UCLA MFA Producing Student Looking to Option Original Screenplays

Up-and-coming UCLA MFA Producing student looking for ORIGINAL film scripts and TV pilots to option in conjunction with thesis project.

Ideally I would like to option each screenplay for 12 months in order to meet the following schedule:

Year 1 - Optioning 6-10 Screenplays and Limiting Them Down To One
Year 2 - Creating a Pitch Presentation and Establishing Funding
Year 3 - Producing the Project and Selling It

After the 12 months is over, the one project I pick for my thesis I would then like to option for another 2 years and eventually buy so that I can produce it for my thesis project.

Being on a college budget, it would be most convenient for me if we could work out a deal that includes no up-front fee and the promise of profit on the back-end if I end up producing your script. However I am also willing to spend cash up front if the price is reasonable. Please include your desired means of payment with your submission.

As a TV/Film Producer, I am striving to produce only original content that maintains the characteristics and styles of this generation's most well-known and well-received works. I'm tired of all the sequels, book adaptations, and extensions of intellectual property- I want to see more original movies become classics and I can guarantee a commitment with me will be one that you will not regret.

Please only submit your ideas if your work fits into one of the following categories:

- Comedy Sitcoms similar to Community, Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock, The Office, and Friends
- Drama Narratives similar to Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Sopranos, and Game of Thrones
- Supernatural Horror Narratives similar to American Horror Story, The Sixth Sense, and The Ring
- Science Fiction Films similar to Star Wars, Twelve Monkeys, Blade Runner, and The Matrix
- Original Super Hero Films (Animated & Live Action) similar to Chronicle, The Incredibles, Megamind, Despicable Me, and Hancock

All submissions should be sent to travmarsh@ucla.edu. Please make the subject-line reads "UCLA Script Submission" and include the following in the body of the e-mail:
- A hook for you screenplay
- A logline for your screenplay
- Your desired method of payment

Then please attach your screenplay to the body of the e-mail in PDF format.

Thanks,
Travis

Hi Travis, good luck in all this.

However, it seems you want to option 10 scripts, for a year, for free? Then pick one to extend the option? That's 9 scripts that no one else can do anything with, for a year, that you'd hold the option on. Can I recommend you go for the one option, option?

Hey Breakwaters,

You are correct, I am looking to option up to 10 screenplays for one year. However, the method of payment is really up to the writer. As I mentioned in the post, I am willing to pay an up-front fee for the scripts. However this price just needs to be low (Less Than $500) since I am a starving student.

I really only put the option that I'd pay you on the back-end (which if I don't pick your script as the one means you don't get paid) because it actually seems to be a viable option. I have already received over 20 submissions since last night and only one of them has asked for an upfront wage. So it appears many writers are willing to take the risk just for the shot that their work will be produced.

I am in no means trying to rip anyone off, I'm just trying to work with what I have available to me. The program I am in sets up my classmates and I to pitch a fully fleshed out project to a board of industry professionals at the end of our second year. This process often leads to us getting funding for our projects and for some optioning a screen-play for only a 1 in 10 chance of this happening is actually worth it. But that is all up to your discretion.

However if you are really opposed to this approach then I am willing to change it since I am trying to foster a good relationship with writers, it's just hard when I don't have a bolstering amount of funds.

Thanks,
Travis

Hey Travis

Well, I’m impressed, 20 submissions is good going in a night. I assumed other writers might have had the same reservations as me, but I was incorrect. Good going.

I didn’t at all think you were trying to rip anyone off, your post came across as honest and well written, my only issue was, as a writer, signing an option for a year to be a 1 in 10 chance of moving forward is not ideal, as that script can’t be sold or taken elsewhere to be developed. But, hey, you’re getting submissions, so keep going.

Maybe you could ask for less than a year option, just enough time to evaluate what script you want to move forward with, and then extend that one option? But if you’re getting submissions, maybe you don’t need to, it was just a concern of mine.

Again, best of luck.

Dom

I, too, have an issue with tying up my script for one year for
nothing. If my script is really that good (Breaking Bad,
Community, Star Wars good) then giving up all my rights to
it for one year to a student producer for no money is not
advantages to me.

It sounds like you are willing to negotiate with the writer. I
hope the writers you choose for the one year period fully
understand that they cannot show their optioned script to
anyone for one full year. I wonder if you are turning away
some really good scripts by writers unwilling to sign a free
option for a one in ten chance of being made. Even $41 per
month is, essentially, free. You currently spend more than
that on coffee.

Other than the option part I love your approach to finding
scripts. Most people come here, post their notice and then
leave. We regulars never know what happens. I would love
to follow your progress.

Welcome to indietalk, Travis.

Have to agree. I don't understand why you need to option 10 scripts when you're only interested in producing one. Just option the best one out of the ten. That frees up the other scripts and is fair on the writers. Locking down 10 scripts for $500 or less each (and the very slim chance of future payment) does not make sense to me - at least for the writers.

I wonder what the quality of your submissions are. I'm a Nicholl semi-finalist, and there is no way I would send you one of my scripts given those terms. Sorry. I mean no offense by this, I do understand you're a student etc.

If you were only optioning the one you wished to produce, I'm sure a lot more people would be interested.

IndiePaul said:

Locking down 10 scripts for $500 or less each (and the very slim chance of future payment) does not make sense to me - at least for the writers.

Click to expand...

And a poor use of the very little money a starving student has. Of
course if the scripts are optioned for no money there is no financial
risk. But as you point out, spending $500 on 10 scripts for a year
is a LOT. That's five large. A starving student could read 50 to 100
scripts and option one for half that ($200/month) which is a fair
price for an unproduced writer working with a UCLA student.

Year 1 - Reading 50 to 150 Scripts - Optioning the One I Want to Make
Year 2 - Creating a Pitch Presentation and Establishing Funding
Year 3 - Producing the Project and Selling It

Good point directorik.

I suspect OP would likely prefer a zero fee option with potential money later for the writer.

Of course the writer that agrees to the zero-fee option will only see some $$ if:

• the writer's script is the sole one optioned from the 10 selected
• & the OP can actually get it made (as we know that's a tall order these days)
• & the film actually makes any money (even taller order)...

So personally I think those 20+ writers who have submitted are crazy sending in their scripts under those terms but it's their decision. There are a lot of desperate (mostly non-pro) writers out there - but desperate good ones who would agree to those terms - I doubt it. Anyway, just saying to assist the OP - not blast him, no offense is meant.