Pardon the length here...
Had a script that was just sitting there. Was the first script that my manager took out wide. Got me out there and in rooms. A big producer called in May and said he wanted to get it made. He has a first look deal.
They are finishing up with life rights at the moment and we have an A (+?) list director who is ready to move forward. Next, they are going to take care of me with a paid option. Based on the fact that my current quote is: a non-guild assignment for half of WGA scale and a WGA option, I feel like I'm about to get boxed in here.
I feel like the option exercise ceiling amount is going to be low here given that I don't have a quote. But the thing is, even when deducting insurance and finance costs it's going to be budgeted at 50M. But there's no way I'm getting 2.5%, obviously. HALF of that is a pipe dream, it would seem. Half a percent feels realistic.
I also feel like the first look is working against me here. If the studio wants to do it, I'm in even less of a position of leverage. (Which is, I guess, inherent to only having one producer with one territory on a project)
A good scenario to me feels like getting this thing to the open market without locking myself into a set price with a hard ceiling. This project will necessarily require a big name actor talent to get made at the required price point, and given the director and subject matter I'm more than moderately optimistic this would be picked up.
But again, what is the producer's incentive to give me more in any scenario? It's coming out of his budget. (I could argue I've done quite a bit of work as it pertains to securing life rights - which I have...but I don't think that moves the needle)
Am I looking at any of this incorrectly? Do I *decline* a paid option and say "hey take this out and see?- I feel like I'm missing a piece of the puzzle here.
Yeah yeah talk to my lawyer.
Thanks!
Had a script that was just sitting there. Was the first script that my manager took out wide. Got me out there and in rooms. A big producer called in May and said he wanted to get it made. He has a first look deal.
They are finishing up with life rights at the moment and we have an A (+?) list director who is ready to move forward. Next, they are going to take care of me with a paid option. Based on the fact that my current quote is: a non-guild assignment for half of WGA scale and a WGA option, I feel like I'm about to get boxed in here.
I feel like the option exercise ceiling amount is going to be low here given that I don't have a quote. But the thing is, even when deducting insurance and finance costs it's going to be budgeted at 50M. But there's no way I'm getting 2.5%, obviously. HALF of that is a pipe dream, it would seem. Half a percent feels realistic.
I also feel like the first look is working against me here. If the studio wants to do it, I'm in even less of a position of leverage. (Which is, I guess, inherent to only having one producer with one territory on a project)
A good scenario to me feels like getting this thing to the open market without locking myself into a set price with a hard ceiling. This project will necessarily require a big name actor talent to get made at the required price point, and given the director and subject matter I'm more than moderately optimistic this would be picked up.
But again, what is the producer's incentive to give me more in any scenario? It's coming out of his budget. (I could argue I've done quite a bit of work as it pertains to securing life rights - which I have...but I don't think that moves the needle)
Am I looking at any of this incorrectly? Do I *decline* a paid option and say "hey take this out and see?- I feel like I'm missing a piece of the puzzle here.
Yeah yeah talk to my lawyer.
Thanks!
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