High Level Studio Wish List

[hscope]

Say you had a high concept action adventure script to send out (as I’m sure many of you do), who would be your top target people?

Who are the senior high level execs - the green light guys at the major studios?

Who is hot at the moment?

I'm talking ultimate wish list, but not the obvious, high profile types.

[joe9alt]

I would target agents, managers and prod co's....not studio execs.

[hscope]

I'm not looking for advice - just names.

[CutteRug]

I'm not looking for advice - just names.

Sorry pal. This is Done Deal. No information here; only advice. ;)

[hscope]

Sorry pal. This is Done Deal. No information here; only advice. ;)

I was hoping no one would spot this flaw in my plan...

[InDeep]

Justin Silvera at New Wave Entertainment. jsilvera@nwe.com. Anna Babbet is the assistant most likely to pick up the phone when you call for justin, and most likely to read your email/query.

Lauren Levy (creative executive) at Miramax Films. I've recently gotten Lauren on the phone, as well as her assistant, Alexa.

JC Spink at BenderSpink (you can actually get a submission form from their website at www.benderspink.com) and he does do the festival circuit. If JC doesn't answer your call directly or your email, jspink@benderspink.com, expect to hear from his right-hand man, Mike Klein.

Bryan Miller at Phantom Four Films (front man/reader at David Goyer's place).

Happy hunting,

InDeep

[kidcharlemagne]

I would target agents, managers and prod co's....not studio execs.


I second this. Logical sequence would be:

1) Manager - who will help you get an agent leads to...
2) Agent - who has the informatin you are looking for i.e. who is hot, who is looking for what at and will send it out to select...
3) Production companies - if one or more producers are interested they will take the script to...
4) Studio execs

[cvolante]

What? SIMPLE, DUMB question: you can go to production companies with a query and they'll give money to make it NOT with their production company? ??

:dunce: :dunce:

[DavidK]

What? SIMPLE, DUMB question: you can go to production companies with a query and they'll give money to make it NOT with their production company?

No but production companies are amongst the most approachable people in the industry and if they like your script they'll discuss it with a distribution agent and try to get a studio interested.

I may be wrong but sometimes it seems there's an obsession with getting an agent. To some extent that's understandable because a lot of people will only read work submitted by an agent, but getting an agent can be made easier by not getting one first. If you see what I mean. A very workable path can be prodco > manager > agent.

Generally the most important attachment, apart from an A-list star - so fuggetaboutit, is a reputable producer. So don't put all your eggs in the getting-an-agent basket.

David

[joe9alt]

An agent can place your work in a position to be bid on in a competitive marketplace.

A production company or studio will lowball you if they're the only ones bidding for your work.

[DavidK]

Well, not quite. An entry writer is most unlikely to be the subject of a bidding war and very unlikely to secure an agent who'll be able to generate much heat.

You can approach more than one prodco and a beginning writer is more likely to become competitive between prodcos that between studios with a top agent.

It comes down to securing the best advantage for the amount of effort, and while I would never advocate against trying to find a good agent, a new writer has to spread their risk and maximize their effort. To do that means taking your work to people who will look at it, which in turn means including appropriate prodcos amongst the people you lobby.

David

[darrylyo]

Best path is subject to individual experience of course. But these days, in this market, for a new writer to actually get into production (versus nabbing a one-off sale) here's the over-simplified scenario:

manager/producer takes it to finance (studio or independent) + agency for packaging (where you can pick up that covetted agent for yourself)

[kidcharlemagne]

We usually target the Studio Execs and Production Companies first. The results have been good, four options. We've also had two script sales fall through at the last moment. Currently, we've raised $3m toward a budget of $5 for one of our Indies by going directly to production companies. We also have scripts being read by several A list actors and directors. When it's a numbers game, time is the enemy. Get your scripts to the people who can greenlight them, period.

Sure, I've done this and I'm doing this myself as a writer/producer. I don't have a US agent and I've signed a deal with an LA prod. co, a NYC prod. co., have a financier raising 10 mill for my rom-com and a casting director going out to A list talent.

