Things just keep getting weirder...Amazon Studios

Okay, I will say it one last thing and then I'm out: I know for a FACT that your chances of getting a feature made are better if you blow people away with an amazing FICTIONFEST film. I know this for a FACT.

Take a look at some past fest participants and see where things are going for them. I know at least four who have features in the works right now due to shorts they made in these fests. Looking at the numbers of participants, compared to Amazon, that's a pretty good poo pooing ratio. And I'm sure there are more. That four were just off the top of my head.

The more this Amazon thing is out there, the more I think it's just for suckers. They are just preying on the fame-fantasies of amateurs. Don't fall for it.

Kick ass in FICTIONFEST. It's a better bet.
 
polfilmblog said:
Apparently some of these participants have large nettworks of homies and bros. One script had eleven more "5 star reviews" than recorded downloads. Pretty odd, no?
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With an IP randomizer and 10 minute e-mail, it would be shockingly easy to create multiple accounts and write your own fake reviews.
 
Mark Harris said:
Okay, I will say it one last thing and then I'm out: I know for a FACT that your chances of getting a feature made are better if you blow people away with an amazing FICTIONFEST film. I know this for a FACT.

Take a look at some past fest participants and see where things are going for them. I know at least four who have features in the works right now due to shorts they made in these fests. Looking at the numbers of participants, compared to Amazon, that's a pretty good poo pooing ratio. And I'm sure there are more. That four were just off the top of my head.

The more this Amazon thing is out there, the more I think it's just for suckers. They are just preying on the fame-fantasies of amateurs. Don't fall for it.

Kick ass in FICTIONFEST. It's a better bet.
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Why not do both? FictionFest is short film-targeted. Amazon is feature film-targeted. Also amazon has a larger "world stage" so to speak. Being successful in that venue can be quite the boon strategically. The dvx fests happen 4 times a year. The amazon contests have two writing prizes a month plus annual prizes (and this is ignoring the prizes for best film).

The Amazon thing will be GREAT for indie filmmakers. 24 indie filmmakers will make a name for themselves in 2011 because of it. The prize money alone is enough for them to fund their own features. That's just plain awesome.

We should seriously be giving Amazon props for investing so much in this type of initiative. Why didn't YouTube beat them to it? Or Facebook? Or any of the other social networks.

Say what you will about their "ownership clause", this is a net win for Web 2.0-based filmmaking. Exciting times ahead...
 
Zak Forsman said:
"Amazon's Bad Deal" http://artfulwriter.com/?p=1103
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Yeah, I've read a couple of those analyses, but they all come from working screenwriters who wouldn't be participating anyways. It's a bad deal...however...it only applies to the screenplay that is submitted. If you're staking your entire career on ONE screenplay, you're not much of a writer. For certain people it might be worth the crapshoot. They are pretty much guaranteeing that they will only get two kinds of scripts, those from desperate first timers, or writers with dozens of discarded, unsold scripts lying around they are willing to part with. In either case, it doesn't sound like a scenario for quality work being submitted. I think the real dumb idea was to expect people to make a feature length test movie with professional acting, and then have them fork over all rights to that. If you have a feature with good writing and acting, what's the incentive to give it to them? You'd do just as well posting it yourself somewhere or submitting to festivals or finding a distributor on your own.
 
Batutta said:
They are pretty much guaranteeing that they will only get two kinds of scripts, those from desperate first timers, or writers with dozens of discarded, unsold scripts lying around they are willing to part with. In either case, it doesn't sound like a scenario for quality work being submitted.
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Those might be the majority, but I would bet that some non-beginner writers will submit some of their stronger yet non-high concept work. I say this because if I do submit something to Amazon, I don't see the point in submitting something that isn't good enough to come out of a drawer or from the nether realms of an old hard drive.

I don't see the point in submitting something unpolished at this point. Maybe if Amazon's option agreement was not so strict, then it would be less of a decision to ponder. Even then, I can live with 18 months if that were the only problem with their option.

Either way, I think the biggest problem is that they may be keeping writers from submitting any of their really awesome high concept screenplays. I don't feel comfortable submitting a script that is built around any of my most unique ideas, as the possibilities of idea theft on the Amazon Studios site could be potentially high (still too early to tell).

Then throw in the goofy option agreement where they can potentially keep some rights to your script forever, and also might decide to not pay you even if you win, and it is not really surprising that while they might get some good stuff, they won't be getting the best out of a large portion of the writers and filmmakers that decide to participate.

I think the real dumb idea was to expect people to make a feature length test movie with professional acting, and then have them fork over all rights to that. If you have a feature with good writing and acting, what's the incentive to give it to them? You'd do just as well posting it yourself somewhere or submitting to festivals or finding a distributor on your own.
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Yep. This is definitely a bizarre request from them. The only way I could see a "test movie" being worthwhile is if someone writes an mega-budget sci-fi or historical epic, and can't afford to shoot it in all its glory. A test movie, whether live action or storyboards/concept art with voice-over and music could be a way to get the idea across.

