Facilitating short story movie options: An idea

[Keith Snyder]

I posted yesterday about how I've got a short film screening in September at Mann's Chinese.

Reading the responses today, I was struck with a thought. I know short-story writers would love to option their stories for the movies, often without needing any real money for it. The one-dollar option, with nothing likely to come later, would work for a lot of us--just because it would be so cool to see the result, and we'd get the official credit and show up on IMDb, and all that. However, we don't know how to hook up with the indie filmmakers in a position to do it.

I also know a bunch of indie filmmakers, some of whom are sometimes looking for short stories to option, usually to use as the basis of a low-budget or no-budget short film.

Just as we see writers posting on Internet sites about how they don't know how to go about getting their stuff into film, I often see filmmakers posting about how they don't know how to go about getting the rights to short stories.

Suddenly I realized I may be in the position to facilitate some sort of connection: I have a foot in each camp.

My initial thought is to try to arrange a casual hang when I'm in Los Angeles in September with my film. Invite mystery writers, invite indie filmmakers, invite a few bottles of Bombay Blue Sapphire, and see what happens.

Any thoughts? Any suggestions?

[Keith Snyder]

Working on it.

Which means I'm sitting around having vague, random thoughts, some of which bear tangentially on whatever it is we were just talking about.

[Sean Chercover]

I love the idea. A great example is Steve Hamilton's short story, THE SHOVEL. You can buy it on iTunes for $1.99, and it's an excellent short film. In fact, it became a springboard to financing a feature, so you never know where such a thing might lead. But it would be fun just to see short crime fiction made into short films, regardless.

I gotta say, however, that I worry about filmmakers who are stumped because they don't know how to go about getting the rights to a short story. If they're stumped at that juncture, how the hell are they gonna deal with the many more difficult challenges that come along in the filmmaking process?

That said, if you can help them, good on ya.

[Keith Snyder]

Hey, Sean.

Good point. But let's not forget we're probably talking short films, which are mostly made by people who don't necessarily know those ins and outs yet, and who are still building to the point where they have people who do know.

That aside--I just found out I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY, AND I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN will be screening in Toronto in June. If I make it up there for it, you know I've got whiskey drinking and baby viewing in mind.

[Sean Chercover]

Hey, cool. Let me know the dates of your trip as soon as they are firm. I'm living in Chicago these days, but I get back to Toronto fairly often, and if I know when you're going, I'll make sure we're there at the same time.

Whiskey and babies. Sounds like a winning combination!

Oh, and congrats on the screening! I look forward to seeing ILY. Are you planning to put it up for sale on iTunes?

[Keith Snyder]

I may, but not yet. Festivals first.

I was also toying with the idea of a "Short Films Of Keith Snyder" DVD, now that I've got 45 minutes worth of program material.