Screenwriting : Seeking additional screenwriters to help with developing properties by Dita-Marina Obert

And what would the contract look like, meaning what percentage of script sale price would go to the writer who enters into this agreement?

Interested. Please keep me up to date on your project as things transpire.

I am interested in reading the treatments Dita Marina. Please let me know the details. Thank you.

It's a possibility depending on the concepts

Please send me all your treatments if you don't mind to causalart@gmail.com Question: if I have a completed screenplay that comes close to any of your concepts are you interested?

Not at this time. We have too many projects to develop. Perhaps you can send us an excerpt from your screenplay so we can get an idea on your writing style.

I'd be interested in a contemporary drama. Looking to turn one around fairly soon.

I would be in interested helping too

Hi Dita-Marina, Do you have money to pay? We are three writers here at Alcyone Pictures. www.alcyonepictures.com Check the comments from producers regarding our screenplay, THE SPIRAL PATH. All my best, Michael

Not at this time. We have finished about a dozen treatments. One of them is being adapted into a movie script by a script consultant at this time. All our work is done on Spec. Depending on the collaborative input, we would be willing to pay 15% to 20% of the gross of any properties/scripts that sell.

Everyone interested in collaborating with us on one or more scripts, please send at least one excerpt of two different genres to: pix4you@verizon.net so we can get an idea of your writing style. We will then decide which of our treatments we'll send out for you to choose to work on. No obligation to pick one.

A writer's agreement with specifics would be needed as well ))

Who is your manager this is a very odd arrangement I must say.....

why don't you write them youself instead of just churning out idea after idea?

When we started writing in the Spring and Summer of 2011, my writing partner came up with dozens of ideas. We have about fifty treatments of different length and would like to turn some of them into scripts, but we can't possibly do them all ourselves.

Of course, a writer's agreement goes without saying. We would have a separate agreement with every collaborator.

Received your email and will be able to take a look by Sunday evening.

Hello Dita, I'd be interested in this. I'm going to send you sample--from two different genres. Thanks.

http://gipsyproject.wix.com/invest

This is a rip-off, people

@Tim. what are you referring to, Tim? :-)

@Veronica - They're looking for screenwriters to write scripts for them with no guarantee of payment. Just because they have a treatment doesn't mean they have a story. Everyone has an idea. And no writer should write an entire screenplay, give her a co-writer credit, then not get paid.

@Tim That's not exactly true. "All our work is done on Spec. Depending on the collaborative input, we would be willing to pay 15% to 20% of the gross of any properties/scripts that sell." The key phrase here "All our work is done on Spec." It goes without saying that a writer's agreement should be in place that outlines remuneration and writer credit arrangement before the writer types Fade In. Seeing as we're mostly all amateurs here, aren't we all writing on spec anyway? This would be worthwhile to pursue if Obert has legitimate connections and a project can realistically be produced. It's a gamble, for sure. A writer has to weigh the pros and cons as it applies to their personal situation and what their goals are as a writer. ps. You don't know who Obert knows or doesn't know (or anyone else lurking this thread). Badmouthing a legitimate project in a public forum has ripple effects. It's all about connections and first impressions, people.

@Monique - If you're writing on spec anyways, it's better to not cut your profit by 80-85% because of a mysterious Stage32 post. Unless she names somebody, this just looks like a snake-oil salesman trying to make a quick buck selling others' scripts.

What profit? Oh, you mean profit from a hypothetical spec sale? I don't have anyone beating down my door begging to buy my script, but if you do, then more power to you. All I'm saying, it's worth looking into. Any and every opportunity is worth looking into, as long as one does their due diligence.

@Tim@Monique I can see both of your points of view and that of so many people that have posted on here. We all (each Stage 32 member) have something in common, though. We are all creative and we want (our projects, our dreams) to become success stories. Money's important too, because we have to pay bills, but we first started with our hopes and a dream. I recently, was very disappointed, after I put all my hopes in one project--for several months. I evidently lost a friend and mentor because I needed to have certainty--in where things were going--because I have a daughter that I need to be able to provide for, to ensure she has a better future. I was really sad, because I felt I not only put all my hopes into something--that was never to be--I felt I lost a friend, too. I also learned something else, we get over disappointment, things not panning out. I think the reason is--as creatives--we have a burning need to see our projects come to life--and that's a strong motivator indeed. Much luck to all of us--in seeing our dreams come to life--here on Stage 32. :-)

I wrote that when one of these scripts sell, my writing partner and I would pay 15% to 20% to the screenwriter who helped finish that script. I would like to add that that particular writer would also receive writing credit for the script.

We do have to pay our agent and our manager a percentage of the gross. This amounts to 30% total which only leaves 70% to be split between the collaborating parties. The script consultant who is polishing one of our treatments and turning it into a mini script was willing to accept 20% of the gross for her services. In any case most terms are not set in stone and could always be negotiable.

We are represented by the Fred R. Price Literary Agency, if anyone wants to check out the company. Mr. Price took us on in 2011 purely on the recommendation of our manager.

Just call me "DIDI" - "Obert" is my last name.

Mea Culpa! As I wrote just recently, almost anything is negotiable, and would depend on the talent of the individual writer. There s also no obligation to work on any projects. I would not be determining the final pay-out since I am only an associate writer. The writers would have to negotiate their commissions with our manager, agent and my writing partner - the principal writer. I am just a facilitator in these transactions.

@Laura If a project is a WGA signatory, then it would be subject to WGA minimums. If it is not (which most indies are not), then there are no required minimums. It can range anywhere from $0 with deferred payment to a percentage of script sale or gross total budget. I feel Didi has been pretty forthcoming about what is expected. She's not obligating any writer to work with her. If you don't like the terms, then fine, move along. No use beating a dead horse. In my humble, amateur opinion, a potential writing credit is worth gold; the pay is a bonus.

My writing partner and I believe that once we get our foot in the door with a script that is bought/optioned, there will be more opportunities to write others with perhaps an advance.

I would like to add that we have not registered any project with the WGA only with the LOC.

Thanks for the education. I am still learning the ropes.

Thank you, Laura!

Hee Hee, got a giggle from reading this thread and all the different opinions. Truth is I am an experienced produced writer and have some 15 treatments ready to go and have to manage my time to get these stories onto paper. I wouldn't try to get someone else to write them as they are my stories and are 100% owned by me. I assume the assisting screenwriter will receive a credit and be the first credit as writer ??? Dita... I would manage your time better and get to work like the rest of us. Very little is gained if you don't do it yourself. You are better off having control over your own work. Good Luck... Alex

Thank you for your input. Do you have more advice for a newbie screenwriter? Any advice is always welcome.

To add to my above comment. You have assumed correctly. The assisting screenwriter would receive the first credit as writer on the finished script.

Hey Dita, I thought that may have been the case. Try Writer Arena to learn the art of screenwriting. Here is a link to the site http://forum.writerarena.com/ I am also a moderator on the site. You can also go to the forum at http://forum.writerarena.com/index.php?action=forum Good luck.

Alex, Thanks for the additional info.