Life On The Bubble

Shameless plug: Check out www.itsonthegrid.com

I just posted the Spec Market Roundup for October, and since that always means a bump in traffic here, I wanted to post a reminder to check out www.itsonthegrid.com, the new feature film development website that launched last week.

Reader question: Wide vs Naked Specs

It's been a while since I did a "What the heck are you talking about?" Q&A post.  I got a question via email from a reader today that I thought was worth echoing here.

I have a quick question regarding your analysis; you say “2 of the 140 scripts have sold” and then the chart below it shows that there has been many more sales since the beginning of May.  Is this only for “naked” specs?  And what do you mean by that?

Here is the text (for your reference), below.
--
The only reason to take a naked spec out wide right now is to introduce a writer to the
town on a wholesale basis (that is to say, there's no good reason to take out a naked
spec right now). The dismal statistic continues unabated: Just 2 of the 140 scripts that
have gone out wide since May 1 have sold. That's a ridiculously low percentage:
1.4%, not far off (statistically speaking) the percentage of scripts sold during the WGA
strike.
--

Good question.  Here's the answer:  

The key qualifier is "...that have gone out wide since May 1."  That is to say, specs that get sent out to the whole town, as opposed to getting slipped to select producers.  I started looking at that metric back in the Spring when I was wondering what the numbers suggested was the best strategy to sell a spec in this market climate.  It was the original impetus for my Spec Market Reports in the first place, hence all the chatter and ongoing numbers about wide versus select scripts in the marketplace.

To answer the other question, naked specs are scripts that don't have any attachments when they hit the marketplace.  Most scripts that go wide are also naked.  Regardless, whether a producer or actor or director is attached from the outset or not, the projects that have been getting set up this year have been narrowly targeted to specific buyers, and thus haven't hit the big, private or public, subscription-supported tracking boards at all until they're announced in the trades.  

Scoggins Endorses: www.phonesheet.com

I've mentioned this in passing a few times over the past couple of months, but I want to haul out the megaphone to promote a friend's product:  www.phonesheet.com.  If you make or receive more than a handful of phone calls a day, you're going to want to sign up for this service.  And if you do, be sure to enter the promo code "scoggins" -- you'll get 10% off the already-so-low-you-won't-believe-it monthly fees.

Those of you already working in the entertainment business will know exactly what the site is/does just from the name.  For those of you unfamiliar with the term, phonesheets are the tools everyone in Hollywood uses to keep track of incoming and outgoing phone calls.  Back when I started as an assistant at ICM, the old school paper-based phonesheets were just getting converted over to electronic (usually FileMaker Pro-based) versions.  Lots of us assistants still had to keep track of calls with pen and paper and various colors of highlighters, believe it or not -- hundreds of marks and codes per day indicating "left words" and "returns" and so on.  (Ah, the joy of call dumping at the end of the day so your boss could start the next day's phonesheet with a clean sheet of paper.)

One of the guys who designed and built those FileMaker Pro phonesheets was Jan Zands, who earlier this year launched his new service.  www.phonesheet.com is the supercharged, web-based version of your now-old school desktop-based phonesheets.  I've been beta-testing it for the past six months or so, and it's totally badass.  Here are some of the things I love about it:

1. Since it's web-based, you can access your phonesheet wherever you are.
2. More than one person can access a given phonesheet simultaneously (no charge for additional users of a given phonesheet), which means my assistant can update it for me as well.
3. Its color-coding is completely intuitive (watch the demo video on the site to see the thought process behind it): red = incoming calls I need to return, blue = calls I've made/returned, green = outbound calls I want to make.
4. If your contact list is in Outlook or Entourage, it's easy to upload your whole address book.

PLUS...there's a mobile version of the service for Blackberries called Phonesheet2Go that's a game-changer (the iPhone version is already in the works; in the meantime, you can access your phonesheet with your iPhone through Safari).  Every call I make or receive gets logged right there on my phone and automatically syncs with the web-based version.

There's a lot more to love about www.phonesheet.com than just the above, but you should check out the demo yourself.  Regardless, the pricing is pretty perfect:  $6.95/month (when you sign up for 6 months; $9.95/month otherwise), plus $2.95/month if you use the mobile version.  Again, if you enter "scoggins" as the promo code you'll get 10% off those prices for the first year.  And there's absolutely no downside thanks to the 30-day free trial they're currently offering.

Bottom line, whether you're working in Hollywood or not, if any part of your day is spent working the phones, you've at least got to check this thing out.  Trust me, you'll thank me later.

Spec Market Recap - Week of 10/12/2009

Spec Market Recap - Week of 10/12/2009
by Jason Scoggins
October 21, 2009

Interesting see-saw effect over the past couple of weeks: It was slow the week of the 27th (4 scripts), then super busy the week of the 5th (17 scripts), and slow again last week (5 scripts).  This week is proving pretty slow again -- only six scripts out as of the end of the day Tuesday.

Feels good to be caught up.  On to the Spec Market Scorecard. Lots of data to crunch...


10/15/2009

THE ART OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY
Writer: Nathan Dewitt
Reps: CEC (Will Rowbotham) and New School Media (Brian Levy)
Log: There is danger afoot, nature is out of balance. Yet the world rests at ease knowing Hemingway Barnes has already saved them, most likely. But this time, the world’s greatest adventurer, and damn handsome man, has been captured – bound at the whim of a madcap geneticist bent on commanding an army of animals – and there is only one man who can save him: his only son…..who doesn’t even know he exists.
Notes: Trackingb.com has who's taking it in where.

