As with many others on here, I received my first e-mail about using a script.

Here's the contents, slight edited.

"Hello,


My name is E*** O****. I am a producer and student at Colorado Film School. I read 12 seconds on simplyscripts.com. I like it! I'm looking for a short script to make. The director i'm working with is very talented and I want to find a good story for him to tell. Are you interested?


E*** O****
****** Productions LLC
*********@gmail.com
(phone number)"

I looked through other posts like this on here, but there wasn't much info about anything.

Few sides notes:

He says he's in film school.
Claims the director's talented. Talented in general or talented for film school?
Interested suggests to me that he wants to option it, but how much money would I expect (if this is legit) from someone in school?

Any help in this situation is very helpful.

-Thanks.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde how much money would I expect

None...

Sorry to break it to you, but he's a student and it is a short, right?

Pretty much what I figured. I was thinking the same thing when I read he was in film school

very rarely do yo get paid for a short...

I think Z is the only one I know who's been paid for one.  

I would have thought if they are at a Film Shool they'd have plenty of people around them with whom to work, so it is strange that they are trawling the internet!

There are a number of threads along these lines on SS at the moment, so this may be as good a place as any for this anecdote!

I know a film director. Small time, nothing fancy. He is hired to make a low budget movie - direct to DVD primarily. The producer is very well known. He makes a lot of movies, with a lot of different level budgets, working with complete unknowns and with big names.

My acquaintance looks at his giant contract and decides he needs advice. As it happens his best friend is a very successful director - probably one of the UK's biggest names at present. His friend passes the contract on to his lawyers. They find it is full of catches that would have seen my acquaintance work for nothing, in effect.

These are shark infested waters and anyone taking a dip needs to wear plenty of shark repellant!

This could be a legit email, Sean, but it could also be a con - "we're film students so can't pay you, please sign away all rights to your work here, here and here!" and the next thing you know it's out on DVD with someone else getting the credit - and the money - for it!

First rule of Script Club - Trust No One.

I'm perfectly prepared for it to be a scam, so it doesn't matter to me either way.

He didn't reply back, which is good, because I didn't really take it seriously in the first place.

Quoted from Grandma Bear very rarely do yo get paid for a short... I think Z is the only one I know who's been paid for one.

This is true, well partly. I got paid to write a short for someone.

In most cases you won't get paid for a short. So don't expect to.

Cindy

If it's your first short to be produced, let them do it simply for credit and a copy.  Getting your name out there is more important than making a few bucks.  Shorts don't usually pay out because they rarely make money; it's just a business card for those involved.

Tell the filmmaker (should you choose to have him make it) that you have the following conditions:

1.  You get two copies of the finished film.
2.  You get sole credit as writer.
3.  Any changes in the script must be made by you, or with your permission.
4.  You want the write to reproduce and distribute the finished product for personal use.

See what happens with this.


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe If it's your first short to be produced, let them do it simply for credit and a copy.  Getting your name out there is more important than making a few bucks.  Shorts don't usually pay out because they rarely make money; it's just a business card for those involved. Tell the filmmaker (should you choose to have him make it) that you have the following conditions: 1.  You get two copies of the finished film. 2.  You get sole credit as writer. 3.  Any changes in the script must be made by you, or with your permission. 4.  You want the write to reproduce and distribute the finished product for personal use. See what happens with this. Phil

Thanks, Dog. I figured on three of the four, but first, I'm just waiting for a reply...

A quick question.

After his initial e-mail and a response from me that boils down to, "You've got my attention. What are you thinking?", how long without a return e-mail from him would you wait before giving up on them?

-Thanks, in advance.

Months.

Pia was saying just the other day that a guy hadn't written back to her for ages, and she had forgotten about it, and when he finally did, he had made her script.

People are busy, there are many reasons why he wouldn't write back.

Don't forget that most fall through, sometimes the reason being the person just doesn't write back.

Quoted from dogglebe Tell the filmmaker (should you choose to have him make it) that you have the following conditions: 1.  You get two copies of the finished film. 2.  You get sole credit as writer. 3.  Any changes in the script must be made by you, or with your permission. 4.  You want the write to reproduce and distribute the finished product for personal use.

That sounds like very sound advice to me. Maybe a community consensus can be reached on best practice. and then a 'Sticky' created? It's just that ruminating on the issue could cloud that best practice when dealing with these mails.

Andrew

I've only received payment for one script, and that was very little.. Most  times I've worked in collaboration on shorts, where none of the cast or crew gets paid but are happy to work on a project for exposure. I have received a writer's creidit and (1) copy of the DVD, plus invites to screenings, when they have occurred. Interestingly, for me, the one I (along with the cast and crew, was paid for)  did pretty well, winning best picture at a recent film festival, and it stayed pretty true to the originalscript, as the director cast it appropriately.

In other cases, there have had to be major changes to the script, sometimes right at the last minute, because of a change to the cast, or location, and the lack of budget and time available to shoot can result  in problems with quality, or changes that have been detrimental to the original idea and script.

However, it is good experience, and I've gained a lot from it.

Quoted from harrietb In other cases, there have had to be major changes to the script, sometimes right at the last minute, because of a change to the cast, or location, and the lack of budget and time available to shoot can result  in problems with quality, or changes that have been detrimental to the original idea and script.

Welcome to the wonderful world of the screenwriter.

Congratulations, by the way, on having a script filmed successfully - paid or not, that is what makes it all worthwhile.

What is it called?

The one I was paid for is called Taxi. It will be screened as part of a festival later this month, and if any of you are in New York area you might catch it. here
http://www.hdfest.com/HDmovies/taxi-high-definition.html

I was one of four wirters. There were four stoires set in the back of a taxi, and we each wrote our own script.

best,

h