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Buying a short script
- Thread starter AmateurD
- Start date
Depends on the quality of the writer...
and your intentions with the short
and your intentions with the short
500$ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what can he offer from his side other than your ideA in that script.
perfect script - 800- 1000 $
what can he offer from his side other than your ideA in that script.
perfect script - 800- 1000 $
Cheap people aren't good and good people aren't cheap. To me, $500 seems like nowhere land. Too much to pay a crappy writer but too little to pay a great writer.
Who knows, you might find a down-and-out great writer who needs money to eat.
Part of the equation is also who you are. If you were the next hot director you may find a great writer who is looking to break in willing to to ride your coat tails. If you're a nobody, they're unlikely to do you the same deal.
Who knows, you might find a down-and-out great writer who needs money to eat.
Part of the equation is also who you are. If you were the next hot director you may find a great writer who is looking to break in willing to to ride your coat tails. If you're a nobody, they're unlikely to do you the same deal.
That's an excellent price. It shows you respect the writer as you do
other members of the team. Offer that and you'll get a flood of scripts.
Far more than you can handle. Pick the one that's right for you. That
way you don't find yourself is the dilemma Sweetie mentions.
Clearly $500 for a $1,000 total budget is unrealistic. A good standard
to consider is 3% of the budget. I can anticipate a few people here asking
how do you know the budget before you even have a screenplay. For
most short film makers we know how much we have to spend - that's
what I'm talking about. So if you have $5,000 to spend on your short
film then $300 is a fair fee to pay.
Depends on you and the writer. Let's be honest, most scriptwriters will never see their scripts made into films nor have the initiative to film the scripts themselves. Many will drop $500 on mailing off copies to agencies, producers or even to put them in contests. Others out there will post ads offering to write your idea up as a script for payment. Some are simply looking to make a fast buck from someone who thinks their great idea will make a great script, making them millions.
First, it's not a good idea to hold out the money. You should indicate you are willing to negotiate payment. You run the risk of driving off a good writer while attracting bad ones. It's good that you have a budgeted amount in mind, but keep that to yourself. Ask for quotes from the writers.
Second, get samples from the writer. You want to see examples and be able to "kick the tires" before you spend your money. I've compiled the first 2-3 pages of several of my scripts into one file that I can forward to potential companies. This allows them to see my style along with their loglines. If the person writing your idea can't properly format a script or engage you in the first 2-3 pages, then you may want to question if they should be writing your idea. If a writer refuses to provide an example, then I would be hesitant to proceed.
Third, what are the perks? Writers like to get credit. If you simply are paying someone to write up your idea, that can be a "work for hire" situation, meaning you hold the copyright. You also get the future benefits. As a writer, I charge more when I don't get credit ("ghostwriting" or "script doctoring"). So a perk could be credit, a percentage of profit, and/or other role in the production. Not all writers also act, but it is a useful way to get reel and acting credits.
Fourth, ask the writer what they want. Treat it as a negotiation. Unless your film is covered by union rules, payments are negotiable. I'm not saying you want to go back and forth endlessly. Having requested samples, you have two writers in mind. Approach your first choice and ask what he would like to write your short (10-25 pages) with credit. If s/he comes back with an outrageous sum, you can re-approach with a closer ballpark. If it's still too extreme, you can move to the second on your list. I've also been approached to write the first three pages of how I'd approach an idea as part of an interview. I'm fine with that. Some writers are not. They're afraid you'll steal their idea. However, it is a good way to see if you and the writer are a good fit.
Fifth, discuss payment arrangements. All writers work differently. When you work with a writer, realize that all correspondence is legal documentation. Email is a "written verbal contract". So don't promise what you are not prepared to deliver. It is best to have a written contract that you each sign, but don't think that just because you don't have signed contracts you can not pay. Expect you will need to make two or three payments.
The amount is tricky. As many tell writers, your script is only worth what some will pay for it. As a writer, I have friends who option their scripts for $5000 or more. They will often refuse to accept less. Since I work with many indies, I know most don't have that kind of cash flow out of the gate. A general suggestion, don't go below $10 per page. So a 30 minute short is roughly $300 and a 100 page script is $1000. This is below the typical option price ($5000) and well below union price ($14,000). However, it is reasonable given the time it takes to craft a project. To attract or reward talent, you can always go higher. It's not unusual to have a "box office" clause. If the film wins an award or tops the box office, there is a bonus for the writer.
As an independent contractor to a company, often the work is considered "for hire". And it depends largely on the project. I have sometimes helped out on projects because they interest me. I'm willing to take less or simply take credit as an actor or other role.
Involved in that, you have the draft script which you, as producer/director, can comment on and make changes. Then one or two "free" revisions, depending on your agreement. Writers normally will charge for additional revisions. Normally writers are paid in three installments, a third upon initiation, a third upon deliver of the first draft and the final third on the last polish. That can be negotiated and sometimes the writer will take a smaller amount and allow the rest to be deferred, though often for a few points for net profits.
Is $500 reasonable? For a short (under 45 page), very low budget indie production, yes. Can you get by with lower, possibly. As others have commented, you sometimes get what you pay for. However, like Stephen King's dollar babies, you can also find very talented screenwriters willing to help out on a budget for up & coming directors. If you sign union actors, however, expect that price to jump significantly because usually one union will require recognition of other unions/guilds. I know of one company that went from non-union to ultra low-budget SAG and it led to problems. Union/guild issues are another thread.
I'd say that to pay for a script you must know the writer's previous work and therefore say "I want to shoot a movie just like the way you'd write it". Otherwise you won't know what you'll get.
As a contradiction to what others say here: I never charge, but I keep the rights to the script by me and them producing the short get the shooting rights for free. They own what they produce and I own what I produce. Meaning, I can later use all the development work that I do for a feature, without asking anybody for permission.
