Here's a situation I didn't expect, but I'm not complaining: A production company emailed, asking about my T.E. Lawrence bio-pic script that was a contest finalist back in 2012. After a massive rewrite & title change, that became a finalist in 2013 as well, as "The Gentleman Ranker" (on my logline page). To me this is the superior version, biographically & dramatically. I should tell the producers about this, of course, but it'll be quite different from the original. If you've been in this sort of position, how did you handle it?
Screenwriting : An unexpected script request! by Wayne Mathias
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Never been in that position, but if anyone can handle it....Wayne Mathias can. Congrats and best of luck to you, Wayne the Main!
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i would send them the script they requested but when you do, tell them about the rewrite and new script and say you'd be happy to forward that one as well if they want to read it.
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Congrats!
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Wayne: I think it would be to your advantage to hire me to get fresh pictures of the T.E. Lawrence roadside marker in Dorset County, England, where he went over the handlebars of his motorcycle that led to his early death. I'll give you the "Jim Rockford Rate", since you're a writer and great humanitarian, and know the value of fresh pictures on movie producers: $200 a day plus expenses.
Let's get that fresh picture, Wayne!
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tell your contact the script has been "polished" and title has changed. And send it. No need to explain in query. They asked for script. Send. Less "talking" is better. Let the script do your talking.
I recently "polished" my action script. (Well, it was a full page 1 rewrite, deleted characters, edited) and sent a 1-sentence e-query to a contact at a Prod Company... "revised script. Do you want to read?"
One word reply back from the VP, "send."
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Congrats and I WISH I was in that situation.
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Wayne. I would send them the one you think is the best.
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Congrats! I wouldn't worry about it - whatever you've done before can be recovered from one source or another if that's specifically what they're looking for.
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Make them pay you for the original script. Then ask them to pay you for a rewrite and give them the other one. Just kidding. Give them your best work.
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Thing is, if the script is significantly different from the original script, they may be like "wtf did he send us". I think you should offer at least a brief explanation. Just saying it's been polished isn't enough if it's a complete re-write.
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Thanks, y'all made some good points. I plan to send the latest, best version, with a brief explanation as Jody advised. Bill, I'll keep you in mind when I get other people's money to pay for that trip! :)