How to Get the Best Deal for your Screenplay: NEGOCIACIÓN, #3

By LoperaSanchez

Embark on the exciting journey to success as a screenwriter with the essential book: "How to Get the Best Deal for your Screenplay"!
This valuable resource provides you with the tools and strategies necessary to transform your ideas and writing skills into a solid and rewarding source of income.

This book goes beyond mere writing. It will accompany you in the process of developing your career as a writer, guiding you towards understanding and exploiting the key assets that you must cultivate and manage efficiently. You will learn to determine the value and fair price of your work, obtaining relevant market information to achieve successful negotiations.

With practical advice and effective strategies, this masterpiece will teach you to become a skilled and confident negotiator in the world of scripts.

From preparation and presentation to closing and agreement, you will discover the techniques to achieve success in every negotiation.

This book will guide you through fundamental topics, such as the definition and structure of a script, avoiding common mistakes, and discovering specialized script writing programs and their usefulness. You will also understand the importance of protecting and marketing your creations through Intellectual Properties (IPs). Additionally, you will learn about writer support entities that will support you in your career.

Immerse yourself in the process of developing your career, learn to live from your passion, and discover how to create your personal brand. Explore the fascinating world of collaborative projects and discover how to write on demand, thus opening up multiple professional opportunities.

Enhance your knowledge of the fundamental assets of a writer and learn to manage them effectively. Develop skills to determine the value and price of your work, thus gaining a competitive advantage in the market. Take advantage of relevant and up-to-date information to negotiate with confidence and achieve successful agreements.

Become a skilled and confident negotiator thanks to the practical advice and effective strategies presented in this book. Prepare to face every stage of negotiation, from preparation and presentation to closing and agreement. Learn the proven techniques that will lead you to success in the script industry.

"How to Get the Best Deal for your Screenplay" is the ultimate guide for screenwriters seeking results.
Turn your dreams into reality and achieve your goals in the film and television industry.

Don't miss the opportunity to acquire this essential book and start your journey to success as a screenwriter today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: LoperaSanchez
• Release date: Apr 25, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224807666

Book preview

Dedicated to...

My beloved Martha Leal, every letter I write draws the joy that life brings me with you.

To my mother, who wanders in the interstices of the wind, and to my aunt Judith who is present, for inspiring so much love for letters and stories.

To Pablo Jaramillo, Master who inspired this journey. Elena Molina, for showing me that the path was possible. Father, thank you for so many teachings.

To my admired Juan Álvarez, Alvaro Vanegas, Euder Arce, Victoria Hernández, Juan José Lopera, Maria Paula Riveros, Jerónimo Rivera, Mafe Medrano, Sandra Jaramillo Botero, Juan Andrés Granados, and Luz Estrada for being inspiration and example.

To Juan Pablo Llano, Diana Rodríguez, Kata Boham, Julio H. Correal, Marcela Correa, Don Elvis, Don Bestia, Víctor Gómez, Tata LoperaSánchez, Óscar Piñeros, Juan Fernando Peláez, Mauricio Montoya, Martha Lucía Ochoa, Juan Camilo Villarreal, Juan Mosquera Restrepo, Iván Marín, Carlos Carrillo, Ana Parra, Omar Tovar, Carabeto, Javier Rodríguez, Byron Ortega, Nubia Chaves, Diana Díaz, Iñaki Apezteguía, Enrique Langton, Andrés Vanegas, Santiago Betancur, Pedro Luis Falla, Daniel and Esteban Lopera Corredor, Juan Carlos González, Ana Palacio Vélez, Jorge Tabares, Alexis Mendoza, Alejo Ceballos, Claudia Rodríguez Valencia, Calocho, Paola Podestá... for the complicity.

To the memory of Rolando Arroyave and Poeta Peña-Villa.

1. INTRODUCTION

I write this book so that you can sell your script...

More than an objective, it's my wish: I wish for your script to be sold under optimal conditions, for the resulting movie to achieve great success, and for you to feel proud of the final outcome. Most importantly, I hope you receive all that you rightfully deserve. You've earned it. Alternatively, if the offered conditions don't align with your desires, I hope you choose not to sell it.

