Need a feature length screenplay

chapelgrovefilms said:
Gee Randall....the other day you said you'd never consider selling a script for less than $70,000. Now you're already cutting the price $10k. :)
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He might be running a Labor Day promo. Personally, on labor day, I offer a carton of Knockwurst sausages and case of beer with any script sale.
 
Update

Update

Alright guys.
This is where I'm at.
The investor wants to see a solid script before he drops any money. This has already caused problems with a script that I was really hoping to do.
This is all I can offer
10k for a finished script to be paid in full the second money is deposited to my account

As mentioned before I was looking for a drama/thriller

movies that came to mind were
Lucky number Slevin - because of the way the kansas city shuffle thing is presented and snappy dialogue
Ocean's 12 - because of the way the story is presented, with flashbacks that don't appear to be so, and also great dialogue
1408 - Because the room becomes a character itself, and was very interesting
the number 23 was also good since the audience can see how a man starts falling apart.

It should be stated that so far most of the scripts sent had something to do with hitman/assasin stories.

If you have something that you know will make a great story, whether finished or soon to be finished, please send me an email and let me know what you have in mind.
I'm not asking for anybody to do it for free, I'm just asking for them to wait until it's approved by the investor so he can drop the cash.

Let me know! I will be waiting.
 
Come on writers! Let's keep the thread alive! We've already talked him down from 25k to 10k, with a little more work we should be able to get it down even lower. Remember, nothing ventured is nothing gained...
 
brianluce said:
Actually what you said was this: For a budget that small I don't think you cold really afford more than a couple thousand dollars. Say $500 / week for 4 weeks: $2000. If the script stinks then drop the writer and hire another one. Keep it below ~$6000 total, absolute max.

As I interpret this, you're saying hire a guy for a month for 2k and repeat as necessary until you get something usable. So you're saying 3 scripts at 2k a piece. Generally I think this is bad advice for the OP because you've insured he'll get a lame script by allowing only 30 days to write it--and you've doubled down by only offering the writer 2k which works out to about $8 an hour. So the OP will be $6000 poorer and own 3 lousy scripts and the OP will have extended the longstanding tradition of producers screwing writers.

It's tough enough as it is to make any income off writing, for another writer to suggest working for minimum wage doesn't help the profession. And that's what we want it to be right? A profession?
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Not quite. When you pay someone else to write for you you own what they have written while on your payroll (get a boilerplate contract). This is fundimentally different than buying a finished script. When you give the first writer a month they will turn in something of value. Even if they can't get you the type of dialog you want or the character development your looking for the chances of there being no value in the script are low (if you chose the writer carefully that is). You then take that script and hand it to the next writer and see if they can do any better with it, then the third. You have three (hopefully talented) writers working on the same script for three months. Deciding to give a writer more time or jumping to the next writer is part of being a producer at this level. As a producer you will give the next writer input as to the current weakness of the script. "I like the framework and the plot points are fine, but its too dialog heavy and spot on. Make it more visual." It's not a rule that you move on after a month, it is a decision that you can make as a producer.

Throughout this process you must keep the turned in versions of the script to determine who gets top billing if you want to play along with WGA rules and US laws. You literally have to count words to see who put the most down on what ultimately made it to the shooting script.

All of this in the in the context of a low budget film and first time writers. If you write the next Napolean Dynamite then agents will call you and the game will change entirely. Thats when you are writing as a profession.

Bob
 
Bob Gruen said:
When you pay someone else to write for you you own what they have written while on your payroll (get a boilerplate contract). This is fundimentally different than buying a finished script. When you give the first writer a month they will turn in something of value.

Bob
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Disagree. It's not different at all--in both cases you (the producer) own the script. Also I still disagree you'll get something of value from any writer in 30 days especially at the wages you've suggested.
 
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brianluce said:
Disagree. It's not different at all--in both cases you own the script. Also I still disagree you'll get something of value from any writer in 30 days especially at the wages you've suggested.
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Who is the you... the producer or the writer...

Of course I might have missed something written earlier...
 
I don't know here guys, I know we're all (you're all) passionate about your work..and I'm not saying you guys aren't "worth" anything..but to ask for 10% of a 250k budget is ALOT. Honestly a budget that low (yes its high on DVXUser but low in the realm of movie making that can actually make a profit)...that's a tad high. You pay 10% to established writers..people who prove their name will bring people to the seats (whether they be actors, directors, distributors..or paying customers).

I would pay 10% to say.....the guys who wrote The Dark Knight...because during the trailer it will say in big letters "from the team that brought you the summers biggest movie The Dark Knight"..and I promise you fans of how that movie was written will say "well I know the script is probably good"..must be legit..those people will get tickets/dvd copies of the film.

I won't pay 25k for the guy who wrote "Jesus in a Handbasket a youtube original motion picture".

When shooting on a budget of 250k you are strapped, trying to get name talent, decent lighting, locations, cameras...stuff that will add to the likelihood of getting distribution (which is the name of the game)....if the writers name can add to that likelihood, pay them more..if not..don't.

It's amazing that someone would even ask that, it's like "don't screw the writer" but at the same time it's ok for the new producer to be screwed? When the investors say ok you gave 25,000 to this guy to write the script and we get......THIS..and to boot, who IS this guy?! You could've wrote this yourself and spent 25k getting a b-list actor to take place in 6 scenes in the movie!

