Question on submitting script to prodco

[Plot Device]

I got another positive response to a query this week. So I brushed up the latest draft and intend to submit today. (For the purposes of this thread, I will bogusly identify the name of the prodco as "Ryker Films" even though to my knowledge there is no such company as Ryker Films. My apologies to anyone here who is in fact affiliated with a REAL prodco named Ryker Films.)

BUT .....

I have many different versions of the script in my harddrive at this point, all with various "sub-titles" to them. Such as ...


The Angels of Highway 7 - July
The Angels of Highway 7 - Contest Entry
The Angels of Highway 7 - July II
The Angels of Highway 7 - July III
The Angels of Highway 7 - October
etc

And I'm wondering if it would be "okay" to label this latest re-tweaking as follows:

"The Angels of Highway 7 - Ryker Films"

That way I will know which version I submited to them.

But is that "okay?" Would that weird them out? Raise a red flag? Imply an unintended legality? Or is it done all the time?

[icerose]

I would submit a clean copy. No extra stuff. In your file folder that's fine to add that tag on, but to actually submit to them, keep it clean and uncluttered. You don't want them thinking you think the deal is sealed, then they might get the feeling you're a crazy writer who's going to start stalking them and filing lawsuits because a film they started last year slightly resembles something you've written.

[LIVIN]

I don't know.

Can't you just send them "Angels of Highway 7 - January" and in your computer change the name to "Angels of Highway 7 - Ryker Films" if you deem necessary. Or, better yet. Create a folder called "Ryker Films" and throw this script copy, along with all dealings with Ryker Films in that folder.

[LIVIN]

Hey Plot, mind if I ask what method you're going with with this script. Here you mention a Production Company. I also know you entered this in Kairos. Anything else? What's been your strategery? How's it working for you?

[clockwork]

Yeah, I agree with Sara. On the title page, just the title. No reason to put anything else but rename it to be whatever you want for your records.

[dpaterso]

?? Are you talking about the screenplay title on the title page, or do you mean the name of a file you intend to email to the prodco, e.g.

"The Angels of Highway 7 - Ryker Films.pdf"

-Derek

[clockwork]

Oh, if it's email... well in that case I'd put "Angels of Highway 7 - Your Name.pdf"

Yes, your email will have your name on it but the file may be put onto a network or emailed to somebody else for printing.

[RainbowDragon]

I agree - keep it generic. I often call my finished drafts "FinshedDraftWGA" or "FDWGA" so I can keep track of which version was filed.

Same filename for e-mail submissions no matter who requests it. You're a free agent, don't let them think it's not in 20 other people's hands this very moment.

[Plot Device]

Sorry I wasn't clear here.

Derek is correct: just the name of the file as it appears in my e-files AND the name of the file as it shows up electronically in their e-mail server when I send it to them.

"The Angels of Highway 7 - Ryker Films.pdf"

The title page itself will ONLY say "The Angels of Highway 7" (and then my contact info in the lower-left corner) when they actually open the pdf and view/print it. But I'm sure others here have the need/problem of keeping different titles to their e-files for the sake of maintaining order/sanity in their harddrive.

[Plot Device]

Oh, if it's email... well in that case I'd put "Angels of Highway 7 - Your Name.pdf"



Yes, your email will have your name on it but the file may be put onto a network or emailed to somebody else for printing.



I agree - keep it generic. I often call my finished drafts "FinshedDraftWGA" or "FDWGA" so I can keep track of which version was filed.

Same filename for e-mail submissions no matter who requests it. You're a free agent, don't let them think it's not in 20 other people's hands this very moment.

Okay, I'll do my best. :)

[Plot Device]

Hey Plot, mind if I ask what method you're going with with this script. Here you mention a Production Company. I also know you entered this in Kairos. Anything else? What's been your strategery? How's it working for you?

I have been doing very very targetted web searches to find prodco's that might be interested in my script. My search criteria includes the words "spiritual" and "films" and "scripts" and "family-oriented" and other stuff like that. I can sit for four or five hours straight doing such searches, chasing leads down many many rabbit holes riddled throughout the internet. I find a lot of obscure names and factoids that way and I keep learning about new prodco's I've never heard of. I will say I am very cautious before submititng queries. And whenever I find a company that looks half way legit, I do extensive reaserch on them before querying.

I found an online Christian film industry newsletter dated from just two moths ago that featured an interview with the VP of "Ryker Films". And at the end of the interview they posted an e-mail address to one of the assistants at that company in case anyone wanted to send a query on a completed script.

So I did.

