Help of Any Type

[uncle_al]

Hey, thanks to everyone who offered some words of wisdom.  Very cool!  Thanks!

Not a problem.  We're here to help.
At least, that's what I thought we were here for...

Cheers!

Al B.

[DocFerg]

Hey, thanks to everyone who offered some words of wisdom.  Very cool!  Thanks!

[ScriptNurse]

An option does NOT preclude you from finding other suitors either. Your current option holder gets an opportunity to best the new offer ... it tends to keep the serious ... well, serious. Make sure this is included in your option agreement.

If you sell an option for $1, you should retain the right to continue to market your product. If the producer wants you to NOT market, he pays $$$ to pay you to not try and sell the script out from under him. A serious option has 4 or 5 digits in FRONT of the decimal point.

Not all producers are going to be successful in putting together a package for any given film ... investors might not be interested in the genre ... they might have other expectations or requirements (i.e. must star George Clooney or be shot on location in Buenos Aires).

[uncle_al]

An entertainment attorney is an excellent suggestion.  I wish I'd been quicker to post, so I could claim suggesting it myself.

rnbrewer is absolutely correct; an option is a limited time offer, during which time the producer has exclusive rights to the material.  If the producer doesn't get the funding, or doesn't renew the option at the end of the period, the rights are once again yours and yours alone.

If you aren't in Crazyfornia or Noo Yawk, you might try checking with your state bar association to see if they have listings of attorneys or attorney firms near you who specialize in entertainment law.  Couldn't hurt, right?

Oh, and if an option agreement is negotiated (satisfactory to both you and the other party), this agreement might be usable to help you obtain representation by an agent.  As I understand it, agents love coming into a deal where their work is essentially done, but they still get money.  Sounds suspiciously like a government bureaucracy to me...

As the esteemed Obi-Wan Kenobi said, "You've taken your first step into a larger world."

Cheers!

Al B.

[rnbrewer]

I'm no expert in this area, but I will offer you this advice: Stop! Take a deep breath. Now relax. You have plenty to be exicted about, but nothing to worry about. While Entertainment Attourny's usually work best for this kind of stuff I'm sure you can get by for now with any attourny. That is, any attourny willing to help you. Just remember to read the agreement CAREFULLY and make a note of anything that stands out or seems awkward. It's an option so you're not necessarily signing the rights away (you shouldn't be that is). Only temporarrily signing off on them just long enough for the producer to to find a backer.

[DocFerg]

A buddy and I have written a script and through a mass amount of randomness, came up with a producer.  She is wanting to option the script soon and I really have such little knowledge of what is about to take place.  I don't know much about the "industry" at all.  What steps come next?  What is a reasonable fee?  Where is there an affordable lawyer/law group?  The list is truly never ending.  ANY advice in this arena would be greatly appreciated.  I need all the help I can get.