COWGIRL BANDITS
Writer: Michael Tabb
Reps: WME (Elia Infascelli) and Kaplan/Perrone (Sean Perrone)
Log: A young THELMA & LOUISE. (One of Trackingb.com's commenters provided a more detailed logline.)
Notes: Writer is repped by APA (Ryan Saul) and Justin Silvera Management (Justin Silvera). Leighton Meester and Amber Heard attached to star; Jessica Manafort attached to direct (repped by Perrone); Paul Schiff producing.


10/13/2009

THE PLAN
Writer: Vik Weet
Reps: Abstract Entertainment (Mike Goldberg & Josh Adler)
Genre: Horror
Log: A group of four horror-buffs, who years ago playfully outlined the perfect plan for surviving a zombie attack, must come together and put their plan into action when a virus spreads, turning the infected into vicious monsters. In the vein of 28 DAYS LATER.


10/12/2009

HELL’S ACRE
Writers: Damian Nieman & Shane Clark
Reps: APA (David Boxerbaum)
Genre: Horror
Log: In the vein of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and HALLOWEEN with a dash of THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, HELL’S ACRE spins the true story of "The Bloody Benders" - a family of twisted and perverse German immigrants who confined and butchered nearly two dozen people over three months in their cabin lair just outside of Cherryvale, Kansas before they mysteriously disappeared.
Notes: Out to select producers.

MAN UP
Writers: James Leary, Mike Meredith & Kirk Pynchon
Reps: The Pitt Group (Garth Friedrich)
Genre: Comedy
Log: A clueless, chauvinistic family man who can't relate to women makes a wish that causes all of the ladies in his life to start acting like men, which causes havoc in his life.
Notes: John Tantillo producing, looking to partner. TrackingB.com has who's taking it in where.

Spec Market Recap - Week of 10/5/2009

Spec Market Recap - Week of 10/5/2009
By Jason Scoggins
October 20, 2009

Busy week, two weeks ago.


10/7/2009

THE PARROT SALESMAN
Writers: Melvin Kling Jr. & Mark Saunders
Reps: The Muraviov Company (Kathy Muraviov)
Genre: Comedy
Log: When a spoiled parrot is inherited by a couple struggling to make ends meet, he starts a web business on the sly, hoping to become rich again and leave his new family behind.

SOUL SUCKERS
Writer: Shane Morris
Reps: Paradigm (Scott Henderson)

BANZAI BOY
Writers: Curt & Scott Burdick
Reps: Barry Perelman Enterprises (Barry Perelman)
Genre: Dramedy Romance
Log: Teen romance, sports comedy/drama. A troubled teen finds true love, a real home, and athletic success in a foreign land.

THE DESTINY OF DEAN MCQUEEN
Writer: Randy Leon
Reps: ICM (Harley Copen)
Genre: Horror Comedy

SONS OF CAMELOT
Writers: Chad Rouch & Dale Lucas
Reps: House of Scribes (Seth El)
Log: Twenty years after SIr Lancelot betrays King Arthur through his affair with Guinevere, a quest for the Holy Grail unites the sons of the two knights against the evil legion of Arthur's illegitimate son who returns with bloodlust to claim the Grail and throne.

THE OTHER KINGDOM
Writer: Phil Eisner
Reps: The Callamaro Literary Agency (Lisa Callamaro) and Untitled Entertainment (Jennifer Levine)
Genre: Horror
Log: Patients at a hospital battle for survival as an epidemic turns people into savage flesh hungry killers.
Notes: Eisner attached to direct.

UNDER YOUR BED
Writer: Jeff Walton
Reps: UTA (Charlie Ferraro) and H2F (Chris Fenton)
Log: Over the course of one night in NYC, a young boy teams up with the boogeyman under his bed to protect his bedroom, the city and the world from something far worse.
Notes: Heard...di Bonaventura into Paramount, ContraFilm into New Line and Summit, Gran Via into Walden, plus someone into Fox. [Also, according to a commenter on trackingb.com, one of the Fox studios was making an offer, but the poster wasn't sure which one, nor for whom.]


10/6/2009

IN THE BASEMENT
Writer: Tom Hanada
Reps: Ken Park (producer)
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Log: In the vein of INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE meets SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. TrackingB.com has a logline.
Notes: Ken Park to produce.

REHAB
Writer: Sam Laybourne
Reps: UTA
Genre: Comedy
Log: A man fakes going to rehab to reconnect with a former high school sweetheart, now a rock star in rehab for her excesses.
Notes: Sold to Fox for Chernin Entertainment and Will Gluck to producer; Gluck may direct. Debbie Liebling to supervise for the studio.

THE BETRAYED
Writer: David Benullo
Reps: Quattro media (Jim Strader)
Log: A contemporary COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
Notes: TrackingB.com has who's taking it in where (it's a pretty extensive list of buyers).

THE PINKERTONS
Writers: Kevin Abrams & Adam Moore
Reps: WME (Craig Kestel) and Energy Entertainment (Jake Wagner)
Log: Origin story of the first detective agency, the Pinkertons; based on true events. Tone is SHERLOCK HOLMES meets THE UNTOUCHABLES.
Notes: TrackingB.com has who's taking it in where.

