Screenwriting : How much can one sell an indpendance day-like screenplay? by Habou Adi Said

I think Terry Rossio & Bill Marsilii still hold the spec record of $5M for "Deja Vu".

Max Landis sold "Bright" for a rumored $5M++ ; at the time, it was Netflix's most expensive original movie.

Hi Habou,

Dreaming of a big pay day for a spec sale is great, but it's rare. If making money is your goal, there are more productive ways to spend your time.

If you want a screenwriting career, be that staffed or writing features, you should focus on the CRAFT. If your story is the most entertaining and engaging it can be, at the very least it will get you noticed when the opportunity arises.

I totally agree with Eoin. That's what I've been saying all along. Write first, money later.

Get motivated because you have to write, or love writing.

Most screenplays don't sell at all.

Big money sales are rare. I've been a professional screenwriter for 30 years, and I make a living. This is not a get rich quick scheme. This is a job.

I know both Terry & Bill, and was at the celebration dinner when Terry & Ted got the PIRATES gig. They wrote 9 screenplays before selling LITTLE MONSTERS - that's average, 9 scripts before you make any money.

You need to be in this for the long haul.

You need to be in this because you love to write.

You need to be hard working and determined.

Thank you so much for your comments. I am suffering of Burn out and I can not really write 9 screenplays to sell one of them. I have faith in only this screenplay I am rewriting.

Even 300k is enough for me as it would motivate me work harder and be proud for achieving something in my sorry-ass life.

Dan you meant that spec screenplays are worth 5 millions dollars?

Nick Assunto, what if the screenplay is well polished and respect the act structure and has a great story? For non western-country-citizens, the best solution is to try to sell the first screenplay in order to continue a career in the screenwriting industry.

Good luck.

Can I give you some perspective. A script is about 2% of the budget as a rule of thumb. So $300,000 means you are writing something that would be a $15,000,000 film. That is not impossible. But highly unlikely for your first sale.

Your first script no matter how good you think it is should go in a draw and not be shopped around.

The reason people say write 9 is because you need to build craft. Nine is not a magic number. But after about 1000 pages, you’ll be getting good.

There are a million scripts. No one is waiting for yours. You have to be so amazing you rise above the million. Then you may get a few grand for your first script from a non WGA shop.

That is just life.

Dear Craig,

I grew up watching sci-fi, I mean the good old sci-fi which was not based on technology capable of producing special effects, and I think world miss these kind of movie makers who were able to create great content with what they had.

The first screenplays I uploaded few years ago was sci-fi and that's why I stopped writting. How can someone living out of usa sell a major studio screenplay. A certain Stanley Lezowski, told me that It would be very difficult, but now, I think I should not give up. I am rewriting my screenplay and I know that I will soon be able to sell it.

Habou Adi Said A major studio is like saying “how does some marry a super model”? There are so many opportunities other than major studios.

Major studios pick the writer. They ignore approaches as we don’t matter to them. Prove your worth in other market segments. If you are good, you will get noticed by “a major studio” if you are the type of writer they want.

My friend as a friend who is a producer work in Universal Studio. These people have known each other as friends for over a decade. That producer isn’t allowed to even look at my scripts.

Work on growing as a writer. Become a compelling choice.

Thank you Craig. I have got a lot of story to tell, but I don't even know if someone will buy them. My writing is either fantasy or sci-fi. I also grew up playing all world of warcraft. I think I need to get ride of that mindset.

I was a dungeons & dragons kid. Write heaps of stuff. Your craft is like a knife. It is sharpened on the hard rock of rejection.

You need a reputation. How you build it is up to you? Whatever you are comfortable with.

That's true, everyone need a reputation in every field, but in my case, things need to be straightforward. Otherwise It will be a faillure. A writer of producer may also buy the right and puts his name on it.

The world seems to be crazy for IP. Try putting it in another form.

What do you mean by putting it in another form?

An Independence Day luke screenplay? If it's your first and only script; I'd say you won't get much more than umpteen million dollars.

Doug you meant less than 1 Millions dollars like 500k?

A novel, a podcast, some other form of story telling.

A first time script writer is not going to get enough traction to attract a million dollar sale. Or a 300k sale. Any sale is hard.

How many screenplay like Independence Day since the release of Independence Day do you think have been written?

If you believe that you have a truly unique story. Tell it. The form doesn’t matter. If it needs to be a movie it will be eventually.

Remember the universal reality is the price is by the person with the power. They don’t have to buy your screenplay. There are plenty of options for them. However, you need to sell it to recoup your effort. Therefore they have the power. One of them, numerous versions of us.

