Starting up a Screenwriting Production Company - Brainstorming

I thought Toronto would be a great city to ask those kinds of questions in person. Your town hosts a major international film festival and would have government people to answer at least the government funding questions first hand. I dont even know what a screenwriting business is or how that would work. I presume that means you would shop screenplays to funding bodies but thats what screenwriters and producers do anyway, so I dont think that would work as a business model.

I have found that to be often true. It's difficult to be egalitarian when money is involved.

by BrandonWHahn (Fri Nov 4 2016 12:03:32)
- Is there a business plan template online that relates to writing (specifically screenplays)or producing screeenplays in general?
There are many business plan templets available on line. Nothing this
specific. But a business is a business.
by BrandonWHahn (Fri Nov 4 2016 12:03:32)
- How much does a Screenwriter usually get for a script?
There are minimums set by the Writers Guild of Canada. Look at their
website. The current minimum for a feature film is $55,419. A
production with a budget of $60,000 or less is negotiated by the
producer.
by BrandonWHahn (Fri Nov 4 2016 12:03:32)
- Are there any grants/bursaries or loans speicifically aimed at the film world through the canadian government, even aimed at screenwriters?
Yes, there are grants/bursaries and loans specifically aimed at the
film world through the Canadian government. Look at Telefilm and
Canada Council for the Arts.
by BrandonWHahn (Fri Nov 4 2016 12:03:32)
- What kind of costs am I looking at?
I don't quite understand what you want to do so I can't offer any
professional advice on costs. In this “writer's room/group" will your
company pay these writers to write? In other words do you hire, say,
15 writers and they all show up for work, do their job and then
clock out at the end of the day and the production company pays them
by the hour or the day? Will you have a place of business with an
office staff?

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sat ci sat bene

In this “writer's room/group" will your
company pay these writers to write? In other words do you hire, say,
15 writers and they all show up for work, do their job and then
clock out at the end of the day and the production company pays them
by the hour or the day? Will you have a place of business with an
office staff? directorik,
this sounds interesting and would, actually, be a good idea. But I presume one would have to have quite a tidy sum as "business assets" to pay 15 writer in advance on a monthly/regular(?) basis without actually having a contract yet. After all, in this business one can't be sure to gain employment and payment.

Say, Brandon, can you elaborate on your business plan a bit?

ALWrite

ALWrite,

Thanks for your input.
I will be giving your reply some serious thoughts and am looking into every possible avenue of funding to start up.
I will let you know when I have ironed out the kinks and money math and whatnot.
I am quite excited in getting around to contacting the talented people in my life and beyond about getting together to bang out some screenwriting. In the meantime, I myself will continue the journey and working on my knowledge of the industry.
Your replies have been intriguing and beneficial.
Cheers
Bran

Good luck, Bran!
ALWrite

I'm sure this one will be deleted too...

- Is there a business plan template online that relates to writing (specifically screenplays)or producing screeenplays in general?

The plan is to write a big stack of screenplays... and hope something happens.

- How much does a Screenwriter usually get for a script?

Usually? $0.00. In the USA there are around a million screenplays in circulation in any given year, and only about 100 sell. The rest are used for training puppies. Last year only 93 screenplays sold: https://medium.com/scoggins-report/2015-year-end-spec-market-scorecard-bb572a2055fb#.7zmaiq55a

Most screenwriters write a bunch of screenplays that don't earn them a cent, but more often a screenplay doesn't *sell*, but leads to a writing assignment. That won't work with your writing-team idea.

When a screenplay does sell, there are minimums *if it is sold to a guild signatory producer*. Someone gave you the Canadian guild minimums... but there are a bunch of companies which are not signatory and can pay whatever they want. $1.

- Are there any grants/bursaries or loans speicifically aimed at the film world through the canadian government, even aimed at screenwriters?

Someone else may know that, but Canada probably does have grants.

- What kind of costs am I looking at?

Well, whatever it costs you to keep writing screenplay after screenplay until one of them sells or leads to work. The WGA average is 9 screenplays before one sells or leads to an assignment. With more people involved, that may take even more screenplays.

People seem to think this is a get rich quick thing -no, it's a job where you work your ass off and *keep* working your ass off if you are lucky.

(let's see how long this one stays up)

- Bill
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