In the pursuit of your dream, funding is probably the most difficult part of the puzzle.   That’s especially true when you’re putting together a low budget Indie film and investors are demanding stars and distribution before putting up a dime. 

Filed under: Selling Your Screenplay Tags: by admin Date 29 July, 2010
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Script Magazine listed us as #1 in their upcoming issue in an article titled “Top 9 Online Screenwriting Courses, Plus One.”  

You can see it in the July/August issue that has already been sent out to their online subscribers and will soon be in the book stores. 

Our thanks to Script Mag.

Filed under: General Screenwriting Tags: by admin Date 21 June, 2010
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ScreenwritingU is proud to announce that James Monroe Justice is our selection for this month’s Fresh Voice Award. 

The Fresh Voice Award is for writers who are “Hollywood-ready” and have shown their ability to create marketable screenplays and navigate the movie business.   James has sold seven screenplays and had three produced.  He is a delight to work with. 

A graduate of ProSeries 24, James also has a MA in Creative Writing from the University of Florida.   See his complete profile here.

As a result of the award, his most recent project will be submitted to over 100 production companies with our highest recommendation.

Filed under: Fresh Voice Award Tags: by admin Date 19 May, 2010
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Some people look at agents as the savior who will guide their career and make them rich.  Some see agents as the sharks of the entertainment industry.   Some see them as a necessary evil. 

In reality, agents are business people who have a certain function — selling screenplays and packaging movies.  Their power comes from their direct connection to major players and agencies, and their ability to navigate the market and make deals. 

That is why writers want an agent — to sell your screenplays and get your movies made.   In order to accomplish that important goal, we need a perspective that makes sense in the world of agents and studios. 

If you’ve read How to Get an Agent Part 1, you’re ready for a more advanced conversation on the subject.  Here it is…

WHY WOULD AN AGENT WANT YOU?

It may seem like a harsh question, but you need to ask it.  Why would an agent, who already has plenty of clients, want to bring you on as a client?   And before we look at the answer, please remember this:

        If you’re not ready for an agent yet, you can grow into it. 

Remember, everyone who has an agent today was a new writer at some point in their life.  As they grew and improved, they became ready.  And part of being ready is having this perspective. 

KEY PERSPECTIVE:  Come in as someone the agent will want to do business with.

I’m not saying you should fake it or lie about anything.  Exactly the opposite.  Just do what it takes to be a professional screenwriter.  Learn the skills.  Write great scripts.  Learn the business.  Present yourself through your writing.   And if you want to speed up the process, join some of our classes. 

For the agent, bringing on a new client is a lot of work.   They have to get to know you and your writing.  They have to find out what your strengths and weaknesses are.  And they have to match your work to their markets. 

One easy way to increase your “bankability” with an agent is to actually do some business of your own.  Many writers don’t know that you can make deals without agents, especially with small and medium-sized producers.  Using the strategies of 15 Ways to Sell Screenplays Online, you can get scripts to producers. 

If one of them options your script, you will be able to use today’s pathway for getting an agent.

PATHWAY #3:  You’ve been optioned. 

Pathway 3:  Get optioned –> Contact agents –> Agent reads your marketable scripts –> Discussion between agent and you –> Representation.

We have a lot of people in the ProSeries Alumni who are at this stage.  They have been optioned by a producer and the deal is being developed, out to actors, or being shopped to Studios.  Since the project hasn’t gone into production, there isn’t any real money that would attract an agent, yet. 

Let’s be honest on this.  An option with a small producer isn’t enough to get a major agency involved.  But it could easily get your next script read for consideration.  Saying “I’m an optioned screenwriter” gives you much more credibility than saying “I’ve written five scripts, but nothing has happened with them.”

The option shows enough promise and credibility to start the conversation.  It says many things about you.

• Your writing is good enough to a producer make a deal with you.
• You’ve been through at least one experience in the Biz…and will understand more because of it.
• You have risen above 85% of the writers out there and worth the agent gambling a few hours on.

In short, you are someone the agent may want to do business with. 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

With your option in hand, you contact agents either by phone, query letter, or through a 3rd party.   Since your current script is already optioned, the agent will want to see other scripts they can possibly sell.  Naturally, you present them with another well-written script that has a great marketing hook (high concept, lead characters actors want to play, etc.), right?   If so, they’ll love you. 

