A problem we'd all like to have

[bradsigprod]

here's my situation. many of you know that I developed a kids television show called "It Really Happened!" (www.irhshow.com) which got financed and the pilot was shot a few weeks ago. Now, I have been asked to write a feature. I have a few treatments and ideas but I really don't have time to do it. I don't want the opportunity to pass by, so I am throwing the word out that I need to find someone or (someones) who can take a treatment and make it into a great screenplay OR someone who already has existing scripts. Here's the catch. The genre is family/kids. I can say with a good degree of confidence that the movie will get financed, but so far, I have found very few who feel comfortable with the family/kids genre. Any suggestions?

I am new to AW but not new to the game... I am 36 and have pursued this off and on for a while. In other words, it's taken a while to get to this point. If you have any suggestions as to how/where to find family/kids screenwriters that would be great :)

[bradsigprod]

If you look at my other recent thread (want to write for a kids TV show) you'll see the big picture. "When it rains it pours" (in a good way, in this case) I am looking for writers for the kids show as well as scripts and/or screenwriters who can develop existing kids/family feature treatments (it really doesn't have to be KIDS, it just has to be CLEAN). In other words, the production company that I head finally has cash flow and green lights and I am somewhat unprepared as far as writing support for the present and additional scripts for the near future.

I'm new to posting in general, let alone AW. so please forgive me if I have gone against any protocol

I look forward to any suggestions!

[bradsigprod]

If you have any thoughts or suggestions feel free to e-mail me at brad@sigfund.com.

[MacAllister]

Hi, Brad -- I can't help but notice a certain amount of, umm, urgency, behind your call for writers. Perhaps you could keep this to the Announcements or else paying markets forums? And please do feel free to talk a bit more about what you're specifically looking for.

Keeps the place a bit tidier, thanks!

[bradsigprod]

MacAllister,

Thanks for the info. I will do accordingly.

Humbly,

[seanie blue]

Something leaps out at me, Brad. You say what you need isn't necessarily for KIDS but that it has to be CLEAN. I'd throw a little caution at that idea. I'd find writers who can write for or communicate with kids. The clean part will either be there or not. But getting writers to provide you with a "clean" script doesn't necessarily mean it will be good for kids. Also, which kids? Teletubbies or Harry Potter (groan)? You've got a very attractive situation, and I would look for a team of writers to contribute to a single idea, rather than the typical failing at a young prodco, where a single writer handles many ideas. Out of five writers, you'll have one with an uncanny knack for characters names but no sense of plot, while another writer is always thinking "To be continued next week" but thinks it's cool for a character to be called Gordon or Stewart or Kathy. That's my .02 worth. Good luck with your situation; sounds like you're right on the money.

[NikeeGoddess]

brad - you can go to a couple of places: http://moviebytes.com and put an advertisement in the "writers wanted" section as you've done here. or you can go to http://www.inktip.com and search for specific scripts from writers in the genre you want and if you find a writer with the style you're looking for then you can go directly to her or him with the offer.

good luck!

[bradsigprod]

Thanks Nikeegoddess! Great tip!

[Joe Calabrese]

you can also place an ad in Mandy or Craigslist.

[bradsigprod]

good stuff seanie blue. I get what you're saying. Point well taken. I've certainly fumbled my way through my first few days on AW. I'm actually talking about two different situations. The first is the kids show in which I definitely need those who are comfortable and able to write for kids (ages 6-12). The second is that I am in a position to produce other scripts and develop other ideas as well. The stipulation for the latter is that it just has to be clean. It CAN be for kids, but it is not essential. As MacAllister pointed out in both the above post it might be more of an announcement that I am looking for scripts... as opposed to a forum topic.

[seanie blue]

Brad --

I think an announcement will bring you a lot of riff raff. An announcement on here is not much different from a post in Craigslist for Los Angeles. But there is another resource for you, and that is the writers' postings themselves. In one afternoon, you could find a dozen writers right here on AW who you could private message and ask for some brainstorming. Maybe get on the phone with each for 15 minutes, or get a conference call going with four or five at a time. The writers have their posts up right here, you can tell if they've got verve and can spell, and a few minutes on the phone will tell you whether you've got a live fish or a waste of time. Why wait for writers to come to you from an ad, when you can judge them right here and make your own approach, keep it informal until you're ready to pay for their time on an hourly basis, and see what is created. I think AW is potentially a great place to scout. And you're definitely in a position to do the scouting; pay five writers $20 an hour, keep them all on the phone for three hours, and see what you get for an investment of $300, total. That's how it works in Universal City. And you're legit whereas a lot of writers on here are hoping for a shadow of legitimacy; your professional approach would electrify of lot of brainpower.

as before, good luck!

[scripter1]

little brainstorming.
Certainly if it's paid!!!

So, I agree with Seanie. Start ez mailing some of the writers here.
And start with me!