I'm talking about an unrepped writer who lives in say Ohio who is not producing the project, how do you suggest he queries a studio exec? And sure you can query prod. co's directly, I've done it loads of times, but it is a hit and miss approach and you are going in on a lower level, it's much better to have a top agent 'go out' to select producers who then take it into studios with possibly talent attached to the script. Also if you're lucky to get read at a studio and they pass then the script is sitting in a database making it more difficult for producers to submit that script at a later date. Maybe I should have replaced the word logical with preferable. I don't currently have a market-ready spec script (too busy settng up my indie projects) and I'm good at getting stuff read without an agent but if I did want to sell a spec script I would still prefer that a top agent go out with it in a competitive bidding scenario.

[kidcharlemagne]

Like I said, I should have used the word preferable rather than logical. With the right approach you can get read and get meetings without an agent.

Great news on your project! Good luck!

[LIMAMA]

Hey, good luck, Kid!

[SBScript]

Well, not quite. An entry writer is most unlikely to be the subject of a bidding war and very unlikely to secure an agent who'll be able to generate much heat.

You can approach more than one prodco and a beginning writer is more likely to become competitive between prodcos that between studios with a top agent.

It comes down to securing the best advantage for the amount of effort, and while I would never advocate against trying to find a good agent, a new writer has to spread their risk and maximize their effort. To do that means taking your work to people who will look at it, which in turn means including appropriate prodcos amongst the people you lobby.

David

Yeah, unless you have a very good agent, honestly, I think you can almost do well on your own. The nice thing about having a spec go out with an agent is the clock on the responses is much faster than piecing it out yourself. But, in terms of their level of access, for most agents it's only going to be a step above what you can access through your own efforts.

Agents are a blessing and a curse and I've experienced dealing with them as a writer and as a producer and it's frustrating from both sides, believe me. Right now I have an action script at one of the major agencies out to some of their director clients (two of them A list) through an agent that my partner knows very well. This agent is being very helpful. At the same time, I have it with an agent at the same agency to handle a different side of the packaging and getting a response is frustratingly slow. This despite the fact that, by this time next year will have wrapped three movies with a total of 40m in funds spent. Really, unless you're one of the top 5% in your category, or unless there's already a personal relationship in place, things move with all the speed of syrup on a glacier.

It's a pain in the ass but it's the way it is.

If you're a new writer, it's going to be even harder to get that agent to give a sh!t. But, if you're a new writer, folks like us for example, people who are not on everyone's list but are really making movies, will pay attention to you.

So I say go to Prodcos.

[hscope]

Justin Silvera at New Wave Entertainment. jsilvera@nwe.com. Anna Babbet is the assistant most likely to pick up the phone when you call for justin, and most likely to read your email/query.

Lauren Levy (creative executive) at Miramax Films. I've recently gotten Lauren on the phone, as well as her assistant, Alexa.

JC Spink at BenderSpink (you can actually get a submission form from their website at www.benderspink.com (http://www.benderspink.com)) and he does do the festival circuit. If JC doesn't answer your call directly or your email, jspink@benderspink.com, expect to hear from his right-hand man, Mike Klein.

Bryan Miller at Phantom Four Films (front man/reader at David Goyer's place).

Happy hunting,

InDeep

Thanks, InDeep. Much appreciated.

I've also found agents frustrating, but it's been much easier to get through to producers & managers, though the managers I've been involved with seemed a little conflicted between my interests and theirs.

I've said it before, but I guess I won't get an agent until I prove I don't need one.

[kidcharlemagne]

Agents are a blessing and a curse

This is something I hear time and time again i.e. that writers seem to get most deals on their own and their agents just negotiate the contracts. So it seems to be a case of not only getting an agent but getting a very good agent!

[SBScript]

[QUOTE=InDeep;379924]Justin Silvera at New Wave Entertainment. jsilvera@nwe.com. Anna Babbet is the assistant most likely to pick up the phone when you call for justin, and most likely to read your email/query.<

As of last week, New Wave is no longer in the feature film business. If you are trying to get a manager, Justin's a fine choice, but they ain't making movies.

[InDeep]

As of last week, New Wave is no longer in the feature film business. If you are trying to get a manager, Justin's a fine choice, but they ain't making movies.

Tell me more, tell me more... Got any more detail on that?

[beerbeastredux]

I bet if someone asked if they wanted Spielberg, that person would deny it, while at the same time wishing and hoping and drooling for the chance to work with him :}

He's very nice by the way :}