Quote: Lee Henman @ September 19 2012, 12:54 PM BST

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Personally if an Indie producer offered me a quid option for my script, I'd offer them an option too. Either be serious or f**k off.

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Just read that comment back. Seems a bit knobbish of me to post that, considering all the free shit I've done over the years. For instance I once supplied all the comedy content for a big NE radio station for about 4 months for free. It took up about 20 hours a week. I wrote, voiced, and recorded every every sketch / song in the show and got paid zilch. Not even petrol money, and the studio was 45 miles away. And I even gave the producer a lift home every week for free. At the time though, the love from the audience was enough, for a while anyway. Then I realised just how out of pocket I was becoming through lost earnings, travel expenses etc, and I jacked it in.

Anyway, lesson learned. Yes, when you're 'honing your craft' (God that sounds so wanky) you do usually have to do free stuff. It's just the way of things. But like any profession (or even hobby) there comes a point when you think you're good enough to earn a crust, and there's nothing at all wrong with that. And the other thing is, when you're dealing with professionals, they totally EXPECT to pay for your work. Going to a producer and saying "Oh please Mr Producer I'll work for free for the love of the project" is a very efficient way of not getting yourself taken seriously. Although I know sometimes that's the only way in.

Suppose what I'm trying to say is just don't undersell yourself. Obviously don't be a knob, but don't undersell yourself. It's a terrible old cliche but if you don't value your own work, nobody else will.

Quote: don rushmore @ September 28 2012, 1:36 AM BST

Lose the ego.

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We have a winner!

To go back to the original question... even if it was true that you had a really bad contract and got very little money for something that turned into a global hit you should have producers falling over themselves to throw wheelbarrows of money at you for your next project - even if it turns out to be rubbish.

Isn't the problem with dollar options not so much the possibility the production company will make millions from your work but more the possibility they're particularly unlikely to make anything at all but snapped up the rights ' just in case', because you don't need much faith in a project to spend a dollar and an hour exchanging ideas and boilerplate contracts? 'Just in case' is still better than 'not at all', but I'm assuming most writers haven't exhausted every available avenue at the time they're considering signing away exclusivity to the guys willing to pony up a dollar.

Quote: enigmatic @ October 4 2012, 2:39 AM BST

Isn't the problem with dollar options not so much the possibility the production company will make millions from your work but more the possibility they're particularly unlikely to make anything at all but snapped up the rights ' just in case', because you don't need much faith in a project to spend a dollar and an hour exchanging ideas and boilerplate contracts? 'Just in case' is still better than 'not at all', but I'm assuming most writers haven't exhausted every available avenue at the time they're considering signing away exclusivity to the guys willing to pony up a dollar.

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Which is why you've got to have faith in the Producer.
Producers in the UK have a terrible time of it - no-one makes millions in the British film industry.
To a man they are passionate about film and commit a hell a lot of (unpaid) time to the projects they work on.
They also get a lot of hassle from writers and agents chasing up progress on their projects , so it simply isn't worth them optioning things 'just in case'.

Quote: enigmatic @ October 4 2012, 2:39 AM BST

I'm assuming most writers haven't exhausted every available avenue at the time they're considering signing away exclusivity to the guys willing to pony up a dollar.

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The first deal on the table is likely to be the only deal on the table. Smile politely and sign the contract. Talk of company shares and a corner office can wait for another time.

Quote: don rushmore @ October 4 2012, 11:04 AM BST

The first deal on the table is likely to be the only deal on the table. Smile politely and sign the contract. Talk of company shares and a corner office can wait for another time.

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At least read the contract first. You might well find you're signing something that says they can remove you from the project entirely and keep the idea. "Hey, we've got a series but we're going to get someone else to write it. So if you'd kindly f**k off that'd be great."

Anyone who signs a contract before reading it, is an absolute mug. But even so, you'd likely get a 'series creator' credit. And the dollar cheque could be framed, and hung on the wall - as a reminder of your first baby steps into the industry. Focus on the positives, Lee.

Quote: don rushmore @ October 4 2012, 12:53 PM BST

Focus on the positives, Lee.

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I do. And not getting ripped off is a very positive thing.

1% of nothing is nothing, so personally I can't see why you could not al least ask for payment for the option in the form:

a dollar down and 1% of the profits on this production.

Quote: billwill @ October 4 2012, 2:14 PM BST

1% of nothing is nothing, so personally I can't see why you could not al least ask for payment for the option in the form:

a dollar down and 1% of the profits on this production.

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You'll get that.
It's usually a "Production Bonus" - normally between 2%-3% of production budget, paid on first day of shooting.
Producers are happy to give this away, because by the time you get that far they will have secured outside funding - a part of which goes to the writer.
TV is a bit different - it's usually the 'going rate +' (the '+' is the bit the agent is for)

the more I look in to this £1 option deal thing the more it makes sense. I myself am looking more towards the film industry,and if I handed over a screenplay and they wanted to take it seriously I would defiantly take the chance.

i might have said this in an earlier post,but if the budget of the film was £20 million and they gave you a 2.3% cut how bad could it be? its a fair old chunk in my eyes.

and if they didn't want it after the designated 12 months then, that's that, nothing lost but I think the experience and contact with directors/producers is worth that £1.. because in effect they pay you for the pleasure! £1 or not its still worth the chance.

Everything is weighable uppable. Only a mug would advise to just take the pound, regardless. Even if you don't have an agent you can still get advice from one if a 'serious' deal is being discussed with only a token option. That's a fact.

i hope this doesn't sound thick but whats a token option marc?

An option is where a legitimate company pays the going rate to take a project off the market for a fixed term while they try and develop it with both writer and either other companies or broadcasters etc. It's not a huge amount. A token option is when shifty gits in the culture of writers not being considered important offer a pound for same. It's the attitude responsible for a lot of the shite TV you are seeing on British television at the moment compared to what is coming from across the pond via HBO and etc. Treat writers as shit and you are treating the audience as shit and after a while they catch on and switch off.