OT: Help with decision on my script/production

p@mast3rs wrote on 12/27/2004, 12:13 PM
I have been exchanging emails quite a bit with this director. He said I have several options that I can do. He said I can roll the dice and try to direct/produce this on my own or I could option my script to someone else and basically lose any creative control and a big chunk of any profits. He then went on to say that it comes down to how much of the headaches that i want to deal with (i.e. directing, shooting, actor egos, dsitribution, etc...)

He made some excellent points but I hope to gain some other views from those on the forum. In one hand, I could get a decent prosumer camera , and give the directing a shot and hope I make very little mistakes. If I choose this route, then I need to decide on how it will get financed, what equipment to use, casting, and with any luck of success, then find a distributor for the film.

On the other hand, I could try and shop the script around and hope a company takes the chance/risk and handles everything from pre-production to post to distribution and advertisement..

The dilemma i am facing is what route to choose. If i can somehow manage to pull the production and directing and find a distributor, I stand to make more money in the long run for myself if I get some professional advertising somewhere. My fear is letting another company take over the script and make a ton of cash and I get left for basically writing the script and a small piece of the pie. Or worse, that i shop and shop this script for a year, maybe more, only to end up having to do it myself. Then there's always the chance that someone reads the script but doesn;t want to spend the cash and instead, writes something similar and has the means to produce it more quickly than I could my own.

Perhaps my expectations are too big but I don't want to sit here a year or two for now and if by some luck and magic this film hits big, I dont want to be like the kids from Blair Witch who didn't make nowhere what the distributors did. It would be nice to have the success but even nicer to have the compensation for it as well. Afterall, if anyone's gonna make a Million dollars on your work first, shouldnt it be you the creator?

I want to make the right decision and am starting to feel overwhelmed witht he possibilities. What camera to use? How to find a distributor? How to direct it? I see the headaches he's talking about now. I know an experienced company can do a better job with the film, Im just concerned that i am going to end up with the short end of the stick whether it be financially or credit wise.

Any advice on hwo to handle this situation.

I promise this is my last off topic for a while.

Comments

Jay Gladwell wrote on 12/27/2004, 12:25 PM
I could option my script to someone else and basically lose any creative control and a big chunk of any profits.

That all depends entirely upon the option agreement. For heaven's sake, don't rush into anything.

Before you worry about casting, cameras, etc., you need to find someone who will fund your film, either as a buyout (you sell the script outright), or someone who is willing to bankroll your effort to self-produce. Only then does everything else become something other than an academic exercise.

I dont want to be like the kids from Blair Witch who didn't make nowhere what the distributors did.

Why shouldn't the distributor make money? Do have any idea what it costs to distribute a film today?! More often than not, it cost as much, if not more, to distribute the movie than the cost of making the film. Were it not for the distributor, whomever they may be, there would be no films. You gotta get it out there, and it can't be done without a distributor. The days of four-walling are long gone! Waaayyy too expensive. As a first-timer, you're going to have to give up something, unless you have awfully deep pockets or friendly family members who do!

Jay
Spot|DSE wrote on 12/27/2004, 12:38 PM
The kids from Blair Witch did very, very well.
p@mast3rs wrote on 12/27/2004, 12:42 PM
"Why shouldn't the distributor make money? Do have any idea what it costs to distribute a film today?! Were it not for the distributor, whomever they may be, there would be no films. You gotta get it out there, and it can't be done without a distributor. The days of four-walling are long gone! Waaayyy too expensive. As a first-timer, you're going to have to give up something, unless you have awfully deep pockets or friendly family members who do!"


I think the distributor should make some money but think about it. When I was in Orlando over at Valencia's film school, I was talking to the program's director and I mentioned that the kids that did Blair Witch came from there. I remarked how those kids must be loving life that they had a huge hit and must have made millions. He laughed and said that the distributor made millions and that the kids hardly made anywhere near that.

Thats what I mean when I say I dont want to end up with the short of the stick. If my script is brilliant enough to make a company some cash then I would hope that I would make something comparable. I dont expect to make what they would make but if the make millions after they recoup their investment, I would help a nice of chunk of that would come my way as well.

