Comments on: Money 101 for screenwriters

By: zeugirdor

zeugirdor — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:27:37 +0000

thanks for sharing this informative article,..thumbs up!

By: MAHolm

MAHolm — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:59:58 +0000

This was one of the links I got when I googled "should I give up screenwriting."

It answered me question perfectly and addressed my real problem without my knowing what that problem was. I was hoping for the big payoff (money, fame, happiness). It ain't coming.

Thank you.

By: Eva

Eva — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 20:49:31 +0000

Thanks for sharing some great insights, very applicable to many professions. Given that you are sharing from your own experience, your expertise is very valid — one doesn’t have to be a professional financial wizard to enlighten us about what to expect in the business since you are a working professional. So I don’t get the “sour grapes” comment(s). People, or actually “person” John is sharing his knowledge to help all of us. It’s downright fact that MOST, for a host of various reasons, won’t make it in this business. That’s reality, but if you love writing and feel you have something to say, you’ll keep on writing. If you just want to make a “quick buck” as delusional people sometimes erroneously believe you can by just “writing a screenplay”, then you’ll surely shrivel up and die in terms of being a productive writer.

Which leads me to a question — does anyone know, on average, how long it takes for someone to break through into this business? Lew Hunter I believe advocates that you write at least five original scripts before you consider your work to be ready for the industry. Any thoughts on this?

By: carcar

carcar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:26:30 +0000

Teaching at LAFS and looking forward to hearing you speak on Friday. I’m not sure how much time you have to speak, but I think this topic and the Rise of the Amateur are two of the most useful articles a graduating student could read. Hope you’ll get some new fans and that they’ll get as much out of this website as I have.

By: Coop

Coop — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:03:02 +0000

Really great post. However, having just read through the comments from your readers, I'm struck by how many of them have no grasp on something as basic as sentence structure, (and don't get me started on the use of 'it's' vs 'its'). One would assume these are aspiring writers. Makes me want to scratch my noggin.

Irregardless, for all intensive purposes this was a helpful post. LOL.

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:48:03 +0000

I have recently been writing a screenplay with a couple friends ands its actually turning out somewhat good. Just was wondering if there is any advice for finding an agent should you just send your script into a few different ones and see what one likes it best and you get the best deal out of or just go with one thats lower down to get started off. Also is there any advice as to any important things that should be in or kept out of a script. Thank You

By: Miss Julie

Miss Julie — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:54:33 +0000

Dear Mr. August,

In Spain (Europe) there are many professional screenwriters, from TV and cinema, read your blog frequently, which it is a reference for us.

I am a membership of ALMA (Litherary Authors of Audiovisual Media), a screenwriters sindicate (the only one at the moment here in Spain). Even if we are just at the begining of our way, we are starting to have a big importance in between script professionals, but we still have a lot to do. For this reason, I have made a summary (always mentioning you as the author and your blog as the source) of the really very interesting post I have posted this summary in my own blog for it to be accesible for all the visitors who can read Spanish.

See you in the next visit, and thank you very much for your marvelous blog.

Yours faithfully,

Miss Julie

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:44:00 +0000

One last point on WGA health care. While a spec sale does earn you membership in the guild, it does NOT qualify you for health coverage. Only work you are HIRED to do by a signatory company goes toward your health care qualifying minimum (something around 36K?). So if you’re not hired to do rewrites on your spec, you’re out of luck until you get (a check for) another gig.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:52:44 +0000

Are there any film / screenwriting fundings in America such as we have for example in Germany or are you completely dependent on a decent producer?

The screenwriter's funding for example is partly comparable with a social benefit. It'll support the 100% writers to cover the time they don't earn any money. If you've got success, the funding needs to be returned, if not, then the sponsers did the wrong investment - as simple as that! Of course, they'll check your idea and spendings in detail, so that you cannot simply make a lot of money for nothing!

Same applies to the film funding. You can apply for this particular funding in a particular federal state where the film is supposed to be shot. E.g. Valkyrie has just been sponsored with 4 Mio. Euros in Berlin. In an interview Tom Cruise naively said that our country was so kind to actually "sponsor" the film with 4 Mio. Euros, but he probably didn't know that it was just a temporary funding and needs to be paid back (if the film is a success).

By: malice

malice — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:20:29 +0000

brilliant post. would've been good for me to read it about two years ago, but at least it'll serve the noobs.

i'm friggin starving here!

By: Christopher Robin

Christopher Robin — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:35:31 +0000

Great advice. I used to write screenplays, but somehow someway transitioned into writing television pilots. Have written 2 so far, and working on a 3rd. From everything I learned at the Screenwriter's Expos, through these blogs, as well as other industry peeps over the last 8 years or so, seems TV is a more promising career when it comes to finding stable work, unless you're someone as notable as John August of course. But I like TV writing better anyway, but that's just a taste of mine. But thanks for the heads up, it really is interesting to see how things work with the money aspect. How does it work with back end money? or points? I am still fuzzy on al of that.

And, what kind of dog did you get?