CAUTION:  When you have an agent’s ear, don’t tell the agent about any scripts that aren’t highly marketable.  That will only reduce their interest.  

One more thing: you don’t have to seek agents the moment you get optioned.  Instead, be smart about this and write another great script.  Then start seeking agents when you have the goods.  That way, you have an excellent pitch — “I’ve been optioned…and I have a great script you can sell right now.”

Once the agent has seen that you are a great writer with scripts they can sell, they’ll have a quick conversation to confirm you are ready for the Biz.  If so, you’ll get signed. 

Having an agent is a business relationship for both agent and writer.   For you, success comes from great writing, an understanding of the Biz, and applying strategies and pathways that work.   The more you improve the quality of those three areas, the better your chance. 

And as we add more pathways, you’ll have more ways to land your future agent. 

NEXT ISSUE:  The easy way to find a hungry agent.

Filed under: Selling Your Screenplay Tags: by admin Date 23 March, 2010
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Whether you need an agent right now or next year, you should bookmark this series of articles.  Over the next two weeks, I’ll give you a list of strategies to get an agent. 

These are strategies that are working for our ProSeries Alumni writers.  But rather than  just listing the strategy, the real value here is that each article will give you the PATHWAY that our writers are traveling. 

Why the pathways?

Because I believe in providing practical solutions and strategies that work.   Below, you’ll see that the pathway gives a more complete understanding of the process.  It also fills in the gaps that trip most people up when they go for an agent. 

Most important:  Don’t go to agents unless you have scripts that are “agent worthy.”   To me, agent worthy means an agent can take it straight to buyers; because it is that good.  No holes, no flaws, no boring parts, and most important – it is has a great hook that makes it easy to sell.   

It fits the 10 Commandments of Screenwriting. 

For an unproduced writer, agents serve one primary function – putting together deals on scripts that are salable.  If you need feedback, get it from other writers and script consultants.  If you need to improve your writing, join us for Screenwriting U classes.    If you need someone to help you come up with ideas, get a partner.    In general, agents don’t do any of those things.

THE PATHWAYS

Pathway 1.  Win contest –> Email query letter announcing contest win –> Script read by agent or manager –> Phone call with agent to confirm the writer understands the biz –> Representation. 

This pathway depends upon you having some kind of contest success – either a win in a smaller contest, a finalist in a midsize contest, or even a semi-finalist in one of the larger contests.  That “win” means that your script has been vetted by the contest and that gives you credibility. 

The email query announcing a contest win is better than an email query that just pitches a script.  Again, it shows that your script is higher quality than most. 

If the agent or manager loves the writing, it is likely that you’ll receive an email or call.  That call is to determine what kind of person you’ll be to work with and see if your future projects are something the agent could sell. 

What does the agent want to see about you in that call?

        – Committed to creating a career, rather than making the “big media deal.”

        – Focused on creating marketable screenplays in the future. 

        – Willing to make changes that help make the sale.

        – Psychologically healthy in a business environment. 

If you pass the phone test, you’ll get representation. 

Pathway 2.  Write great script –> Get it to friend who is represented –> Friend puts reputation on the line and recommends script to agent –> Agent reads script and believes he can sell it –> Agent meets with writer to confirm writer understands the biz –> Representation.

We just had this pathway pay off for one of our writers today. 

As always, the quality of your writing is a big factor in your success.   As you get other writers to read your work, you’ll hit upon writers who are represented.  If one of them loves your writing, she’ll ask if she can give the script to her agent or manager.  It happens often with our group, so I know this strategy works. 

Like the first strategy, the agent contacts you if they love your writing and believe it can sell.  Another important thing to note is that an agent or manager may request another of your scripts to make sure you are truly ready to enter the industry.   If you’re local, they’ll want to meet with you.  This puts a face to the voice, but it also shows them how you take meetings. 

In meetings with agents, you want to be friendly, open, and have at least one other logline to pitch.  Be honest about your experience, but let them know that you learn fast and are willing to do what it takes. 

IMPORTANT:  If the agent/manager says they want to represent you (assuming you want them to), stop pitching immediately and agree.  I’ve seen people pitch themselves into an agent, then they keep pitching until the agent changes his mind.   When you get the deal, stop talking and accept it.

