To option my script (for $1) or not?

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  • To option my script (for $1) or not?

    I've been working with this indie producer on my first script, and shes been wonderful, opening doors that I probably would never be able to on my own, but we still dont have a deal after a year of shopping my first script. They now want to option the script from me for $1, which is fine, I dont care about the upfront money, but just want advice from people that have done this.

    Is this a good idea? How does it help me? Assuming if I do it, it will be locked up with them for 1-2 years, but then what is the incentive for ME to do this?

  • #2
    Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

    Originally posted by sidgrey View Post
    I've been working with this indie producer on my first script, and shes been wonderful, opening doors that I probably would never be able to on my own, but we still dont have a deal after a year of shopping my first script. They now want to option the script from me for $1, which is fine, I dont care about the upfront money, but just want advice from people that have done this.

    Is this a good idea? How does it help me? Assuming if I do it, it will be locked up with them for 1-2 years, but then what is the incentive for ME to do this?
    To be clear... Are you saying they've been shopping the script for a year and have been unable to get financing and/or meaningful attachments?

    If that's the case, what makes you think they'll be able to find financing and/or meaningful attachments in years two or three?

    Generically, I'd advise that your best bet is to try to find other producers with other relationships... but there are about a billion variables here of which I obviously have no knowledge. Sometimes, trusting a producer over the long haul is the right move. Most of the time, it's not.

    Sorry I can't give clearer-cut advice, but there it is.

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    • #3
      Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

      This topic has come up before. I'll post a version of what I noted a few years back, which was a repost from a few years before that...

      To this very day, I don't think a writer should ever do a $1 option. If you are dealing with a grown man or woman, then they should have enough money to offer you something better than that. I've worked for different production companies over the years and when we optioned scripts we paid more than that. Not tons, but hundreds to thousands per script depending on the situation for an option only.

      I personally optioned a play from a woman/playwright. I'm not rich. Not even close. But I wrote her a personal check every six months. It wasn't much, but she could at least go out with a friend, have a nice little dinner with a couple of glasses of wine each and "celebrate."

      If you are optioning your script to your five-year-old niece or nephew because they want to "play" producer, then I guess you could do a short term $1 option agreement with them because that's all the money they got from the Tooth Fairy. (Even then I wouldn't recommend it.) But if you are dealing with anyone who is an adult, they should find more money than that. Heck, I made enough money mowing lawns as a young teen to do better than that.

      Here is a link to one of a few articles out there about this particular subject that includes a few other thoughts to save me some typing: http://www.scriptmag.com/features/st...n-a-screenplay.

      Never tie your script up for free or $1. If they are legit producers AND they truly believe in the project, they can find more money than a $1. Otherwise, I say, move on.

      And as AnyOtherName wisely noted...

      If that's the case, what makes you think they'll be able to find financing and/or meaningful attachments in years two or three?
      Will
      Done Deal Pro
      www.donedealpro.com

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      • #4
        Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

        It's hard for producers to play total poverty in this context. They can claim any option amount as an expense, so they're getting something to declare, in addition to a lock on your precious IP.

        When these people ask for near-zero options AND free rewrites AND automatic renewals, you have to think of the old trope "a sucker is born... etc."

        But so long as some writers keep accepting these deals, producers are going to ask for them, and there's nothing illegal about it.

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        • #5
          Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

          Any producer with twenty dollars in their pocket can option twenty scripts and throw all of them at a wall and see which one sticks. If none stick? He's out the cost of 2 trips to Starbucks if they get a cookie with their vente soy vanilla latte.

          What are you out of? Time. Respect. The worth of your hard work. Being able to option your work to someone who appreciates its worth. What they are telling you is your script is worth a whole dollar to them for the next year. It's an insult. Me? I've said no quite a few times to this kind of deal. With no skin in the game, what do they care if they can't get a deal? They're out a dollar.

          A friend optioned his script for 18 months for a dollar. Producer got two passes the first month, gave up and threw it in a drawer until the writer got it back 17 months later. Didn't matter to the producer, he was out 4 quarters. If a producer isn't willing to dip into their pocket for even 500 to 1000 bucks for an option, they really don't believe in your script all that much anyway.

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          • #6
            Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

            These are all solid questions and input. So to clarify, the producer is an indie, has some credentials but nothing major, but works with some legit players like CAA (who I have had multiple meetings with as a result of the producers connections). And we got very far with one small studio but eventually lost the deal.

            I dont have any other connections to anyone so I dont have a clue if anyone could or would do better, but i think the prodocuer is a good fit for the project. I was just curious about the concept in general. And TBH, I dont really need or care about getting hundreds or even 5k or whatever for the option....I care about trying to get the movie made.

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            • #7
              Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

              Originally posted by sidgrey View Post
              These are all solid questions and input. So to clarify, the producer is an indie, has some credentials but nothing major, but works with some legit players like CAA (who I have had multiple meetings with as a result of the producers connections). And we got very far with one small studio but eventually lost the deal.

              I dont have any other connections to anyone so I dont have a clue if anyone could or would do better, but i think the prodocuer is a good fit for the project. I was just curious about the concept in general. And TBH, I dont really need or care about getting hundreds or even 5k or whatever for the option....I care about trying to get the movie made.
              I dunno, man. Literally 100% of the advice you've gotten has been "Don't do this," and your reply reads like, "Yeah, I was just asking hypothetically; I'm gonna do this."

              You should do whatever feels right, but for the record: no one's saying you should care about *getting* a thousand bucks... the argument is that you should care about making the producer *spend* a thousand bucks. Because if he's not able/willing to do that (so the argument goes), he's not committed/resourceful enough to get the movie made.