BLANK SLATE
Writers: Doug Cook & David Weisberg
Reps: CAA (Martin Spencer) and Benderspink (J.C. Spink, Jill McElroy and Brian Spink)
Genre: Thriller
Log: FRANKENSTEIN twist on BOURNE IDENTITY. When a CIA agent goes off the radar and then turns up dead, her superiors have her memories surgically transferred to another person so they can find out what happened. The "volunteer" they select is a female life-sentence prisoner, effectively putting a highly trained agent in the body of a psychotic killer. The prisoner, who has hitherto been an emotional and cognitive “blank slate” due to a brain trauma, also takes on the agent’s smarts and manages to escape. She struggles to survive, experiencing emotions for the first time and making use of details in memory flashbacks (i.e. expensive jewelry hidden in the house, mad money, etc), ultimately uncovering the mystery of the agent’s death.
Notes:
- Beyonce was at first rumored to be attached to star, then not, but Katherine Heigl was (unconfirmed as of this writing).
- Hearing Atlas into Sony, Relativity and Warner Bros.; Original into Universal and Summit; Thunder Road into Lionsgate; Escape Artists into CBS Films; Dark Horse into Spyglass; Appian Way into New Regency; Barry Josephson into Fox and Fox 2000; Roth into Paramount.
- Hearing 6 of the above buyers had passed as of the week of October 12.
- TrackingB.com hears there's an offer in from someone.

MOTOR CITY TAKEDOWN
Writer: Marc Schwartz
Reps: APA
Genre: Action Comedy
Log: An aspiring teen game designer becomes a human guinea pig in his idol’s twisted quest to create the perfect game. Crazy adventure/comedy in the tone of Pineapple Express.

THE TO DO LIST
Writers: Matthew Kaplan & Jason Leinwand
Reps: Kaplan/Perrone (Bryan Miller)
Log: Feeling that he'll be trapped in adulthood if he accepts a promotion at work, Joe Saucerman decides to use his two week vacation to complete an old list of childhood goals that he never accomplished, including streaking at Fenway Park, frolicking with the penguins at the aquarium, kissing the girl of his dreams and punching Rusty Shavers in the face. THE BUCKET LIST for a younger generation.
Notes: Recently came out of option from Warren Zide. TrackingB.com has many additional details; script was originally a semi-finalist in the site's 2nd annual screenplay contest.

FIRE WITH FIRE
Writer: Tom O'Connor
Reps: UTA and Industry Entertainment (Andrew Deane)
Genre: Thriller
Notes: Hearing Stuber, Thunder Road, Mad Chance, ContraFilm and Original are taking territories.


10/5/2009

GHOST LIGHTS
Writer: Michael Canales
Reps: Oceanside Entertainment (Christopher Ryan)
Genre: Horror Thriller (paranormal)

JUST SAY YES
Writer: Jeff Lowell
Reps: UTA (David Kramer, Jon Huddle, Doug Johnson) and Management 360 (Daniel Rappaport)
Log: The story of a relationship told over a series of failed wedding proposals.
Notes: TrackingB.com hears there may be an offer in (click through to see who).

Spec Market Recap - Week of 9/28/2009

Spec Market Recap - Week of 9/28/2009
By Jason Scoggins
October 20, 2009


I've been heads down on the side-project-that-shall-remain-nameless-for-another-couple-of-days. That's the last time I let my grid go for so long without updating/posting. Promise.

10/2

DOGINSON CRUSOE
Writers: Aaron & Jordan Kandell
Reps: Hopscotch (Sukee Chew)
Genre: Family
Log: A little girl never gives up looking for her dog, who was washed overboard during a storm. Live action.
Notes: Hearing sold to Disney week of 9/28, for Millar/Gough Ink to produce.


10/1

BACK-UP
Writers: Mark Amato & David Newman
Reps: Will Entertainment (Garrett Hicks)
Genre: Comedy
Log: If Danny doesn't land a paying gig as a singer before his 24th birthday, he's promised to join his girlfriend's family business making potato chips. Desperate, he applies everyone and does get a job -- as a female backup singer for a pop star on a comeback tour. As Danica, he finds fame and fortune and, as a woman, becomes the man he's always wanted to be.


9/30

FAT CAMP
Writer: Aimee Pitta
Reps: Rebecca Green (producer)
Genre: Comedy
Log: A CITY SLICKERS-type buddy comedy that follows the misadventures of three best friends who get suckered into going to a "fitness camp" (aka fat camp) after one of them has a heart attack and is given an ultimatum by his wife.
Notes:  Green producing, looking to partner.

 
9/29

DETACHED
Writers: Stewart Hopewell & Timothy Long
Reps: ICM (Harley Copen) and Abstract Entertainment (Mike Goldberg & Josh Adler)
Genre: Thriller
Log: After answering an online ad for a discount vacation to Mexico, an expectant couple is kidnapped, the wife forced into labor, and the baby stolen. Left for dead, the husband has six hours to unravel the conspiracy and find his newborn son before it's too late.


9/27
RUBICON
Writers: Ric Roman Waugh & Michael Lerner
Reps: ICM (Nicole Clemens)
Genre: Action Thriller
Log: When a female reporter's husband is gunned down by a mexican drug cartel, she hires her ex-lover (a special ops vet) and his team of mercenaries to go to Mexico and get revenge.
Notes: Originally went out March 13, 2009; sold to Relativity for Atlas (info as of 9/27); Waugh to direct.

Spec Market Recap - Week of 9/21/2009

Spec Market Recap - Week of 9/21/2009
By Jason Scoggins
September 29, 2009

Thirteen specs came out last week, not including one that went straight to buyers on Friday last week that I didn't hear about until Monday. Here's the genre breakdown:

2 - Action
9 - Comedy
2 – Horror
1 – Thriller


9/24/2009

UNDERGROUND
Writer: Jeff Park & Steve Lieber
Reps: Illuminati (Ford Gilmore)
Genre: Thriller
Log: PANIC ROOM set underground, in a network of caves.


9/23/2009

BIBLE SCHOOL
Writer: Barak Hardley
Reps: Principato/Young (Joel Zadak)
Genre: Comedy
Log: Coming of age comedy based on real life events about a directionless, agnostic teenager who reluctantly attends a Bible school in remote Wyoming.