There are many paths to getting an agent.  The more you know, the better your chance…as long as your scripts are “agent worthy.”    And if your writing isn’t to that level yet, we can help you with that.  It’s all a matter of taking the steps, learning the skills, and applying them to write a great script. 

In three days, Part Two will outline more pathways and a UNIQUE perspective on getting an agent.

Filed under: Selling Your Screenplay Tags: by admin Date 16 March, 2010
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What if agents and producers saw you as “naturally talented?”

There are two ways to become a great screenwriter.  One is to find your “natural talent.”  The other is to build in all the skills, understanding, and creative process that can express that talent in the most amazing way possible. 

You need to do both.   Today, I’ll map out a plan for writing from your core – from that natural talent that you have deep inside of you. 

Keep this in mind:  Becoming a great screenwriter is a growth process.  Done right, you’ll mature a bit more every day – in writing skill, in philosophy, and in creatively expressing yourself.

1.  What are you naturally good at that can help your screenwriting? 

A quick search will likely reveal some of your natural talents.  Maybe you can visualize a story.  Maybe you come up with good dialogue.  Maybe you can dream up unique and interesting characters.  Maybe you just love movies. 

Make a list of what you just naturally do well having to do with writing.   But don’t stop with the obvious.   Keep looking for a deeper understanding of what you are naturally talented at.   The more you understand your own talents, the more you’ll be able to focus on them to deliver your own unique voice in your screenplays.

Every day, you can discover something more about what you are naturally good at.  Brilliant talent isn’t always easy to understand or see.   Keep looking deeper. 

And with each discovery, your TALENT emerges.

2.  What interesting situations have you lived that you can bring to your characters and stories? 

We’ve all had ups and downs in life.  Love and tragedy.  Successes and failures.  Embarrassments and proud moments.  Breakdowns and breakthroughs. 

Just as important, we all have a public face and a private face.  We’ve said one thing and meant another.  We’ve been both courageous and fearful .  We’ve had times we’ve won and felt like losers, but also had times we lost and felt like a winner.  Life has given us enough experience to build the most interesting situations and characters. 

Find those moments – especially the paradoxical moments – and fill your stories with them. 

3.  How can you use your imagination to bring those moments to life in a unique way?

The most common thing for people to do is write exactly what happened to them.  They put their characters in common situations and have them do common things.

Rather than that, what if you took your experiences and understanding and translated that into something amazing?   Your experience of being embarrassed at dinner becomes a tabloid publicized humiliation for your character.   Your experience of being pulled over by a traffic cop becomes your character being arrested for multiple felonies someone else did. 

Use your imagination to transform your experiences into an emotional roller-coaster ride that causes your character to grow in some amazing way while still feeling real.  

What makes it feel real is that it comes from your experience and understanding.  What makes it amazing is when you use your imagination to set it in a whole new context or to give it to us in an unexpected way. 

Can you take what you know and imagine it in an even more entertaining way?   You bet you can. 

4.  What skills will you learn that will elevate the quality of your screenwriting?

If you don’t think this game is about skill, you need to look again.  Read any great screenplay and you’ll see a combination of character depth, subtext, meaning, setup/payoff, and interest – all designed into single lines of dialogue. 

Those happen because the writer spent years learning ALL OF THOSE SKILLS.   Translating the story in your mind onto the page is all about having the right skills.  Higher quality skills equals a stronger translation of your vision and a more compelling read. 

But don’t worry; you’ll learn those skills as you progress.   You’ll discover them as you read produced screenplays and experiment with your own scripts or you can learn them even faster in ScreenwritingU classes because we give you exactly what you need to succeed.

Whichever route you take, make learning high-level screenwriting skills a priority now.

5.  How are you going to test your writing to make sure it is professional?

At some point, you need to find out how good you really are – and how much improvement you truly need to be professional.  

One way to think of it is climbing a ladder.  You write a script and move to rung 1.   You submit it to a contest and maybe you don’t even place.  So you take some classes, write another script…and your script is a Quarter-finalist.  You’ve moved to rung 2. 

Go back, apply more of #1 – #4 (natural talent, experience, imagination, and skill) and you make it to Finalist.  Not bad.  You’re on rung 3.  Now take some more classes, write another script, get script consulting, and surprise; you win the contest.  Rung 4. 