I mentioned in my query that my script was "currently in the running at the Kairos Prize." They got back in a few days and were very friendly. They specifically said they are very supportive of Kairos and have optioned Kairos scripts in the past (no lie! It IS true that they have done so -- I found more than one news item from this past year confirming that to be the case), and so they were eager to read mine, especially if mine was more of a broad comedy with family appeal.

One of the things that has me hopeful about this company is they have specifically stated in multiple news articles/interviews I've read about them that they have no desire to make preachy/trite/"altar call" scripts (or, as Jeffrey Overstreet from Christianity Today calls such films: "A two-hour set-up for an Evangelical punchline"). They want to make films that are a little drier, more subtle, and perhaps even grittier than most typical Christian films tend to be. So I guess my query e-mail whetted their appetites.



Oh, and in case anyone wants to know, I did NOT make semi-finals for Kairos. I sent my e-mail to "Ryker Films" last week on Friday (when I was indeed quite truthfully still "in the running"), semi-finals for Kairos were announced on Tuesday (and I was NOT on that list), and "Ryker Films" got back to me on Wednesday that they were interested in my script. So I guess the timing to query these guys was just about perfect.

Part of me wonders if maybe they were relieved that my script did NOT make Kairos because it now means they don't have to go THROUGH Kairos to option it (I'm not completely sure but I think ALL semi-finalist scripts are automatically opitoned by Kairos, but I don't know for certain). I suspect that only because "Ryker Films" didn't reply to my query until AFTER Kairos announced semi-finals. If that is the case, I don't feel it's a poor reflection on Kairos. It's just my hunch that maybe "Ryker Films" might feel that the less layers of people/interest groups to deal with on the long journey of optioning a script, the better. .... Or it simply means they didn't get to their e-mail until Wednesday. :tongue


........ And, for the record, "Ryker Films" is NOT a WGA-signatory. ;)

.

[nmstevens]

Sorry I wasn't clear here.

Derek is correct: just the name of the file as it appears in my e-files AND the name of the file as it shows up electronically in their e-mail server when I send it to them.

"The Angels of Highway 7 - Ryker Films.pdf"

The title page itself will ONLY say "The Angels of Highway 7" (and then my contact info in the lower-left corner) when they actually open the pdf and view/print it. But I'm sure others here have the need/problem of keeping different titles to their e-files for the sake of maintaining order/sanity in their harddrive.

There are a couple possibilities -- one is to go down to the basic "Angels of Highway 7" (or even "AngelsHiway7 or something like that) -- even if it means putting it temporarily in its own directory (or if there's actually a file with that name, temporarily renaming the original) -- then send the file -- and then change everything back to its regular name.

That is, unless this really is a draft with unique content, there's no particular reason to save an entire copy of the script with "Ryker Films" attached to the name, simply to remind yourself of which version you sent them. You should be keeping records of what you send when --and you should indicate in those records what *actual draft* you sent them.

Or, if you really want to attach "Ryker" to the script name in your files and in the file that you send, I suppose you could name it:
"Angels of Highway 7-attn:Ryker Films.pdf"

That being said, I've never seen a file labeled in that way. If there was reason, for *their* purposes to do it, I'd do it. But if you're doing just for your own purposes -- I'd advise against it.

NMS

[zagoraz]

I wouldn't over-think it. If they love the script they'll want it even if it's called "Leonard 6, The Return," though I wouldn't advise calling it that.

[Plot Device]

NMS-- I'm doing it entirely for my own purposes. I already have a version of the script that I generically named "The Angels of Highway 7" that I sent to Kairos. So I don't want to have yet ANOTHER file with an IDENTICAL title in my harddrive. Talk about a recipe for catastrophe! Can you say "accidental overwrite?" So I feel I need to do SOMETHING.

I think I like your "attnRykerFilms" tag

Zag --I feel the same way. But I'm just trying to make sure this file-title thing is neither weird no a proven taboo.

[preyer]

along with 'leonard 6, the return,' you would want that to be a double feature. 'heaven's gate II' springs to mind. if you're lucky, the 'ishtar' writers are still available. and there's only one possible director: uwe boll.

[LIVIN]

I have a strict naming convention that includes the date on all my files. So, my first draft might be:

BumbleBeeBlues_011808

(That'd be today)

And a later draft might be called

BumbleBeeBlues_020208

(This is a better draft, as much polishing has occurred since Jan 18 and Feb 2.)

Anyway, that's basically my style.

[NikeeGoddess]

if you constantly tweaking your script shouldn't the last draft be your best draft? and the only draft you should send to anyone? send the better version which is your latest version and you don't need to remember which one you sent.