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Amazon offering $2.7 million for film and script submissions via Amazon Studios by Adam B. Vary
Launching itself into the movie business in a big way, Amazon.com announced Amazon Studios today, a new online venture offering $2.7 million in award money for feature film and screenplay submissions to the site. According to an introductory video on the site’s home page, the awards will go to the films “that tell the best story, not to the films with the most visual polish.” Starting in January, each month, $100,000 will be awarded to the top film, and $20,000 to the top two scripts; at the end of the year, $1 million will go to the best film, and $100,000 to the best script, submitted in the 2011 calendar year.
While anyone is invited to comment and critique the submissions, the films and scripts will be judged by industry insiders — in January, Mark Gill (a former Miramax exec who produced Law Abiding Citizen and currently heads up his own production company, The Film Department), and Michael Taylor (chair of University of Southern California’s film and TV production program), will judge the “test” film submissions. Through a first-look deal with Warner Bros., Amazon hopes at least some of the winning “test” films will be produced as commercial feature films, with another $200,000 going to any filmmakers who get their films a greenlight. If the film grosses over $60 million, the filmmakers will win a $400,000 bonus.
Looks interesting, and I'll definitely keep an eye on this, but be aware of the fine print:
Quoted Text
Original Properties
The essence of the Agreement is that if you upload an original script or movie (thereby starting a new project), Amazon Studios gets three important things with respect to your work:
The exclusive right to buy it (and its associated rights) during the 18 month term of the option, for $200,000 plus other possible bonuses. We can extend this option another 18 months by paying you $10,000.
The exclusive right to develop it during the option term (for instance by putting it up at Amazon Studios and inviting people to review it, to make movies based on it and to revise it).
The right to show and distribute it (and scripts and movies based on it) forever. We do not have the right to show it or movies based on it to people in theaters, or on DVD or Blu-Ray, or via linear broadcast or cable TV or a la carte sales or rentals online, except for short clips, but we can keep it up on our website and otherwise distribute it without exercising our option. There is no "delete my stuff" button.
Translation: By submitting a script to Amazon Studios you're granting them a 18-month free option.
Not a bad plan B if your script if collecting dust in a virtual drawer, but for a fresh project I would suggest exhausting the ordinary channels before taking your material off the market for a year and a half.
I didn't see horror in the mix up -- I'd love to sub my script "Khold Stare" to it otherwise. I'm happy to hear this news, though. It's gonna open up doors for those with the drive and ambition for the business. Hell, it kind of makes me have some.
Looks interesting, and I'll definitely keep an eye on this, but be aware of the fine print:
Translation: By submitting a script to Amazon Studios you're granting them a 18-month free option.
Not a bad plan B if your script if collecting dust in a virtual drawer, but for a fresh project I would suggest exhausting the ordinary channels before taking your material off the market for a year and a half.
Good work Mr Z, I was too tired last night to go searching for smal print but guessed there was gonna be something like this, I hoped someone would find it out!
I guess it has its pros and cons, a free option by Warner Brothers is not really a bad thing long term if your aim is to get work, it certainly gives a writer some good exposure. I suppose you have to balance that with giving up the rights to sell your spec for much more.
It is an interesting move though, content distributers become content makers, I expect others to follow, Apple maybe?
I submitted my Armor of Belial script, which is a very big budget, CG-heavy, original fantasy script that no one would ever purchase from a newb. It's got some very solid characters and a good story, though, so we'll see.
George, I don't know if you noticed this or not....
Urrrgh, the more time I spend on this site the worse it seems to be. Did you know there is a "feature" where anyone can revise your script??
What is that all about? So you post a great script on there and you are giving permission to anyone to re-write it and add their name to the credit.
I am getting sorry I posted this link now, the only way I see this being any use at all is if we actually started re-writing everyone else crap scripts and getting half the credit.
There really should be an option to choose not to have people revise your script if you don't want to.
Quoted Text
What’s in it for me if I revise a work at Amazon Studios?
If you revise a script or a test movie, and your revised version wins a contest award, you could win up to 50% of the prize money, depending on how substantial your contribution was (as determined by the judging committee). Under current rules for contests, the original writer or filmmaker will receive a minimum of 50% of the prize. We'll evolve our contest rules over time, so you'll want to check for updates. See the contests page for information on individual contests, or the detailed rules for all contests.
It's a tough one, I guess at the end of the day the chances someone is going to re-write our scripts and actually improve them are tiny. And if they actually do add something, enough to grab the attention of the judges, is that really a bad thing?
The more I think about it though, the more I think the smart way to play this is to go find some poorly structured and badly written scripts, that have a good idea in there, and re-write them. If someone here could pull off a couple of really good re-writes you never know, this could actually be a good shop window for your talents. The judges will have full access to both drafts and will see what you are able to do with bad scripts. There is a chance it could lead to better things. I think certainly this is the much better use for this site rather than chancing your own specs through it.
I just visited this site and read some of it but am still a bit in the dark. Is this how it works?
You upload a script. That automatically give them certin rights to and "freedom" to have any other writer do what they want to your script as well. This is for an 18 month period if they so choose with NO option payment.
If they decide to extent that option, you recieve up to 10K but you DO NOT have the option to say NO to the offer even if you refuse the money.
Others have the right to re-write your work during the time it is on the site and submit it as their own as an improvement to your work.
THAT PART is where I ask, is this when your creative rights are either watered down or lost all together?
How is it that your original work even though revised by others can still remain yours?
This is one of those things you just gotta have the mindset of -- "My work is so good nobody will touch it and if they do they'll fuck it up and my original greatness will prevail".
And if that doesn't work... Well, I guess you just help somebody else make some money off of your own work. And, in a sense, you've become a true victim of your own work. Happens all the time in Hollywood, so this whole Amazon thing is pretty much just like being in the trenches afterall.
This seems to be an "all in" on the original writers part. If someone "ten percents" your work and changes it to meet their standard, I suppose all you have is the warm fuzzy of knowing you just made someone elses carreer based on your sweat.
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