BenderSpink asked for script

[Slim Sam]

I queried BenderSpink and they requested my script. Since I sent it I have refined, refined and refined it again. It is head and shoulders above what I sent them. My question is should I contact them and ask if they want the newer and better script or should I leave well enough alone?

[Shot Across the Bow]

Leave them alone. Hopefully they'll respond to the version you sent, but it's bad form to try and send them a new draft (even if they haven't read it yet).

Good luck.

[Telly]

I queried BenderSpink and they requested my script. Since I sent it I have refined, refined and refined it again. It is head and shoulders above what I sent them. My question is should I contact them and ask if they want the newer and better script or should I leave well enough alone?

This is a huge lesson learned. Always, always, always have the best draft ready before sending it out. I swear, if there's one note I could share with every new writer it would be this one. So many poor drafts go out every day by itchy trigger fingers, it kills me. :( DO NOT query until you have the best possible draft you can write, in hand.

[jenvon]

Noooooooo!

[Code7Films]

I queried BenderSpink and they requested my script. Since I sent it I have refined, refined and refined it again. It is head and shoulders above what I sent them. My question is should I contact them and ask if they want the newer and better script or should I leave well enough alone?

It depends on the company. The script is never really finished. I had a script out to four companies. A week later out of the blue I got notes back from another producer I sent the script to several months before. They were excellent so I made the changes, contacted to DD's at those production companies and explained the situation. Everyone of them requested the new version. True, you should always try to have the best script possible to send out, but if I can improve it after it's gone out, I do it.

I have another script out to a DD who is trying to package it. Twice I rewrote parts of the script to bring the budget down and tighten some scenes on my own. The DD had no problem with it. They want the best possible script.

Never say never... :eek:

[ScriptShadow]

I'm one of these people that can't stop fidgeting with my scripts. I make sure my drafts are ready - don't get me wrong. But if I pass a script along (we're talking a long since finished draft) to someone and then 3 days later come up with a great idea for it, I'm not going to NOT add the idea. So I feel your pain and totally sympathize. But unless you and the contact are close, it shows weakness to send a new draft. Cause like Telly said, they're going to think, "Well why did you send me the other one if it wasn't ready yet?"

[Code7Films]

I'm one of these people that can't stop fidgeting with my scripts. I make sure my drafts are ready - don't get me wrong. But if I pass a script along (we're talking a long since finished draft) to someone and then 3 days later come up with a great idea for it, I'm not going to NOT add the idea. So I feel your pain and totally sympathize. But unless you and the contact are close, it shows weakness to send a new draft. Cause like Telly said, they're going to think, "Well why did you send me the other one if it wasn't ready yet?"

I don't think it shows weakness at all. It depends on the circumstances. Both of my scripts received several excellent coverage reports. I found a way to take them to the next level so I did. To sit on a better version of the script and let a weaker one be read, is foolish. You might not get a second chance. :eek:

[lordmanji]

well it kills me cuz you might think it's great, you might have had people tell you its great, but at some point you have to let the script be. tell yourself youve made it the best you can and hope that thats good enough. because at some point youll change and grow as a person so when you revisit the script, it will change as well -- and it will never stop. you have to stop then just let it ride.

[sppeterson]

The only scripts that are finished are the ones that are filmed, or the ones that suck so bad that you don't want to bother with them any more.

All the others you'll find things to change for years and years.

[hdmdc]

Yesterday I sent a revised script to the DD, just got a reply. He thanked me for sending the most recent version.

It's a crap shoot, you just never know.

[Telly]

To sit on a better version of the script and let a weaker one be read, is foolish. You might not get a second chance. :eek:

No one said you have to sit on a better version or stop rewriting after you sent your first draft out. On the contrary, keep writing! But consider this, if you send out the best draft possible and find yourself rewriting it the very next day do you truly think you were ready to send it out? I don't think so.

Personally, I'm a rewriting nut, I go over a first draft several times, in fact my rewriting takes much longer than my first draft. Once I'm convinced I can't take it further and have received several opinions, notes and suggestions from others I begin to query. Also, I only send out a handful of queries to test the waters. If I get immediate results I know I'm onto something. If I get no responses, after a few weeks and with a few rejections in hand, I re-read the draft with fresh eyes and polish as needed, sending it out again to trusted colleagues for further notes.

This is my way of doing things that I've found successful. Pulling the trigger too soon leads to spreading your name around prematurely and leaving bitter tastes in reader's mouths. Why cut yourself short? This thread is about preparation, regardless of the actual question at hand. If you are rewriting several drafts as the OP mentioned right after you sent out a first draft, I consider that a problem that needs to be addressed.

[Telly]

I take it since they requested it, they don't mind if it might take some weeks yeah?!

Normally I would say no, send it once requested, it's just the professional way of doing things.

However from what I understand about Bender is they request more scripts than any rep I know of, they seem to request a large percentage of queries so being late a week or so shouldn't hurt. I think they've requested every query I've ever sent and the same goes for most of my writing pals.

Good luck!

[Code7Films]

Yesterday I sent a revised script to the DD, just got a reply. He thanked me for sending the most recent version.

It's a crap shoot, you just never know.


This...

[jddobkin]

Did you send it to a specific person or the general email listed on their website?

They do take a little time turning around on the scripts they get from cold queries. They are pretty busy as of late.

[humand]

I actually had the same thing happen to me at Benderspink. I got a read request in late October and sent the script. But after getting away from the script for a month I was able to go back to it and make it a lot better.

I emailed the rep at Benderspink in December to see if he read yet. If not, I was going to offer the superior version to read instead. But I never heard back from him. Emailed him one more time after that, but still haven't heard back.

I'm considering querying another rep at Benderspink with the best version of the script possible.

How long ago did you send the script? There's a good chance they haven't read it yet.

[Slim Sam]

Thank you for all your help, I appreciate it. I think I'll leave them alone, from what I can see they are so booked, to the point of being to busy. I'm now hoping they don't respond. I've gotten other requests from people I think are better, or at least more focused. Bender seems to use the shotgun approach, I would prefer the sniper over the shotgun.