All I ever read is that this is extremely hard and it's getting harder by the minute. It's very discouraging to hear this and it seems like the hardest task ever. Do you think this will ever become a little easier now that the economy is recovering, or will this still be the stuff of dreams?
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Will it ever be easier to sell screenplays?
- Thread starter victortiti89
- Start date
If you want, I'll have a quick read of it (the one you cannot sell) for you. No fee. Send me a PM. I won't give you detailed feedback as I am too busy but I will give you objective feedback and ID any core issues.
I'll provide the feedback directly back to you. It will not be posted on this forum.
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Tarantino was not an unknown at that point. He previously DIRECTED a SUCCESSFUL feature that got him recognized through studios. And no, I'm not going to take Reservoir Dogs as an example. Below you state how he was hungry and determined. We're not arguing how hungry and determined you should be. Most people on this forum are hungry for success and are just determined as he was, in fact, most filmmakers are. Screenwriters that are recognized by studios aren't unknowns. Throughout the time I've been here, I'm yet to hear of an unknown screenwriter that achieved that kind of success in the last 10, no, 15 years.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Are you serious? Do you recall the thread where you discouraged a guy about his script due to his twisting of sense and logic, then proceeded mock him saying that you have a script idea about "A clinically insane poster on a screenplay forum types in a slurry of maniacal posts focusing on depraved graveyard necrophilia", tried to argue how scientifically accurate Superman is, then told me how much Being John Malkovich and Lost Highway make sense and don't bend logic in anyway whatsoever.
I'd express my concerns if I'd had any (which none have been posted yet), then give him the best advice I could give.
........Scanners!
Chimp, Tarantino was NOT well known at all before Reservoir Dogs. He worked at a freekin' Video store! And a cheap, poorly-produced 16mm B&W 70 minute movie cut down to 36 minutes because of a fire and was thusly never officially released hardly qualifies for "He previously DIRECTED a SUCCESSFUL feature that got him recognized through studios."
The "Sleeping with Dead Socialists" guy was a very bad abstract artist. His heart wasn't in it. The only hungry part about him was his wallet. ...And yes, I would have probably ragged on Tarantino's idea if he left out the heist.
Most people are NOT hungry on this forum. Most are just going through the motions. Many don't have a clue what they are doing. Some have the knowledge and desire, but lack the faith. I have yet to see a "Hungry Poster" (or a chimp) post something truly provocative on this forum.
-Birdman
Chimp, Tarantino was NOT well known at all before Reservoir Dogs. He worked at a freekin' Video store! And a cheap, poorly-produced 16mm B&W 70 minute movie cut down to 36 minutes because of a fire and was thusly never officially released hardly qualifies for "He previously DIRECTED a SUCCESSFUL feature that got him recognized through studios."
The "Sleeping with Dead Socialists" guy was a very bad abstract artist. His heart wasn't in it. The only hungry part about him was his wallet. ...And yes, I would have probably ragged on Tarantino's idea if he left out the heist.
Most people are NOT hungry on this forum. Most are just going through the motions. Many don't have a clue what they are doing. Some have the knowledge and desire, but lack the faith. I have yet to see a "Hungry Poster" (or a chimp) post something truly provocative on this forum.
-Birdman
You were talking about Pulp Fiction. I was telling you about how Reservoir Dogs was a successful film. I refused to accept the example of Reservoir Dogs because that was not made by sending it directly to a studio. Sorry for that, I could have worded by post better.
I don't think we can truly know the motivations and heart of an artist through words on a screen.
I disagree. You'd be surprised by the amount of successful people and creators of provocative work. I've read screenplays by people on this forum that are motivated, and have crafted some truly amazing pieces. A guy a while a back had posted his script, and honestly, it stayed with me, I was truly blown away by it.
Well, thank you for telling me this. What in my work do you think I need to improve? You can easily find my channel.
