In the new economy of high-speed information exchange, no industry goes untouched by the Internet. This is especially true for independent filmmakers whose collective willingness to take risks and experiment has brought many pioneering (and fundamental) changes to the way independent films are produced.

The indie film business first began flirting with the Internet in the form of web sites that marketed and promoted films. In the aftermath of the legendary Internet success of The Blair Witch Project, that flirtation exploded into a torrid affair. In a short period of months, independent filmmakers have been turning to the Internet for all aspects of their film, including buying or selling scripts and financing their productions.

An explanation of this rapid adoption necessitates looking beyond “fad” and “trend”. The changes brought to the film industry come for the same reason that they have to other industries; accessibility of information and instantaneous distribution. “The Internet affords writers the opportunity to have their scripts seen by filmmakers and producers who normally wouldn’t see it,” according to Emily Parker of the Screenwriter’s Room (http://www.screenwritersrm.com/), a website that provides script evaluations for new writers seeking agency representation.

The Screenwriter’s Room is one type of service that offers beginning screenwriters the opportunity to receive professional feedback on their work and to bridge that critical gap between unknown writer and agent. Like the offline world, “Agents are a integral part of the process, when it comes to negotiating the best deal for a writer, and in the long run, promoting a burgeoning career,“ Parker said.

According to Parker, what the web offers is an additional element in the scriptwriter’s arsenal. “The screenwriters’ chance of selling a script can only go up with each avenue, provided they use some discretion and don’t rush,” Parker said. With regard to script services like the Screenwriters’ Room, the rules of the game have not been rewritten; all of the old axioms still hold true. “A screenplay is hot when it is being promoted by someone in the industry—an agent, interested filmmaker or actor. The web can neither supply, nor detract from, this kind of interest.” Parker advised.

As the spec script market develops online, so do the different approaches to matching agents and producers with writers. Allan Hawley Jacobs, founder of the Spec Script Library, feels that the Internet plays a pivotal role in the marketing of spec scripts. “By being online, writers can make a name for themselves, showcase their talent, improve the perceived value of their script and lure those life-saving contacts into their den.”

The Spec Script Library (http://www.thesource.com.au/) is an Australian organization operated by Jacobs. The library works like this: scriptwriters are invited to come to the website and submit their scripts via an online form to the library. Premises are then listed by category to anyone wishing to browse the catalog. Contact information is provided with each listing so that interested producers or filmmakers can contact the writer or agent to discuss the script. The Spec Script Library currently houses a massive collection of over 2000 scripts, organized by genre.

For Jacobs, the ability of his organization to match buyers with sellers hinges on the power of the Internet to exchange information. “These days all of my business is sourced online. I've made extremely important contacts, both national and international, all of which I would never have made in my lifetime if I weren't online,” Jacobs said. However, this doesn’t mean that the Spec Script Library cuts any of the traditional players out of the script-making deal. Agents still play an essential role in the process. As a matter of fact, the library often assists agents or carries listings of scripts placed by the agents themselves.

Although there may be a perception amongst some that a script is no longer hot property if it has circulated for a certain amount of time and hasn’t received interest, this certainly isn’t true with the Spec Script Library.

“We're currently bringing in the funds for a script that's been around for eons, Hawley said. “The script was passed over many times. It's been dusted off and polished up, revamped into what we hope is going to be a huge [production]. As with everything in life, it's in the timing.”

According to Jacobs, “The Spec Script Library will always be there to connect those who write scripts with those who source scripts.“ The Spec Script Library is part of a larger organization called The Source World Wide Script Service that provides financing for feature films and other script services, although they do not actively pursue the sale of the scripts listed at the site.

Selling spec scripts and financing the production of those scripts naturally go hand in hand, a fact that Efilmfund (http://www.filmdeveloper.com/efilmfund) takes advantage of. This new site is a joint project between The Wellesley Group, an organization with extensive experience in business development and venture finance and FilmDeveloper.com, a script and finance content site.

The Efilmfund plays a more dynamic role by actively seeking to match a pool of projects with a pool of producers and investors. The Efilmfund offers filmmakers the opportunity to list their projects as a script package. Basic information listed involves the title, premise, genre, setting and budget, browsable by any of the listed criteria. Interested parties can browse the script packages and indicate interest by filling out a brief contact form.

Jim Wallace, a founder of the Efilmfund, has had considerable experience with putting together financing for independent films offline. However, he saw the Internet as an exciting new medium for changing an existing market. “No matter how big their rolodex is, agents and producers still only have 24 hours each day to pitch projects and be pitched,“ Wallace said. “EfilmFund helps extend the productivity of both parties by collecting and feeding the project stream.”

Much ado has been made in the industry about private script tracking sites that are only made available to studio executives. Wallace was adamant about the distinction between these type of tracking sites and Efilmfund. “Private or closed loop systems like that are only as good as your weakest link; if the site doesn't get the good projects, it can't have sustainable long-term success.” Wallace said. ”Adam Smith was as correct for entertainment as economics: the open market is the most efficient.”

With the accessibility of information on the Internet comes certain concerns, especially in the area of intellectual property rights. The screenwriter’s paranoia that their concept or script will be stolen can be amplified by the typical privacy concerns of the Internet. This has been a concern raised by visitors to EfilmFund, and one responded to by Wallace. For those concerned about the theft of their property by unscrupulous producers, the truth of the matter is that there is little different with posting your script on the Internet than with distributing it anywhere else.

“The same basic protections exist in the online world as in the traditional,” Wallace explained. “Copyrighting and Writer's Guild registration offer the best assurance of integrity, and we recommend all our writers and producers obtain them for their projects.” Parker concurred, adding “Always register a script with the Writer’s Guild of America—before showing it to anyone.”

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when shopping your script online is that simply because you’re dealing with a new medium doesn’t necessarily mean that the rules have changed. The process is still the same and the same barriers still stand between the unknown writer and the project-hungry producer. As a matter-of-fact, from the writer’s point of view there is nothing significantly different when you look at the bottom line.

What is significantly different is the resources available to the spec script writer from any Internet connection in the world. Doors that were almost closed or unavailable in the past are now flung open to everyone, regardless of locale. Of course, taking advantage of that opportunity depends on the strength of your product but that is true for every profession.

For the spec scriptwriter struggling in oblivion, Allan Hawley Jacobs perhaps had the best advice to offer—“Never give up hope!”

 

FilmFestivals.com reporter
Glen Berry