Giving Up a Writing Credit

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  • Giving Up a Writing Credit

    I have the opportunity to get my screenplay optioned by a small Canadian production company. The catch is that they are asking us to give up our writing credit to receive a grant from the Canadian government. They can give us an "Executive Producer" credit and possibly a "Story By" credit. They said that the writers have to be Canadian to satisfy the requirements for the grant. They've produced one other feature that played at some festivals. My question is how can we benefit from having our screenplay produced if our credit is changed? There isn't much money involved. Would it open any doors?

    The other issue is that we haven't queried the screenplay for representation, so we aren't even really sure what we have in it. I'm leaning towards sending it out to gauge interest first, even it if we lose this opportunity. Any feedback would be appreciated.

  • #2
    Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

    That sounds like terrible deal.

    Personally, I'd hold off on these guys and send it around town (I assume you're in the US). See what happens. Give it some time.

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    • #3
      Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

      With little money on the table and quite possibly no credit, there's minimal incentive for you to get involved. If you could really use the cash, I would still query the hell out of the script before agreeing to the option, a delay which shouldn't be too much trouble given the glacial pace of the business. If they want an answer before you've explored other options, you can always tell them quite honestly that you're trying to do due diligence. Considering the unfavorable terms, I doubt they pull the offer, and even if they do, you haven't lost a whole lot.

      Good luck!

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      • #4
        Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

        I'd suggest doing some additional research before dismissing it. There are a lot of rules governing Canadian content in film and this may be how it's done; in other words, they may not be trying so much to take away your credit as writers but to ensure the film gets funded. If the company seems to be a good match and there's a real possibility they'd produce the film in a way that's faithful to your script, keeping you on as producers and consultants throughout the process, it may be a way to get credit on a produced film and still be acknowledged as creators on the project.

        You could delve further into who would actually get credit for the screenplay (and on what basis), if you would be tapped for rewrites, and how this has panned out for other American writers on Canadian-produced films.

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        • #5
          Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

          Thank you for the feedback. I don't believe they are trying to pull a fast one on us, or anything like that. I believe that is a criteria for the funding. I am wondering if it would open any doors for us. It would probably be around a $1 million budget with a couple of okay names attached. I'm assuming there might not be enough upside, and would rather take a chance to see if I can generate interest elsewhere first.

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          • #6
            Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

            Originally posted by mcdsd1 View Post
            Thank you for the feedback. I don't believe they are trying to pull a fast one on us, or anything like that. I believe that is a criteria for the funding. I am wondering if it would open any doors for us. It would probably be around a $1 million budget with a couple of okay names attached. I'm assuming there might not be enough upside, and would rather take a chance to see if I can generate interest elsewhere first.
            What kind of doors do you think a million dollar Canadian film you're not credited with writing will open? What are your expectations? I've been down this road. I hope they are paying you extra to give up the credit. I know I asked for that and got it. I knew I'd have to be satisfied with the money. And I was. Exec Producer credits alone mean nothing if you're looking for this to help your writing career. People get those sometimes for securing a star or a difficult location. They're not generally hooked to writing, especially without a writing credit there of some kind.

            It is most likely the production company is not trying to cheat you in any way. They like your script. They want to produce it, but because of Canadian laws they need to credit Canadian writers. So, your choice is easy. Take the money knowing it's not going to be a door opener anywhere but maybe Canada again, or see if you can option it somewhere that can get you the credit you worked for and need to further your career.

            What are your reps telling you? That's a very important component of your decision. I wish you the best.

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            • #7
              Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

              "Story by" is okay (sometimes given after a spec purchase when the script is re-written later). It *is* a writing credit, and you can also ask for more money

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              • #8
                Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

                Yikes...

                Ditto what EdFury said. That's the position you're in.

                But... yes, absolutely get this script out there before you decide anything. You currently have no representation, correct? Your reps [to be] may have a wholly different approach to putting this together -- with you credited. If I were you I'd stall the Canadian dudes and get it out into the world to see what it does on the streets.

                Bottom line -- your involvement in this low budget film will likely mean zero to Hollywood.

                Q: How did you meet the Canadian crew?
                DOPE CITY

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                • #9
                  Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

                  If you're not repped, you should at least try Jeff Alpern of The Alpern Group, a boutique lit agency in LA and Toronto. He knows all the Canadian players. He repped me on one of my first spec sales to a Canadian producer. I'm a US citizen, but got a good sale price, full writing credit, and membership in the WGC. Samantha London at The Alpern Group is also good. Run your situation by them. Maybe they can help.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

                    This is all really great feedback. We currently aren't repped, and have done very little to seek representation. The producer is a friend of a friend. I was writing the screenplay, pitched him on it, and started working with his production company. He optioned the script for a couple of years while they tried to secure financing. Some of the financing outlets closed, and the govt. grant became a way for them to produce it after they went through the process for their first feature. I would love to see the screenplay made, but wasn't sure if it would help us really. It sounds like it really wouldn't unless it was a surprising hit. I think we will shop it first to see if we can draw interest.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

                      If this screenplay can be made into a movie for a mere $1million by a small prodco, would any Hollywood big dicks ever be interested in buying it anyway? (Is it very wordy, with emotional characters having lots of 'feelings' in rooms?)

                      Anyhow, even if you sell the script to the Canadian low-budget prodco, you could still use it as a writing sample to get US representation. And use the cash you're paid to ease off on your real job and focus more on your next script; that high-concept blockbuster which Hollywood prefers to make, and only Hollywood can afford to make.

                      [Warning: I'm an amateur, and quite possibly talking crap.]
                      Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                      "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

                        Originally posted by mcdsd1 View Post
                        This is all really great feedback. We currently aren't repped, and have done very little to seek representation. The producer is a friend of a friend. I was writing the screenplay, pitched him on it, and started working with his production company. He optioned the script for a couple of years while they tried to secure financing. Some of the financing outlets closed, and the govt. grant became a way for them to produce it after they went through the process for their first feature. I would love to see the screenplay made, but wasn't sure if it would help us really. It sounds like it really wouldn't unless it was a surprising hit. I think we will shop it first to see if we can draw interest.
                        Wait, this prodco has or does not have an option on the script?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

                          Originally posted by mcdsd1 View Post
                          This is all really great feedback. We currently aren't repped, and have done very little to seek representation. The producer is a friend of a friend. I was writing the screenplay, pitched him on it, and started working with his production company. He optioned the script for a couple of years while they tried to secure financing. Some of the financing outlets closed, and the govt. grant became a way for them to produce it after they went through the process for their first feature. I would love to see the screenplay made, but wasn't sure if it would help us really. It sounds like it really wouldn't unless it was a surprising hit. I think we will shop it first to see if we can draw interest.
                          I would probably offer a polite no.

                          There are ways to get Canadian grants without the writer being Canadian - I think the director and producer have to be Canadian, but I'm not sure.

                          But an executive producer credit means almost nothing. I have a moral problem with letting somebody else take credit for my work, too, so overall it'd be hard for me not to pass, there'd have to be a compelling additional reason, and on an <$2m film, that's not likely to be a paycheck for the executive producers.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Giving Up a Writing Credit

                            They had an option on it, but it expired. They asked us to give up credit at the end of the option because other financing options dried up.

                            It's an over the top comedy that we rewrote to fit in the projected budget, but made changes back to our original idea with the idea of sending it out. The money isn't enough to make our decision tougher. The only thing that I am weighing is if it would open any doors for us moving forward. The ceiling is low, but I also know the chances of getting interest for someone to make the film is low too. Only a few unbiased readers have read it, and only one reader has read the rewrite.

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