From the Other Side of the Desk - A Development Exec Comes Clean

What I Read First
by Frederick Levy

So you’ve sent off a query letter and actually received a response. You’ve managed to translate the legal mumbo jumbo of the release form and decide to just sign the damn thing and send in your screenplay. You wait a few days, a few weeks, few months, and still no response. Your phone calls go unreturned. Your follow up fax seems lost in the shuffle. A year later if you’re lucky, you get a note back saying they passed, if you’re lucky.

I understand how frustrating it is not to get feedback. Someone actually expresses interest in your script, never to be heard from again. While I’m not trying to make any excuses, I do offer some explanation as to why it takes so long to get a response, if any response at all.

First of all, let’s be real. If someone is truly interested in your script, they WILL call you. At the same time, if a company is not interested in your script, they may not call you. It’s just impossible to call everyone back.

Think about the abundance of material a producer receives. What follows is my personal pecking order of how I prioritize my reading.

1. Spec Scripts. An agent goes out wide with a spec. Each producer will receive one territory, a studio or buyer. If you snooze, you lose. First thing the next morning, the agent is expecting my call saying I want to take the script into the studio. Some days multiple specs go out, which doesn’t leave much time for other reading.

2. New drafts of active development projects. A great rewrite could mean spending the next several months actually making a film. New drafts of active projects are highly anticipated and usually will be read upon receipt.

3. Samples for open assignments. When I’m looking for a writer to rewrite a script, the process of reading samples can become quite time consuming. However, once I narrow down my favorites, I can proceed to hear writers’ takes and actually get them working on the project, pushing the results of their work into category 2, above.

4. Projects which I think I can set up. Our deal is at Miramax and Dimension Films. These companies are looking for specific types of material (see www.hollywood-101.com to find out what we (i.e. they) are currently looking for). Hence, I keep an eye open to any such projects that come along, whether by agent or unsolicited query, that might fit our current needs.

5. Projects which sound interesting to me. Yes, I do actually read scripts, whether by agent or query, that just interest me on a personal level. Unfortunately, the priority for such material is low. This may explain why I never seem to have time to just read for fun.

6. Scripts by friends and referral. Sure, I’m happy to do favors and read scripts for friends, but as you can see, there’s just not a lot of time.

Don’t forget, as a development exec, it is my job to find great material. I’m trying to set up films, not shoot down scripts. Any help you can be in getting me the best script possible, only makes my job easier. And if you’ve got that script for me, I guarantee, you’ll get a phone call back, with an offer.

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