...Nowhere have I EVER posted about sending a script directly to a studio. You keep posting this and I don't understand why? In fact, it has nothing to do with this thread at all? My "Pulp Fiction" example fully met the requirements of your "Show me examples" challenge regarding, "If there are studios that won't look at a blockbuster script because they just don't care, all that does is open the door for new, emerging, more "hungry" studios to cash in."
...You learn a hell of a lot about people through their words.
...So your best argument about me posting, "Most people are NOT hungry on this forum." is an response that begins with, "A guy a while a back..."? .............I rest my case!
...I don't know what you need to improve? Only you can determine that for yourself. All I said is I've never seen you post anything "provocative".
-Birdman
When you had responded to my post about how studios aren't hellbent upon keeping unknowns out but rather just don't care, you said that if one studio rejects a blockbuster script, that another hungry studio will try to cash in on it. I was talking about unknown screenwriters, and I assumed that your subsequent post was about unknown screenwriters as well. When I asked for examples, I was wanting to know some unknown screenwriters (or one) that had gotten rejected by a large studio put picked up by another. Pulp Fiction didn't fit the criteria of my question. Quentin Tarantino was already a known and respected figure in the film industry, with a critically acclaimed feature and successful screenplay.
Yeah, but the delivery of those words is important as well. Actually, both are important. If DeNiro delivered his lines like Latka in Taxi Driver, I would have been in tears from laughter. Anyway, that's not an important part of our discussion.
I generally don't read scripts on the forum because I very well know that there are other people who know more about screenwriting format and structure. I've actually never read and given feedback on a script outside of this one time...
Someone had asked a question about if it's okay for an antagonist to appear in a film. I asked to see his script, he PM'ed it to me, I read it, and was amazed by how much I loved it. I'm sure there are other fantastic screenwriters on the forum.
Depends what you consider 'a while back' as well. It was in September or October I believe...
My mistake, poor wording of the question. Since you've never seen anything provocative from me, do you see some recurring flaw or element, or overall weakness in my work that makes my work 'not provocative'?
It's a "discussion forum" Indie. That's a place where people strongly voice their opinions. You get the good and the bad all rolled into one. Chimp and I strongly disagree about the overall potential of the Spec Script writer. The thread is titled, "Will it ever be easier to sell screenplays?" ...so we are still on topic.
If you have an opinion one way or the other, I'd like to read what you have to say.
-Birdman
...First off, I need to clarify this because you keep posting this as if this is somehow my philosophy:
I HAVE NEVER POSTED THAT ANYONE SHOULD SEND THEIR SCRIPT DIRECTLY TO A STUDIO NOR DO I RECOMMEND THAT THEY DO!
...Secondly, if I read your words correctly where you wrote, "studios aren't hellbent upon keeping unknowns out but rather just don't care", MY argument is that if a studio "Doesn't care" ...then some other studio will rise up who DOES care. Maybe it will emerge from the indie arena? A merger (like in Tarantino's case)? A spin-off? The point is that Capitalism dictates that where money is to be made, business will follow. If a Spec Script writer has created a script that IS TRULY REMARKABLE, than a studio that snubs it because "they don't care" will lose out to a new, emerging, HUNGRY studio that does.
Look at this list: (Linky)
...How many of these studios existed 50 years ago? ...25 years ago? ...10 rears ago? How many more are yet to come?
-Birdman
I understand and it's great when both sides are passionate and argue the point out but sometimes it's best to back away, and not get in a too-heated debate. Heated debates can drain away a lot of your time and energy that could be spent (in our case) writing or filming etc.
I used to always want to win every argument. Now, I find it a lot more productive just to let some things go.
Understandable. Consider this, though:
True, there is never a winner in these heated debates. It's just like with politics and religion. It's just ordinary people making the best case they can for the direction they have chosen.
Chimp and I are at odds on many issues, but we have no problem with each other. We have PM'ed each other to say as much. Are they really "heated"? Not really. It's just opposite points of view on probably the most heated subject in the spec script world.
"Can an ordinary schmuck actually sell a Spec Script?"
"Are the odds simply too much?"
"Should I shoot for the stars?"