DRIVE HARD
Writer: John Sullivan
Reps: Energy (Brookly Weaver)
Genre: Comedy
Log: LICENSE TO DRIVE meets SUPERBAD.
Notes: David Henrie attached to star (would shoot during his March hiatus from WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE). See trackingb.com for who's got it so far.

GUNRUNNER
Writer: Stevie Long
Reps: Code Entertainment (Rich Freeman)
Genre: Action/thriller.
Log: See title.

REALITY JANE
Writer: Jay Renfroe
Reps: AEI (Michael Kuciak)
Genre: Comedy (unconfirmed)
Log: A jaded reality producer falls in love with a guy whose life she ruined on her in-your-face dating show.
Notes: TrackingB.com has submission info.

PROBING TED BUTLER
Writer: Elliot Own
Reps: Magnet Management (Bob Sobhani)
Genre: Comedy
Log: An underappreciated family man suffers blackouts which turn out to be alien abductions, leaving him with extraordinary abilities he cannot control.


9/22/2009

THE POSSESSED
Writer: Mark Davidson
Reps: Insignia Entertainment (Alex Robb)
Genre: Horror
Log: THE EXORCIST meets THE OMEN meets DOUBT. Besieged by a series of mysterious events, the life of a young boy hangs in the balance as a former priest, wrongfully convicted of abuse, seeks to expel the satanic force hell-bent on destroying all that is good.
Notes: Rigoberto Castaneda directing.

GAME GIRL
Writers: Neal Boushell & Sam O'Neal
Reps: Preferred Artists (Brad Rosenfeld)
Genre: Comedy
Log: It's a dream come true when a video game player's sexy fantasy girl comes out of the game and into his life, until he realizes her dream is to replace his wife...and she's programmed to win at all costs. Think a comedy version of FATAL ATTRACTION with Lara Croft as the girl.

BANDOLEROS
Writer: Michael Steinberg
Reps: Anonymous (Jeff Okin)
Genre: Action
Log: Think TRUE ROMANCE meets BONNIE AND CLYDE. (TrackingB.com has an expanded logline; check out the comments.)

THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD
Writer: Jeff Morris
Reps: WME (Mike Esola & Rich Cook) & Art/Work Entertainment (Julie Bloom)
Genre: Comedy
Log: When GEORGE (39) loses his job, he decides not to tell his family and instead takes on a boarder, BUD (early 60s), to earn some extra money. Bud quickly proves to be a better husband and father to George’s wife, SUSIE, and children, LUCAS and BRITTANY, because of his lifetime of amazing adventures. George tries to outperform Bud at every turn – whether water skiing, bowling, fishing, etc. – but it all ends in disaster. He eventually proves that Bud’s a parolee, but loses his family’s respect in the process. George learns the error of his ways, makes friends with Bud and apologizes to his family.

THE DIVERSIFICATION OF NOAH MILLER
Writers: Sam Pitman & Adam Cole-Kelly
Reps: WME (Mike Esola) & Management 360 (Darin Friedman)
Genre: Comedy
Log: In a post-Obama world, a white man attempts to diversify his kid by befriending a black man.
Notes: Per TrackingB.com, this went in to buyers over the weekend with Tyler Perry attached to star; Radar & 34th Street Films producing.


9/21/2009

KINGDOM COME
Writer: Chris Sivertson & Alex McAulay
Reps: Aperture Entertainmetn (Adam Goldworm)
Genre: Supernatural Horror
Log: When the entire staff of an isolated reform school disappears in the middle of the night, the rebellious students must not only survive each other, they must come face to face with a much darker force lurking in the icy wilderness. Supernatural LORD OF THE FLIES with echoes of THE SHINING.
Notes: Aperture attached to produce.

THE DOUCHEBAG
Writers: Matt Wolpert & Ben Nedivi
Reps: CAA (Bill Zotti & Michael Kives)
Genre: Comedy
Log: A college senior is forced to face his own douchiness after his 
desperate plan to finally fit in goes awry.

50 DATES IN 50 STATES
Writer: Annie Hendy
Reps: Heroes and Villains (Markus Goerg, Mikhail Nayfeld)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Log: After realizing that her perfect match may not live in Cincinnati, young Catherine is convinced by her sisters to embark on a whirlwind tour of the United States to finally find the man of her dreams.
Notes: Heroes and Villains Entertainment is attached to produce and looking to partner.

Spec Market Recap - Week of 9/14/2009

Spec Market Recap - Week of 9/14/2009

By Jason Scoggins

September 21, 2009

Now we're talking. Thirteen specs came out last week, in a wide array of genres: Comedy (5), Horror (2), Sci-Fi (2), Action (1), Adventure (1), Fantasy (1) and Thriller (1).

9/17/2009

5150
Writer: Ed Neumeier
Rep: APA (David Saunders)
Genre: Sci-Fi Action
Log: Recruited for black ops by the CIA, a psychologically traumatized Marine sniper finds himself on the frontline of a secret cold war against aliens who have taken over the world and co-opted the United States Government.

WINCHESTER
Writer: Dan Vado
Reps: Mosaic (Brent Lilley)
Genre: Adventure
Log: Inspired by real events -- William Winchester's widow is told by a psychic that as long as she continues to build on her house, the souls of all those killed by the "Winchester rifle" will cease haunting her and her family. Today, the house sits as a national landmark-with doors that lead nowhere and secret compartments/hallways still being discovered. Millions of tourists continue to visit each year. It is considered the "World's Most Haunted House."
Notes: Tone is fun and spooky; four quadrant adventure film in the vein of The Haunted Mansion (the ride). Comic coming out from Slave Labor Graphics in October.

