Should I sent my script to a start up company?

A self confessed "start up" company has asked to see my screenplay. Am I nuts to send it to them if they have no credits yet? Or should I go ahead with the attitude of having nothing to lose?

You're a "start up" writer, aren't you, you want someone to take a chance on you?

Check my reply to Rainboy in the moviepitch thread about live being a crapshoot.

Just take precautions, register your script, send yourself a sealed copy, show it to friends who can vouch that it's yours if the necessity arrives.

I'm with wannabe on this one. Maybe they won't be able to get you the big deal that larger agents could - but then again...maybe they will. Take precautions, but take a chance.

the "poor mans copyright" is a myth. doesnt hold up in court and a copyright lawyer will tell you that he/she would never present that in a litigation.

(why couldnt you just send yerself an empty envelope and put whatever script you want in it, then seal it?)

Dude - I was told the same thing. It is a myth that mailing something to yourself is copywriting it.

I think one of the problems that a lot of us have, including myself, is that we expect our first script option to fall into the "$100,000 against $500,000" category. Not a bad goal to have, but we need to make sure our screenplay is a real killer. If a start up company has expressed interest, the script obviously has merit, but they will not be able to pay the high figures. As for me, if they made a solid offer that put money in my pocket, I would tend to take it, unless I were convinced that I could do better elsewhere. Heck, the first script isn't going to be the last is it?

Keep in mind, I haven't made a sale yet, so I'm just giving my humble opinion.

(i keep loosing my posts and it drives me nuts)

" If a start up company has expressed interest, the script obviously has
merit, but they will not be able to pay the high figures."

if we are talking about a prodco/mamagement company, they dont buy anything but scented paper. as a matter of fact it takes very little capital to be a prodco/management company. an empty room in the basement, lil letterhead, phone line, an intern that werks for free and some contacts in the industry (say for instance the same contacts an agents assistant could cultivate within one or two years or often just film school is enough)
these little start up companys take our unsolicited scripts based on their specific contacts. they look for material that needs little or no effort on their part to be ready to "go out with".
usually an unproduced writer will be offered a free option by the prodco/manager. He/she shops the material around to larger prodco's with studio deals and studio money for a predetermined amount of time. These prodco's with studio ties are the ones who PAY for material not prodco/managers.

dude

Dude, you're right, the poor man's copyright is ineffective...on it's own. But bearing in mind that if it comes to litigation, the judge/jury/arbitrator has to decide on the facts on a balance of probabilities (not beyond reasonable doubt as in a criminal case) which party is telling the truth and if any lawyer doesn't use whatever's at their disposal to make their client's case, then they're being lax. The poor man's copyright is just prima facie evidence in your favor. Taken in conjunction with other things, like registration, copyrighting the script (which you have to do to claim legal fees etc), testimony, etc, it may make a difference.

And it may make a psychological difference to those who're too nervous to send anything out?

My theory is that you can EARN from a deal or LEARN from a deal... and start up companies may offer neither.

In "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace" Yoda says that there are always two Siths, a Master and a Pupil. For your first time, you want your partner (producer) to know the tricks of the trade, and pass them on to you. That way your first time can be a real education. You can learn from THEIR experience.

The more inexperienced you are, the more experienced you want your partner to be. You'll have more to learn, and that requires a partner with more knowledge to share. On the surface it may seem like a beginning producer and a beginning screenwriter would be the perfect match, but that's two pupils and no masters. You can't learn from somebody who doesn't know!

But everything depends on how "start up" these people are. For instance - if I decided to start producing movies tomorrow and got $20 business cards at Staples, I would have no credits as a producer... but I've been in the film biz for a while and have contacts (to financing/distribution) and some experience in making movies. A friend of mine has worked on film sets for the past decade and is getting ready to make his first film... though he has partnered with an experienced line producer to make his film, those ten years actually working on films gives him experience and contacts that would make him (or someone like him) a good bet as a first time producer.

It's when you get to people who have never done anything and have no contacts that you get into trouble. They don't have any idea of what they're getting into, and they're going to drag you along for the ride! Usually they don't know where to get money, or a distributor for their finished film.

Remember - the only money you can count on is the money they pay you up front. Everything else is some form of fantasy-money. It doesn't really exist.

Let's say they pay you $x up front and will pay you $xx when the film sells to a distrib. According to the LA Times, 98% of indie films DON'T ever find distribs and don't ever make a cent... they lose money!

What happens if they start filming your movie and run out of money halfway through? They OWN your script! There isn't even a film on video to show friends!

You can only sell your script ONCE.

- Bill

Well I did not catch what kind of company this is, agency or production or management. Hmm.

In any of the above, I would want to know the background of the people involved. Someone starting up with a whole lot of past experience working with other people and in the industry will know something. Someone starting up with no experience whatsoever is a different story.