"Should I take small steps?"
If you look at the view counts on these threads you will notice the "heated threads" usually command the majority of view numbers. This thread has 450 views as of this posting, but just a few of us are adding any input. Your opinion, Chimp's, a few others and mine are what a multitude of silent forum goers are using to decide what direction they will take for themselves in the Spec Script arena.
Make a mark on someone's life and add your opinion to the mix.
You are a big proponent of your Nicholl Fellowship contest. ...So how does IndiePaul feel about the chances of an ordinary Joe making it big in Hollywood?
-Birdman
P.S. "Back away!" is a key phrase in my Screenplay.
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Can it all happen? Yeah sure. It's important to understand the appreciate the trends within the studios. Pay attention to what's being made, what they're earning, what they cost and then take a good solid look to see if you're in their ball park. Studios are concentrating more and more upon franchises. That way they can increase their budgets, justify a larger investment in more marketing dollars and increase their sales.
Take for instance, The Hunger Games, which is the latest franchise to come from the studios. Can a fledgling script writer come up with the Hunger Games? No. By the time it turned into the Hunger Games, the writer was no longer a fledgling writer. They were established with a huge fanbase. This is the ball park where the studios are looking to risk their $200mil.
It's still possible but you do have to write smart. Expecting the studios to risk $200mil on your undeveloped spec script isn't exactly realistic. A studio may be willing to toss mid to high 6 or low 7 figures to turn a fantastic script into a movie and then release it in stages to gauge the success (Saw). You're not going to make a lot selling a script for a movie that has a budget in this range, but it's still a nice chunk of change and it's a great start if the script really is that good. One last thing to consider, it costs a studio an average of $25mil to market a movie. Just because a movie can be made for $1mil doesn't mean you only need to deliver $1mil in value. The value delivered needs to be much, much more.
There is an exception. When a one off script has the right people attached. For instance, Tom Cruise & Will Smith's recent Sci-Fi movies. Attach the right people to where the movie makes sense and you may find your script being picked up by the studios. For this you'll either need to put on your producers hat or team up with a producer with contacts.
So where does this leave script writers? Can you still sell scripts? Sure you can. You just have to be realistic about your reach.
Who knows, I could be completely wrong about these conclusions.
You've made good points, and the one above is probably the only part I don't really agree with. A $200M budget on a spec script is not based on reality from the start. That wouldn't even be realistic for a Spielberg script. If a spec script author walks away with a $100K sale ...S/he's a winner!
My argument is the following:
If an ESTABLISHED SCRIPT WRITER writes a script that is fabulous and is a clear profit generator, a production company will buy it and make it into a film.
If YOU write a script that is fabulous and is a clear profit generator, a production company will buy it and make it into a film.
In both scenarios, it all comes down to how much money gets handed out at the purchase. It's Capitalism at its finest.
-Birdman
After Earth, Oblivion etc. While they're not exactly 200mil budgets, they're in that range, especially when marketing costs are taken into consideration. They're a reality, though they're not greenlit until they've been properly developed (as in the right people are attached).
$100k is a fantastic score in my opinion for a writer that isn't established. If that's the goal of a writer, then aiming at the independent filmmaking market should be on the agenda rather than throwing all the eggs in one basket and relying upon the majors to welcome you with open arms.
I do agree with you that if you hand a production company (assuming they're in a position to finance it) a clear profit generator, they will buy it.
The problem is that what will create a profit (to a level to be worth the time and risk) is a matter of both an opinion of the company and the right combination of people to execute the project.
It seems to me that the shortest path to selling a spec script to a studio would be to acquire the rights to a franchise with a built in fan base. If you are diligent and persistent, you just might get lucky and catch a newly published author who has the makings of a great franchise and talk them into selling/granting you the adaptation rights before the franchise takes off and becomes viable to the studios. At that point, you are positioned to break in. It can be done. I own the rights to several published books. At this point, I am working on increasing the exposure of those books and polishing my screenwriting skills. Someday I may find myself in the very position that I describe.