Chapter One – The Birth of a Sceenplay So, it's time to take Hollywood by storm—yet again. Writers have an advantage that few others in the movie industry have when it comes to breaking into directing. If they write a script that is so good and has created enough demand or trust, they can hold it hostage and refuse to sell unless they are hired to direct. It's been done too many times to mention. Sylvester Stallone did it on "Rocky." He would not sell his screenplay unless he got to play the lead. Now, it's my turn. If I am going to direct this movie, it not only has to be a good script but more importantly, it has to be inexpensive enough to film so that I will be allowed to make my directing debut. Every writer in town wants to direct as a way of protecting their material from the collaborative nature of filmmaking. The idea is that if you can both write and direct, that is one less person you have to collaborate with because collaboration basically sucks. In the Hollywood feature world, the director is king or queen. The reality is the writer has virtually no control over what happens to his work if he doesn't direct it. So, almost all writers want to become directors. You not only have a better chance of getting your vision to the screen intact (for better or worse), but there is one less key person that needs to be found to complete the chain of attachments required to justify the financing that makes a movie go. What happens next is generally how a movie comes together from a spec screenplay, though there are no laws in this business, so movies can be made in various ways. This, however, is the most desired path for a spec screenplay to move forward. First, a producer has to be found. I am fairly well established now, so any spec script I write is generally met with enthusiasm by the producers my agent contacts. Occasionally, some don't like the subject matter or already have something conflicting in the genre, so they pass on the opportunity to be among the first to read the script, but most want to read it because they need material to make a living. I've had three movies made in my six years as a known commodity in Hollywood. Actually, I've had four movies made, but one is a film made in Germany where my contribution was silent by agreement, though I tell anyone who will listen that I wrote it. None of my movies have done much in the way of earning back their production budget, but I've also had a few very high-profile spec sales to support the concept that I am a writer who is a reasonably good bet. Generally speaking, my material makes it through to producers quickly, and this step is often accomplished in short order. They have little to lose and a lot to gain by coming on board. My agent assigns the producers territories where they can shop my script. Paramount for Producer A, Universal to Producer B, and so on until my screenplay gets to every buyer available. The territories chosen are based on where each producer has the best relationship or overall deal. We don't go out to two producers whose best relationship is Disney. Once the producer has read the script or had one of their employees read the script, in the best possible world, they submit it to their designee studio, and we make a quick and easy sale. On several occasions, that is exactly what happened for me. The 1990s was a good decade to be a screenwriter. The studios still made movies rather than franchises, so they needed stories. The intellectual properties (IP) they gained from novels and nonfiction books were important and had always been a big part of the Hollywood output, but not all of it made an easy transition into the movie theater. Nobody knows better than screenwriters how to tell stories for the movies. That is our entire purpose for being. I would bet almost every one of us would rather watch a good movie than read a good book. We love the movies, and nobody understands the value of a story better. Shane Black and Joe Eszterhas, among others, sell seven-figure spec screenplays. Movies are made from those sales, and some are big hits, including "Basic Instinct," "Sixth Sense," "Thelma and Louise," "Good Will Hunting," and more. Others don't do as well, and some high-priced spec screenplay sales never get produced at all. Still, the spec screenplay is a vital part of the Hollywood movie train—almost everyone wants to climb aboard. It is one of the high periods for writers in the history of film, and I am lucky enough to be right in the middle of it during a very productive phase of my career. A script I wrote in 1990, in partnership with Joe Gayton, called "City of Darkness," went to producers on Tuesday morning, was submitted to studios later that day, and became such a hot commodity in town that executives were canceling their Wednesday lunch meetings because they knew they had to make a quick decision before they missed out. We had a deal by Wednesday night at around 10pm. The next week, we were in meetings with the film producer, Michael Douglas (yes, that one). Our numbers on the deal included 5% of gross merchandising revenue. Since the premise included animated characters appearing in the real world, it could have generated lots and lots of toys and other goodies. My agent told me at the time, "If this movie gets made, it will be the richest writer deal in the history of Hollywood." Okay, George Lucas got a hell of a deal, but he was a writer and director on "Star Wars." We were exclusively writers. Anyway, the movie didn't get made, and Joe and I never became fabulously wealthy, but I still hold out hope. "Saint Charlie" is still alive at age 31, so maybe someone will resurrect "City of Darkness" at age 35.