Habou, is this your one and only script? If so, the chances of selling it are very, very slim.

Have you received any feedback on it? Do you know what other people think about your script, your writing, your story? You seem convinced (like most new writers) that you have a winning script and you also seem a little (and I'm not trying to be mean here) desperate that this is the one that must sell as you don't want to put any effort into writing other scripts. Have you posted it anywhere for feedback? I'd be happy to look at the first 5 or so pages and give you a report if you'd like.

So you want money to get motivated to write? Motivated? Motivation means absolutely nothing. Where's the hunger to tell a good story? Where's the drive?

Take Pierre up on the offer. Getting people to read your stuff is hard at the best of times.

Craig D Griffiths you're right about the person who has power. In the past, they had the power to decide about someone future, but now, things have changed. Hollywood does not have the whole power, there are Gafa, digital entertainment company.

Apples, Netflix and Amazon, they all want to make money in the movie industry. They are looking for new concepts and ideas.

Pierre Langenegger you're right, I really desperate that I need to sell this screenplay. I need to sell it for various reasons. I have posted ten pages called alien attack. That was the beginning of the whole ID-like movie I wrote 4 years ago. At that time, the only part of the movie which was great was the second act that I intuivetely wrote. The first act and third act are bad. However, Amazon studio spent several days by reading it before rejecting it.

Now, I have mastered the three act structures and my English skills are improved. I concise the ten pages posted in my loglines into two page which mark the inciting incident.

Lindbergh E Hollingsworth I had the hunger to tell good stories few years ago, but let's face reality. A screenplay needs to be successfull so that the producing companies makes money. With this in mind, if you can write something that makes a difference, you are welcome.

Habou Adi Said true But there have always been multiple channel. Many more studios and production companies than you and I could name.

But the ratio is still ridiculously stacked in their favour.

There are 1000 people like you and I. There isn’t 10,000 of them fighting to get hold of us.

If we writers were a wanted commodity you would never find an agent or studio saying “no unsolicited material”.

You need a long term strategy and patience.

Shameless self promotion warning;:

The Valley was a finalist in the New York Screenplay Competition in 2015. Small comp. It was okay. I did a lot of work on it over time ( here and there). It sold.

The producers are heading to Cannes for funding meetings. It was setup in the UK but looks like it is moving to Canada for production. It will start shooting in 2021. So 6 years of experience and time spent developing story and craft.

To answer your original question. You can get nothing for a script. The reason a script is worth nothing is that there is no scarcity. Scarcity drives up price. We are not rare. Focus on becoming a better writer. Great writers are rare.

Congrat for selling your screenplay. My chances are low as I am not a filmmaker like you. I live in a place where no one would produce a basic movie, who would get interested in a sci-fi?

I western countries, it's possible to wait 6 years, but in my case, I have to sell this screenplay within 4 months.

I have noticed one thing that indie screenwriters are not taking into account. The current movie industry is simillar to what the video games industry was in the 90's, and with much more freedoom.

Now, we have the opportunity to do crowdfunding, there are also digital companies trying to get a foot in the movie industry. Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Quibi, they all are interested in original content to get subscribers.

Remember what makes the difference in the video games industry in the 90's and beginning of 2000. It was the amount and quality of contents. Sega Dreamcast would stands in the competition now if it updated with the latest processor. The Dreamcast was ahead of his time and had the possibility to access online gaming.

But it failled because of the lack of contents. If someone comes up with a universe that can be an alternative to star wars and star trek, one of the new digital companies trying to get a foot in the movie industry will buy it.

In the 90's; the indie movie movement failled because they did not have funds and technologies as at that time they were not crowdfunding and the cheapest camera and the 3-D images processing that we have now.

"In western countries, it's possible to wait 6 years, BUT IN MY CASE, I HAVE TO SELL THIS SCREENPLAY WITHIN 4 MONTHS."

Now THAT'S a story.

Hi Habou. Not sure if the four months is a goal or a need. At any rate there are tons of opportunities to pitch your screenplay on this site. There a numerous networking opportunities. Start there if your script is complete. Then another question is has the script had any kind of coverage/review? And to be honest selling a script in four months without experience is virtually impossible. I will never say totally impossible because strange things happen. You never know who your work will resonate with, but only you can control the quality of your work.

Habou Adi Said I appreciate your enthusiasm. But companies that are trying to get a foot hold want sure bets. You are an unproven quantity. Apple, Netflix etc have more money than god. Netflix money can drag Joe Pesci out of retirement.