But does that make you professional?  So you test that script against the market and are turned down by everyone.  Give up?  Hell no.  You’ve come this far and with a bit more work, you’ll get where you want to go.  Apply more of #1 – #4.  Take better classes, get a better script consultant, write a better script…and you get optioned.  Rung 5. 

You continue moving up that ladder until one day, you’re at the top – A-List. 

Notice two things – 1.  You kept going back to your core and most likely, each time, you discovered something new about your natural talents.  2.  You kept learning, growing, and finding even better ways to express yourself in screenplays. 

Stay on this path and soon, you’ll be seen as “naturally talented” — and you’ll be paid for it!

Filed under: General Screenwriting Tags: by admin Date 19 February, 2010
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Let me tell you a secret. 

There are more ways to break into Hollywood (and the Indie market) than there have ever been.   And after you read this article, you’ll have a new level of access and freedom to make your career happen.   

It is as simple as three steps and 15 online strategies. 

STEP 1.  Write a great script – Intriguing concept, cool characters, and well written.   

Keep rewriting that script until it is a showpiece.  The more you can establish a reputation of you being a professional, the better your chance of success.   Remember, every page of your script either says you are an amateur or a Pro.   So make them the best they can be. 

You may already have a great script…or a script that can become great.   Good choices and a strong rewrite process are the keys to success here.  If you want to improve your rewrite process, join us this weekend for our “21 Steps to a Professional Rewrite” teleconference.  It’s free.

STEP 2.   Use your writing skills to create a compelling pitch. 

If you can say your pitch in one or two interesting sentences, you’ve tripled your chance of success.  Make sure it is concise, has a hook that intrigues us, and has us see the story in our mind. 

When writing a pitch, remember that your purpose is to get the script REQUESTED, not to give them a book report on the story.    Hook them and make it a smart choice to request the script.

STEP 3.  Use the “15 Ways” list below to get your script to a “Champion.”

You’ve got a great script, a great pitch, and now you need it in the hands of a champion – someone with connections.  Your champion might be a producer, agent, manager, or a friend on the inside.  You just need to find someone who loves your writing and can’t stop themselves from promoting it.   

This industry operates on recommendations.  When an agent sends out a script, they are recommending it.  When a producer gets a script to a Studio, she is recommending it.   When a writer hands your script to his agent, he is recommending you.   

And the right recommendation may be all you need. 

15 Ways to Get Your Script Out There – In no specific order.

A.  Start with your own network. 

It’s Six Degrees of Separation:  Who do you know ONLINE who knows someone?  Get your friend to read your script.  If they love it, they’ll recommend it to their contacts.

BTW, now is the time to start building your network or focusing it on contacts who can help you achieve your screenwriting goals. 

B.  Build relationships with producers on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

They’re out there, but when you meet them, you need to become part of their world.  At some point along the way, you’ll tell them about your script.   Be discrete and maintain the relationship for the future.

Here’s a list of 87 Producers on Twitter.  If you know of other producers on Twitter, please let me know (send tweet to @ScreenwritingU ) and I’ll add them to the list. 

C.  Try Virtual Pitch Fest.

David Kohner Zuckerman at Virtual Pitch Fest runs a cool service that guarantees a response from producers within five days.  He’s got quite a large list of producers to choose from, too. 

D.  Blog about your subject.

Diablo Cody made this one famous.  Put up a blog about your subject and turn yourself into a character that people can’t resist.  If your subject is compelling – and you put yourself out there – you may be the next big blog success.

E.  Build relationships with professional screenwriters who can recommend your script.

Professional screenwriters know agents, managers, and producers.  If you can strike up a relationship, you’ll be surprised what may happen.   Many movies have been made this way. 

Where do you find them?  Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, articles, writer’s groups, etc. 

F.  Use one of the online blasting services.

These services blast a query letter to hundreds of producers and/or agents.   The percentage of success depends on the service’s reputation, but more importantly, on the quality of your query letter/pitch.   If you have a strong query letter, check out ScriptBlaster.    

G. Enter contests that promise “producer reads” or PR about the winners. 

MovieBytes lists 100’s of screenplay contests along with what their prizes are.   You can read report cards on each contest and decide which fits your needs. 

H.   Take classes with connected teachers.

Some screenwriting teachers have connections.   Most don’t.   Every year, I introduce our up-and-coming screenwriters to producers who can make their movies.  We’ve brought over 100 of our ProSeries writers to L.A. in the last four years.   You can see the results here. 

