Still No Sunshine in Spec Script Market

[Authorized]

Article posted May 20, 2010...

http://gideonsway.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/still-no-sunshine-in-the-spec-script-market/

[cupertinoCA]

:bounce:

a bounce that high?

[The Road Warrior]

Interesting: thx for posting Authorized.

[WriteByNight]

The sunshine illuminates from the writer.

[joe9alt]

who is the blogger?

[Tigre de Oro]

Selling a spec for big bucks seems to be what ALL new writers think of. Hollywood DOESN'T want to make YOUR movie. They've generated hundreds of ideas that they want to see, but use YOUR script as a SAMPLE in order to write those.

Just my opinion from what I've been told so far guys. A SAMPLE (which is still a spec), can get you further than a SPEC itself.

[Greenwood]

Selling a spec for big bucks seems to be what ALL new writers think of. Hollywood DOESN'T want to make YOUR movie. They've generated hundreds of ideas that they want to see, but use YOUR script as a SAMPLE in order to write those.

Just my opinion from what I've been told so far guys. A SAMPLE (which is still a spec), can get you further than a SPEC itself.

Pretty much. Especially when the lifeblood of a REAL screenwriting career is acquiring assignments. Reminds me of a thread a while back that asked the question of whether any other profession has it worse than screenwriters.

There was a comparison of novelists and screenwriters, and as far as I know there is no equivalent to "assignment work" in the novel world. I know they can ghost write for celebs and politicians who aren't really writers, but I'm not sure if you make a career out of that.

In screenwriting it's virtually GUARANTEED that the studio will bring in at least one other writer to at least do a 'take' on your script no matter how much they liked the original.


Don't think Stephen King or Crichton ever had to worry about that.

[Mario_C]

Well, my specs are sci-fi, psychological thriller and supernatural thriller (horror?). Sounds like a winning plan. :cool:

[MacG]

Selling a spec for big bucks seems to be what ALL new writers think of. Hollywood DOESN'T want to make YOUR movie. They've generated hundreds of ideas that they want to see, but use YOUR script as a SAMPLE in order to write those.

Just my opinion from what I've been told so far guys. A SAMPLE (which is still a spec), can get you further than a SPEC itself.

Yeah, but the problem for a new writer remains getting PAID for an assignment. I've had several gigs thrown my way, but all were on spec. There are so few development dollars floating around town, it's hard for a newbie to secure any sort of cash for writing.

It's to each his own, but I told my manager I'm not interested in non-paying assignments. There's too much risk involved.

[Jaco Bean]

There's always sunshine in the spec market. Specs compromise at least 75% of the junk on my desk.

[dgl]

There's always sunshine in the spec market. Specs compromise at least 75% of the junk on my desk.

"comprise." Though I suppose they could infect the others. One bad script spoils the bunch?

[Jaco Bean]

"comprise." Though I suppose they could infect the others. One bad script spoils the bunch?

Damn spell check mixed with fast typing.

One bad spec doesn't spoil the bunch. The first spec read in that day can though. If it's super-wordy, slow to read, then I may not get to the others on that day. One day with 4 scripts to read, but I only get through 2, then it can push the others to the next day. But, the next day has 4 as well, and now I've got 6 to read. I might make it through 2, and really like the 3rd I read... try to track down the writer or tell my boss about it. Then those other 3 get put in the pile (with the 2 from the previous day on the bottom). By the end of the week when I "Clear my desk" and box up Weekend-Reads, those 2 (an maybe more) could have got lost in the shuffle.

Writer sends a follow up - Pass (not because I didn't like it, but because I lost it, or never had time to get to it).

[dgl]

One more thing a writer needs to get through the gatekeepers, huh? Script GPS.

[Jaco Bean]

A personal writer's website is good for some potential clients when material gets lost in the shuffle.

We wanted to sign someone after reading their spec. The agent (of all people) lost the hard copy. All we had was an initial email query that had a phone #, and web address in the footer. That email had to be dug out of 4 months of queries. The email returned a Mailer-Daemon, phone # disconnected or changed, but the website was still up. That script, and 6 other specs were available. It was like a goldmine, and we finally tracked him down.

People lose scripts (PDF and Hard) all the time. The higher up the client, the more careful we are with losing it though. I've lost about 500 PDF specs from unknown writers at one time when I erased my flash drive to put on a director client's screener file. Shut Happens.

[one seven spectrum]

I've lost about 500 PDF specs from unknown writers at one time when I erased my flash drive to put on a director client's screener file. Shut Happens.

:rolling: Sorry to laugh, but that sounds like something I would do. Me and my clumsy double-clicking finger...

[Ulysses]

There's always sunshine in the spec market. Specs compromise at least 75% of the junk on my desk.

Just 75%?

What do you need the other stuff for?