Advice needed from repped writers (spec related situation)

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  • #16
    Re: Advice needed from repped writers (spec related situation)

    Sounds like you need to have an honest discussion with your manager. Let him know you appreciate all the time he's put into this project, but if he can't give you a firm timeline for when it will be shared around town, then you need to move on. You said you want to believe you are nearing the end of the development process, but isn't that what you believed 7.5 years ago? As others have said, that kind of endless development is a red flag, so I don't think you're doing yourself any favors by continuing under the status quo.



    I would argue you're better off writing something new and chalking this up to a learning experience, which it's clear it was. You aren't throwing eight years away when you were developing as a writer throughout that time. It would be a serious disappointment if the manager never allows the script to see the light of day, but the disappointment will only be greater if you allow this situation to persist. He may have a claim to his creative contributions to the script if you completed a page-one rewrite based on his input, so you could offer to let him attach as producer when you move on. That isn't ideal, but if the development process was that extensive and he worked with you that closely on it, it might be the best you can do to salvage the project.



    As far as your finalist placement, it's a nice bit of confirmation, but unless you're a finalist in the Nicholl or Austin, it's an accolade that will mean next to nothing to agents, producers and execs. I say this from experience unfortunately. For confirmation, start looking up recent finalists from prominent contests and see if they have reps listed on IMDb or recent projects in development. I have a feeling even most finalists at Austin end up with little or nothing to show for it, though I believe that virtually all Nicholl finalists get a real boost from it.



    Good luck with this project however you choose to handle it!

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    • #17
      Re: Advice needed from repped writers (spec related situation)

      Originally posted by Mintclub View Post
      Hard to know for sure what 42's actual remit is. If they're saying they're a management firm then so be it. All I know is that my then agent of a few years had been wanting to produce movies and tv shows but it wasn't something that sat well with the UK agency he worked for. FYI, I was repped by one of the founders of 42. He pitched the new company to me saying they wanted to be like an Anonymous Content/ Management 360. Only thing is he took me and all his other clients with him from ITG. They didn't share us. So I guess they're a management that do all the negotiating for their clients in the exact same way British agencies do. I had US managers at the time. And US agents as well. But I didn't then get UK agents on top of 42.

      I have friends still with them who refer to them as their agents, but each to their own. Guess it allows them to produce internationally by calling themselves a management company.
      Understood. And again, extra details like this are good to know and keep in mind, especially when people write me.
      Will
      Done Deal Pro
      www.donedealpro.com

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      • #18
        Re: Advice needed from repped writers (spec related situation)

        Thank you everyone for your responses. I had an honest, lengthy chat with my manager last night and everything's been cleared up and resolved.

        I will delete the original post to preserve fine details.

        "Artificial Intelligence will never match the efficiency of Natural Stupidity"

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        • #19
          Re: Advice needed from repped writers (spec related situation)

          Originally posted by spacefarer View Post
          Thank you everyone for your responses. I had an honest, lengthy chat with my manager last night and everything's been cleared up and resolved.

          I will delete the original post to preserve fine details.
          Based on this, it sounds like he talked you into staying?

          I'm glad you two had a healthy dialogue but my gut instinct is that you need to set an internal deadline for yourself this time around. If in the next 3 months that script isn't on at least one producer or agents desk, you need to respectfully thank your manager and start looking for a new one.

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          • #20
            Re: Advice needed from repped writers (spec related situation)

            Originally posted by spacefarer View Post
            Thank you everyone for your responses. I had an honest, lengthy chat with my manager last night and everything's been cleared up and resolved.

            I will delete the original post to preserve fine details.
            Curious to know what the resolution was and if you've decided to stick with this guy despite good advice from everyone here.

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            • #21
              Re: Advice needed from repped writers (spec related situation)

              We've set a realistic deadline and we will be pushing one of the scripts to the next stage some time soon, and are going out to prod cos with the other one. I was ready to walk away if the latter wouldn't happen.

              Just to clear things up so to avoid any misunderstandings: the script with the lengthy development process has undergone two major phases where a change of direction in the inner logic, villain's agenda and theme was needed and this sparked further rewrites to correct plot issues, then further polishing. I cannot give more details, or be more specific, without revealing important concept elements, but given the fact that it is a very difficult script in terms of narrative logic, not your usual straight up action material, it has proven tough to crack time and again. Two people working their asses on it and there were times we will still come across glaring plot holes issues - so in this respect I would't have wanted the script to have hit the town at this point - it would kill any thoughts about a career.

              Apologies for being vague about all this. I honestly appreciate the responses, so please do not think I have disregarded any of them. On the contrary.

              Mind you though that I will still be deleting this response in a couple of days.

              "Artificial Intelligence will never match the efficiency of Natural Stupidity"

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Advice needed from repped writers (spec related situation)

                I hate to say this, man, but unless I'm going senile, this reminds me of... wasn't there someone on here years ago that kept developing the same script for years and years with the same manager? Whatever happened to that guy?

                Personally I would say RUN, but then again, I don't have all the details.

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                • #23
                  Re: Advice needed from repped writers (spec related situation)

                  Yes, there was, and this is exactly the line of argument I wanted to avoid.

                  "Artificial Intelligence will never match the efficiency of Natural Stupidity"

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                  • #24
                    Re: Advice needed from repped writers (spec related situation)

                    Originally posted by spacefarer View Post
                    We've set a realistic deadline and we will be pushing one of the scripts to the next stage some time soon, and are going out to prod cos with the other one. I was ready to walk away if the latter wouldn't happen.

                    Just to clear things up so to avoid any misunderstandings: the script with the lengthy development process has undergone two major phases where a change of direction in the inner logic, villain's agenda and theme was needed and this sparked further rewrites to correct plot issues, then further polishing. I cannot give more details, or be more specific, without revealing important concept elements, but given the fact that it is a very difficult script in terms of narrative logic, not your usual straight up action material, it has proven tough to crack time and again. Two people working their asses on it and there were times we will still come across glaring plot holes issues - so in this respect I would't have wanted the script to have hit the town at this point - it would kill any thoughts about a career.

                    Apologies for being vague about all this. I honestly appreciate the responses, so please do not think I have disregarded any of them. On the contrary.

                    Mind you though that I will still be deleting this response in a couple of days.
                    Well good luck, I sincerely do hope it works out!

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