THE TREES
Writer: Tyler Hisel
Rep: Insignia Entertainment (Alex Robb)
Genre: Horror
Log: In the vein of SIGNS and THE VILLAGE, inspired by true events. Isolated and threatened, a mysterious force hidden within the trees outside the small town of Laytonsville, Maryland, strikes fear in the townsfolk as Sheriff Paul Shields attempts to overcome the demons of his past while protecting those that he loves.

DIABLO
Writer: Mike Reiss
Reps: Original Artists (Jordan Bayer) & Rothman Brecher Agency (Jim Ehrich)
Genre: Horror comedy
Log: Comedic teen slasher movie.
Notes: As of 9/18: TrackingB.com has who's taking it where.

9/16/2009

SINGULARITY
Writer: T.S. Nowlin
Reps: WME (Mike Esola) and Energy (Brooklyn Weaver/Adam Marshall)
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
Log: In the vein of MINORITY REPORT; centers on the convergence of man and internet/ computerization.
Notes: As of 9/16: Heard Heyday, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, GK Films and Parkes/MacDonald had territories. TrackingB.com had updated information as of 9/17.

POP SMEAR
Writer: Josh Greenberg
Reps: Anonymous (Lenny Beckerman)
Genre: Comedy
Log: An intern at an MTV-type network is enlisted to wrangle all the prominent pop musical acts for a benefit concert. (Spoofs the music industry and all the pop musicians you can imagine.)

WASTE
Writer: Minerva Finkley
Reps: Gravel Road Entertainment (John Broker)
Genre: Comedy (unconfirmed)
Log: An obsessed owner of a crime scene clean-up company manipulates evidence of several brutal crimes in order to coerce her ex-boyfriend to get back together with her.

9/15/2009

MY SISTER IS MARRYING A DOUCHEBAG
Writers: Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux
Reps: WME and Kaplan/Perrone
Genre: Comedy
Log: See title.
Notes: In seemingly everywhere. Check trackingb.com for who's taking it in where.

GRIFF
Writer: Steve Bloom.
Reps: APA (David Saunders)
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Log: Magical adventure ala HARRY POTTER; a troubled boy helps a mythical creature return home after being stranded in New York City.
Notes: TrackingB.com has an enhanced logline.

MIGHTY WINGMAN
Writer: LaRon Tate
Rep: Brillstein (Jai Khanna & Todd Sellers)
Genre: Comedy
Log: A passive guy, tired of being the loser wingman in a friendship since childhood, attempts to best his best friend and become the flashy, main guy in their dynamic duo.

GROOMZILLA
Writers: Winston Beigel & Melissa Rauch
Rep: Gersh (Jennifer Konawal) and Brillstein (Brad Petrigala)
Genre: Comedy
Log: A sports bar owner puts his engagement in jeopardy when his hidden obsession with planning the wedding of his dreams is revealed. He'll stop at nothing to make his special day perfect.

EL GRINGO
Writer: Jonathan Stokes
Rep: Instrumental Lit (Anthony Vasto)
Genre: Action Comedy
Log: Popcorn action comedy version of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.
Notes: TrackingB.com has an enhanced logline.

9/14/2009

BLACK RIVER
Writer: Ransom Riggs
Reps: Heroes and Villains Entertainment (Mikhail Nayfeld/Markus Goerg)

Genre: Thriller (supernatural)

Log: An elevated supernatural thriller about a young townie who unwittingly unleashes a demonic spirit on her fellow classmates. In the vein of The Ring

Spec Market Recap - Week of 9/7/2009

Things are starting to heat back up a bit now that school's back in session.  I tracked six specs last week (4 Comedy, 2 Action), not including a sale that was reported in the trades and a sale from July I hadn't previously seen (it hit a fan site on Tuesday; see below).  

THE SPECS

9/10/2009

CRITT'R DONE
Writer: Corey Roederer
Reps: Verve Entertainment (Spencer Robinson)
Genre: Comedy
Log: A good-natured, redneck exterminator pretends to be a sophisticate to help his daughter get into a prestigious college but gets more than he bargained for when he is mistaken for a hitman.
Notes: Out wide.


THINK BIG
Writer: Brian & LeeAnne Adams
Reps: Innovative Artists (Michael Pio)
Genre: Action Adventure
Log: In the vein of JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH and HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS. A mishap at a state fair causes objects and animals to grow to immense size. The disaster leaves three fairgoers lost in the supersized wreckage of the fairgrounds and forced to explore this huge world to find a way home.
Notes: According to TrackingB.com, Raimi is producing the writers' previous spec (COVER TO COVER, taken out in January 2009 by Pio when he was still at ICM). Out wide, and was already into at least one buyer as of Thursday the 10th; check TrackingB.com for details.


CHANCE OF SHOWERS
Writer: Gerry Swallow
Reps: WME (Kimberly Bialek)
Genre: Comedy
Log: Four married guys, who believe the only time their wives let them have fun is when there is a bachelor party for a friend, conspire to throw him the bachelor party to end all bachelor parties for an imaginary friend. When their wives begin to doubt their friend’s existence, they hire a lonely greenskeeper to fill the role. He soon finds love, happiness and a brand new life as the incredible Chance Showers.
Notes: 


GROOMSDAY
Writer: Robin Matlin
Reps: Niad Management (Jennifer Graff)
Genre:  Comedy (I'm assuming)
Log: With his fiance out of commission, a groom takes on planning the big day, only to become a creature worse than the most hideous bridezillas.
Notes: Niad producing, looking to partner.

