How Long Does It Take To Get Your Script Read?

[emily blake]

Sounds like you're repped by Lionel Hutz.

Your attorney is giving you horrible advice.

[growingpains]

Originally Posted by jcgary

Your attorney should submit it for you.

I wish. Like most attorneys, there's not enough money to be made from script submissions so he chooses not to do it.

Going back to my original question, how long does a script take to get read if an agent or production company plans to do so?

[nic.h]

Originally Posted by growingpains

Going back to my original question, how long does a script take to get read if an agent or production company plans to do so?

There's really no answer to this question. It can be hours or months, depending on so many factors that it's barely worth discussing. There is a general consensus that if you don't hear within the first weeks, there's a good chance you're not going to hear. There are also plenty of examples where contracts have been signed months after submission.

Which takes us back to the first thing I said.

[jcgary]

Originally Posted by growingpains

What is the trick to getting your scripts read at CAA anyway? Do you have to put a code on the outside of the package

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(case sensitive)

[SpecMan13]

Thanks for the code, I was having a hell of a time getting past that doorman. (P.S. He really hates apple fritters)

[Aspirant]

Originally Posted by growingpains

I wish. Like most attorneys, there's not enough money to be made from script submissions so he chooses not to do it.

I'm an attorney, though not an entertainment attorney. You described this guy as your lawyer, which implies that you've actually retained him for something and have some kind of an ongoing relationship with him. If this is true, then it seems to me he ought to be willing to submit your script to CAA as a professional courtesy, or charge you a very modest fee for doing so. It would only take, what -- 5 or 10 minutes of his time? His refusal to help you out, especially after the advice he apparently gave you, doesn't make any sense to me.

Also, in your original post, you said that you were mailing and emailing your script to "various companies and agents," which suggests that you're sending it, unsolicited, to places beyond just CAA. As others have stated, this is a bad practice. No one will read an unsolicited script, for potential liability reasons, among others. Your attorney could have told you that. You should go the query route; I don't think you're going to have any success doing it this way.

[growingpains]

Originally Posted by Aspirant

I'm an attorney, though not an entertainment attorney. You described this guy as your lawyer, which implies that you've actually retained him for something and have some kind of an ongoing relationship with him. If this is true, then it seems to me he ought to be willing to submit your script to CAA as a professional courtesy, or charge you a very modest fee for doing so. It would only take, what -- 5 or 10 minutes of his time? His refusal to help you out, especially after the advice he apparently gave you, doesn't make any sense to me.

Also, in your original post, you said that you were mailing and emailing your script to "various companies and agents," which suggests that you're sending it, unsolicited, to places beyond just CAA. As others have stated, this is a bad practice. No one will read an unsolicited script, for potential liability reasons, among others. Your attorney could have told you that. You should go the query route; I don't think you're going to have any success doing it this way.

All my attorney did for me was scare off a potential buyer for my script by trying to get me too much money. In the end I ended up paying him about $2000 for nothing, and needless to say, I'm not too happy about it. You would think he would be willing to submit it for me, but no he won't. If you check around, most entertainment attorneys are the same way, and it baffles me.

[jcgary]

Originally Posted by growingpains

If you check around, most entertainment attorneys are the same way, and it baffles me.

It would baffle me too if it were true.

It's not.

Look for someone else. Whomever you're dealing with doesn't know what he's doing and is actively impeding your career and also charging you way too much money. In ten years of working I have never ever paid an entertainment attorney up front -- it's always been as a percentage of my wages.

[one seven spectrum]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycuZqJzSocE

[Juno Styles]

Originally Posted by jcgary

It would baffle me too if it were true.

It's not.

Look for someone else. Whomever you're dealing with doesn't know what he's doing and is actively impeding your career and also charging you way too much money. In ten years of working I have never ever paid an entertainment attorney up front -- it's always been as a percentage of my wages.

+1

I female director I know has an entertainment attorney who actively looks for investors for her film in addition to submitting her material for free. She has worked out with her lawyer that they will get a piece of the pie if anything goes through. Unfortunately I think her material most likely isn't too good because she's met with at least a dozen investors looking to invest in films....even a couple who recently won the mega-million lotto and just wanted to invest in a movie "because it seems like a cool thing to do". Maybe if your lawyer thinks your stuff is marketable that may help as well.