I’ve been writing a screenplay that is based on a certain concept album. I was wondering where, how, and any other information that I would need to obtain permission to adapt the work.
–Aaron
You can find the answer here.
QandA
Television ideas
I want to know how hard it is for an unknown writer to get a television show
idea produced.
–Matthew Pizana
Almost impossible.
"Almost" is the key word here, because it could potentially happen
if you were to partner up with a more experienced producer who would have the
connections and clout to get the financing (i.e studio) and the distribution
(i.e. network) to get the show made and aired.
Or, you could do it all by yourself.
Friends of mine who were not directly in the film/TV business had a very good
idea for an unusual spin on the sitcom format. Knowing that words alone wouldn’t
be able to convince someone to make the show, they went out and assembled a
cast, a crew, and shot a sample episode of the show by themselves. It turned
out fantastic. I took the finished tape around to a lot of different TV people,
and my friends got many meetings from interested buyers.
But in the end, no one bought it, and my friends were out a lot of money.
I tell you this cautionary tale not to discourage you — hard work is often
rewarded, and handsomely. But even the best ideas are very difficult to pull
off.
Screenwriting contests
What are your thoughts on screenplay writing contests? There
are hundreds of them to choose from, and most of them charge around $50 to
enter. Is this truly a viable way for an unknown writer to get discovered?
Or is it a waste of money?
–Tim Wilson
The two screenwriting awards I know best are the Nicholl Fellowship
and the Sundance Screenwriters Lab,
both of which have a history of being a tremendous boon to a young writer.
The benefit is not just being selected, but in the follow-up and guidance these
programs provide. If you have a great script that feels right for these competitions
– and by that I mean it’s not an obviously commercial action thriller or such
– these might be places to consider.
Beyond these two, it gets murkier, and harder to separate the good competitions
from the bad. In general, I’d say the ones associated with festivals are a
little more reputable, and might be worth the entry fee. Just make sure it’s
a real festival that’s run for a least three years.
I’m more suspicious of unafilliated competitions, because it’s never clear
what their real motivation is. Some are run by upstart management companies
who are trolling for young writers. Others are just in it for the cash. And
even if it is an honest competition, having won a contest no one’s heard of
isn’t going to help you in your career.
Scripts sold
Is there a site where I can
find out what some movie scripts sold for?
–Rick Weeks
Doesn’t anyone Google anymore? I just tried "script sales," and
found a dozen decent sites, including the cleverly named scriptsales.com.
Some sites require registration, and others are pay sites. (Such as hollywoodreporter.com,
one of the most trustworthy in my humble opinion.)
If you’re looking to find out how much a specific script sold for, try Googling
the writer’s name or the project’s title, or search inside Variety.com. But
be aware that the sales price is often not reported, or when it is, is often
wildly inflated.