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]

My second thought is:

Hey, Daniel! What about a back booth for it here at the bar?

[Daniel Hatadi]

The site's not really big enough for me to split it up into too many sections, but there are some features coming in the next few weeks that might make for some easy way of doing this.

Let's just wait and see how that goes. Good idea though.

[Keith Snyder]

Daniel, I have another thought. Hopefully I can figure out how the hell to read your response to the PM I'm about to send you.

[Stephen Blackmoore]

Intriguing idea. Let us know when you're in L.A.

[John McFetridge]

It's a good idea. Of course, on even the lowest budget film shoot some money usually changes hands. Even volunteer cast and crew usually get a free lunch, sometimes there's even beer and a wrap party.

I gave a short story to DZ Allen to turn into a film for free because he posted it on his Muzzle Flash site. And, if I lived wherever the hell he lives, I'd show up when they were shooting looking for my burger and fries.

[Keith Snyder]

Anything's possible.

I did a one-dollar option once.

Still haven't seen my dollar.

[Libby Hellmann]

You probably already know the site Inktip.com. What about starting one JUST for short stories? On Inktip, you post 30 pages of a script.. on this one, you could post the first 5 pages of the story... I'd join...

[Tribe]

Cool idea. I just have a problem with the word "facilitating."

[Keith Snyder]

Good thing you don't have to write it, then.

Libby, I'm not the guy to do it (I'd imagine Tribe has a problem with "implement," too), but that may not be a bad idea.

[Tribe]

I do have a problem with "implement," but I will be silent so long as "utilizing" isn't used. :)

[Keith Snyder]

I'll keep that under advisement as we move ahead in leveraging our core competencies.

[Miss DaMeaner]

Genius. For those of us who can't get out much, couldn't you do it virtually -- Daniel Hatadi, maybe on an adjunct site sometime at a later date? Something on the lines of the virtual Zoetrope community, perhaps?I'm always surprised to see the stars jump into indies as creative vehicles and opportunities to stretch and work out of the typecasting box. I bet tons of people would sign on right away: writers, directors, writer/directors, actors, even famous ones. You go, Keith! And please keep your friends in the loop here at crimespace.com...This is an electrifying propostition, my man.