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HOW TO GET STARTED
The first step to getting started with any screenwriting or ghostwriting project is call or e-mail me with your basic idea and needs. These phone calls are limited to fifteen minutes, so please have the story already summarized into one paragraph before you contact me. You can also use the attached Non-Disclosure Form to protect your story idea before we begin. You can download this form here, fill it out and email it back to me along with your electronic signature. NOTE: All discussions about how to market a screenplay once it is completed are reserved until after you become a client.
SCREENPLAY DEVELOPMENT FEE
The story development fee for all new screenplay and ghostwriting projects is $2,500.00. The story development fee includes two weeks of phone consultation appointments between the producer/story owner and the screenwriter in order to gather the material needed to complete the first draft of the screenplay. These meetings are typically based on ten one hour daily phone conferences (Monday through Friday) between the producer/story owner and the screenwriter.
The $2,500.00 fee is paid in full and in advance before the development process is begun and scheduled. A Non-Disclosure Agreement is signed and agreed upon by both the producer/story owner and the screenwriter in order to protect the story idea which states that the idea is the legal property of the producer/story owner and not the screenwriter.
Once the two week story development process is complete, the screenwriter will provide the producer/story owner with a complete outline of the screenplay (approximately 25 scenes) This outline will include a theme, genre; story structure with plot points and plot twists, character development for main and secondary characters. Once the story development process is complete then the producer/story owner can then enter into an additional agreement with the screenwriter to write the actual first draft of the screenplay based on the story development outline.
FIRST DRAFT OF SCREENPLAY FEE
This fee for a complete first draft of a professionally written screenplay (based on your idea) that meets all of Hollywood's professional screenwriting standards is $5,000.00. The first draft of the screenplay will cover all areas of a screenplay storytelling concepts including: theme; genre; story structure with plot points and plot twist; complete character development and arcs of main and secondary characters; and crisp original dialogue. A complete first draft of a professionally written screenplay will be completed within 4-6 weeks based on the outline obtained during the story development process described below. No additional rewrites will be included in this fee of the First Draft of the completed screenplay process. Any additional rewrites will be based on an additional agreement and based on the amount of time and writing that will be required to complete the rewrite.
The fee of $5,000.00 can be made in two payments of $2,500.00. Once the first installment is completed, the producer/story owner will be given the first half of the screenplay. Once the second payment of $2,500.00 is paid to the screenwriter, the producer/story owner will be giving the complete first draft of the screenplay within the agreed time frame (usually within 6-8 weeks).
NOTE: A screenplay story development fee is required for all NEW projects. This fee is to establish and prepare all new material for the first draft of screenwriting to ensure it will meet industry standards. The story development process ensures that the producer/story owner is in complete agreement with the screenwriter as to what will be accomplished in the writing of first draft of the screenplay. See story development page for more details on how the story development process works.
SCREENPLAY REWRITE AND/OR EDITING FEE
This screenwriting rewrite and editing fees are based on the amount of work that is required to fix and edit an existing screenplay. The rewriting and editing fees are $2,500.00 and are based on if more than half the screenplay needs to be edited or rewritten. NOTE: Each project is unique and requires different attention based on genre and specific Hollywood screenwriting standards, so these fees can vary based on the specific needs of each screenplay.
SCREENPLAY MARKETING FEE
Once the screenplay project is complete the following items are needed in order to prepare the completed screenplay material for marketing. The following materials are required in order to get agents and producers to request to read your screenplay. It is important to note that the proper, pitch, logline, and query letter is completed in such a way as to 'grab' the producer/agents attention and get them to 'request' to read your material. Once these requirements are met, I will guide you as to where you can send the material to see if producers and agents may be interested in your particular project.
- PITCH - LOGLINE FEE. The fee for writing a two line pitch and/or logline is $250.00. The Logline and/or pitch are pretty much the same thing and by industry standards should not be longer than two lines. The pitch/logline should convey the main character's goal and main conflict of the screenplay and should hint at the genre and theme. Once the logline/pitch is complete the second step would be to complete the brief synopsis and then to complete the query letter which is what the screenplay project will need in order to market the screenplay. This is how agents and producers determine if your project is something they are currently seeking and looking for and will aid the screenwriting in finding the right producers and agents that are interested in the screenplay you have to market.. The turnaround time for the logline/pitch is one week.
- BRIEF SYNOPSIS FEE. The Brief Synopsis writing fee is $350.00. The brief synopsis is accompanied with the pitch and appears in the Query Letter. A brief synopsis is a brief one paragraph description of the main character and main idea of the screenplay. The purpose of the brief synopsis is to accompany the logline/pitch in the query letter for the purpose of getting the agent interest in requesting your screenplay project. The turnaround time for the Brief Synopsis is two weeks.)
- QUERY LETTER FEE. The Query Letter writing fee is $500.00 and INCLUDES pitch/logline brief synopsis and a brief description of the writer and his background. This is a complete one-time fee of $500.00 that includes everything you need to have a professional written query letter ready to send to producers and agents that will aid in the marketing of your screenplay. NOTE: The query letter should not be more than one page long. Please view the Writer's Guild of America website for samples of query letters to see how his is done. The turnaround time for the complete query letter writing process is one month.
SCREENPLAY OR BOOK COVERAGE FEE
GENERAL SCREENPLAY COVERAGE FEE for a screenplay is $250.00 for general notes and comments on where your script succeeds and where it fails. The turnaround time is 1-2 weeks.
DETAILED SCREENPLAY COVERAGE FEE for a screenplay is $350.00 and provides more in-depth notes and suggestions on how to improve your overall story. The turnaround time for this is 1-2 weeks.
GENERAL BOOK COVERAGE FEE is $350.00 which includes general thoughts on how to turn the book into a screenplay and if this can be accomplished. The turnaround time for reading a book is 2-3 weeks.
MAIL PAYMENTS AND MATERIALS TO:
Suzanne E. Gillis,
34 Capen Street
Medford, MA 02155
Please include a return address stamped envelope for any materials you wish to have returned by mail. For any additional questions or concerns, feel free to call or email me anytime.
Phone: 781-654-1418
EMAIL: sgillis77@comcast.net
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