Advice on Prior Relationship - New Spec Script

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  • Advice on Prior Relationship - New Spec Script

    i have a new spec that will be ready to market in the next few weeks. rewriting and polishing now.

    i have a prior relationship with a producer who was my manager for a short time and took two high budget specs out to buyers. he has relationships to creative executives and VPs and above for the major studios and prodcos.

    he said he would be interested in checking out any new spec i have to consider for development, should it make sense.

    i need a manager, and i'm not sure now if it's a wise decision to start the process with my producer friend, because it might not reflect well on a new manager should they wish to develop/take it out.

    i might be overthinking this.

    of course, the manager, should one agree to work with me, would get paid either way, but i'm interested in some advice on whether having a producer attached will potentially be a detriment to an incoming manager, even if it's for a specific, limited territory.

    the big plus, is that i work really well with this producer and we could have this spec ready to go out in a matter of a couple weeks. i don't know for certain he'd be interested, but i think he might.

    any thoughts?
    "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

  • #2
    Re: Advice on Prior Relationship - New Spec

    My initial thought is that you're thinking too much about this specific script, and not your career as a whole. You're right in saying that you need a manager, and you might be hamstringing yourself if you have a producer attached. A new manager will have those same exact relationships, and might even have better ones.

    You need representation regardless, so why not go in with a clean script?

    Will this producer introduce you to managers? Do you have relationships with any of the execs he/she went out to? That could be a way to go.

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    • #3
      Re: Advice on Prior Relationship - New Spec

      Originally posted by docgonzo View Post
      My initial thought is that you're thinking too much about this specific script, and not your career as a whole. You're right in saying that you need a manager, and you might be hamstringing yourself if you have a producer attached. A new manager will have those same exact relationships, and might even have better ones.

      You need representation regardless, so why not go in with a clean script?

      Will this producer introduce you to managers? Do you have relationships with any of the execs he/she went out to? That could be a way to go.
      i have two other very strong scripts. one is an $100mil sci-to epic (post apocolyptic, dystopian original IP), so it will probably only ever be a sample. the second will be good to go out. still a moderate budget action thriller set in the near future.

      Tracker went out to several prodcos and a few studios a few years ago. both Wasteland and Tracker have high scores on the black list 8s and 9s. Tracker was also selected as one of the Black List's featured scripts and is still listed, and is currently the #13 th most popular script on the Black List website.

      i allowed said manager/producer to send Tracker to a new prodco and as of the end of Feb the executive loved it but was sending it to upper management for their review. i'm guessing it's a pass.

      we had an option offer that we could not come to terms with on both a few years ago, but then i had to travel a lot for work over the past 18-24 months and now i'm writing full time. trying to catch up with a couple more scripts, you know?

      Sony TV considered it even though Tracker is a feature, but at the time a few similar (newer) shows Minority Report and Devinci's Demons had just been canceled, so they ultimately passed. i will have another, fourth script ready to go in about two months is another action thriller. a bit lower budget, probably $40 mil range.

      i very well could be overthinking it as i am unsure what approach would be best.

      the script that will be ready in a couple of weeks is a rom com and not what i want my career to be based upon. i wrote it because it was a good concept. i felt confident i could execute it. and it was a lot of fun to write.

      first and foremost I am an action thriller writer. i need a manager that can sell both, which shouldn't be that hard, right?

      i guess i'm not certain how best to proceed. as it's getting closer to the time to send something out.

      i'm guessing TMI, too.

      the said producer never set up meetings for me. he cannot help me with a manager and I do not have a relationship with anyone that he sent it to, even though one said they'd consider me for OWA list. i have some of their email addresses, but that's it. the manager/producer never did anything beyond that, so i'm starting from scratch again.

      that's the low down.
      "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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      • #4
        Re: Advice on Prior Relationship - New Spec

        "...but i'm interested in some advice on whether having a producer attached will potentially be a detriment to an incoming manager, even if it's for a specific, limited territory."

        Most likely yes, because the manager will already have established relationships with certain producers. The purpose of getting the manager is to have more breadth/reach as far as getting eyes on your script, right? So I'd get the manager first, and then mention this particular producer to the manager and ask if he/she thinks it would be a good idea to send it it to him. Then again - if you can't find a manager after a certain amount of trying, I'd just go ahead and send to the producer because it sounds like this producer has some good connections.

        My two cents. Hope that helps

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