Your Stage : My second movie is released by Jerry Robbins

That's terrific, Jerry! Good for you and best wishes for future success! How long have you been writing for before your first sale hit?

Congratulations, Jerry Robbins! Incredible poster! Looking forward to seeing this.

Michael David - Thank you!! I started my first screenplay in 2009 - had no idea what I was going, and ended up doing 65 drafts on that first script over the next 8 years (not full time as I was writing audio dramas as well). But lots of coverage notes and reading recommended books improved draft after draft. That first script is how I learned - and it went on to be a QF in the Academy Nicholl Fellowship (I still don't know how that happened!). LAKE HOLLOW sold nine years after I started writing screenplays, and it was my third or fourth script. A major setback for me was that I have 26 years of writing audio dramas - 480 of them. Learning how to "show, don't tell" was a major obstacle.

Thanks, Maurice Vaughan ! I think Vision Films did the poster - it's very moody and sets the tone for certain!

You're welcome, Jerry Robbins. Ok, thanks. I'll keep Vision Films in mind for a poster.

Maurice Vaughan I think they only do posters on the movies they distribute. We had another one that the director created before Vision took on the movie.

Congratulations Jerry Robbins!!! How did you connect with the company who bought your script?

Can you imagine me calling up Vision Films to make a poster for a movie they aren't distributing, Jerry Robbins? Haha

Emily J Hi Emily - thank you! The producer found it on C.J. Walley's SCRIPT REVOLUTION.

Jerry Robbins congratulations, Jerry on that success. I will try and check it out on Sky. How did you find the process of selling your script? Is there any wisdom you could share with the community?

awesome!

W00T! W00T! Best of luck with all that's coming.

Congrats!!

Congrats Jerry!!!

That's great, Jerry Robbins!

Congrats, looks awesome!

Geoff Hall - A friend who works in sound design wanted to show it to the director who had just done a horror movie, so I sent it over. In the meantime, I listed it on Script Revolution. Just a few days later I got a message from a director/producer asking if the script was available (he had downloaded it and read it). I said yes, however, I wanted to give the other director time to look at it, since I sent it to him first and a friend was involved. After three weeks, I had heard nothing back, sent an email about the status, was ignored, and so I contacted the director/producer on Script Revolution and asked if he was interested. He was, and we did the option and sale.

My second movie was with Lionsgate, and there was no negotiation. They offered a take it or leave it price, and I took it. I could have held out and tried to negotiate, but I thought getting a Lionsgate movie credit was just as important... so I took the offer. Both movies were ready to start when COVID hit, but they both made it through and were produced and released.

I don't really have any wisdom on the matter, except that both scripts were as good as I could get them when they were discovered. - and that's my advice. Whatever you have out there, make sure it's the best it can possibly be. There may not be a second chance with that one producer looking for a particular story.

My Lionsgate script had gone through three rounds of script notes with the Screenplay Gurus and finally got a double recommend coverage rating. I don't think the script would have sold if I hadn't have done those rewrites - they transformed the story and made it stronger.

The funny thing is, both my sales were discovered on hosting sites - just sitting there... and I've had about 13 options over the years the same way. On the other hand, I have done hundreds of pitches and query letters and got a script request here and there and in the end, nothing came of them -- but don't get me wrong -- I still pitch. If a script doesn't sell, then it wasn't the right time or fit. Perfect your script as best you can, and I truly believe that a dose of luck is just as important.

So cool Jerry Robbins ! I can't wait to see it. Thrilled for you!

Interesting stories, Jerry. Thank you for sharing your experiences and wise advice - making the script the best it can be. Congratulations on two credits and may you have many more.

Jerry Robbins thank you, Jerry. Do you find that hosting sites work better for certain genres, like horror?

Geoff Hall I think it's more about budget than genres. I have had options on several of my Romcoms and westerns as well as horror - all in the 500,000 to 1mm range. I also have three "blockbuster" budget movies that had just sat there with no interest.

Lower budget definitely helps. I typically write in the medium budget range - $10 to $30 million range - because I write what I like which is a budget large enough to have excellent production value but yet small enough to take a few risks in the storytelling. With the success of GODZILLA MINUS ONE and other mid budget films done in the $15 million range, I have hope my work is of more interest to more Producers. But yes, budget does play a big role in whether a story is a good fit or not for a Producer, Generally speaking, the lower your budget, the better your chances are of getting an option or sale.

Jerry Robbins thanks Jerry!

L. Tom Deaver thanks!!