9/9/2009

UNTITLED BILLY RAY PROJECT
Writer: Billy Ray
Sellers: ICM (Bruce Kaufman) and Management 360 (Guymon Casady)
Genre: Comedy
Log: Comedy about a made up sport in the vein of BASEKETBALL.
Notes:

DREAM ON
Writer: Jason Ubaldi
Reps: Tom Sawyer Entertainment (Rachel Miller) and ICM (Ava Jamshidi)
Genre: Drama (teen)
Log: An aspiring Olympic gymnast discovers the underground hip-hop scene in Atlanta.
Notes:  Per The Hollywood Reporter, sold to Mandate for Laurence Mark and Tom Sawyer's Rachel Miller to produce (script is based on Rachel Miller's concept). Mandate's Nathan Kahane will executive produce and Mary Lee will co-produce. Laurence Mark's David Blackman will executive produce and Tamara Chestna will co-produce.

9/8/2009

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Writer:  Kate Tremills
Reps: Bohrman (Caren Bohrman)
Genre:  Action Thriller
Log:  A female BOURNE-like American photojournalist shooting an assignment in Tehran becomes trapped. Targeted as an instigator and isolated from her team, she relies on local assistance only to discover her ally is a key player in an unraveling political game.
Notes:    

SUPERMAX

Writers: Christopher Allen Nelson & Mitch Rouse
Reps: 
Genre: Horror Action
Log: Takes place in a Maximum Security Prison for the Super-Natural as a skilled guard must join forces with a lethal inmate after a riot ensues in order to fight his way through various monsters and mad-men in order to survive.

Notes: Sold to Sony IN JULY for a reported six figures (http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/17320) for Broken Road (Todd Garner and Sean Robins) to produce. Doug Belgrad and DeVon Franklin will supervise for the studio. Writers are actors as well.

Spec Market Recap - Week of 8/31/2009

While most of the town was out of pocket last week, two scripts made the rounds, one of which sold. It's similarly slow this week, with a couple of scripts in the water and a super-secret sale of horror action spec to Sony reported yesterday here.  I'll include its details in next week's wrap-up.

THE SPECS

9/4/2009

YEAR 12
Writer:  Edward Ricourt
Seller:  CAA
Genre:  Action Sci-Fi
Log:  In the vein of DISTRICT 9
Notes:  Sold to Paramount week of 8/31; Roth Films (Joe Roth/Palak Patel) producing.

THE FLY FISHER

Writer: Michael L. Hare

Seller:  6-17 Management (Geoff Alexander)

Genre:  Psychological horror

Log:  When a boy is kidnapped by a deranged criminal with a disturbing plan, his family is devastated, but when he mysteriously returns home two years later, his parents must deal with the possibility that their pain has only begun.

Notes:  2007 Nicholl winner, never went out because it was under option at the time.

Spec Market Recap - Week of 8/24/2009

No new specs in the marketplace last week, and no sales reported in the trades.

Spec Market Recap - Week of 8/17/2009

Next year, I'm going on vacation for the entire second half of August.  One last week, and none so far this week.

THE SPECS

8/20/2009

SAN BERNARDINO BOUND

By Chester Tam

Out from UTA and The Collective (Sam Maydew)

Log:  Two friends ditch work to attend the final Wu-Tang Clan concert.  SUPERBAD meets GO.

Notes: Tam also directing, Sam Maydew (The Collective) and David T. Friendly (Friendly Films) producing; Josh Peck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Andy Samberg attached to star.  The RZA is also reuniting the remaining members for the film's final musical performance.

Who does Scoggins think he is?

A commenter posted a series of questions/comments about my Spec Market reports from a friend (I think the person is a screenwriter, based on some of the comments) on the July Scorecard that I thought warranted a separate post in response.  The commenter edited the friend's emails to keep company- and person-specific information out of the conversation, and I've edited a bit further for clarity in this context.  I'm not trying to sugarcoat anything, though, and you can read the original post here.

Where's/how's [Scoggins] getting his data?  Our own management company isn't on these charts, so we know there are at least 4 more specs than recorded, right?  With 0 sales.  What about the 100 other management companies their size, [A, B and C] for example (all small 1-3 person lit management companies)?  And those are just the three that I've personally worked with.  Did they not send out a single spec?

I collect and confirm my data from a bunch of sources:

• tracking boards, including www.trackingb.com (which I highly recommend) among half a dozen others; 
• the trades; 
• several sites that boil down the trades, including DoneDealPro.com and FilmNewsBriefs.com (which I also highly recommend); and 
• personal conversations with agents, managers, producers and executives.  

Based on those conversations, I'm pretty confident I'm collecting information on basically all the scripts that go wide, but I know I miss the bulk of those scripts that get slipped out to just a few people and don't hit the bigger boards.  This is the reason I started separating the numbers for specs that go wide from the others:  The sales percentages for the latter are meaningless, since I don't have enough data on the ones that don't sell.  I've been pretty up-front about this in several of my Spec Market articles, in particular the June Scorecard.

Regarding specific management companies that haven't made the Scorecard, the point of the Scorecard is to list the studios and other buyers who have bought specs this year, and the agents and managers involved in selling those scripts.  It doesn't list companies who haven't sold or bought anything this year, so if the management companies this person references are in this category, they would by definition not be included in the Scorecard.  That said, the grid I use to pull my numbers together includes the information for hundreds of such scripts, including who sent them out.  If the material these companies sent out hit the boards, chances are I've captured it.

It's hard to imagine he's tracking every spec that "goes out".  And what is "going out"?  Submitted to all major/mini-major buyers?  Or one manager giving one spec to one friend (maybe even a producer, not a buyer), in which case it COULD sell, right?  This data is not making the charts...except, my guess is, only in the rare occasion that it sells...creating a bias toward good news...

