If a writer says, "I sold a pilot for $100k," the public misconception is that this person just made a lot of money and shouldn't be complaining when [INSERT OTHER PROFESSION] makes less.

Here's how industry news publications COULD help dispel this myth, if they wanted to... As I talked about in the quoted tweet, the actual take home pay of a writer is roughly 40% of the gross amount. Meaning that "$100k" pilot deal only nets the writer $40k.

"Okay so, $40k for ONE script? What's the problem?"

Well, it gets worse...

https://twitter.com/CoreyDeshon/status/1655319916277542912

Actually, this brings up a good point on how streaming is ruining the industry.

Because for this sort of thing to work, the backend has to be real. We know this Wes Anderson film will release theatrically, and due to his audience appeal, there's a good chance it'll net profit...

https://twitter.com/CoreyDeshon/status/1655997459397750784

These types of deals allow bigger name actors to come in and work for below their going studio rates, knowing that they'll have a bigger share of the profits that will be generated from theatrical receipts.

It's why almost any A-lister has ever been in any low budget indie film.

Here's more context on the realities of selling a show:

Congratulations! You've sold a show to a network after months (or sometimes years) of developing the pitch, sometimes under a studio if/come deal for no compensation, or on your own.

Now you wait for the deal to close... While you have technically "sold it" in the sense that the buyer has offered to buy your pitch, there are many scenarios in which this deal you're waiting on doesn't ever close, in which case you actually haven't sold anything after months of waiting. So you still don't get paid.

I never realized "sold a show" were words people used to describe if/come deals with studios. That's... interesting. And not a sale.

But anyway, I had a convo with my manager recently about what "value" a studio brings when attaching to a project, and his answer surprised me... Basically if a studio has IP you WANT to develop, that's value. Or they're paying you. But that's really it. If/comes do us no favors.

He cautioned that in the current market of networks wanting to keep everything internal, attaching outside studios can make things harder sells.

If you've never witnessed it yourself, you might be surprised how devastating one toxic personality can be to a creative (or any) work environment. And it doesn't even matter where it comes from. Top down or bottom up, it's a black hole that no amount of positivity can escape. I used to see to this on sets a lot. It would really come from anywhere. Could be a director, or even some random day player additional PA. It's just crazy how the energy of the day would change, effecting everything from crew morale to in some cases, actor performances

There's a difference between "when" something is needed and "if" it's needed.

A copyright on a film script is needed to establish a clean "Chain of Title," which is a series of documents that establish proprietary rights and ownership of a completed film.

Let's dive in...

1/7 A distributor will require a Chain of Title as THEIR guarantee that the completed film they're buying was actually owned by the person/production company they're buying it from.

In this case, the chain COULD begin at the copyright of the script with the original writer.

2/7

In today's edition of procrastination-fueled Twitter threads, let's talk about the relationship between the structure of musical expression and the narrative form. Particularly their similar goal: take the audience on a satisfying albeit comfortably familiar reactionary journey. But first, picture a rollercoaster. Any rollercoaster. Now picture another rollercoaster. Now another one. Now let's say you actually did picture these rollercoasters. You may have noticed while none presented the exact same twists and turns, they were all structurally identical.

Hey #PipelineWriters, I've been racking up my fair share of general meetings lately, and thought I'd share a pattern I noticed in what meetings have gone the best, to maybe help ease some nerves for those of you just getting to this stage...

1/10 First, what does it mean for a general meeting to have "gone well?"

It means you've opened a new door. That's it. Literally. It means you've made a meaningful connection that begins a new relationship in a business that is forged entirely on the strength of relationships.

2/10

I got my first writing credit within 2 years of moving to LA. It was a rewrite job on a tiny little indie feature that even went on to get a theatrical release. When it happened I thought, "Is my career going to start now?"

It didn't. Then I optioned an original feature that was going to be my directorial debut. It didn't go anywhere, as those things often do, but even then I thought, "Is my career going to start now?"

It didn't.