I.  Coverage service that sends out “Recommends.”

Most coverage services give a pass, consider, or recommend as per industry standards.  A few will send scripts that gets a recommend out to their producer contacts. 

ScriptShark offers that service, as well as a few others.

J.  Become part of a writing group where writers are selling scripts.

There are two big benefits to being part of a group where the other writers are selling scripts.  First, it gives you the potential of those writers recommending your work. 

Just as important, being around others who are making deals provides inspiration, motivation, and a map of the many paths into the Biz.  Our ProSeries Alumni are constantly making deals and sharing their stories with the rest of the group.   And that’s a pretty good thing to have in your consciousness.  

K.  Use a Service that lists loglines for producers.

While there are other services that do this, the most well known is InkTip.  For a fee, they’ll list your logline in a brochure/magazine that goes out to over 1,000 production companies.  You can also pay to post your entire script and get reads from producers. 

L.  Lists of producers looking for scripts.

There are a few places that list producers who are looking for scripts.  One of them is the International Screenwriting Association. 

M.  Teleconferences or Podcasts with producers.

From time to time, we do teleconferences with producers.   Creative Screenwriting Magazine does podcast with writers, producers, and directors.   

How that will help you?  Because it gets you a clear idea of what producers are looking for and how the business side of the process works.  So you’re better prepared when you get that call from a producer.

N.  Screenwriters On Line service with chats with producers

Screenwriters On Line has online chats with producers who have agreed in advance to read your query letter.  So you get double value – learn what they need, then send a query letter that will be read. 

O.  Online Pitch-Fest

This is definitely something we’ll be seeing more of in the future.  Online real-time meetings with producers.   Sitting at your computer, you are face-to-face with a producer who listens to your pitch.   

FadeIn Magazine offers this right now.  Check it out.

————

You now have ways to get access to the kind of champions who can move your career forward and get movies made.  But before you start sending scripts, ask yourself one more question – Is your screenwriting at a professional level?   Because that is what producers and agents are looking for. 

If you’re wanting to bring your writing skills to a professional level and understand the business side of screenwriting, you should consider joining us for an upcoming ProSeries – and write the best script of your life so far. 

One last thing:  Over the coming months and years, more and more online paths to Hollywood will open up.  The possibility of getting your script to a producer or agent will increase with each of them.  If you really want to make it, the opportunities are there. 

Now, go forth and prosper.

Filed under: Selling Your Screenplay Tags: by admin Date 15 February, 2010
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After posting the news on Twitter about first-time writer David Guggenheim’s bidding war with the script “Safe House,” I had some people ask about how it happened.    Good Question.  Let’s see. 

Slashfilm.com — Universal has purchased David Guggenheim’s spec Safe House for $600k against $900k, winning out against two other movie studios in a bidding war. The action thriller tells the story of a CIA agent who becomes the only survivor after a CIA safe house attack, and must help a dangerous prisoner avoid being killed as they escape to a second safe house, “outmaneuvering various forces that want them both dead.”

According to an LA Times article, Universal, Sony, and Dreamworks were involved in the bidding.  But the question is why. 

Why were Studios so attracted to this script?

My answer to that question is that THE WRITER MADE SMART CHOICES.   Here are the three most important choices – all of which showed up in the LA Times article. 

1.  High concept.

 It is a story that can easily be marketed by a Studio – because it can be pitched in one or two compelling sentences.  That’s important when there’s $50 – $100 million at stake. 

 2.  Role for A-List actor.

LA Times – “In addition to the appealing premise, the movie is thought to sport a lead role that would be a choice one for a number of young A-listers, with its prestige gloss but commercial hook.”

 Guggenheim created a lead role that would bring on a second marketable element – an A-list actor.

3.  The story is written with a focus on making each part as interesting as it can be.

I haven’t read the screenplay, but you can tell many things from the pitch.  He picked a location that was different than previous thrillers.  The terrain causes the characters problems.  It’s a young CIA guy with a dangerous prisoner, which will create an interesting dynamic and character relationships. 

As much as I can tell, he observed the 10 Commandments of Screenwriting.

And here’s the good news.  Any writer can make similar choices and increase their chance of success.  If you are going for the Studio market, you’ll want to duplicate those three choices.  If you are working with the Indie market, you’ll still want to create a marketable concept and great characters, but you may make the story more edgy. 

