Development hell is like...hell

[Hillgate]

Anyone else in development hell?

[zeprosnepsid]

We should all be so lucky =)

I'm in post hell on a documentary. It's not much better. How can you have 40 hours of footage, yet not really have anything? It's amazing...

[Hillgate]

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

[ALLWritety]

I am not in D-Hell nor do iwish to go there! From what i have heard and read it is the worst place to be!!

Kevvers

[icerose]

Ooo I wanna be there! Pick me!

[cynicallad]

Anyone else in development hell?

Are you complaining or bragging or a little of both?

[zagoraz]

My changing body is going through development hell. Not really, just felt like being random.

[Hillgate]

Are you complaining or bragging or a little of both?

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]

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.

[Hillgate]

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.

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

[icerose]

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

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

[Hillgate]

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

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]

I work in development (in TV). And I write! Can you imagine the inner turmoil? As I listen to the notes they give writers (often in long-winded notes calls) I'm torn between being delighted it's not me taking those damn notes and wishing like hell it was me taking those damn notes.

Why so many fricking notes? From what I see, many notes are given because the producers and/or development execs get all kind of conflicting input from the networks and are trying to appease them, even as their tastes change, regimes change, network identities change, and what they think will become a hit changes. (I work in TV, not features, but the equivelent in features would be that the producers are getting conflicting input from various execs at the studio.) Heroes was a hit? Ba-boom - your lawyer pilot becomes a superhero lawyer pilot. There are so many execs to please, marketing people to appease, execs who think they are creative but are not - oy!

Good luck, Hillgate. Even the development execs I know tear their hair out about the process.

[Hillgate]

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.

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

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]

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!

[Hillgate]

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!

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

[Stealth66]

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!!!

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?

[NikeeGoddess]

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? this is a rule but not a law. if you're a member of the wga then you can have some protection over the credit you deserve.

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? you might not have a choice. once you sell the script it is no longer yours and the producer can choice to make you go away and hire someone else to play around with the rewrites. it's all in the contracts which are unique to every sale/writer.

[Hillgate]

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?

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.

[Stealth66]

Thank you, Nikee and Hillgate. That sums it up nicely. I guess I'm the odd ball in that I just wanna sell scripts and walk away and let them do all the fussing over it (I think). Just be in it for the pay and not the credits. But then not having credits could present problems as well, I suppose.

Anyway, Hillgate, best of luck with your development hell there. I envy you on the script sale, but not the boardroom meetings. ;)