Hi guys,
I'm in my fourth year of screenwriting and I have a "normal" 8-5 job.
I recently optioned a script to an LA-based director, if any amateur writers are struggling or want any advice for what it's worth, feel free to ask away. I'm not repped yet, I'm working with the director which has been great.
I am a veracious listener to podcasts on my daily commute, particularly lit managers and agents giving advice/perspective. Some good ones are on the page, script notes, children of tendu, scripts and scribes, and a script apart. There's plenty others but that's some that I listen to.
I must say that networking is everything, great places apart from here are r/screenwriting r/producemyscript, several Facebook groups including Scriptfella's group (Dominic Morgan), check out his Youtube channel too. Also there's Facebook groups for writers in different countries, for different genres too. There's also some good discords like the Script Hive.
Read people's work, give and receive notes (I have a backlog, sorry for anyone that's still waiting!), reach out to people on social media with questions or to discuss the industry.
Just a few things that have helped me, this is an industry of "No" responses... or non-replies as the industry is ultimately about making films and TV and making money, executives time is precious so not responsding to unrepped writers particularly is the norm.
Ask away, not a pro yet, not repped but I've learned some things along the way.
Cheers and have a great day.
Nick.
Thanks Eva.
What's the payment you received for your option? No need for exact numbers. Rough estimate, budget percentage, figure amount, whatever.
Do you live in LA?
How did you submit the script to the director?
What would you say is the average wait time from submission to option?
How much money have you spent getting your script optioned? Again, this can be a rough estimate.
Hi Lily,
The paperwork is coming through this week, in a zoom they asked to option it and I agreed.
it will be a $1 option for 12 months, I was happy with the directors level of networking/contacts and he had really on point notes for the script that I gelled with.
I spent $0 getting an option, it was all networking and I met him on Reddit of all places r/screenwriting or r/producemyscript one of those. I did get a Blacklist 8 on the script so I guess that's a cost, so whatever a months hosting costs and two evals, then I got some free evals and hosting but that site gets expensive fast.
I submitted the logline, a day or two later he asked for the script then the next day he wanted to zoom and optioned it.
hope I answered all your questions if not sing out. Cheers.
Oh, I live in Australia. Particularly for features you don't need to live in LA (advice from lit managers on podcasts). TV pilot world/writers rooms you'd have to live in LA or NYC or London, Sydney etc depending where the room is once covid dies down and physical rooms are more common again.
Wow, Nick, that's all really cool. Thank you for sharing and big congrats!
Congrats, Nick. Now after you agreed to option , did he send an option contract to you? Or did you send him one? How does that work? How do you make changes if he sent to you. Best, Jed.
Congrats, Nick. Now after you agreed to option , did he send an option contract to you? Or did you send him one? How does that work? How do you make changes if he sent to you. Best, Jed.
Hi Jed that's exactly how it works, you should get an entertainment lawyer to quickly look over the contract. They'll point out any changes.
Thanks, Nick So he sent it to you?
how much should you expect to pay for an Entertainment lawyer to look over an option? Also is that always in person? Or can it be done on line? Thanks, Jed.
Congrats Nick. Good to hear something good coming out of r/screenwriting
Got threatened with a ban last time I was on there LOL
CJ Walley--What is R/Screenwrighting? And why did you get threatened with ban?
LOL CJ.
Jed, it's on Reddit.
It's a forum within Reddit. The big problem with Reddit is that people upvote what they want to be true and downvote the stuff they don't want to hear. Then there's the issue you're dealing with anonymous posters you cannot do you due diligence on. R/Screenwriting is no exception. Plus, they have a bunch of rules making it almost impossible for an industry member like me to efficiently help people.
They've also never, in six and a half years, added Script Revolution to their sidebar guides for getting exposure yet push the Black List and Coverfly like they're on commission.
Nick's proven you can make headway despite all that though. Will be interesting to learn more about that.
I feel another big problem with Reddit is that it's Reddit. haha
That's how I found Script Revolution, because it's not Black List.
In 2019, after spending a year reading, studying, experimenting, passing on snippets of screenwriting to my writer friends, I felt ready to take the next step, instead privately with friends only. I searched online for a community of sorts. Checked out Black List and immediately said, no. On a long Reddit thread, someone asked for an alternative to Black List. Waaay down the thread, someone else mentioned Script Revolution. So that's how I got here.