Advice — gatekeeper q & a

Question from Chris Van: I write to you from Johannesburg, South Africa. I have finally completed my screenplay after a six-year haul. Thanks to Writers Store I have used many of your publications on my path to success. I have a powerful email logline and message which I would like to send to agents etc. Please, can you advise whether you have a book of names and addresses of agents etc., so that I can email my message to them. Is this the method that you recommend? The movie is called William and is about the amazing life story of...

Dollars and Sense ~~ Monica P. asks: What does it mean to be offered $XX 'against' $YYY, for your screenplay? For example, does one price 'against' another mean that the writer is paid $XX now, with an additional $YYY later if the film is actually produced? Or does it mean that you'll either be paid one or the other amount? What does it mean 'an initial 12-month option agreement against a potential $100,000 purchase price.' Can you please explain just what 'against' means there? ~~ Skip Press responds: I suggest you study the Writers Guild 'Schedule of Minimums' (www.wga.org) if...

~~ Question by Melana: 'I've read a lot of articles in the trades about battles between screenwriters and directors and/or producers (and sometimes actors) about changes in the script. Can you tell me how much control can a writer expect to have once a script has been submitted? And what about rewrites? Does a writer always have to go along with the changes requested? Can you ever say 'No?' If you disagree with the changes, do you have any recourse?' Melana, Montclair, NJ ~~ Ron Suppa responds: The long and the short of it is this: the author of a...

~~ Patrick O. asks: How will I know whether my script idea is better suited for television, independents or a major studio? I've seen coverage comments that one idea may be suited for a MOW [Movie of the Week], but how does a writer know this in advance? Whom do I pitch? Patrick X. O., Hollywood, FL ~~ Larry Brody responds: I know a little about TV after over 30 years in it, and what it all boils down to is this: Television movies are more issue-oriented than theatrical features. In many ways, they're more adult -- although the adult...

Duane Eaders of WA asks: Is it possible to retain the rights to your characters -- names, appearance, etc. -- once you have sold your screenplay? For example, what if you have developed a character/person/creature that you intend to expand into a franchise of multiple films, toys, games and so on... (like Gremlins, Jack Ryan, Spy Kids)? How do you continue to legally create the screenplays and all of the spin-offs if the purchaser of the original concepts owns all the rights attached to your screenplay? Our Experts Dina Appleton & Daniel Yankelevits respond: Unfortunately, it is extremely unlikely that...