Too many disappointing stories to tell. It has taught me though, to go out of my way to treat everyone involved, when I make a film, with respect. Everyone, from the writer (if it's not me...) on up. I don't think anyone's complained yet, and most people seem to want to work with me again, so...  

It’s actually quite a relief to read this thread and realise these things don’t just happen to me. So thank you for sharing your pain.

At first, I used to allow free non-exclusive options but after several of these resulted in the filmmaker going completely silent for no given reason, I switch to paid exclusive options so I’d at least be compensated for my pain. Since then, it’s been a long, slow road.

Altered Perspective/Planet 3 – Altered Perspective is the first short script I ever uploaded to SS. Optioned by a film student in New York for his University thesis, I spent the best part of 6 months working with him to allow it to work on his budget and changed it to be called Planet 3. Basically, we set the whole thing in one location. That part was actually a wonderful experience. Then it was shot in a diner in NY and the guy went silent on me for 4 months. He finally emailed me to say ‘something’ happened but was too embarrassed to say what and the project was dead. He still emails me from time to time about a feature script he’s tinkering with.

Fast forward two years and it’s been optioned again by a filmmaker in Scotland. Back to being called Altered Perspective, I’ve been working with him for over 6 months to set it in a bar in Scotland, but he’s since gone quiet and it’s been about 6 weeks now.

Atolls Edge – Another one from SS, this from a OWC. Optioned over 2 years ago, the filmmaker in NJ then told me the budget for the project was $1,500. The story is set on an island and has hundreds of Faceless Demons, massive martial arts battles and FX. I asked them if they wanted me to cut the script to suit, they said no and asked me to extend it from 9 pages to 45! I said no, in the end we agreed on 15 so I did.

Two years later they have filmed it twice after losing the lead actress after filming 90% of it and been in post-production for well over 6 months. All on a $1,500 budget! I told them the option had expired and they paid me to extend it by 6 months, but I really don’t know what this is going to end up like if it ever sees the light of day.

We Are Still Here – I wrote this during the pandemic about the pandemic and optioned it quite quickly to a filmmaker in Mexico. They filmed it mid-2020 during the height of the first wave and I actually joined them live via Zoom on the set but nothing since. Ever few months I enquire about it but the filmmaker just says it’s still in post or they are working on other projects.

You Reap What You John Doe – A couple of years ago a filmmaker from London optioned quite a few of my scripts and then disappeared for a year. He got back in touch with me about 5 months ago and said he’d been working as crew on the new Batman film and now the new Impossible Mission movie and he wanted to go ahead with one of my scripts, which is a time travel sci-fi. I’ve been working with him ever since and he’s applied to the BFI for funding. Sounds promising, but I’ve been through this so many times now I’ll believe it when it happens.

Quoted from MarkRenshaw It’s actually quite a relief to read this thread and realise these things don’t just happen to me. So thank you for sharing your pain. At first, I used to allow free non-exclusive options but after several of these resulted in the filmmaker going completely silent for no given reason, I switch to paid exclusive options so I’d at least be compensated for my pain. Since then, it’s been a long, slow road. Altered Perspective/Planet 3 – Altered Perspective is the first short script I ever uploaded to SS. Optioned by a film student in New York for his University thesis, I spent the best part of 6 months working with him to allow it to work on his budget and changed it to be called Planet 3. Basically, we set the whole thing in one location. That part was actually a wonderful experience. Then it was shot in a diner in NY and the guy went silent on me for 4 months. He finally emailed me to say ‘something’ happened but was too embarrassed to say what and the project was dead. He still emails me from time to time about a feature script he’s tinkering with. Fast forward two years and it’s been optioned again by a filmmaker in Scotland. Back to being called Altered Perspective, I’ve been working with him for over 6 months to set it in a bar in Scotland, but he’s since gone quiet and it’s been about 6 weeks now. Atolls Edge – Another one from SS, this from a OWC. Optioned over 2 years ago, the filmmaker in NJ then told me the budget for the project was $1,500. The story is set on an island and has hundreds of Faceless Demons, massive martial arts battles and FX. I asked them if they wanted me to cut the script to suit, they said no and asked me to extend it from 9 pages to 45! I said no, in the end we agreed on 15 so I did. Two years later they have filmed it twice after losing the lead actress after filming 90% of it and been in post-production for well over 6 months. All on a $1,500 budget! I told them the option had expired and they paid me to extend it by 6 months, but I really don’t know what this is going to end up like if it ever sees the light of day. We Are Still Here – I wrote this during the pandemic about the pandemic and optioned it quite quickly to a filmmaker in Mexico. They filmed it mid-2020 during the height of the first wave and I actually joined them live via Zoom on the set but nothing since. Ever few months I enquire about it but the filmmaker just says it’s still in post or they are working on other projects. You Reap What You John Doe – A couple of years ago a filmmaker from London optioned quite a few of my scripts and then disappeared for a year. He got back in touch with me about 5 months ago and said he’d been working as crew on the new Batman film and now the new Impossible Mission movie and he wanted to go ahead with one of my scripts, which is a time travel sci-fi. I’ve been working with him ever since and he’s applied to the BFI for funding. Sounds promising, but I’ve been through this so many times now I’ll believe it when it happens.

Sounds so familiar.

I do know this - I have stopped telling loved ones that I have sold or optioned a script - tired of having to answer - what ever happened to XXXX.

Now I just wait to tell them after it is filmed