Screenwriting : Screenwriters, read 'em and weep. by Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique

There are no such thing as odds in art. Quality and not luck sells art.

The vast number of specs makes it hard to get seen. But that is the only real impact.

This is my tactic. I write something that I believe is great. Then I work on it so much that it is as close to perfect as I believe I can get it. I do acknowledge my own limitations and know that as perfect as I believe it to be, it is only just acceptable to others.

I then find people that are in the lower end of the industry. Because anyone with something as valuable as a hard won career I will never get near. I find these people that would normally do something like the film I have and I reach out to them.

This is got me a project at the moment.

WARNING. If you send out crap, that becomes your reputation. The most important thing in my comment "is as perfect as possible", before it hits the email.

Or fund it yourself. Which means you have to write something you can afford to shoot.

And also don't forget...a lot of other scripts were sold that aren't in that list. Scott Meyers always states that, too, and that's just the scripts that he is aware of. And like I always say - there has never been a better time in the history of the world to be a screenwriter. Ever.

I'll throw this link out to the report on global film making, for those of you who are determined to break into the ranks of script sellers. Best fortunes and best wishes to you folks.

http://uis.unesco.org/en/news/cinema-data-release

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At a glance, this seems to be specs that were picked up by some pretty big players. What about the smaller production companies, indie, super low budget type deals? Are any of those taken into consideration?

Jody: Small and indie scripts get optioned by producers all the time. I just got one a few weeks back. However, unless there's major funding, and a studio and a star attached, they don't get any major press coverage.

I know one of the 61 writers on the list. There's no selling soul to devil or whatever conspiracy theories naysayers tell themselves in the mirror.

I'm happy with my progress in 2018, happy for friends who made noise in 2018 and I'm excited for 2019.

I'm glad I want to be a low budget filmmaker who writes. I'm certainly not saying that things will be any easier for me. (They won't.) But this is honestly something I never think about or worry about.

Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique Okay that makes more sense! I just optioned my first script (yay!) and was thinking that there have to be a TON more scripts optioned/purchased yearly than what’s on that list.

Jody:

Congrats on you first option. I'm very pleased to hear of it. Oh yeah, there are lots of options that nobody ever hears about. Here's a list of all the Inktip options for the past several years. I've had several of them.

https://www.inktip.com/main_total_deals_closed.php

You can only do so many reboots before you have to go original. It happens in waves. When Hollywood looks for original scripts again, I 'm ready with three great scripts and several more that I can dust off. Plus I'm always working on something new. that I can pitch. Looking to get optioned like Jody. Congrats by the way.

On the flipside of that, too, Anthony is that every generation embraces something that is their own. So if I'm making a product...and it did well with the previous generation...and I'm thinking "what do I have to do to make this next generation like my stuff...." well...it kinda goes without saying what I'm gonna do.

HOWEVER, COMMA.....

.....I go to my local theater every week...sometimes twice....and I buy a shitload of DVD's every month, too. But at my local theater....I've seen maybe 60-80 films this year...and less than 10 of them have been re-boots.

Less than 10.

I've seen a lot of really great films....very original films....this year....and the vast majority of them have been extremely entertaining and evocative. And diverse. Very diverse.

And you live in an area that has art-house theaters. You can see Sadie...The Dark...Call Her Ganda....Pendular...Weightless... Once Upon a Superhero....Back Roads.... man...I'm thinking of taking a plane to your neck of the woods...and even if it snows next week....cuz I"m starting to get jealous!

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the screenwriting career is assignments. Sure, they will pay options. It's the cheapest investment. Maybe if you're a successful writer/director like PT Anderson, QTarantino, Woody Allen, then you can come up with original ideas and get it made.

All those screenplays were repped by agents or mangers which is probably why they were optioned and then reported.There are hundreds if not thousands that probably were optioned without representation that didn't get reported.

Erik you are a misinformed POS. Pamela is a very wonderful person and you would do well to not harass her you low-life scum bucket.

