So, I have a production company waiting on a draft

MROB

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I was contacted by a production company to read on of my scripts. He gave me some pretty sound advice but in the end he felt the script, while had great dialogue and a strong ending, didn't have a strong enough story to sustain 120 pages. He said it would make a great play given the vast amounts of good dialogue but not a movie. So, because he saw that I had strong writing skills, I took this opportunity to pitch 3 other scripts and he loved them. Here's my problem...

I told him I was finished with the one he wanted to read and that wasn't exactly true. I am about 50% done and I have the entire thing written out in my head, except for this one part in the second act. I am really struggling to get around it. I am wondering, should I just phone it in and move on or should just wait it out? I have about a week to get the draft finished and all that, and he has assured me if it's good he can get it into the hands of a very well known actor (Oscar nominated even) and something could be happening with it by early next month. Not sure what he meant by that. "Something happening" could be warming his family by the fire, but this is a pretty big opportunity for me.

What's your advice? So that I may ignore it and embrace my own plan. haha Seriously though, what would you do?
 

dpaterso

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Heh. Everyone claims they know talent. Everyone claims they have something happening. Everyone likes to sound like a big shot. Don't place too much faith in this guy's B.S. But that shouldn't stop you from getting off the internet and writing the best story you can. Just in case.

/opinion

-Derek
 

Joe Calabrese

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Tell him that while proofing it before sending it to him, you see the script is not quite ready to be seen. Give yourself a realistic deadline and tell him you'll send it by such and such a date.

Trust me, a producer understands that a script needs to be at it's best and if you don't feel it's ready, he won't push you.

As for promises, actors, something happening... I can't comment. I know producers and they all say the same thing and talk the talk, but some do walk the walk.
 

MROB

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Well, he's made a pretty strong point of reaching out to me and seemed pretty excited to work with me. He also offered me a job punching up and polishing the dialogue on a a movie that starts shooting next month. Now, I'm not naive, it could all be bullshit but I have worked with producers that were completely full of shit and this guy didn't come off that way. I'm not arrogant enough to say my instincts are always right but they are right more often than they're wrong.

And when I told him it needed some polishing he told me to take as much time as I needed but he's meeting with this actor in a few weeks and wants to have something to bring to him. We'll see I guess.
 

nmstevens

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Well, he's made a pretty strong point of reaching out to me and seemed pretty excited to work with me. He also offered me a job punching up and polishing the dialogue on a a movie that starts shooting next month. Now, I'm not naive, it could all be bullshit but I have worked with producers that were completely full of shit and this guy didn't come off that way. I'm not arrogant enough to say my instincts are always right but they are right more often than they're wrong.

And when I told him it needed some polishing he told me to take as much time as I needed but he's meeting with this actor in a few weeks and wants to have something to bring to him. We'll see I guess.


A few questions:

What are this guy's (I mean the producer's) credits?

Has he actually produced any theatrical features? Things that have been released in theatres, made real money?

In my experience, such as it is, getting a star to read anything -- even a label on a bottle of vitamins, is a major hassle. They don't like to read, and unless somebody really close to them (like the star's elbow hits them in the chin when they roll over in the morning) it is always tough to get them to read whatever it is. Weeks, months -- maybe forever. That's with everybody around them telling that that it's great.

It's hard to get a star to read.

So unless this producer has

A) a really close relationship with the star or

B) a big truckload of money ready to dump on the star's head --

-- it's going to be hard to get the star to read your script, or any script.

Maybe the producer will pitch your script. Maybe the star will like the idea. Maybe the star will take the script and if the star has his own devco, he'll have your script covered by his company -- which may like it or may not.

But if we're talking about a real star, rest assured, his slate is likely to be full up for a long time to come. I'm talking years.

On the other hand -- if you can finish the rewrite quickly and if the result is good, by which I mean that what you deliver to the producer is something that he likes, then you've impressed him and you may be able to turn it into some real work.

That, of course, presumes that he's a real producer, not somebody who's looking to become a producer by getting you to do a lot of free work for him -- which, if it turns out to be the case, you really ought to think long and hard about just how deeply involved you want to get with this guy.

NMS
 

Stylo

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If the producer's told you to 'take your time, but hurry up', won't a treatment and a few pages suffice to show the actor at this point?

This would buy you some time, while still (hopefully) gaining the actor's interest.

Good luck with it anyway - sounds like an opportunity not to be missed!
 

clockwork

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Down the line, producers tend not to remember whether a project was on time or not, only if it was any good. But it's important to be honest about this sort of thing in future. I understand the pressure to be agreeable and the need to churn out work on demand but we're not machines and good producers understand that.

I think the idea of a treatment/outline isn't bad either. Run it by your guy and see if it'll patch a hole for now.
 
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write the danged thing. you've got a week. quit crying and go to work ok... i got that out. wish you the best. it's just that you might kick yourself someday for 'missing' that one chance you had right in your hands. of course you might kick yourself later for sending in subpar work. my point is you have the chance to turn in something now. you may not have that same chance later. and --not your guy of course-- a lot of producers have no talent. they milk novices 'for-hire' writngs and re-writes w no credits given and minimal dough. duffy hecht... john fogel... thay say 'i'm working on this action blah blah blah... then entice you to give 'takes' on it. they then say they will 'bring you along slowly' and when you're 'ready' then they'll partner up on a script where you get taken care of. crap. they get the prey to work for nothing.. or if really talented, a couple hundred bucks. then they go to the 'real' producers/studios and cash in. beware of those gnarly producer types. i've personally found--by visiting where they live --i'm in california-- and most o these 'producers' live very 'rough' and do not have any money. they milk one project every so often... and live and scagenge till the net one they steal. of course after ll those thefts eventually a few of them get to live large mansion lives. but how they got their is revolting. i can name names if ya want.
 

MROB

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Well, I ended up getting the script done and he loved it. He is going to get it to this actor he hopes in the next week or so.

To, whoever said for me to stop crying, I wasn't aware I was crying. That's just the kind of pseudo bad ass stuff you can find on the internet. The kind of person that tells people to "stop crying" constantly, even when no one whined, cried, wept, etc. I LOVE IT.

Thanks to all for th well wishes. Things look 50/50 at this point.
 

icerose

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Well, I ended up getting the script done and he loved it. He is going to get it to this actor he hopes in the next week or so.

To, whoever said for me to stop crying, I wasn't aware I was crying. That's just the kind of pseudo bad ass stuff you can find on the internet. The kind of person that tells people to "stop crying" constantly, even when no one whined, cried, wept, etc. I LOVE IT.

Thanks to all for th well wishes. Things look 50/50 at this point.

Congrats on sucking it up and getting it done. You would have regretted it had you not. I hope the actor loves it too.
 

gophergrrrl

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Everyone claims they know talent. Everyone claims they have something happening. Everyone likes to sound like a big shot. Don't place too much faith in this guy's B.S.


Oh Derek, don't sound so bitter! Congratulate the kid! ;o] Just pickin', you know I love ya.

MROB-- BIG CONGRATS!! Big, big, big congrats!