i have an idea about movie film that i'd like to write about but does anyone know how much money i could get when i decide to sell the script? i'm assuming i would have to make a pitch to film production firm although i'm not worried about that right now....i just want to know how much i would earn from it? does anyone know?
film script
- Thread starter sajtion
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Soldato
Pipe dreams = 0 Earnings.
Soldato
It'd have to be a decent script which would see the production firm make a good return. No company will accept the script unless they're sure they'll make money.
Man of Honour
Side question, don't movie script writers get ripped off a lot?
Or those authors whose books are made into movies?
I heard something a while back where the Tolkien estate received nothing from the LOTR trilogy because of Hollywood accounting.
Or those authors whose books are made into movies?
I heard something a while back where the Tolkien estate received nothing from the LOTR trilogy because of Hollywood accounting.
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Caporegime
no much closer to 2.9 million
Associate
I look forward to see movie film!
Nope, Tolkein himself signed the film rights away for nothing as he said it was "un-filmable"
Man of Honour
Oh interesting, didn't know that - got a source by any chance?
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/discord-of-the-rings-for-tolkiens-618783.html
Not quite nothing but not far off it considering how much the films made.
Not quite nothing but not far off it considering how much the films made.
Soldato
I don't think you'll get much for an adult movie script 
I got that from the extended editions appedix's.
I think when authors sign away rights now, it's a case of "£xxx,xxx straight off, xx% of revenue" but I have no idea, just a random stab it the dark.
Associate
From my understanding, there are various ways to get paid from a script. Ultimately, if you want to sell it outright, then it would depend on the budget for the film. A friend of mine is a writer and he wrote a script that was picked up. It was a independent film with a budget of 3 million USD, he received exactly $50,000 for his script.
A friend of a friend of a friend, is married to the guy that wrote the script for 'The Island'. I know from this, he was paid $100,000 for the script. So it depends on the budget of the film, and what deal you are prepared to strike.
However, spending a lot of time in LA, I meet at least 4 people a day who are 'writers' and from what I have seen first hand, for every 10 scripts you write. 99% of the time, all 10 will go nowhere. From what I believe also, is that, someone wont just buy the script from you in most circumstances. You will sign a deal with someone, who has full rights to the script for a set period of time why they then try to secure investment for the film. If the investment doesnt come through, you dont get paid. Its not an easy thing to go and do.
And finally, if its not a Rom-Com, then you might as well give up on the idea. The most money for production firms are Rom-Coms, and many only accept scripts of this nature. Not saying that others dont get picked up, but they usually arent from first time, unpublished and unrecognised script writers.
However, good luck either way dude.
Just make sure you get it send off to the Writers Guild when its complete before you give it to anyone else, so they have a record that it was you that wrote it, and no one can rip you off!
A friend of a friend of a friend, is married to the guy that wrote the script for 'The Island'. I know from this, he was paid $100,000 for the script. So it depends on the budget of the film, and what deal you are prepared to strike.
However, spending a lot of time in LA, I meet at least 4 people a day who are 'writers' and from what I have seen first hand, for every 10 scripts you write. 99% of the time, all 10 will go nowhere. From what I believe also, is that, someone wont just buy the script from you in most circumstances. You will sign a deal with someone, who has full rights to the script for a set period of time why they then try to secure investment for the film. If the investment doesnt come through, you dont get paid. Its not an easy thing to go and do.
And finally, if its not a Rom-Com, then you might as well give up on the idea. The most money for production firms are Rom-Coms, and many only accept scripts of this nature. Not saying that others dont get picked up, but they usually arent from first time, unpublished and unrecognised script writers.
However, good luck either way dude.
Just make sure you get it send off to the Writers Guild when its complete before you give it to anyone else, so they have a record that it was you that wrote it, and no one can rip you off!
Soldato
Know a fair bit about all this with the wife being a MFA Screenwriting grad from UCLA who has just joined the WGA and is working with Chicago Pacific on some of their projects 
Hollywood is currently more risk-averse than ever before - unless you know someone who knows someone, or have a reputation from somewhere or somehow, are adapting a property, or are making a low-budget independent there is a miniscule chance of your script even being read let alone getting anywhere near production.
