Fellow screenwriters: what are your thoughts on writing for small productions that may want your script, but not pay up front. We've all seen solicitations for these. How you do balance the possibilty of your script being made into a film with not seeing any compensation right way or maybe never.
Screenwriting : To Spec or not by Patricia Santos Marcantonio
To Spec or not
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Are you talking about a free option, or are you talking about someone wanting to shoot an actual movie and not pay you for the script?
Never mind, I get it: you're talking about work for hire, unpaid, right?
Always make them pay something up front. A "small production company" who doesn't pay can collect a library of people's free scripts and let them collect dust, just in case they happen to meet someone who might want to fund them, which they never will. Make them pay so they'll take your script seriously. It'll be worth to them exactly what they pay for it.
Thanks for the great comments. I think if there is potential for growth or an opportunity. Take it. Money is not everything. Potential is. Growth is.
before someone can offer you a huge sum amount of value papers, they have to believe in your works. How to do it? Simple... Write a great screenplay and fight for its production, for free or with little on the table and if it hits the top spot, Name the price for anything you'll right there after
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If you do take on something like this, get it in writing that you own the script until you get paid, maybe after a suitable "blackout" period so they can set it up. If you're going to take on this risk, then if the deal falls through you want some documentation (not just a verbal agreement) that ownership of the material reverts to you, so that you can shop it around on your own.
Shelley has it exactly right. You can't write for free on hire, giving away your time like that. Instead, you own what you write and OPTION it to them (for a generous time period, if you like). But if they never make the movie, once the option expires it's yours to sell elsewhere. This could be a time-consuming process. They're going to demand a lot of revisions, etc. It's a cliche, but time is money. Your supposed to give them your time/money for the privilege of producing your script? No legit producer can ask you to do that.
Make them pay for the option. Not just a dollar, at least a few hundred, if not more. Otherwise your script will collect dust for six months while the producer promotes the scripts hes REALLY invested in.
If they actually value your contribution, they'll pay you for it. I had a terrible experience doing development for a project where I, the writer, was the only unpaid person in the room- for SEVEN MONTHS. Kindness and connections are great, but you deserve the respect of being treated like a professional and professionals get paid, even if it's only a token amount and a contract for more later.
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I think these are experiences a lot of screenwriters face, especially those just starting out. A guy still owes me a hundred bucks. live and learn