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Price?
- Thread starter afac81a
- Start date
If you are a unproduced writer without a strong track record in
animation you will find it very difficult to get that kind of money
for your script.
Animation is the most difficult genre to break into. There are only
a handful of prodCo's and studios producing animated features
and those that do, develop their scripts in house. I am unaware
of any spec script ever sold and produced. In your research do you
know of any?
That said, you can ask for any sale price you like.
animation you will find it very difficult to get that kind of money
for your script.
Animation is the most difficult genre to break into. There are only
a handful of prodCo's and studios producing animated features
and those that do, develop their scripts in house. I am unaware
of any spec script ever sold and produced. In your research do you
know of any?
That said, you can ask for any sale price you like.
I know of a few, and only a few that accept animation screenplays from the outside. However, I have my script being reviewed by a production company (not as big as Disney) & if they are interested, they will ask how much I want for it. That's why I'm asking if $300,000 is to much or to little. Please throw me some prices. I really don't know.
Since you don't want to tell us the name of the prodCo
there is no way of knowing what a fair asking price is. If
they usually offer in the $300,000 range then you are
within that range for that company. If they typically offer
much less, then your asking price is too high.
$300,000 is a very high number for a first time writer.
WGA minimum is around $80,000. It's very rare that a
prodCo will ask you how much you want. Most likely is they
will offer you an option on the script and you will negotiate
from there. But then I don't know much about prodCo's
that produce animated features.
What spec animation scripts have been sold and produced?
I'd love to add a little more information to my ever growing
knowledge of the industry. I can't a single example of a spec
script for animation ever selling to any company. And what
animation companies accecpt screenplay submissions? I've
worked for Disney for so long my scope of knowledge is a
little limited.
there is no way of knowing what a fair asking price is. If
they usually offer in the $300,000 range then you are
within that range for that company. If they typically offer
much less, then your asking price is too high.
$300,000 is a very high number for a first time writer.
WGA minimum is around $80,000. It's very rare that a
prodCo will ask you how much you want. Most likely is they
will offer you an option on the script and you will negotiate
from there. But then I don't know much about prodCo's
that produce animated features.
What spec animation scripts have been sold and produced?
I'd love to add a little more information to my ever growing
knowledge of the industry. I can't a single example of a spec
script for animation ever selling to any company. And what
animation companies accecpt screenplay submissions? I've
worked for Disney for so long my scope of knowledge is a
little limited.
I know that it's rarely known for a BIG animation company like Disney to purchase from the outside. I simply searched under production hub & got a list of animation production companies & asked each of them if they would accept my submission. A few of them said they would look at it in the beginning of next year & one company is reviewing the script at this time. In the last email I received from him, (the one that is reviewing the script) he asked how much I want for it as an option price & I told him $300,000. I later asked (2 days later) if the price I was asking is to high or low. Haven't heard back from him yet. That's why I'm asking everyone here if that price is alright.
afac81a
Will you like to share the names and web links of Pro houses who have interest in Screenplay from outside?
this will be a great info for us. I hope you will share this useful and important info with us
Regards
_____________________________
www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
Will you like to share the names and web links of Pro houses who have interest in Screenplay from outside?
this will be a great info for us. I hope you will share this useful and important info with us
Regards
_____________________________
www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
just forgot to mention one thing afac81a from my point of view. I think you have opened your cards. You should have asked this question earlier at the forum that your demand of 3 lacks is fine or not . I dont know why but its just my intitution saying that your cards are open and now its more hard to convince them for the amount you are demanding.
_____________________________
www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
_____________________________
www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
So you have already asked for $300,000. When the exec gets
back to you, you will know better than any of us if that price was
right or not. The good news is, if they really like the script, they
will make another offer. A company that really likes a script won't
dismiss it out of hand if the writer asks too much - they will make
a counter offer.
Would you mind mentioning the prodCo's that said they would
look at your script?
back to you, you will know better than any of us if that price was
right or not. The good news is, if they really like the script, they
will make another offer. A company that really likes a script won't
dismiss it out of hand if the writer asks too much - they will make
a counter offer.
Would you mind mentioning the prodCo's that said they would
look at your script?
we all are willing to know about the prod CO. lets see when afac81a replies
_____________________________
www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
_____________________________
www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
I'm uncomfortable giving the production companies & personal names out...but I will give you the sites where I got the contacts:
http://www.productionhub.com (just search for Animation Production Companies)
http://directory.designer.com (again...search for Animation Production Companies)
http://www.backstage.com (same as above)
I've gotten most of my contacts from Production Hub. Just email them & ask if they are accepting any submissions. That's what I did & got 15 responses to see my animation script.
Good Luck!
Michele
http://www.productionhub.com (just search for Animation Production Companies)
http://directory.designer.com (again...search for Animation Production Companies)
http://www.backstage.com (same as above)
I've gotten most of my contacts from Production Hub. Just email them & ask if they are accepting any submissions. That's what I did & got 15 responses to see my animation script.
Good Luck!
Michele
Why so secretive? I'm not asking for your personal contacts - only
the names of production companies that agreed to read your script.
Since they are publicly listed they are not trying to hide from other
writers. Your information could be of great help to your fellow writers.
the names of production companies that agreed to read your script.
Since they are publicly listed they are not trying to hide from other
writers. Your information could be of great help to your fellow writers.
