The real answer to the question of what happens "once they like your script" is usually nothing. You might win a few fans but, most of the time, it leads to no movement whatsoever. Comb screenwriting message boards for all sorts of stories like "
the producer loved my script," "
it got great coverage at the agency," "
they want to see more of my work," and you'll discover that all those scenarios (though exciting at the time) lead to nothing - putting the writer right back at square one.
However, if the script really does gain traction, the way it plays out will vary greatly depending upon who the producer is (does he have a studio deal or money?), who you are and where you fit within the "writer heirarchy." For instance, when a producer with little money meets a fledgling writer with no real representation, the results are usally dollar options and lots and lots of free rewrites. And then no production in the end.
Real producers with studio deals have to bring the script to the executive level, which means it has to pass muster with a long line of suits. So, just because the producer likes it doesn't mean much, as most projects die once they begin their search for studio approval.
Truth be told, without representation, it's unlikely any writer will strike a deal - unless his script is brilliant and Jupiter aligns with Mars. This is why I always suggest that new writers work hard to win representation (with most of the effort on managers). Sending scripts to prodcos is not a complete waste of time, but it will rarely lead to any sort of big money deal or long term success. In order to achieve the life changing deal which leads to a professional writing career, it, most likely, needs to be a studio deal. (There are always exceptions.) Most real producers deal with agents and managers. Only producers with no money and little clout avoid the agency route. (They troll InkTip instead.)
The most common thing that occurs when a script receives positive reaction from a producer or prodco is a "meet-and-greet," a general meeting where the writer goes in and meets the exec or producer and has a little chat. "
Tell me about yourself...What are you working on?" These meetings rarely lead to anything, but they are important because this is a business about relationships (if you don't know anybody, it's unlikely you'll have any sort of success). Development executives must schedule meetings with writers; it's part of the job requirement. Most of the time, they fill their calendar, knowing they're meeting writers they have no intention of ever working with. Conversely, these meetings are good practice for a writer to get relaxed, work a room and learn how to pitch.
It is highly unlikely for any writer who hasn't sold a spec script or has no "heat" to sell a pitch "in the room" in this current marketplace. Studios simply will not take the pecuniary chance of putting a writer into development without some sort of professional initiation first. (If it's a producer with a studio deal, it'll be even harder.) So pitching in these meetings will most likely lead to a producer or exec saying, "
That's interesting. I'd like to read it when you're done."
I do know writers (with no "heat") who have won writing assignments (from real producers) without having sold a spec. In all cases, they had a spec that was in the wheelhouse of the project the producers wanted developed, the producers were not WGA affiliated, the pay was mid-five figures (which probably played a role in why new writers were hired), and all the writers had representation at good agencies.
Making movies is a very complicated process, and although we all want to believe it begins with a producer calling the writer and saying, "
Hey, I love your script...here's a check," it rarely happens that way.
