script (with a tagline, synopsis, and pertinent information crucial to the project). Agents, producers or directors etc. searching for a script embark on a search on the website using specific search criteria. If a project matching their requirements is found, they have access to only the tagline and synopsis of a project. If they would like to review the complete script, an inquiry is sent to the screenwriter. The screenwriter can then accept, deny and/or reply to the request. If an inquiry is accepted, scripts are only readable (no downloading, printing or copying). As an added safety feature, all communication between agent/producer/director and screenwriter is recorded in a threaded email that you can request from us at any time.
GuerillaScript Founder, Ron Moon.
JH: Very cool. I was pretty impressed with the overall set up. So how long did it take to set up?
RM: GuerillaScript took more than a year to create. Because I was broke, I had no way of affording a developer to build me the site...so it was literally pieced together bit by bit over time until it was finally ready to launch.
JH:Well, keep up the hard work! I think it has the potential to really help a lot of people and change the status quo on a lot of different levels!
[Editors’ Note: Due to the level at which we are impressed with this site, we’re currently talking to them about arranging an affiliation where GuerillaScript scripts will be displayed here at MFM in our Scripts for Indie Films section! This will further add to the content that our readers can access each and every month to make their lives as filmmakers easier and more productive!]
The
director of two feature length films and half a dozen short films,
Jeremy Hanke
founded Microfilmmaker Magazine to help all no-budget filmmakers make
better films. His first book on low-budget special effects techniques, GreenScreen Made Easy, (which he co-wrote with Michele Yamazaki) was released by MWP to very favorable reviews. He's curently working on the sci-fi film franchise, World of Depleted through Depleted: Day 419 and the feature film, Depleted.