Again, I think I'm getting more or less every script that goes wide to producers, and I trust people will point out the few projects I miss.  But I definitely can't capture the scripts that stay below the radar unless the rep contacts me directly to let me know.  (And by the way, I wish more reps and assistants would do this; I'm perfectly capable of keeping the details on the DL, and it would be great to have a better dataset to mine for insights into the market.  Email me directly at jscoggins at lifeonthebubble dot com.)  Often, the first time I hear about a script that went directly to just a couple of people is when news of the sale hits the trades.  I wish I had a better window on this part of the market, but it is what it is.

I don't think I'm biased toward good news; if anything I've been pretty pessimistic about the numbers.  You only have to read the opening remarks of my articles to get a sense of this.

Which is only to say those companies (including the one WE work with...)  ARE submitting specs (the three above all did for me, some of them multiple times...)...but are below the radar...and the numbers are FAR worse than we imagine. 

I think the numbers are pretty solid for the the stuff that goes wide, but yes, it stands to reason that the bulk of the numbers I don't have are for scripts that go out to select producers/buyers and then don't sell, which would mean the sales percentages are much worse than the Scorecard shows.  

Where's he getting his numbers?  Reverse engineering from sales?  TrackingB?  Well, two of our acquaintances' screenplays were [on TrackingB] and not included on these tables, so he's not getting his numbers there, right?  So, he's probably just counting on data he collects personally from agents and managers?  He could be going from sales recorded in Variety and Done Deal, etc., but then how does he capture data on "non-sales"?  Voluntarily submitted by agencies and managers?  That would be suspect (though you think it'd be higher with self-reporting).  Tracking boards?  That'd be best, I suppose, but what about things that didn't make tracking?  What about submissions by companies/individuals below the radar?

Again, I'm covering all of the above sources pretty thoroughly, but I welcome additional input from the community to make sure the numbers are as complete as possible.  If the two acquaintances' scripts went out wide but didn't sell, I'd bet I have them on my grid.  If they did sell and I haven't included them in my numbers, I'd like to hear about it.  There was a case a week or two ago where a script that sold in March, before I locked down my methodology, didn't make it onto my grid.  I've since corrected that and will make a note of it in my next Roundup and Scorecard (sorry, Luber-Roklin), and I invite anyone else who thinks their script sales aren't in my numbers to let me know so I can fix the problem.

What's the difference between "Wide" and "All Specs"...what category(ies) are being added to "Wide" to get it to "All"? 

"Wide" is any script that gets sent out widely to the town.  Admittedly, this is pretty subjective, and I basically have to rely on the reps themselves to label their strategy appropriately.  For example, if a script is said to be "out to select producers" or goes "direct to buyers," it's not being sent "Wide" (even though everyone who wants it will eventually get their hands on it) and I keep it out of the "Wide" numbers.  "All Specs" means those that went Wide plus the rest (projects that get reported as sold in the trades, plus those few scripts each month that hit the boards or come up in conversation that aren't going wide).  If I had better data for "Select" scripts, I'd list those numbers in their own grid, but at this point those numbers are meaningless, so I simply list "Wide" and "All."  

If you go through the 7 months he's tracked the average sale rate is 20.7% which seems WILDLY high to me and is skewed by the 1 in 5 sale he lists for the first half of July...which seems more like 20% than 33% to me...and the asterisk doesn't seem to explain that deviation...this is the only math I checked, but only because it stood out as highest, but maybe there's something in the numbers I don't get.

There was definitely an error in one "Wide/Percent Sold" cell in the July Scorecard (it should indeed have been 20% instead of 33%), and by the time you read this I'll have fixed it.  I can't tell where the above 20.7% number comes from, though. The two sets of numbers seem pretty straightforward to me, but if that's just because I'm familiar with them and other people are confused at how I've laid them out, please don't hesitate to suggest alternative ways to go.

Lastly, I think there's not really enough data here to constitute a statiscally significant sample -- 304 specs might be large enough, but the ones that sold...may not be really.  When we say 30% of those sold are comedies, we're talking about a very small number of screenplays (14).

I totally agree, the dataset is not a statistically significant sample, with the possible exception of the "Wide" numbers, since I think I have pretty good underlying data for that category. Regardless, the "About The Scoggins Report" blurb at the bottom of my monthly articles specifically acknowledges that it's a "terribly unscientific analysis."  I do think the numbers are interesting in and of themselves, and I think one can draw some conclusions about the market as a whole from them.  But I wouldn't decide to sign with one agency or management company over another, for example, just because one had a higher spec sale batting average.  I might take into consideration a total lack of sales in 2009, perhaps, but that number really doesn't paint the picture of the agent's or manager's or company's capabilities.

I'm glad he's doing this, and even if it's invalid, it's better than nothing as far as guidance for what to write and what representation to seek or sign with.  And maybe it IS valid, but...what can we really learn from it?  WGA stat:  40,000 scripts registered annually (and that's if all are registered which they're not), so...75% EVER get circulated..."20%" of those circulated ever sell...meaning... .15% sell, I think?  1.5 in every thousand written?

I don't think it's useful for aspiring writers to consider the total number of scripts registered with the Guild as a baseline.  Relative quality varies so widely among that cohort that in many cases you might as well be comparing a child's drawing to a Picasso.  Or at least, a 2nd Grader's self-portrait with that of someone who had been to art school for a year or two.  Don't get me wrong, the numbers are definitely daunting, and breaking into the business as a writer is still a crapshoot.  But there are screenwriters and there are screenwriters, if you know what I mean.

So?  What if we like the odds?  We write.  What if we don't?  We still write.

Well said.