I am writing this book with you in mind. Whether you've already written a script, written several, are planning to embark on one, or are currently in the process, this book is not a step-by-step guide or a manual.

Instead, consider it a collection of tools designed to assist you in reaching your negotiation objectives.

And, to make the most of those tools, we must unify criteria and definitions. Let's define the initial parameters, individual policies, and establish boundaries for engaging in negotiation. In addition, I included in each chapter a section: As an exercise and also several personal experiences that I have called Anecdotes.

I'm not a lawyer, nor am I an expert in this area. I don't claim to have all the answers or hold the absolute truth. Nevertheless, I've gained valuable insights through numerous experiences in script sales. I aim to share both my mistakes and my lessons learned, so that you may benefit from them and recognize crucial elements when negotiating.

I'd like to discuss various aspects of initiating a negotiation process, including identifying potential clients, locating markets for your script, securing commission work from producers, monetizing your scripts, and generating interest in the potential market. These aspects are also relevant to other roles and functions within the productive chain of the cultural industry.

I am also writing this book for myself: This is the book I needed to read back in 2001 when I made the decision to leave everything behind and commit myself to writing. Here, I gather and distill numerous lessons learned over the years, lessons that have come with tears, confusion, despair, moments of desolation, sadness, and nearly giving up; but they have also brought me joy, pride, anticipation, and enthusiasm. I aim to provide you with insights to navigate the inevitable rejections that writers face.

Lessons full of learnings, thanks to which today I can say with a bittersweet feeling, that I have successfully sold fifteen feature film scripts. However, on this journey, I have made many mistakes. In fact, out of the scripts I've sold, I can confirm that seven of them will not see the light of day on screen. From those seven, I received only nominal compensation for one. As for the remaining eight, one film has already been released, three are in post-production and slated for release before 2025, while the remaining four are currently in the financing stage.

Here, I provide insights into navigating the moment when you sit down with someone interested in your scripts. I share tips on ensuring that excitement doesn't overshadow your judgment, and on preventing you from prematurely dreaming without a signed contract or advance payment in hand... that you can have enough clarity to make the best decision: reaching a good agreement or knowing when and how to give up, because it's wiser to decline promptly than to regret for a lifetime for something you did.

In my over two decades in the industry, I have realized that talent alone isn't sufficient to sustain a writer. Many times, areas of knowledge that could contribute to offering their services or being on the radar of the market for possible hirings are neglected. These areas can be as specific as spreadsheet management, social media, basic finances, copyright law, and industry knowledge.

Understanding your position within the audiovisual production chain is crucial; recognizing that you lack decision-making authority over the final product and its subsequent outcomes can alleviate stress and anxiety.

The best attitude a writer can adopt is to view their script as fertile ground in which the best seeds available to those who will participate in the subsequent creation processes will be sown, and therefore, to be - and live - in a perpetual state of gratitude.

Welcome. As you read these lines and those that follow, you contribute to my sense of gratitude. I hope and wish that this text offers insight, prompts questions, and resonates deeply with you, sparking introspection and analysis.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to you.

A COUPLE OF CLARIFICATION NOTES:

1. Moving forward, I will refrain from marking gender differences in my writing. Doing so once would require consistent marking throughout the text, which would result in cumbersome reading. Henceforth, I will refer to individuals in either masculine or feminine terms, without discriminating against other genders or identities, to facilitate readability and with no intention of causing offense to any writer. Consider it done.

2. While I speak specifically of a feature film script in the title, the principles discussed can be applied to negotiation processes for various projects within the cultural sector. This includes projects for television, documentaries, web series, advertising content, theater texts, and other forms of writing, as well as any products or services within the cultural production chain.

1.1. PRESENTATION WITH LINKTREE

Brief recap of events:

I was born on July 23, 1971. I studied business administration at EAFIT University in Medellin and graduated in 1997. From 1994, I worked in the financial sector, where I held senior positions. From 1995 until 2000, I was a lecturer in financial mathematics at EAFIT University in Medellin. I pursued my professional activity as a commercial executive in the financial sector in Medellin, New York, and Bogotá.