Thats why i asking advice. I dont want to make a rash decision and want to think every aspect through before making a decision on what route to travel. If ruish and choose to do it myself, theres a lot of aspects I am not up to par on (i.e. lighting, sound, etc...) that would be better served by a more experienced company. I just wish there was some way to option the script for a decent sum and maybe a small percentage on what it makes. I just dont see me having that kind of bargaining power.

My thinking is maybe this is my only shot and that maybe Ill never have another great idea that will hit like this again or maybe its another 5-10 years before the magic strikes again, so naturally I want to make as much as I can to cover myself for whatever the future holds.
Jay Gladwell wrote on 12/27/2004, 12:48 PM
Okay, what I'm saying is this...

You're not going to get rich on your first project. It doesn't happen. If you're a one-trick pony, then that's all you're going to be. If that's not the case, then you'll get rich... eventually.

Jay
p@mast3rs wrote on 12/27/2004, 12:55 PM
I understand the chances that I won't but when you look around at those that do get rich off of their first projects, one can not help but to think "why not me, they did?" I just hope to do well enough to provide for my family for a long time and have the chance to do things to help out those that are less fortunate than many of us. i guess the point I am trying to make is Id rather my work and any money made from it go to help a child's future or to help someone down on their luck before I want it to end up in some exec's pocket who makes plenty as it is as a bonus and have it go unappreciated unlike the people's life it could impact.
Jay Gladwell wrote on 12/27/2004, 12:56 PM
Please, name three that got rich off their first project. While you're at it, please define "rich."

Jay
p@mast3rs wrote on 12/27/2004, 1:05 PM
My definition of rich financially, $500k-$1M. If I could make a million off of it, Id do it in a heartbeat.. Bank the majority of it, and use the intrest to support my family and to help others out while leaving the principal amount in the bank.

I hope I am not giving the impression that I want to get rich for myself but that so I can spread the wealth around to others. But in this industry, the ride up the mountain is a lot longer than most will remain on the mountain top. If I only make one successful film, I am ok with that. Some might never ever get the chance to do one. Then again, I might never ever get the chance to do one. Thats why I am struggling with the decision to make. This chance may never present itself again and I don't want to look back on it a regret the decision I made.
Lili wrote on 12/27/2004, 1:12 PM
Think of all of your life as being an experiement. When you're about to try something new (directing, etc.) your comfort zone has to be expanded to include the new thing - and comfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort.

I think you might do well to think that your "brilliant script" is not necessarily a one-time occurrence, rather than thinking you may never have another great idea. If you sell your script and the movie is a big success, you'll likely have a lot more bargaining power with your next one?

good luck.
Jay Gladwell wrote on 12/27/2004, 1:16 PM
Patrick, I understand fully. I think you just need a reality check, here. No one ever made between $500,000 and $1 million on his first project. It simply doesn't happen.

What you need to be focusing on is getting the script as good as you get it. Then everything else will take care of itself. If it's a great script, you'll get a fair price. Will the producers/distributor make more money than you, the screenwriter, will? Yes. That's life. If you want to live in this world, you'll have to get used it.

Jay
p@mast3rs wrote on 12/27/2004, 1:19 PM
Or I could be like the Open Water writer/director and do it myself and sell the rights for $3M. I guess thats whats so great about this business, you never know whats going to happen one day to the next.
farss wrote on 12/27/2004, 1:24 PM
Patrick,
no matter which way you go you may live to regret it, or not. Which way it turns out isn't going to be based on what you decide to do it's going to be based on how you look at life.
None of us knows for sure what will happen when we make a decision, that's why we sometimes have to make decisions. If we know the outcomes then it's science and that isn't based on decisions, it's based on facts.
So my only advice is do something soon, either way it could be good or it could be bad. Neither way hopefully is really going to make that much difference to your life, even if you make a million you're still you, you'll still wake up next to the same person. That's way more important than anything else.
I've made plenty of bad decisions in my life but so what, if I hadn't gone down that path I would have missed the good things that have happened to me.
Bob.
Jay Gladwell wrote on 12/27/2004, 1:29 PM
Open Water was not Chris Kentis' first film, either.

