Okay What Next (submitting to a production company)

[Jim McLain]

Last week I got a request from a relatively large production company for one of my screen plays. What next? Do I contact them at all? If so, when? What should I say to them if I do contact them? I have sold one script but I dealt with the director and only in person. He asked me to write a script for him and I did so. He dealt with the production company - not me. I am completely at drift on this one.

[scriptwriter74]

send the puppy and if they want to talk shop, have an agent or attorney continue the discussion from there

[Jim McLain]

Oh I sent it. And I am a former attorney although I did mostly criminal and appellate work. What I want to know is when do I contact them if at all? I don't have an agent or the money right now for an entertainment lawyer. If I am supposed to contact them - When? And what should I say? I expect it should be a gentle inquiry after a reasonable period of time but I am not sure if that is the typical protocol. I am just looking for a little direction.

And of course, everything is WGA registered before it ever goes out into the world.

[icerose]

Oh I sent it. And I am a former attorney although I did mostly criminal and appellate work. What I want to know is when do I contact them if at all? I don't have an agent or the money right now for an entertainment lawyer. If I am supposed to contact them - When? And what should I say? I expect it should be a gentle inquiry after a reasonable period of time but I am not sure if that is the typical protocol. I am just looking for a little direction.

And of course, everything is WGA registered before it ever goes out into the world.

You don't pay an agent, ever. They get their money when they sell the writing, not before and definitely not from you. They get a percentage. If they are a fairly large production company and they want to buy it, ask them if they could recommend an agent to deal with the negotiations, or go through the WGA list of agents, tell them you have a production company buying the script and you're looking for an agent to represent you. If you do get an agent to pick you up make sure they sign up you and not just a one time project. You want to get an agent for your career. As for reasonable period of time, under three months is pretty reasonble, if they're hot after it you could hear back within a week, but if they do want to buy it it's going to make the rounds through the company and the money guys before they throw you an offer.

ETA: Former attorney won't do squat for you. Entertainment contracts are their own kind of animal.

[Jim McLain]

Thank you so much for the info.

[scriptwriter74]

You can always call and ask an assistant whether they received your script to confirm. From that point it's a waiting game. I had a script requested by Little Studio Films and when i called the assistant they were currently reviewing 125 requested scripts. If they are interested, they will call. I believe the rule of thumb is give it 4 weeks, if no feedback it's a silent pass

[killbox]

You can always call and ask an assistant whether they received your script to confirm. From that point it's a waiting game. I had a script requested by Little Studio Films and when i called the assistant they were currently reviewing 125 requested scripts. If they are interested, they will call. I believe the rule of thumb is give it 4 weeks, if no feedback it's a silent pass

Yeah 3-4 weeks seems to be about the standard most people should give. Ideally you will get some response, but sometimes unfortunately- no response is a response.

[creativexec]

Follow-up is crucial. Every professional follows-up. Nothing would ever get done in this business if people didn't follow-up. The majority of phone calls made/received throughout the day are people following-up.

While writers sit at home and drown in paranoia, wondering why they haven't received a response, the executive might simply be drowning in work.

I get about 200 scripts a month. Sometimes, I get that many queries in a week. I have scripts from studios and other high priority projects that I have to look at before I crack the spine of the script from a newbie in Idaho.

Sometimes that newbie script will sit on my desk (or desktop) for weeks before I can even get to it. And, often, as other things come up and the script pile gets higher and higher, more distance is put between me and that newbie script.

Sometimes I read it right away but don't have time to formulate my thoughts and jot them down or make the phone call.

Follow-up helps to put a little healthy pressure on the exec/rep who has the script, reminding him that there's a writer (or producer) attached to the project awaiting some kind of response. No follow-up from the writer dehumanizes the process. It makes it easier to just push the script aside and not worry about it. I have offered to read scripts but taken six months to get around to them. Sometimes I'm reading 50 scripts a week. And, again, these are scripts that have a direct impact on my business. It's easy for the newbie's script to get side-tracked or lost. (As time goes by and assistants change desks, it can be even harder to keep track of a script.)

I'd say 2-4 weeks for the first follow-up call - based on the initial phone conversation. If the person seemed genuinely interested/excited then call in two weeks. If it sounded like the person was doing you a favor or was doing his job (in soliciting the script) - maybe a little longer. (This kind of interpretation takes some self-actualization and skill. It seems every new writer I talk to tells me how the exec was practically crapping in his pants for the script - while most execs I talk to never seem all that excited about scripts.)

After the initial call, phone or e-mail once a month in perpetuity. (Phoning is actually better - though more stress inducing - than a passive e-mail.) Keep in mind that you should never send out a script and then wait for a response. You continue to send the script out elsewhere while working on your next script.

Often, no response isn't necessarily a response - meaning the silence isn't judgment on your screenplay. There could be a hundred reasons why you haven't heard back. But you'll never know unless you follow-up.


:)

[Jim McLain]

Thank you. The last answer was exactly what I was wanting to know.