These people are not trawling the bargain basement which we reside in for content. They click their fingers and people like Scott Frank and Craig Mazin appear.

I do hope your work is able to cut through the crowd and make people willing to spend millions notice. I really do.

But giving yourself unreal expectations will set you up for heartbreak. If this is a career for you and not purely a money making exercise. I would suggest investing in yourself and keep writing.

Thank you for your support Martin Reese. Selling the screenplay quiclky is a necessary. The act 2 already exists. I will rewrite the first act and add a third act.

Craig D Griffiths I have been writing since 2016, I stopped doing it before I did not have money to pitch them and most indie producers said they could not finance them.

After selling this script, I will try to do movie about society; common stories...

Post them on scriptrevolution.com and see what people think. You don’t need money to pitch them. That is just a money making exercise for the people you are pitching.

Okay thank you Craig, but how does that system work? I post my screenplay and what happens then?

It is a marketplace. Producers and other writers can access your work. Only people with accounts can see it.

You get an email every time someone downloads your work. There is a message service and you can also develop a following (which I don’t chase actively).

Mostly producers read the work there. If it is what they need they may buy or option the work.

Big studios? No. But people here may know people there.

Sounds very interesting, I will try jt as I get pitch here. There are straightforwards opportunities here. Thank you very much, Sir.

If you pitch here made sure the people you pitch to can make a big budget film. Personally I've managed to option two big budget film scripts and It's tough. I had an Agent and I attached two different well-known director to both of them I used their credits to make the screenplays more marketable. Good luck!

Thank you Dan.

One guy I know sold a spec for big money to a major studio in the USA. But he has a manager, agent, lawyer before his spec went out to Buyers. 25% commission fees off his paycheck. The reported mid- six figure deal was actually 1/4 of real money in Writer's pocket. The rest of the money is tied into actual production and the spec is currently year 5 or 6 in development. Could take another 5, 10 years or never. (The Execs who paid for the spec no longer work there/fired/moved on to another studio.)

So do the math of a sale. Say you got $500,000 spec deal, but in reality, the Buyer only pays 1/4 of deal to own the screenplay. $125,000. Minus 25% commission fees, minus 30% income tax. Your take is just under $60,000.

Dan Max, I know that mine will be produced as soon as possible if they accept it. I don't live in Usa and I don't think I will pay a such tax. Only non american citizens with a job in USA should do W-8 Form before receiving money from Us employers. My former mentor told me only 10 percent of the money goes into the pocket of the manager or agents.

Even if I get half of one million or one million, it's a great deal.

Dan M. The buyer would not own the screenplay until it's paid in full. After 5 or 6 years I would think the contract has been terminated for lack or performance.

Dan Guardino He's a WGA writer with an All-Star team Agent, Manager, Lawyer. If they don't know how Studios work, then we are all in trouble.

5, 6 years is nothing. Gemini Man took 25 years to make. My point is you don't get all the money until a movie goes into production,

Maxxx, I can't already breath and you want me to wait 25 years before making some cash? No I'd rather give up. If my idea won't beat independence day and star trek. That means I am not done for writing

I tried to tell you. Writing, especially screenwriting, isn't some get-rich-quick scheme. You're either a writer or you're not. It can take years just to write something good enough and be lucky enough for someone in the industry to even notice you. The chances of a "new" writer selling a multi-million dollar blockbuster is about the same as winning the lottery. Can it happen? Yes. Will it happen? Almost definitely not. But that is the gamble that is writing.

Dan M. I agree you don't normally get all the money upfront. I’m just saying the studio would not own the screenplay until all the conditions in contract have been met. I am sure one of the conditions in their agreement include when they final payment would made. The final payment normally is due and payable on or before the first day of filming. That protect both parties. Personally I wouldn't give them five years without additional money even though I don't need it.

Anthony Moore I am trying to sell a millions dollars script, but I would like to sell a blockbuster script even if i don't become rich.

CJ Walley 25 years, that's impossible. i will be 50 years old by then. Or who knows if a world war will start in the next decade?

The best way of living his life is carpe diem, living the present moment and no procrastination.

I am sure I will get someone who may buy the right and pitch it to producers....

Dan Guardino generally, Companies like netflix and amazon produce your movie very quickly. They want to sell contents to their subscribers. They can't afford waiting be cause there is a strong competition. Quibi....

Habou Adi Said. They have their own money. Most production companies must tie up a screenplay and use it to raise money and that doesn't happen overnight.