Or take it to the distributors..see if they feel it's 25k well spent.

If you're doing a film lucky enough to make REAL returns..take it as a contact you now have to the industry you're trying to break into...and also something you can add to the resume.

That's like me taking 10% as a producer from the budget..knowing I don't deserve it...or me as an actor asking for 1,000 a day knowing Ive down 2 student films in my life. Or a Youtube director demanding 10% to do a feature. It's paying dues man...paying dues.

If that's the case...and your script is REALLY worth 25k..take it to some investors, get the budget together, hire a crew and have them film it for you. Pay some myspace director 10% of that budget to shoot it for you as well.

I know we all want to make it in this profession known as film making (or we wouldn't be here)..but lets not let it cloud our better judgement and reality.

60k for an unproven writer on a 300k budget?! I would laugh at anyone who offered me that deal...and I'm an aspiring producer starting at the bottom. I'll tell you right now, at that price investors aren't willing to give 10% to any writer who has not had 2 films produced..trust me, I have investors..every move I make, they ask me "who is so and so, and what have they done that would increase the chance of me getting my money back"..If my answer is "nothing"..not only will I not get the money for the writer, I probably wont get the money for the film either.

Now, that's not to say that you all don't have 25k worthy scripts, but Tom Cruise didn't start off making 20 million a film, even though he's pretty much been a talented actor (say what you will about his personal life)...Same with Will Smith..countless others.

All the people who were working on napoleon dynamite, or the Signal..or whatever else..and got paid peanuts, then got rich on their next project..or paid more (still may not be rich). The young stars who start off making 3k an episode on a TV show, and start making 200k an episode 9 years later when their portrayal of a character is the lone reason people tune in...

All in all I hope we all get paid what we "deserve" one day...or atleast what we want to get paid one day...but some of us might not..doesn't mean we're any less talented, it's just the way the ball bounces..but I'm pretty sure unless you get some astounding contacts, you won't be hired by anyone else on this level to write a script for 25k on a 250k budget...hell would you guys REALLY charge each other 25k for each others services??? Cuz essentially, that's what we'd be doing..working with other users, fresh into the indy film scene, trying to make it just like us..no credentials just like us..and we're trying to get rich at their expense!
 
If the writer who wrote 'Dark Knight' had never had another script produced before, would the 'Dark Knight' script have been any less valuable?

A script is worth what it is worth. Yes, there are occasions where a writer's name can increase sales. But very few movies are advertised with "From the writer of...." Some are, sure. But the vast majority aren't. That doesn't make the script any less great.

MOST of the time, people don't go to the theater (or rent/buy the DVD) because they've enjoyed the WRITER'S previous work. Most of the time they go because they like the actors or the director. Yes, sometimes they've heard of the writer and like his/her stuff. But that's not the case the majority of the time. (So don't start giving examples of it, because I know it happens -- it's just not the case in most instances.)

Sure, you could write the script yourself and use the 10% for other things. But are you really going to get the best possible script that way? I don't think so, unless you happen to be a truly excellent screenwriter.

Using the same theory, you could also save money by being your own director, your own DP, your own gaffer, your own sound guy, your own editor, even your own lead actor. But saving money isn't the point -- producing the best possible product should be the goal. And chances are you aren't the very best person for each of those jobs. And even if you are, you're not going to perform well trying to do ALL of those jobs. That's why you hire directors or DP's or gaffers or sound people -- and it's why you hire writers. Because they can do the job BETTER than you can.

And buddy....if you find the script (or the writer who can write the script) that will electrify the audience and set your production apart from all the rest, you'd be foolish not to be willing to pay 10% of your budget, if that's what it takes. Because all the 'name' actors in the world aren't going to be worth much if the script is lousy. (See "Ishtar".) The script is the foundation upon which your entire production is built. If you're going to scrimp there, then you're shooting yourself in the foot.
 
Both are good points of view. So here is the solution: I’ll take the 10k and I want also a huuuuge chunk of the profit. If the film makes money I’ll expect to be very well paid. Ok?
 
Update on the script request

Found a script, which I truly love

Price remains between us, we've been tweaking it, and it's completed to the point that I'm itching to make it.

Big thanks to all of the people who submitted their own screenplays and ideas.

When the investor gets his money back, if I have a profit, the screenwriter will be getting more, just because he was not greedy asking for more money and showed that he truly wanted to get his screenplay made and devoted a lot of time making the changes necessary to fit my needs.

Charlie
 
Can you tell us what kind of a story it is then? Perhaps a small synopsis?
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Yes if you could, so we can learn from the experience. i.e. what genre/type of stories that people are looking for...
 
I had one Charlie seemed to like a lot, but we couldn't get together on the financial terms. (Wonder if that makes me one of the 'greedy' ones???)
 
I had one Charlie seemed to like a lot, but we couldn't get together on the financial terms. (Wonder if that makes me one of the 'greedy' ones???)
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Congrats and never undersell yourself. I have passed in work for pennies and nothing and on a few occasions have kicked myself after.

If it's a great script it needs to be sold for a fair price, not giving it away in the hope it gets made well...
 
Well, if it had been a script already written, I probably would've taken the chance. But it was an idea that we were going to have to develop into a script. That's a whole different ballgame, from our perspective.
 
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