Of course, Guggenheim already had connections – through his magazine and two brothers (both produced screenwriters) and that absolutely helps.   But his success came from his choices – otherwise there would have been no bidding war and no news.

Filed under: Selling Your Screenplay Tags: by admin Date 13 February, 2010
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For the last 50 years, a screenwriting had to live in Los Angeles in order to be part of this industry.   It is just the way things are…

…but there is change in the air.

We recently finished up an event where I interviewed 16 producers and 2 agents in Los Angeles for a group of our writers.  One of the questions that came up over and over was…

“Is it possible to create a screenwriting career from outside L.A.?”

In the audience, we had writers from all over the world.   Only a few lived around L.A., so this one question was pretty important to the group. 

WHAT WAS THE SCORE?

I’ve done interviews with producers for twelve years.   Up until recently, the typical answer to the “selling from outside L.A.” question was “The odds are against you.”  But this year, there was a change. 

QUESTION:  Can writers sell scripts from outside L.A.?

       15 producers said YES. 

       1 producer and both agents said NO. 

QUESTION:  Have you optioned or bought a script from outside L.A.?

        8 producers said YES.   

        3 producers had already made movies with writers from outside the U.S.

It’s not a perfect score, but it means that it is possible for a writer to succeed from anywhere in the World.    

FIRST, THE BAD NEWS…

…which isn’t really bad.   Let’s get the “no’s” out of the way. 

The producer who said no was from a big production company on the lot of Universal.  He likes to see writers face-to-face.  He does a lot of meetings.  For his way of doing business, you would have to live in town. 

For the two agents, their whole success depends upon you being active in the Hollywood community.  They want you meeting producers, going in for assignment jobs, and generally, making money – for you and the agent.   That doesn’t mean you can’t get an agent or manager from outside of town;  you can.  Just don’t go for the big agencies.

Those three represented the “standard Hollywood model” of working with writers.  It is how things have traditionally been done and it will continue to be the standard for a while to come, but…

NOW, THE GOOD NEWS

Fifteen producers said YES.  Half of them have optioned scripts from writers out of town.  They have found that working with writers can be done on the phone or on the Net.   In fact, some of them have become quite proficient at it. 

When I asked what had attracted them to work with a writer on the Net, they gave answers that remain a constant in this industry. 

-          Intriguing concept.

-          Great characters.

-          Quality of writing.

-          Interesting voice.

They are looking for writers who bring in professional quality scripts.   And that makes sense because the producer is looking to make great movies. 

WHAT’S YOUR PART IN THIS?

You need to do everything you can to make it easy for producers to work with you.  If your producer is new to the Net, walk him through the process and MAKE SURE IT WORKS.   He will always remember you for liberating him from the old model. 

WHERE CAN YOU FIND PRODUCERS?

In the last few years, many of the mid-level producers in Los Angeles have joined Social Networks.  They’re on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others.   Some are actively looking for scripts.  Some are just exploring the territory. 

But if you strike up a relationship, you never know what might happen.   The odds are more and more in your favor every day. 

NEXT POST:  How to sell screenplays from afar.

Filed under: Selling Your Screenplay Tags: by admin Date 3 February, 2010
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It’s going to happen to you. 

When you get to a certain point in your writing, you’ll get requests to work on spec.  It is just a natural part of your development as a screenwriter. 

Your writing has become good enough that some small producers want to work with you.  Very likely, they’ll want you to work on spec. (no money up front) with some kind of deferred payment if and only if the movie gets made. 

Is that a good deal or a bad deal? 

DISCLAIMER:  I’m not an attorney, nor is this legal advice.  If you need legal advice on a deal, consult an ENTERTAINMENT attorney. 

Now, let’s get into this messy situation and see what happens when you’re offered one of these deals. 

THE SITUATION

About an hour ago, I got off the phone with a new screenwriter (completed two scripts) and she got a proposal from a producer to write a script on spec.  The producer (who currently has no funding) liked the writing style of a script she had submitted and wanted her to write a script for him that had the same voice. 

She posted the terms of the deal to a screenwriting group and got an overwhelming negative response.  Almost everyone who responded told her not to do the deal.  They pointed out how much effort it is to write a script and how the producer isn’t worth working with if they don’t have funding. 