              All that being said, a low percentage of the time, a situation like this actually does work out for the writer. I've seen it happen. So if you're determined to go down this road, I genuinely wish you the best.

              (Also: having "meetings" at CAA doesn't necessarily mean anything. It depends who the meetings were with and what the outcome was.)

              (Also: if you want to PM the name of the producer, I'd be happy to tell you what, if anything, I know about him/her.)

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

                totally get it. its sound logic. but im not in much of a position to really negotiate. they already said they dont want to spent money right now because they are a startup, and i have no where else to turn to, so if i burn this bridge, im back to square one. its frustrating that i dont feel like i have much control here, and am in the hands of these people.

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                • #9
                  Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

                  Originally posted by sidgrey View Post
                  ...im back to square one. its frustrating that i dont feel like i have much control here, and am in the hands of these people.
                  You're back at square one when it comes to marketing this script, but you're actually still in possession of a valuable piece of IP.

                  Meanwhile, you're writing your next, and your next, right, and eventually will have multiple pokers in multiple fires.

                  You know the old story, when you make a connection with someone and it's not quite right, they'll ask "What else ya' got?" Just imagine if you option that script for a buck, and the next day somebody asks "What else ya' got, you don't have a comedy/horror/mystery whatever, do ya'?" And of course that's what you let go for a buck to the other guy. Arrgh!

                  Remember, too, such or any options could mean the script is locked away for up to 3 years, after the renewal. Who knows what the market could be like six months or a year from now - maybe much friendlier to your script. Or, maybe another writer markets something similar and gets a big deal for it, and that one gets produced, leaving your (possibly better) story stranded in an option with a nobody-producer.

                  There's nothing wrong with having a repertoire of cool stuff available, free of encumbrances, which these $1 options usually are. Meanwhile, get writing your next script, if you haven't already.

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                  • #10
                    Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

                    thanks for the advice. I have a call with the roducer this week so I can ask some of these questions and try and mull it over. thanks!

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                    • #11
                      Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

                      You know what? I actually have the opposite advice.

                      I had an award-winning script that was flat out dead in the water. Partially because it's a hard sell (all-minority cast, period piece, set in history people don't know much about and with a politically unpopular pov.) It was probably 8 years dead and I realized XYZ person would be into it. I emailed him and lo and behold, he was. He wanted to shop it around.

                      I let him.
                      He had way better contacts than I did, loved the project, was really passionate and was a good choice to be involved.

                      He got it in front of major networks/distributors, etc. and it would've just sat here on my desk otherwise.

                      Ultimately, nothing came of it so here I sit, but it was better than just letting it sit there.

                      If you're in that kind of situation, why not? Could make some good contacts along the way.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

                        Originally posted by cvolante View Post
                        You know what? I actually have the opposite advice.

                        I had an award-winning script that was flat out dead in the water. Partially because it's a hard sell (all-minority cast, period piece, set in history people don't know much about and with a politically unpopular pov.) It was probably 8 years dead and I realized XYZ person would be into it. I emailed him and lo and behold, he was. He wanted to shop it around.

                        I let him.
                        He had way better contacts than I did, loved the project, was really passionate and was a good choice to be involved.

                        He got it in front of major networks/distributors, etc. and it would've just sat here on my desk otherwise.

                        Ultimately, nothing came of it so here I sit, but it was better than just letting it sit there.

                        If you're in that kind of situation, why not? Could make some good contacts along the way.
                        this is kind of my point. i have no contact, i also have a primarily minority cast and am a minority myself, so entry into the industry is tougher with the package of me and this story. What I DO have going for me is that the script went finalist in half a dozen competitions, so if I dont give them the option I could start pitching people again via stage32 etc, but thats not an easy road (or cheap) either.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

                          Originally posted by sidgrey View Post
                          so if I dont give them the option I could start pitching people again via stage32 etc, but thats not an easy road (or cheap) either.
                          Be careful with this. Having nothing and starting from scratch is better than having the wrong producer.

                          There's only one thing that matters here and it's not $1 or $1,000 options, it's can this producer get this movie made? Does she have credits and/or the right connections? What happened in the year she already had it? Any sense of progress? If so, you could give her a free six months to follow through on some existing leads, extendable for longer should a significant element (actor or director) attach.

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                          • #14
                            Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

                            Bird in the hand.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: To option my script (for $1) or not?

                              Originally posted by EdFury View Post
                              Any producer with twenty dollars in their pocket can option twenty scripts and throw all of them at a wall and see which one sticks. If none stick? He's out the cost of 2 trips to Starbucks if they get a cookie with their vente soy vanilla latte.

                              What are you out of? Time. Respect. The worth of your hard work. Being able to option your work to someone who appreciates its worth. What they are telling you is your script is worth a whole dollar to them for the next year. It's an insult. Me? I've said no quite a few times to this kind of deal. With no skin in the game, what do they care if they can't get a deal? They're out a dollar.

                              A friend optioned his script for 18 months for a dollar. Producer got two passes the first month, gave up and threw it in a drawer until the writer got it back 17 months later. Didn't matter to the producer, he was out 4 quarters. If a producer isn't willing to dip into their pocket for even 500 to 1000 bucks for an option, they really don't believe in your script all that much anyway.
                              What Ed said. DON'T DO IT. I did, because it was with a producer I thought had some heft and he turned out to be a nutjob. The contract sucked, too, but I figured, "Hey, at least it will get made." NOT. He sat on it for a year, in spite of the fact that I'd attached a director (ME, not the producer) and we had some real talent that wanted to work with us. Long story short, they got sick of waiting for this guy to get off the pot, the option expired and the script is now mine again. I never did get the fvcking dollar, by the way. What a joke. Live and learn, right?

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