Until 1998, the little I had written was aimed at winning the heart of some girl in my adolescence, or for the school newspaper in the late eighties, or the university newspaper in the early nineties.

In 2001, I left everything because I wanted to write literary novels, tell stories, and, above all, write movies. But I didn't even know how to write a script.

Today, more than 20 years later, I've witnessed my written works come to life on screens worldwide, including TV series, documentaries, web series, and advertising content; my first play premiered in Toronto, Canada, and then we staged it in Bogotá, I've successfully sold scripts for movies and experienced the premiere of my first film in cinemas across two countries, earning an important international award.

In 2001, I embarked on this new path, not with the advantage of formal literary, communication studies, or related careers. I started from minus fifty because I did not have training in careers related to writing, and I did not grow up or naturally share with an immediate circle exposed to related topics. I only had a burning passion for storytelling and an unwavering determination to succeed.

The evidence of what has happened in the years following 2001 can be seen in my Linktree, where you can find my website and connect with me on my primary social media platforms. Welcome to my world.

Linktree

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2. WHAT IS A SCRIPT?

I was unaware. I believed that my extensive viewing of movies, along with co-founding the Cinema Club at EAFIT University in Medellín in 1990 with Pablo Jaramillo, and my deep passion for cinema, would be enough. But no, I soon realized that understanding the format and structure of screenwriting for cinema and audiovisuals in general was essential, and I had to master it.

At the beginning of 21st century, resources on the internet were not as abundant as they are now, and perhaps you don't remember. Nonetheless, I distinctly remember delving into scripts that I managed to find online, meticulously studying and analyzing them. Two particular cases stand out, which I thoroughly examined: firstly, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, one of my favorite films, written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry. From this movie, I obtained seven different versions of the script. I meticulously read through each version, organized them by version number as my logic dictated. Some drafts included recorded dates or draft numbers, aiding in the organization process (although not all versions were dated or numbered). Additionally, I watched the movie and listened to the audio commentary included in the additional DVD material. My aim was to understand the motivations behind the directorial, production, and performance decisions, and how these elements completed the scriptwriting process.

Secondly, Fight Club remains one of my all-time favorite movies. I read Chuck Palahniuk's novel - exploring both its Spanish version, rich with expressions like gilipollas and joder, and its 'neutral' counterpart.  I also obtained three or four versions of the script penned by Jim Uhls, I meticulously watched and analyzed the film until I could recite its dialogues by heart. Additionally, with the four available audio commentaries included in the edition I purchased in New York: 1. With the director, 2. With the director and the main actors, 3. With the book's autor and the screenwriter, and 4. With the production designer, costume designer, FX director, and digital animation director. This experience proved to be one of the most profound lessons in cinema I've ever encountered.

Through systematic reading and rigorous script analysis, I discovered common elements, that revealed there is indeed a correct and effective approach to writing scripts. Then, upon meticulous examination, I confirmed this.

Before proceeding further, I include a note:

For those well-versed script writing, its forms, format, proper techniques, the following sections: Definition of a script, origin, and uses; Parts of a script; What to avoid in a script; Most common mistakes; Script writing software; Types of audiovisual content, may seem very basic. To avoid redundancy and to keep them engaged, feel free to skip ahead to the section titled An idea is not a script, and continue reading from there. However, I highly recommend that you read Most common mistakes, as it offers a valuable compilation of what not to overlook, which you may find beneficial.

Let's begin:

2.1. DEFINITION OF A SCRIPT, ORIGIN, AND USES

The term Script originates from Guide. It serves as a precise guide through which stories are narrated, while simultaneously establishing fundamental parameters for audiovisual production, whether it be for a feature film, television, or any other format.

The concept's roots trace back to the Italian word Libretto, referring to the small books used to transcribe he music and lyrics of operas from the seventeenth century onward, providing guidance for performers. Additionally, it's crucial to highlight the textual documentation of theater plays from the same centuries, serving as a reference for study and