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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Screenwriting

Is the market for Spec features dead?

According to Robert McKee the best screenwriting being done today is for TV specifically such shows as the Sopranos and Six Feet Under.

According to my agent the market for spec features is in deep freeze and he's encouraging me to write TV specs for existing shows and/or pilots for non-existent shows.
Are they right? Of the 35-50,000 feature specs registered in a typical year, how many are getting optioned or put into development these days?

Any thoughts, rebuttals or remedies?

"You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you've got something to say."
F. Scott Fitzgerald
  

Top answer

[/nq] Like he'd know. [/nq] Since you have an agent, that's probably a good idea. [nq:1]Are they right?

— Usenet

  • [/nq] Like he'd know.
  • [/nq] Since you have an agent, that's probably a good idea.
  • [nq:1]Are they right?
  • [/nq] It's not that different except that Hollywood's having a lousy year so instead of doing the smart thing and thinking "Hmmm...
  • we should get some fresh ideas in here" they circle the wagons and cannibalize the same sources for more stuff, thus worsening the condition.
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6 Answers
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[nq:1]According to Robert McKee the best screenwriting being done today is for TV specifically such shows as the Sopranos and Six Feet Under.[/nq]
Like he'd know.
[nq:1]According to my agent the market for spec features is in deep freeze and he's encouraging me to write TV specs for existing shows and/or pilots for non-existent shows.[/nq]
Since you have an agent, that's probably a goo
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[nq:1]It's not that different except that Hollywood's having a lousy year so instead of doing the smart thing and thinking "Hmmm... we should get some fresh ideas in here" they circle the wagons and cannibalize the same sources for more stuff, thus worsening the condition.[/nq]
Which is how, I'm guessing, we got "Bewitched The Movie."

RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"
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[nq:2]Are they right? Of the 35-50,000 feature specs registered in a typical year, how many are getting optioned or put into development these days?[/nq]
[nq:1]It's not that different except that Hollywood's having a lousy year so instead of doing the smart thing and thinking "Hmmm... we should get some fresh ideas in here" they circle the wagons and cannibalize the same sources for more stuff
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[nq:1]Make your own movie. Napoleon Dynamite - budget $200,000 with another $200,000 for an added-on studio scene, return $40,000,000. One known actor in the film of any visibility.[/nq]
Anyone got $200,000 and one known actor they want to lend me?

Stephen Mack
"Nobody's smart enough to be wrong all the time." -Ken Wilber
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[nq:1]It's not that different except that Hollywood's having a lousy year so instead of doing the smart thing and thinking "Hmmm... we should get some fresh ideas in here" they circle the wagons and cannibalize the same sources for more stuff, thus worsening the condition.[/nq]
Yep. I just saw a preview for "Herbie: Fully Loaded". shudder
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[nq:1]Anyone got $200,000 and one known actor they want to lend me?[/nq]
I had $20 and one unknown prostitute, but she left after ten minutes.
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