As a contradiction to what others say here: I never charge, but I keep the rights to the script by me and them producing the short get the shooting rights for free. They own what they produce and I own what I produce. Meaning, I can later use all the development work that I do for a feature, without asking anybody for permission.
Thanks a lot for all your replies!
FantasySciFi that's really some good input, thank you for the time and effort to write it.
The writer was a moderator in Done Deal Pro forums and some of the stuff he wrote made the quarterfinals of Austin Film Festivals, another one also won the best pitch at Pitch Fest at Sony Studios and another short film became part of American Radio Broadcast History. Dont know if that's awesome, good or average, since i'm unaware of those festivals reputation, but I admit i didn't read any script he wrote yet.
Those $500 are for a 10 minute script, 1/2 up front and 1/2 after polished script. That's 2 rewrites and 1 polished. The budget for the film would be mostly for the script since i'd try to find actors who are willing to work for free, paying obviously all of their costs and good meals.
Of course i'd like to write and direct my ideas but i'm finding difficult to develop them, i've only wrote 1 short film and that was 5 years ago and i obviously lack experience and skill.
A co-writer would be a good thing but can't find anyone near where i live.
Thanks a lot to you all.
FantasySciFi that's really some good input, thank you for the time and effort to write it.
The writer was a moderator in Done Deal Pro forums and some of the stuff he wrote made the quarterfinals of Austin Film Festivals, another one also won the best pitch at Pitch Fest at Sony Studios and another short film became part of American Radio Broadcast History. Dont know if that's awesome, good or average, since i'm unaware of those festivals reputation, but I admit i didn't read any script he wrote yet.
Those $500 are for a 10 minute script, 1/2 up front and 1/2 after polished script. That's 2 rewrites and 1 polished. The budget for the film would be mostly for the script since i'd try to find actors who are willing to work for free, paying obviously all of their costs and good meals.
Of course i'd like to write and direct my ideas but i'm finding difficult to develop them, i've only wrote 1 short film and that was 5 years ago and i obviously lack experience and skill.
A co-writer would be a good thing but can't find anyone near where i live.
Thanks a lot to you all.
a cowriter doesn't have to be local.
I created a thread about this a few months ago.
You can use online collaboration software to write to the same document in real time. add to that a headset and a cellphone, or voip and you have yourself a co-writer.
I created a thread about this a few months ago.
You can use online collaboration software to write to the same document in real time. add to that a headset and a cellphone, or voip and you have yourself a co-writer.
I'm happy that the arrangement has worked well in getting your scripts produced. It may work well with smaller projects but would not fly with larger indie studios which have business models. I'm always clear regarding copyright in contracts whether money is involved or not.
That is often a dangerous route though, not having a contractual arrangement. Especially from the producer/director's standpoint. Let's say they make a highly successful comic action hero film from your script. They are then offered big money to make a sequel. From your statement, you don't have any rights to their profits. From their standpoint, they don't want you writing contradictory material. Nor could they necessarily make the sequel. However, they could also trademark the characters requiring you to now purchase the right to use the characters. We've seen this recently with the fight over Marvel characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It was a hotly contested case of whether Kirby's creations were work-for-hire or freelance. Even Sherlock Holmes is contestable. While copyright conventions set certain basic rules, countries often extend or interpret rules differently.
Check out the following to articles to understand this more fully:
http://www.rightsofwriters.com/2011/04/copyright-in-fictional-characters-can-i.html
http://www.ivanhoffman.com/characters.html
The last is by Ivan Hoffman who is a famous intellectual properties lawyer. Drawing from his article is this particularly important section
"Some (but certainly not all) of the legal problems with the copyright protection of characters come when those characters are taken from one medium to another. For instance, a character created in a book (whether just textually described or depicted) is owned, at least presumptively, by the author or other copyright proprietor of such rights in the book. If the book is then licensed for motion picture use, for example, then the rights of copyright in the motion picture are likely to be owned the production company, distributor or some other party but in any instance, generally not the author or copyright proprietor of the source book. Thus, even though the motion picture features and may be very successful in marketing the character, the underlying rights to the character generally belong to the original author or other copyright proprietor in the book. However, because the motion picture in this example was an authorized, licensed derivative work, then the owner of the rights of copyright in and to the motion picture would, at least absent any contractual provisions, also own the rights of copyright in and to the character as depicted in the motion picture. This sort of “dual ownership” is clearly an unsatisfactory set of circumstances and thus, in any written agreement for the licensing of such rights from book to picture, the issue of rights of ownership of the licensed story and character must be essential provisions (among many other provisions of course)."
To protect themselves, most producers will option or purchase the copyright from the original screenwriter. If you are paid to write a script, technically that is a "work for hire". Being given credit is not required. That is different from a purchase or option of an independent script which you wrote without request. But in some cases, credit is given because a writer can bring some credibility to investors. They want to acquire copyright so there are no conflicts over ownership.
Copyright is about who has the right to profit from a creation, its adaptation and subsequent development. That's an important consideration for a co-writer. If you have a dispute with a co-writer, you ARE NOT legally entitled to make the film. You need to purchase future rights from your co-writer. It is easier for a studio to use inhouse writers because they aren't entitled to claim copyright. But as writer or producer/director, it is important to contractually lay out copyright ownership. Especially if you hope to profit from writing (which is always nice).
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@FantasySciFi Yes, it is very complicated with the law, even if there are clear rules. One still better put his trust in the law, focus on your writing and try not to become greedy. First, make sure you're better than the rest because then you don't have to ask to get paid, they ask you if they can pay in advance... And in big productions, who the hell wants the writer's opinion? You're just supposed to deliver something so remarkable that no one even gets how genius it is before it hits the market.