Screenwriting : Hey Uncle Phil, I have a great idea for a screenplay. Can you write it for me? by Phillip E. Hardy, "The Real Deal"

Like you Uncle Phil, I've had several people tell me their idea and urged me to write it. And like you, I've forgotten every single one of them.

However I did have a story twist given to me by a friend. I told him my elevator pitch and he came up with a brilliant twist for me.

I guess the moral is there's no harm in listening.

I have a situation Hopefully other screenwriters, directors, producers, can give me their feedback. Now here's the situation what happens if you write a Story (Not yet a Screenplay or Movie Script) Just a Story and this story is written for a certain Actor/Actress now after you finish writing this story and your deciding to convert to Screenplay/Movie Script Yet, you want to have this actor/actress feedback by viewing this story first to see if they would be interested in being this character whom you wrote this story for. What happens if they refuse to be this character and are not interested in this story you wrote for them. Do you still complete the story then show it to a Director/Producer as a completed story before deciding to convert this screenplay/movie script into an actual Movie and see if they would have an interest in buying this story? And what if your able and willing to do this Movie with a Director/Producer. What if this character needs to resemble this actor/actress is their agency they can help you find a Celebrity look alike? Your feedback is appreciated.

(The writer for the T.V. Show "Kramer" Had the same issue this is why I am asking)

It's happened many times during the past couple of years - my stock answer is; "You can't afford me."

It's happened twice. The first time, the guy practically wanted me to sign an NDA before he would tell me the idea. When he finally broke down, the idea was a rip-off a TV show he claims he never saw. The second time, a guy wanted me to write the script for his biography. I explained to him that unless he's a former spy or he secretly dated a celebrity, his life was not interesting enough to be a biography. Besides, I'm a sci-fi/action writer, so unless his life was equivalent of Die Hard meets Alien, I was still going to say no.

LOL Anthony. It's happened to me a few times. First I've written a script that they wanted, but while I write they've realized they can't afford it. Then this happens: they want to write their new idea themselves and I am asked to assist. Man, the arguments they come with. Those are funny.

Similar thing happened to a friend of mine who applied for a job in Dubai. They asked her to submit her ideas/proposals to liven up their website as part of the job interview. She didn't get the job, and it seems no-one else did either, but their website included her ideas and formats! Some people have no shame.

When these people ask you to write their stories: Do they expect that you write it for free or do they offer you money?

just the script (dialogue) or the ideas too?

does copyright work on ideas?

No copyright on ideas. You walk away and take the whole darn thing with you.

But the exposure...

I had one guy INSIST I was going to write his screenplay because: 1- it was an EPIC idea bound to make millions, 2- I had to be the one because I live in NY and therefore I KNOW gangs. (No, I live in NY state and even when I lived closer to NYC, what makes him think I roll that way?!) I said I was a little busy working on job and he replied that I would drop that job because this one was more important. I asked what his budget was because if I was going to delay a paying job, his better pay more (knowing the answer) . No budget but I'd make a million when it was released in theaters. Yeah...no!

Lisa Clemens I had a very similar situation happen to me. A woman called me to ghostwrite her book. She said, "This is the story that will help you make your mark. I can't pay you, but I can pay royalties, cuz believe me, it will sell."

I was SO blunt.

She had no marketing plan, no social media presence, and no idea how to find a publisher. She was kind enough to tell me I could work on weekends and nights and take as long as I wanted to write her book.

I told her, "First of all, any project that helps me make my mark will be my own. Secondly, I will not work nights and weekends for anyone except myself, unless I am paid to do so. And lastly, if you find someone who says they will do it for a royalty split, what do you think will happen when the weekend comes and they want to go to a concert or go out of town? What do you think their priority will be? Your book, which you've asked them to write for free, or an adventure with friends and family?"

Boils my blood, I tell you....

Joleene, I had a woman contact me and ask me to adapt her ebook into a script... I said I could be hired let's talk budget:

Her: Oh... actually I don't have any money. I was looking for someone to help me adapt, promote, and sell.

Me:

Thanks for your interest in working with me but I am a professional screenwriter. What you want me to do is a lot of work and not an easy thing to do, or else you'd obviously do it yourself, am I right? It's akin to someone telling an archetect, "I'm going to describe a house to you. I want you to use all your skills and dedicate weeks of time to drawing up the blueprints so that it can be made into a beautiful house. Then I want you to take that blueprint and show it to as many contractors and Realtors as you think would be interested in making it and selling it when it's built, and get them to invest in building it with their crews. Writing a screenplay takes time, skill, creativity (try taking a 200 page book and knowing what to change, edit and add, but make it come in at 90 pages and still tell a great story.) To ask me to volunteer my time and hard work for free for your benefit is a lot to ask. I'm a professional. I'm good at what I do. My screenplays have earned awards and nominations. Based on what I've earned in other work-for-hire projects (for which I have never had to do the additional work of promoting or selling- that's the job of the producers who hired me to write their screenplays) my work is valued at about$10,00 for small independent budgets to $30,000 and up for established and larger producers and budgets. I've only "promoted" screenplays I have written as spec scripts and that involved entering them in Film Festival contests which cost between $20-50 to enter depending on the size of the film festival. I've promoted the finished film (Delirium) at a few film festivals and I've been either paid or had my travel expenses reimbursed. I admire you for wanting your work done by a professional. Any job I need to hire someone on, I'd want a professional who knows what they are doing as well. But you can't get a professional quality job for free. I truly wish you luck and success with your projects!

Lisa Clemens This video says it best. :)

http://www.photographybay.com/2015/11/05/watch-what-happens-when-you-ask-non-creative-professionals-to-work-for-free/

It happens with novelists too. I constantly have people saying, "I have this great idea for a book..." My reply is always the same. I'd be glad to share writing resources on how to craft the novel, but if you want to be a writer there's only one way to do it. Write.

I met an actor at tiff this year who asked me how much he should pay someone to write his script. He said he wanted it to be around 90 pages. We talked a bit, I thought about the numbers and I told him $9000 ($100 a page). He was surprised by my answer, and said 'that much?' Then I explained to him writing a script takes approximately 1000 hours which equals to six months of full-time work. If you average it into a years salary - $18,000 a year. Then the writer is actually making less than if they got a full-time job in a typical entry level position which is usually around $25,000 a year. He thought about it a moment, and like a light bulb went on, said 'yeah, okay.'

All the time.

Edward that's a long process. I write out Screenplay with just a story touch. Actors might not mean the best determinants of a Screenplay. Unless he has that slill of screenwriting. Some Producers are stories translators hence; might not build it like the practical Screenwriters.