Still though, even doing a rough feature length pass using simple storyboards with narration and music is going to be very time consuming for most people. It is a lot for them to ask us working stiffs who are trying to write great screenplays to then do what amounts to pre-vis type stuff for no pay, for Amazon only. They'll still own it. The filmmakers won't be able to use their test movies to help pitch their scripts to producers or financiers.

Long term though, the thing that kind of frightens me about this approach to film making/collaborating is that if Amazon Studios becomes really successful. If that happens, then they might not have incentive to revise some of the harsher elements in their system as to treat writers better. What is troubling is the thought of could this kind of thing eventually, maybe a decade or two from now become the norm? Maybe there are just too many freaking writers and filmmakers out there, and we are becoming an overly abundant creative resource for the studios, media, and tech giants to exploit?
 
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Nektonic said:
This Amazon thing kinda reminds me of the brew-ha-ha going on in the literary world over controversial author James Frey's new "fiction factory".

http://nymag.com/arts/books/features/69474/

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/11/read_the_brutal_contract_from.html

Basically, similar, but much worse terms for young writers that work with his company.

So is this a new trend? These tech companies are gonna muscle in on the film industry and have crazy rules like owning our work forever or for ridiculously long periods of time, all with low or without proper compensation? At least, low compared to what Hollywood would offer a director or a writer, no matter how new they are to the game?

I do have to admit though, I have a ton of nifty story/film ideas (at least, I think they're pretty darn tootin' good) bumbling around in my head. Since I will never have time to get around to all of them, I figure I might as well write one up and put it up on Amazon just to see what happens. If I were to win a monthly prize ($20,000) or gained some real industry exposure from it, then I would probably feel okay about Amazon owning one little idea. Anyway, ideas are a dime a dozen, its the execution of the idea that counts.

I just don't think it is a good idea to submit a favorite or very personal idea to Amazon, nor a very high concept one. After taking a gander over on the Amazon Studios site, I find the possibility of someone being able to easily swipe ideas from those posted on the site to be very high.
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Very good observations, sir. And it brings up an interesting point to contract law:

Both parties must have consideration. When you buy food from McDonald's there is something of value exchanged. In Hollywood there can be "dollar options" but never "free options". So this so-called agreement Amazon has up may not hold up in court because consideration was not given to the writer.

But more importantly your ideas are up for all to see and to be stolen. **** that. Pardon my language but **** THAT!
 
capitalP said:
I took the plunge, I know about 99% of you guys do not favor the whole Amazon thing but I think it's a great opportunity. As long as you don't mind giving the rights to your script forever. :laugh:

I know you dvxuser sonsofbiatches are some tough bastards, so feel free to check my script out and tear it a new **hole if you need to.

http://studios.amazon.com/discussions/Tx1W4Z23GYNGO35

http://studios.amazon.com/projects/1318
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If you win and get paid teh monies feel free to call me all the names you want. Just like anything in life though you have to take the risk or not get the reward.
 
I uploaded my full Test film to Amazon Studios.....Am I Screwed?

I uploaded my full Test film to Amazon Studios.....Am I Screwed?

I DID NOT UPLOAD MY SCRIPT TO AMAZON STUDIOS. I ONLY UPLOADED MY TEST MOVIE

i want to hear from you guys. i have uploaded a long test film on amazon studios and i want to know if i can still sell it on the internet/DVDs/and sell it to cable network. i still own those rights? i want to be able to still pitch my story concept and script to developers hopefully next year

am i "safe" since i didn't upload my script?? i can still pitch the script elsewhere and still use/sell my movie i posted up on amazonstudios right?
 
LOL...So on a lark I submitted one of my scripts that's been collecting dust on my hard drive for 10 years. Just found out I'm one of the 50 finalists out of 2,000. Honestly was not expecting that, but it's nice to know I don't completely suck. We'll see what happens. At the very least I'm getting a free t-shirt, commuter mug or baseball hat. Leaning towards the mug.
 
Pretty cool man. It's good to know a fellow DVXer made it on the top 50. You're not as active on the boards there are you? And yeah you only have two reviews. A lot of the people on there was concerned about it being a popularity contest but the list proves it's not.

Did you ever think about trying to get that Test Movie prize money lol? I thought about it but it's too much of a hassle. But, I wish you the best on the next round man.
 
capitalP said:
Did you ever think about trying to get that Test Movie prize money lol? I thought about it but it's too much of a hassle. But, I wish you the best on the next round man.
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I don't have a hundred million lying around, which is what my script would probably cost. I'm actually surprised it even made the semifinals because of its budgetary needs...It's weird looking at old scripts. I can see all the influences, as well as how my writing style has evolved into something a bit cleaner.
 
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