Spec Market Recap - Week of 8/10/2009

Super slow week last week.  Not a single spec went wide.  The trades reported two sold specs, though, as noted below.  It'll be interesting to see what happens this week.  I'm betting a couple of intrepid sellers take advantage of the lull; the buyers can't ALL be on vacation, can they?

THE SPECS

8/14/2009

DOC & HOWIE WHACK A GRANNY

By Steve Leff

Out to select producers from UTA and Rain Management Group

Log: Comedy.  Two men inadvertently kill a frail elderly woman when they neglect to help her carry groceries upstairs.  On the plus side, the incident puts them in position to get closer to the woman's attractive granddaughters.

Notes: Per The Hollywood Reporter, sold to Montecito Picture Company.

8/11/2009

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

By Ike Barinholtz & Dave Stassen

Directly to buyers from APA and Principato/Young.

Log: Comedy.  Story revolves around an accountant who's thrown into the world of international espionage after reconnecting with an old friend through Facebook.

Notes:  Sold to Universal per Variety.  Ed Helms starring, P/Y's Peter Principato and Paul Young producing, P/Y's Matt Berenson and Allen Fischer exec producing, P/Y's Joel Zadak co-producing.  P/Y reps Helms and the writers.  Writers also repped by APA.  Helms also repped by CAA.

Cue the crickets...

Man, it's slow out there.  Not a single new spec on the market so far this week...

Spec Market Recap - Week of 8/3/2009 (UPDATED 8/16)

As the spec market heats back up in the weeks to come, I intend to share additional details and color commentary.  For now, though, it's so slow that there isn't much more to do than list the scripts that came out.  

P.S.  Anyone wanting to keep an eye on a given spec's progress should check out www.trackingb.com.  I'm going to limit these Recap posts to the basic info, updated retroactively if/when projects sell.

THE SPECS

8/7/2009

BURYING THE EX

By Alan Trezza 

Out to select producers from Magnet Management (Bob Sobhani)

Log: A horror fanboy's romance with his dream girl gets complicated when his overbearing ex-girlfriend returns from the grave...and thinks they're still an item. 

Notes: Romantic-comedy with a supernatural hook. Johnson-Roessler Company attached to produce, partnering with other producers for select territories.  Hearing it's going in to Fox, New Regency and Screen Gems. Other territories being assigned.

8/4/2009

BABE IN THE WOODS

By Mike White

Directly to buyers from UTA

Log: Action comedy about a female freshman from the Midwest who arrives at Yale and becomes a target of the New Jersey mob.

Notes:  Per Variety, sold to Columbia with White producing through his Paramount-based Rip Cord Productions along with David Bernad.

8/3/2009

FALCON

By Albert Magnoli

Out from Infinity Management (Ivan Rothman)

Log:  Contemporary vigilante story that evokes Westerns and graphic novels.

PURITY BALLS

By Jenifer Goldson

Out wide from Plumeria Entertainment (Rhonda Bloom)

Log: A teen caught fooling around with her boyfriend is sent to live with her conservative father and stepmother, only to arrive right before the town's Purity Ball, and determines to show two "pledges" one last good time.  Tone is in the vein of a contemporary FOOTLOOSE.  A Purity Ball is an event for dads & daughters, where dads pledge fidelity and daughters pledge to remain virgins until marriage.

REAL MAN

By Ross LaManna

Out wide from APA (David Saunders)

Log: A nerdy executive for a robotics company has a new boss who is perfect looking, charming, brilliant and making the moves on his girlfriend. Much to his shock, he discovers he's also a robot and the two of them team up to stop their evil mentor from plotting world domination.

Spec Market Recap - Week of 7/27/2009 (UPDATED)

Here's a recap of last week's spec market activity (for the week of July 27):

• A total of 3 specs went out:  
• • 2 wide, 1 direct to buyers
  • 2 comedies, 1 drama
• None of the three sold, although the one that went direct to buyers was "Change Up," by "The Hangover" writers Jon Lucas & Scott Moore, in their first foray into the market since that movie hit theaters, so we can expect it to sell in the coming weeks. UPDATE: Sold to Universal.  See additional details below.  

The Specs

7/30/2009

DOWN TWO TIMES

By Chris Solimine

Out wide from Ryan Saul (APA) and Andrew Trapani (Nine/8 Entertainment)

Log:  Ray Person is a PAGE 6 journalist with a contemporary problem: On paper, his life is perfect, but on the inside, he's empty. Inspired by "visits" with his idol Fyodor Dostoevsky and armed with the knowledge that "great men never worry about consequences," Ray sets off on a gambling binge, willing to lose it all in order to regain himself.

7/28/2009

CHANGE UP

By Jon Lucas & Scott Moore

Direct to buyers (plus a couple of producers) from CAA

Log:  A body switch story where a responsible guy with a wife gets swapped with his best friend, a lazy man child.

Update: 

8/21: An anonymous commenter heard this went for $2m. Can anyone confirm?

8/7: Sold to Universal. David Dobkin to direct and produce with Jeff Kleeman through their Big Kid Pictures.

7/27/2009

HIRE A WIFE

By E.A. Ives

Out wide from Caren Bohrman (Bohrman Agency)

Log:  A funny gender bending romantic comedy in which a woman hires a male wife in order to compete with her male colleagues in the corporate world.

Slow week...

Only six spec scripts hit the market this week:  3 comedies, 1 action, 1 horror and 1 sci-fi.  And according to DoneDealPro, there was only one sale that appears to be an original script:  Kidnap, written by Knate Gwaltney, which Fox Searchlight bought from ICM and Caliber Media for Lorenzo di Bonaventura to produce and John Moore to executive produce and direct.

Tough time to be a trying to sell an original screenplay these days...