Jay
p@mast3rs wrote on 12/27/2004, 1:31 PM
I thought that I read somewhere that it was or perhaps, he may have said that it was his first film shot on MiniDV.
winrockpost wrote on 12/27/2004, 4:35 PM
For what it is worth: If I wrote a script in 2 days and someone wanted to purchase the rights from me for 5 K or so , I would take it , and knowing how quick i could write scripts I would pump out a bunch of them, option them, to bankroll the one I know I want control of.
Just a thought.
p@mast3rs wrote on 12/27/2004, 5:15 PM
I think the only reason I wrote this script over two days is because :1) This is something I have been kicking around in my head ever since I got into video 2) Because some of the material has happened to me so it was easy to remember dialogue and locations/surroundings.

I have two new scripts I started to really write and am struggling with them as they were situations I didn't experience but rather have been related to me so I am constantly switching frame of minds to understand how each character thinks, acts, and reacts. Fun nonetheless.

Your suggestion is probably what I am going to do. I have a project (a shockumentary) that i can shoot with a absurdly small budget using the camera I have now (JVC520U) and it will appeal to a niche market thats into shock type viewing (no not porn, I will NEVER shoot that) and if the buzz is handled correctly, could be big but who knows.

I do have a TV realitty show idea/script that I would love to sell off and it will hit but I have no contacts in the TV industry other than the local cable public access shows.
PeterWright wrote on 12/27/2004, 5:43 PM
Patrick,

You seem to be putting how much money you'll make ahead of more important things. You need a really good producer, who knows the industry thoroughly, including where to go for backing, how to recruit a crew, etc. etc - if you try and do this yourself without experience you'll almost certainly limit the project's success. If it were me I would certainly try and retain some creative input, but if you haven't worked professionally with actors and the many other personalities involved, it may be better to use an experienced director and retain a role such as "creative advisor" or somesuch. And a percentage of the profits, of course.

Some of your earlier posts mention some gratitude at a spiritual level - I would harness this by trusting and surrendering more, and let the rewards come from the right approach.
p@mast3rs wrote on 12/27/2004, 6:40 PM
I agree. I just dont want to be so overwhelmed with my first expeirence that it totally scares me off from trying new things and films.

So how do I get a producer who isnt going to steal the idea and toss my script? Maybe an agent?

PeterWright wrote on 12/27/2004, 7:45 PM
Word of mouth is a good way to find a recommended producer - from your associates, or even through this forum.

An intelligent producer would not steal a script - scripts are the food upon which they feed, so if they find a good source they should encourage, not plunder!

Or, failing any recommendations, there is always the bold approach - pick a film you like and see if you can contact the producer or his/her company.

Good luck whichever way you go.



goshep wrote on 12/27/2004, 9:29 PM
Patrick,

Based on what you shared with me via email, I'd seriously consider "farming out" this project. Initially you indicated you'd be happy trading the screenplay for a new camera. Now you're talking about banking a million by shooting/directing it yourself. I'm in no way trying to discourage you. You've written some very moving scenes and I think you owe it to yourself to make sure they are as powerful on screen as they are on paper. Casting and then directing your talent are but two of the gigantic challenges with which you'll be faced. Pop your favorite Hollywood blockbuster into the DVD player and watch the credits. There are many, many people involved in the production because one person simply cannot oversee everything and still make a great movie. If you are that concerned about creative control over the entire process you ought to think about making it a novel. Even then, your editor will have a field day with it before it sees the light of day.
I hope I'm not coming off negative. I think you've got a great concept that deserves to be done right. Someday, when Patrick Masters is a household name, you'll call all the shots. Until then, be patient and don't be too proud to ask for help.

Good luck.
p@mast3rs wrote on 12/27/2004, 9:43 PM
I have taken everyone advice to heart and have come to the conclusion that it is best if someone more experienced than I, handles this project. Thinking it through, its just way too much for me at this juncture while i am still cutting my teeth on some things. I think the thing that clinched my decision was what if I screw the production up? Then my story doesnt get told the way I envisioned. Better to give up some control and have some success then to try and do it all on my own and very likely end up with no success.

Now I just have to find someone or some company willing to back it and make it happen.