Payment-wise, 'big movies' are guided by WGA rates which depend on the exact nature of work being done and , anything from $5,000 a week to (IIRC) around $80,000 minimum for a 'big-budget' movie.
Some of my wife's professors favourite quotes:
"Ideas are like *&^-holes - everyone has one"
"So you have an idea, all that is left to write a script is everything"
That said - if you have a good enough idea to get into rough script form, you could probably pay a proper screenwriter a fee and they will put it in the proper format so it at least won't get thrown in the bin for being the equivalent of a CV written in Comic Sans.
If you want a great example of how to write a debut movie, watch The Disappearance of Alice Creed - 3 actors, one room, zero special FX but a razor-sharp script - a producer's dream.
Not to be all negative though, no-one ever gets anywhere in the movie business, unless you're one of the people that get a break
Hollywood is currently more risk-averse than ever before - unless you know someone who knows someone, or have a reputation from somewhere or somehow, are adapting a property, or are making a low-budget independent there is a miniscule chance of your script even being read let alone getting anywhere near production.
Payment-wise, 'big movies' are guided by WGA rates which depend on the exact nature of work being done and , anything from $5,000 a week to (IIRC) around $80,000 minimum for a 'big-budget' movie.
Some of my wife's professors favourite quotes:
"Ideas are like *&^-holes - everyone has one"
"So you have an idea, all that is left to write a script is everything"
That said - if you have a good enough idea to get into rough script form, you could probably pay a proper screenwriter a fee and they will put it in the proper format so it at least won't get thrown in the bin for being the equivalent of a CV written in Comic Sans.
If you want a great example of how to write a debut movie, watch The Disappearance of Alice Creed - 3 actors, one room, zero special FX but a razor-sharp script - a producer's dream.
Not to be all negative though, no-one ever gets anywhere in the movie business, unless you're one of the people that get a break
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Another route for the OP would be to write a decent overview for the idea (in other words, get down on paper everything that's going to take place in the film - this is vitally important for a variety of reasons and should be the first thing undertaken). Then, choose one of your favourite or impressive scenes from the overview and write it up into a short film script.
After that, you can look at getting the short film made. Lots of people in the business are happy to work for free on a short film as it can advance their CV and help to get another rung higher on the ladder: the guy who is usually a camera assistant gets to be a cameraman; the runner gets to be a producer and so on. Don't expect to be in charge as the writer though, because the producer, directer and director of photography will have their own 'vision' about how your story should be brought to life. If you want complete control over your project you'll have to do it all yourself, or have an idea that is so bloomin' spiffing nobody would dare change it.
If you're successful at making the short, it can be used as an advert for funding the feature-length movie. You can submit it to festivals, throw it at studios or upload it to the net and hope it goes viral.
This all takes a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time.
I have a short film in pre-production as I write. It has taken about a year and a half since a production company read my short story and asked me to make it into a screenplay. Now though, we have crew, locations, equipment and are currently ploughing through casting the two lead roles. The short script I wrote is a scene from the overview I have already written, so when the short film is finished I'm ready to go should we get the green light for a feature.
After that, you can look at getting the short film made. Lots of people in the business are happy to work for free on a short film as it can advance their CV and help to get another rung higher on the ladder: the guy who is usually a camera assistant gets to be a cameraman; the runner gets to be a producer and so on. Don't expect to be in charge as the writer though, because the producer, directer and director of photography will have their own 'vision' about how your story should be brought to life. If you want complete control over your project you'll have to do it all yourself, or have an idea that is so bloomin' spiffing nobody would dare change it.
If you're successful at making the short, it can be used as an advert for funding the feature-length movie. You can submit it to festivals, throw it at studios or upload it to the net and hope it goes viral.
This all takes a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time.
I have a short film in pre-production as I write. It has taken about a year and a half since a production company read my short story and asked me to make it into a screenplay. Now though, we have crew, locations, equipment and are currently ploughing through casting the two lead roles. The short script I wrote is a scene from the overview I have already written, so when the short film is finished I'm ready to go should we get the green light for a feature.