The First Time I Got Paid For It

[Winter in New York]

Just finished 'The First Time I Got Paid For It' - an interesting enough read - and it got me thinking, how much did you get paid the first time someone cut you a check to write a screenplay / for a screenplay?

And was it an option, money up front to write somebody else's idea, spec sale, assignment, pitch scribbled on the back of a napkin...

Winter in New York

[Hamboogul]

I got $1 for an option by a USC Peter Stark producers for their thesis projects. Actually, I got $2 because two of my scripts were chosen by two different producers.

That was a year ago. Now that I think about it, I never got paid $1 from either of them which shows you that they take their time paying.

[jimjimgrande]

For adapting a novel, I got about three grand and a trip to New Orleans on the producer's frequent flier miles. He put me up at guy's house who once PA'd for him a few years back.

A couple months later I squeezed another 1500 out of him when he wanted a rewrite, which he ended up hating.

I did a fifteen page treatment for free to get the job.

[heavenlysurfer]

I was walking down a darkened street, wearing a fairly short skirt and...oops...wait a sec

[Jack0902]

My first script was optioned for $20,000 for one year. We negotiated the rest of the terms at the same time: set-up fee of $30,000, purchase price of 2% of the budget with a floor of $300,000 and a ceiling of $750,000. It hasn't sold yet-- but I'm keeping my fingers crossed-- it's at a studio as I write...

[boski62]

$ 1,000 for a six month option on our second script. It was really gratifying and validating to finally have someone put up some money--even a modest amount.

But now I want a deal like Jack's--that's a respectable option IMO! First script, too, that's gotta put you in a pretty small group of beginning writers.

You go, girl!

[Rockridesva]

But the film got me to sundance :-) Worthwhile in the end!