Development hell is like...hell

Anyone else in development hell?

Count yourself lucky...if only I was at the post-production stage...

cynicallad said:

Are you complaining or bragging or a little of both?

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I guess there's subtext in everything...including your user name...

I'm definitely not complaining: there's no room for complaining. You just go and do it and wonder how many others on AWC are in the midst of the same thing. It's sort of like being paid to torture yourself and have others torture you too. Kind of like a hooker, but you get to keep your clothes on. As for bragging, like I said, I'd rather be in post-production now with the red wine opened...

Julie Gray said:

Hi Hillgate - I have been in development hell and it really is hellish. In my case, my writing partner and I had a script in developmen with a producer at Fox for - ready? - NINE MONTHS. Meeting after meeting after meeting and then finally - the project stalled out. What's hellish about development hell even though sure, you'd like to be in it is that you can't be certain the project is going to float at the end of it anyway.

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Thanks Julie! I'm certainly hoping for a floater...

icerose said:

That just sounds wrong, Hill. Sounds like something between you and your bathroom...

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I know...I was desperately trying to introduce a note of levity.

I have a producers' meeting tomorrow where we have to go through three 'structural' changes and another 115 notes, some small, some not so small in what is a 90 page script. It is most certainly not fun, especially as some of the notes conflict with others...at least I get free coffee and croissants...

Nahotep said:

I work in development (in TV). And I write! Can you imagine the inner turmoil?
Good luck, Hillgate. Even the development execs I know tear their hair out about the process.

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Well it went OK although everyone always interrupts everyone else therefore very tiring for all concerned. I need a a glass of wine immediately.

Out of about 115 points, we agreed 50%, disagreed 25% and then for the rest we agreed to differ: we'll see in the next draft. We've had the input and words and storylines of a dozen people whose names will never appear in the writers' credits. One of our producers came up with a new ending today that was inspired. Now I just have to write it!!!

Boo_Radley said:

My script's in development hell, but they're still swearing up and down it's going to be made. In the meantime, my bank account could sure use the goose my contracted points would bring if they'd just make the damn thing, already!

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I know: the goose is elusive. My option fee was spent months ago. And the mortgage still has to be paid...

Stealth66 said:

Question: When would your name get taken off the writers' credits? I mean, all these people are giving you ideas and telling you what they want changed, and then you're going to incorporate some of them into the script... even a whole new ending inspired by a producer.

So to lose credit, someone would have to rewrite your script quite a bit? And if they did, could you at least get a "story by" credit for coming up with the whole concept?

One last Q: Has anyone just sold their script and walked away, leaving it to the producers and directors to play around with and eventually produce themselves?

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That's what happens on every project: the producer(s), the director, the actors, the janitor all have ideas. Your wife or husband too, your friends who you discuss things with. But they're coming up with possible ideas which then have to be filtered, and the writer constructs them into the script. You're the writer. If your father writes 6 killer scenes that appear in the script then that's his work and he should be credited. But if they just bandy ideas about...ideas are cheap. Constructing something that plays well is difficult. If I pay Chadwick Clough US$225 for coverage and he gives me a brilliant idea for a plot-twist, I may petition the producers to say 'thanks to Chadwick Clough' at the end of the end credits, but more likely than not I would not do this nor would Chadwick expect it.

On rewrites, yes. If you're taken off a project (for whatever reason) and you wrote the story, but the screenplay is rewritten, you may have 'story by' or similar by your name. You'd want to specifiy things like that in your contract.

I don't know anyone who's said 'it's yours and I don't want my name on it' BEFORE they've seen the final locked shooting script. I do know someone who requested their name be removed after they saw what a mess the script had become. However, in the end their agent persuaded them to relent.