Thanks for the links. I was little surprised when you said that you are not comfortable telling the links. We all are friends of each other and sharing anything which is publicly listed will not create aproblem for you. Instead of this if we had asked for your script that should have been a problem for you 
regards
_____________________________
www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
regards
_____________________________
www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
Now that I have a little more information I can tell with that
your asking price is too high.
Premiere Pictures in San Francisco produces limited, live action
pictures and no animation. As a sales rep they have brokered
distribution deals for small animated features but so far they
have never produced one.
I couldn’t find any information on Cubex other than a software
developer or on Animation-Age
I know Pauline at 3DMagic. They are service provider and don’t
produce features. If they decide to go into that business, your
asking price for their first feature is too high.
your asking price is too high.
Premiere Pictures in San Francisco produces limited, live action
pictures and no animation. As a sales rep they have brokered
distribution deals for small animated features but so far they
have never produced one.
I couldn’t find any information on Cubex other than a software
developer or on Animation-Age
I know Pauline at 3DMagic. They are service provider and don’t
produce features. If they decide to go into that business, your
asking price for their first feature is too high.
Guys-Please do your homework & go to the below sites & ask each & every one of them if they accept submissions. That's what I did. I got at least 15-20 responses. I have four production companies that are looking at my animation screenplay at the present time. How did I get that? Simple-I just went to their web site & emailed them. You can do the same.
http://www.productionhub.com (just search for Animation Production Companies)
http://directory.designer.com (again...search for Animation Production Companies)
http://www.backstage.com (same as above)
Here's a few companies that are currently viewing my script:
www.3dmagicfactory.com Contact name: Kerry
www.usanimationsales.com Contact name: Dave
www.waringentertainment.com Contact name: Jeff
I am in touch with Premiere Pictures. They are viewing my script. The contact name is Dave. Animation-age is UK based. The contact name is Ralph. I do not have the site, but do have an email address. I don't want to give his address. Cubex is a software company (not animation in features) However, they are interested in doing their first animated feature. The contact name is Asif.
Like I mentioned before---I asked a company for $300,000 for my script. They said that they will get back in touch with me. If I hear anything...You guys will be the first to know! Please-Please do your homework & contact each company & see if they will accept your script. I Never thought that anyone would accept mine, but stuck out my gut & asked. Now I have between 15-20 responses. Try it!
http://www.productionhub.com (just search for Animation Production Companies)
http://directory.designer.com (again...search for Animation Production Companies)
http://www.backstage.com (same as above)
Here's a few companies that are currently viewing my script:
www.3dmagicfactory.com Contact name: Kerry
www.usanimationsales.com Contact name: Dave
www.waringentertainment.com Contact name: Jeff
I am in touch with Premiere Pictures. They are viewing my script. The contact name is Dave. Animation-age is UK based. The contact name is Ralph. I do not have the site, but do have an email address. I don't want to give his address. Cubex is a software company (not animation in features) However, they are interested in doing their first animated feature. The contact name is Asif.
Like I mentioned before---I asked a company for $300,000 for my script. They said that they will get back in touch with me. If I hear anything...You guys will be the first to know! Please-Please do your homework & contact each company & see if they will accept your script. I Never thought that anyone would accept mine, but stuck out my gut & asked. Now I have between 15-20 responses. Try it!
Excellent news!
Then it seems the answer to your first question is: $300,000 seems about right.
If it's your first deal and there is no bidding war or competition, $300k is probably unrealistic.
If the company that buys the script is a WGA signatory, you can probably expect WGA min - and usually plus 10% to cover agent fees. If the company is non-sig, they can pay you whatever they want to pay you - but that's usually going to be well under WGA min. The bigger the company, the more they can pay you. Disney can pay you more than some small animation house that isn't selling the Extra Special Fake Wide Screen Ultra Special Super Edition of SNOW WHITE on DVD.
I don't write animation, but there's some foggy memory in my noggin that most of it is *not* covered by WGA.
The other thing about animation is that so much of it is written in house.
- Bill
If the company that buys the script is a WGA signatory, you can probably expect WGA min - and usually plus 10% to cover agent fees. If the company is non-sig, they can pay you whatever they want to pay you - but that's usually going to be well under WGA min. The bigger the company, the more they can pay you. Disney can pay you more than some small animation house that isn't selling the Extra Special Fake Wide Screen Ultra Special Super Edition of SNOW WHITE on DVD.
I don't write animation, but there's some foggy memory in my noggin that most of it is *not* covered by WGA.
The other thing about animation is that so much of it is written in house.
- Bill
Well great. I am gaining lot of info
Regards
____________________________
www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
Regards
____________________________
www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
Bill's correct...
Most animation is not covered by the WGA and this being a possible first feature, $300K is, in my very humble opinion, probably not going to happen but I think it's a decent enough figure for negotiating down from.
But even though most animation isn't covered by the WGA, a lot of places still use WGA minimums as a guideline... So you may want to familiarize yourself with same.
Good luck with it!
filmy
Most animation is not covered by the WGA and this being a possible first feature, $300K is, in my very humble opinion, probably not going to happen but I think it's a decent enough figure for negotiating down from.
But even though most animation isn't covered by the WGA, a lot of places still use WGA minimums as a guideline... So you may want to familiarize yourself with same.
Good luck with it!
filmy