Could be sound advice – if she was already a professional writer, had credits, and had other deals on the table with funding.   But she doesn’t have any of those; a point that she made when she posted the request for advice.

LOOK AT OTHER PARTS OF THE MOVIE BIZ

Before people go off screaming about how writers get screwed, let me point out another side of the industry.  The “filmmaking community” does the opposite.  They are out there working on as many movies as they can to get experience and to learn their craft.  They are also using spec projects to build their network and create relationships with up-and-coming filmmakers. 

BTW, the movie industry is built on spec deals.  Every producer I know does multiple spec deals.  In most cases, they don’t get paid a cent until a movie goes into production.  I know producers who have had a spec project in play for as much as 20 years before the movie got made.   It is typical for major production companies connected with Studio to have spec projects they’re getting ready to present to the Studio for funding – many of which don’t pan out.   

Why would spec work make sense in the filmmaker community and for producers, and be a huge “no-no” in the screenwriting community? 

But all of that is not as important as this one thing…

DID THEY CONSIDER THE WRITER?

What was interesting to me was that none of the advice-givers asked her what was important to her.  In fact, they didn’t ask her a single question.  They just went into the standard rant about why anything speculative is a bad deal. 

Let’s be clear about one thing.  I’m not advocating that everyone do spec deals.  But when someone asks me for advice, I first try to understand their situation.   I believe that the more rational we can be, the more likely the decision will be a good one.

Talking with her on the phone, I asked certain questions. 

1. Do you want the experience of working with this producer?
2. Do you like this story idea enough to spend six months on it?
3. Do you have other projects to work on right now that will benefit your career more?
4. What value do you think you’ll get out of this deal even if it doesn’t get made?
5. What will you do instead if you turn this deal down?
6. What will you lose if you turn this deal down?
7. What’s the best action for YOUR CAREER?

Why didn’t they ask ANY of those questions before they trashed the deal?  Were they actually considering her?   Or do they have a blanket answer to every spec deal? 

WHAT ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED?

There are other things to consider in a deal like this – who the producer is, their vision, their plan for getting funding, how marketable the story is, whether the producer can attach talent, how they’ll write the agreement, etc.. 

But no one asked those questions, either. 

WHAT DID SHE LOSE?

At the conclusion of all their advice, here’s what she lost by turning it down:

1. She didn’t get the experience of working with a producer.
2. She didn’t get to challenge the quality of her writing and elevate it to meet the market’s standards. 
3. She didn’t get to take the ride to even see if the movie could be made.
4. She didn’t get the chance to have a credit (that may or may not have happened).
5. She didn’t get an increase in her credibility because she can’t call herself a “working screenwriter” or say that she has done a writing assignment.
6. She didn’t even get the chance to make any money if the movie got made.

Basically, she got NOTHING by not doing it.   Is it a serious loss?  I doubt it.   I’m sure she has other ideas to write scripts on.   But she had a chance to play the game and gave it up because of the advice she got.   

HOW SHOULD A DECISION LIKE THIS BE MADE?

Over the last two years, I’ve helped over 100 writers make some kind of deal – both paid and spec.  I’ve also advised writers not to take certain deals.   Today, I was on the phone with three different writers who had three very different proposals.   I gave each of them different advice BASED UPON THE OFFER AND THEIR PERSONAL CAREER. 

At different points in your career, you may make different choices. 

• If you’ve written a few scripts and need experience, a spec deal may be a great opportunity. 
• If you have already had a couple of scripts optioned, there would have to be something really valuable there to make it worth it. 
• But if you had already sold a few scripts, have other deals in the works, etc., the spec deal would probably be a bad choice. 

MY ADVICE:  Make the best decisions for your current career…and don’t let anyone keep you from doing that.

One more thing:  Even on a spec deal, you should get the agreement in writing.   That way, if it does get made into a movie, you’ll have a written document that gives you credit, compensation, and the power to stand up for yourself if something goes wrong. 

Remember this: Writing careers don’t happen because of fear.  They happen because of great writing, understanding the industry, and making good career decisions in whatever your current situation is. 

If you have a small or large producer who wants to work with you, ask the questions I listed above – and then make the best decision for you, whatever it is.

Filed under: Selling Your Screenplay Tags: by admin Date 28 January, 2010
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