Need help with a request

[phatgirl]

Any thoughts on the following would be greatly appreciated.
Around 6 weeks ago I submitted my latest script to a management company. Tonight the Story Editor left a message saying he liked what he read and wondered if I had anything else.

Here's the problem - I do have 1 other "commercial" script but this same management co passed on it over the summer. Do I tell him this? And does that ruin my chances with this company? (whatever those chances may be at the moment...) I'm also working on a re-write of another script, but it's not ready yet.

So what do you think?

[Pittsfield642]

Did this story editor read your script that was passed on? I'd start there, if this person didn't I would definitely send it.



Good luck.

[phatgirl]

Thanks Pitts. The company isn't very large so I can't imagine there being more than 1 Story Editor there. And my passed upon script has a memorable title. But... it is a different genre than the one he called about.

[Totiwos]

How long would it take you to finish the third one? I don't have experience in this, but I wondered how bad it would be if you were able to say something like, "I'm working on a comedy about a vampire rabbit and its human soulmate, and I'm finishing the revisions. I can send it to you by Dec. 1" or something like that. Just a thought. I don't know if it is good or bad.

[RoloTamossy]

If it were up to me, I'd tell him, "I'm just putting the finishing touches on my latest script. Is it okay if I send it to you by the end of next week?" ... Then start writing like you've never written before. If you take more than a week to send it, no problem. Take the time to do it right, but just reiterate on the phone or in your letter that he requested that script.

Rolo T

[burnaise]

my response was just deleted when i hit send, so forgive me if it's there twice...

many management companies keep a record of scripts that have been sent to them before. if this is such a company, then they know that they've already passed.

they also see you are a writer who isn't constantly creating, but simply passing out the same old material again and again. i would say submitting twice without being asked for that specific script is a terrible mistake.

take the time, write and rewrite your new one. don't rush it. don't write like the wind. make it good. then make it better a few more times. rest assured, they'll wait for a much stronger read.

good luck.

[Great White Mark]

I'd ask the guy if he was the one who read it and passed or if it was somebody else. If he wasn't, then there's a good chance he might want to read it.

Remember, readers read all day long and being human, they often miss a great deal of what's in the script. The sad truth is that most scripts being read aren't being done so with the greatest amount of detail.

Case in point, I was able to get a copy of the coverage on a submission I had to one of the big five and it was a disaster. In his notes, the guy had the characters wrong, most major plot points and a completely different ending.

Translation, he barely read the thing.

(And before any of you say, well it was probably a shitty script with terrible structure, the script has had 35+ reviews on Zoe with 8+ ratings across the board--and no one was confused as to who was who, what was going on nor how it ended)

The point is, if an agent at this agency read one of my other scripts and asked to see what else I had and I resubmitted the above script, I promise you, the reader would know who the main character is and how it ends this time around!

So if this guy wasn't the one who passed on the previous submission, resubmit, I bet it will recieve a much more attentive read.

[Chloe0027]

I agree with Great. Plus, you can always say you've rewritten, made it better. Even if he did pass, maybe he'd had a bad day/night and if he agrees to read it, might be more attentive this go around.

[phatgirl]

Thanks for the responses. I made my call and he did recognize the title of my previously submitted script. I fessed up. I told him that his company already read that script over the summer but I wasn't sure if it had passed through his desk. He immediately moved on - "So what else do you have?"

I told him I was working on a re-write of a script, and he asked for the logline. I gave some horrible convoluted description of what I wanted the script to be (of all things). Lucky for me, he got another call midway through my blabbering, and when he came back on the phone he asked how long it would take me to finish my rewrite. For some unknown reason, I said "about a month." He wants to see it as soon as it's done.

Then given the fact that I had nothing to lose, I asked him for a favor. I asked him if he could send me the coverage and notes on the script he passed on over the summer so I could make it a more marketeable script. He said he would.

I've got to go into my cave now and write.

[filmcarver]

Phat

You did EXACTLY what you should have. Congratulations.

You cannot BS these folks. By "fessing" as you say, and telling the truth about the rewrite situation, you gave him nothing as a response except "send it to me".

Now you need to really shine. Be very sure your rewrite is good and that you show to some people before you send it in. A few more days is far less important than quality on your second shot. He wants your rewrite because he wants to see what you are doing NOW, not God know whenever you wrote the one that was passed on.

Best of luck