I agree with Dan M that there is no selling your script to the Devil. I sent him several query letters and a synopsis and he never even responded but I'll keep trying.

Dear Dan Guardino:

I've reviewed your script and it's not quite what I'm looking for at this time. It's nothing personal and good luck with your future projects.

Warmest Regards,

Satan

And yet another thread drains down the name-callin' sewie hole... I wonder why that is.

An aspiring screenwriter sells his soul in exchange for a deal, and behold, an agent appears.

That agent's body was taken by a high level demon in charge of dealing with soul selling.

The agent gets all 5 screenplays sold(remember, they are cunning, masters of manipulation, so I guess it's not that hard to get them sold for tons of $$$).

The now successful screenwriter regrets his choice. He must fight for his soul, in an Action Horror movie set in Los Angeles.

He battles evil creatures with the help of a mentor figure(an old homeless person who is in fact an angel) whom he helped a lot in the past. The hero's house is now haunted(Think A Haunting).

The final battle takes place at the Agency, where the hero fights the demon-agent(not before fighting his security guards and rogue cops). A horror film for Halloween. Feel free to use.. :)

PS: I couldn't resist writing a story. I hope it means I really am a writer! :(

Thank you for the website, it's great to look at good loglines and a feel for the here and now. I do agree if someone posts just once a year that isn't a good track record for being in the know, but the info is still good.

The odds of actually selling a spec script are so bad that I prefer writing for my network and just bring movies into existence that are the best we can do with the resources we have. At some point odds are better that one of those passion babies will deliver the goods and sell to an audience.

Or, to make it simple, don't bet on lottery-like odds, bet on yourself.

Dominik: true dat. But the odds of selling a really great spec script aren't so bad. And the odds of getting a contract to write a script for someone because they read your really good spec script aren't so bad, either.

And there hasn't ever been a better time - in the history of mankind - to be a screenwriter.

Pretty exciting stuff, for people who love to tell stories and who love to write, you know? Pretty exciting stuff.

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Agree. Would never call a spec a waste of time (or else I wasted a ton of my lifetime). I just don't rely on selling my 'great original' spec and making a career out of it. I consider my specs mostly one of two things; a effective writing sample that could lead to more in the future; or a foundation for something I'm willing to help give birth to myself as a filmmaker. I just know many writers still relying on their one script that's a clear Oscar winner and/or just looking to make a ton of money off it. And that's not my mindset.

A couple of those, yes. But there are some things there they just shouldn't touch. Akira...no. Hollywood already frelled up Ghost in the Shell, why would they try and muck up another anime classic? Dune...There are already something like three different adaptations and they have yet to make something better than David Lynch's. I will admit that I have thought of this in the past and writing a script based on it, but no; you should never EVER take a Kurosawa classic and try to remake it. No one can make it as well as Kurosawa did. If you think you can you're just lying to yourself. Leave it alone! Other than that, most of the rest of it looks good. We'll see what happens. Personally I would like to see more original content out there. We're at a point where TV and film is littered with adaptations, reboots and remakes. To tell you the truth, and it's probably not wise, but it seems a bit lazy. Like there really are no new ideas and we just have to keep rehashing what's already out there. And that's kind of disheartening.

Selling your script doesn't mean you're working with the devil, it depends how much you're willing to give up to sell the script. Grabbing the attention of a reader that will pass the script on to a producer is one of things I worry about, not riding on the coattails of someone else's success. There is just so much reading and listening to advice you can do. If you worry about if you're working with the devil then you're not ready to take plunge into being scriptwriter.

Annette. I agree and I think that is more of an expression than a reality. If you have a screenplay you want to sell a producer will usually pay you what it is worth because they might want to hire you or maybe buy another one of your screenplays someday. At least that has been my experience.

Owen Mowatt which comes first, the spec sale or representation?

Normally representation but not always.

Erik I agree every writer has their own talent.