The digital companies are very quick. it was possible to sell a screenplay on Amazon Studio in one month. I saw people doing it. They are different from the classic Hollywood people who think they have your destiny in their hand.

Netflix and Amazon are looking for money.

Habou Adi Said I started writing screenplays at 50.

Damian Lloyd I am afraid so.

Damian, I realistic. Hollywood is not for everyone. Tom Whedon is Joss whedon father. Tom whedon was a screenwriter. A lot of people working in hollywood companies have relative or parents who has been in the industy.

If you are not like these people or don't have in mind something that can bring money, I think dreaming about screenwriting would be a waist of time.

That's why I am straightforwards. Either I am George Lucas or James Cameroun or I give up. I won't spend my time breaking my hearts. I survived to my worst nightmare : not being a scientist.

I won't add any sadness to that.

I think we should all shoot for the stars because there are writers we all know about and that's no small feat for the general public to know a screenwriter's name. The whole idea is dreamy from the start so why not dream about the whole enchilada including seeing something playing in a movie theater or streaming that you wrote and elevating your economic standing at the same time, Sounds like a win win to me however it works out on the $$$.

Damian you beat me to it lol. Does everyone dream of writing a blockbuster that's gonna sell for millions? You bet! But that's not realistically going to happen just because you want it to. If you need external motivation like money, then this isn't the best avenue for you. Write because you enjoy it, that you have an idea that you desperately need to get out and then do your best to get it in front of people who have the means to get it made. That's all you can do. If it happens, great. But you can't hang your whole life on selling some great idea.

Damian Lloyd, English is not the first language I started speaking. The first language I had spoken was German and French. I learned English ten years ago.

I work as a subtitler and since English is a less formal language, I tend to be like any English speaker and that's the problem.

A language that politicians do not respect can not be understood by a non native speaker.

My philosophy is Carpe Diem. I am writing something that people looking for an alternative to star trek may like.

Krista Crawford I am not dreaming of writing a blockbuster. Whenever an indie producer see my screenplay, he tells me that I need to be in touch with Major Studios.

I enjoy art, I wrote a Poem when I was 13. But I am realistic, if it will work, it will work.

This industry is a money-based industry, that's it. After watching Dead Pool 2, I don't think creativity exists.

The coolest movies of the previous decade are Elisium, Robot Cop, Chappie, Lord of the Ring, Alita. Other are just shows.

There are some bigger independent production companies that have relationships with big studios and those are the people you should try to contact. Big studios don’t normally accept material from outside sources unless you have a WGA Agent or Manger or Lawyer they have worked with in the past. Also, they want projects that are further along. That is why I earlier I suggested you try to attach a well-director to your screenplay. Since you don’t have a track record you can use theirs to make your screenplay more valuable.

Thank you Dan. This is the kind of response I was looking for.

Everyone has to remember (I watched ID4 in the theaters), Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich didn't come out of nowhere to do ID4. They had released Stargate 2 years before that, which was a big hit. Very few writers come out of nowhere and get a blockbuster made. They usually have two or three smaller films before their first box office success.

The only writer that I can think of late that had a big budget film early in their career is Travis Beacham with Pacifc Rim (2013). Even then, he had worked on other films before that, he wrote Dog Days of Summer (2007) that made nothing at the box office. Then Clash of the Titans (2010). There was a long road up to Pacific Rim. And he had three shorts across 2004 - 2006.

Best advice is to write what you want, but getting a few shorts produced and writing something that can be made in the $1 million to $3 million range would make it easier to break in.

Christopher Phillips maybe Jon Spaights. He wowed people with his script, Passengers. Ridley Scott hired him to reboot the Alien franchise.

Passengers got made 10 years after he wrote it.

I'll bet The Asylum made an INDEPENDENCE DAY rip-off movie, and I'll bet they paid $2k for the script.

So, $2k.

Thank you for your replys, Christopher. I wrote a movie which tells the story of humans defending themselves against aliens which are human-like being. Not aliens with tentacle-like arms and psychic power.

The aliens in ID does not make sense. If a specie is very advanced, it wouldn't travel in the universe to exterminate a "primate specie".

William Martell thanks for showing me the reason why the indie movie won't succeed despite the tools that it has now.

Dan MaxXx that would make sense. The Darkest Hour came out in 2011. But his wiki says Passengers was on the Black List unproduced screenplays report in 2007.

this guy, Dominic aka "Scriptfella", made a YT video on Hollywood screenwriting salaries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVLokmRqa48

Thank you guys for your advices. When I said being Lucas, I meant in the long term. However, I need to sell a script within four months.