Quoted from Stoneyscripts Hi I was wondering if anyone here could help me to negotiate a short term option I’ve been offered for a screenplay. All feedback will be appreciated. Cheers

John,

Make this it's own thread - Help with Short Term Option

This may be useful to a lot of folks.

- Don

John, this might help. Dave posted it a while ago.

Let me know if you want more info.

https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-BOSOandC/m-1503855043/s-0/

Actually that's 'free' use.

What specifics are you after?

Thanks Libby.


That helps enormously atm. I'm not sure what they will come back with but they have stated in their email that they want a short term option to produce the script Two Moons.

I am pretty much a novice in this field but I would not expect to rent out the script for free.

So i do hope they offer something in return and not just a credit.

Also being so far away from LA I would need somethibg in writing - obviously. However, I have done my research and they are a creditable production company with thirteen directors on their books. I will see what they come back with. Thanks for your help. John

John,

Dave and Ant and Pia have way more experience with Options than me - I have a little experience compared to them so I hope they'll chime in. Read through that thread and you'll see how much they have sold/optioned for some of their scripts.

It's entirely up to you what you negotiate. Don't feel railroaded; this is your baby and it depends on the worth you put on it yourself. Is if Feature length or a Short? You wouldn't ask a an overinflated price for a Short. And of course how in demand it is is a factor.

Sometimes we give scripts for free to Students - these don't appear online, YouTube etc., or get entered into Film Festivals, and they are non-exclusive - meaning we can still Option it to other filmmakers. If the filmmaker wants to air their film publicly they need to Option it or Buy it outright. You might or might not want to sell it. Again, up to you. You might offer a six month Option for a Short for a few hundred dollars. It depends on a lot of things.

I never offer long exclusive Option periods. Most times nothing comes of it and it only means your script is off the table to anyone else. Really disappointing.

I had a young unproven filmmaker who wanted to make one of my scripts and he had big plans for not just a short film but a feature in the future - and, in the end he wanted to be able to use the character from the first script I'd written and maybe make a series as well. His plans for himself were big, but he wanted a very lengthy Option (to begin with) and then he wanted to buy it. He quibbled over the price I wanted for weeks on end. I'm condensing here but trust me his demands got ridiculous to the point I ended up just turning him down. It was a case of Writer on the bottom rung of the ladder and him coming off as super entitled. Also, not a good idea to insult the writer when you want their story.

This is why it's a good idea that you set the terms if you can or counter offer what you are first offered based on proper calculations - ask them what their budget is etc.

Be prepared for the fact most or a lot of Options (even in the world of bigwigs with money) never see the light of day.

This is a good article (below). Some of it may not be relevant but it explains a lot really well.

Oh, and if you want to offer them an Agreement/Contract, instead of them giving you one - I have a few good templates, given to me from Dave & Ant over the years. If they're a professional operation they'll have their own.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/industrialscripts.com/screenplay-option/amp/

Good luck with it!

I have never optioned a short. I let filmmakers use them for free unless they want exclusivity and then they have to buy them.

Grandma I don't think Two Moons is a short at 74 pages.

I looked at the thread title. I don't know any specifics about your script.

Hi Don. Thanks for that. But how do i do this?

Quoted from Stoneyscripts Hi Don. Thanks for that. But how do i do this?

You can start a new thread on this board.
https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-BOSOandC/

Quoted from Stoneyscripts Hi Don. Thanks for that. But how do i do this?

To start a new thread, go here:

https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-BOSOandC/

(as Pia said) - look to the top right hand side you'll see New Thread - click on that, give your thread a title - I would include the script title so it can be accessed easily. Example:

Two Moons - Option/Sale help...

Something like that.

I think I replied to this in the new thread...