When is a good idea to start collaborating in screenwriting

by the FMH team

Are you tired of writing alone? Have you thought about collaborating with a friend or fellow scriptwriter? Would you like to develop a project with other writers and / or directors?

You should do it. Collaborating is an activity that brings knowledge, experience, teamwork and even personal development. Especially because you can learn from other professionals and shorten time to develop a new project. You always learn new things, for better or worse. Unfortunately, what is not usually paid enough attention are the implications and possible consequences when you are going to collaborate in the development of a script together with a scriptwriter or director.

Therefore, here are 4 tips to take into account when you are going to start a collaboration with another fellow screenwriter.

1- Sign a collaboration contract

No matter how good friends you are, keeping things clear will always make everything easier, especially if the project ends up becoming a reality. Write down the collaboration conditions and the copyright of all the participants in will be protected.

So many times good faith or fear of “what will they think about me” cause us to shut up and not put things in writing in the name of false trust. The best way to have a work protected, with complete confidence between the parties and being sure that we will be paid in case the project goes ahead, is to leave everything written in a collaboration agreement.

2- Determine the percentages

One thing that is usually signed in collaboration contracts in the United States is to delimit the different plots in which one has participated. For example, if you are the author of the story and the other scriptwriter (or others) has participated only in the development of the script, your percentage will be higher since you are the only author of the story.

In Spain, these things are not much taken into account. It is most likely that the percentages are distributed in the same number depending on the number of people involved. But I have always thought that somehow the person who had the initial idea of the project must be better rewarded. In addition, giving a higher percentage to the creator will make a lot of sense in the next point.

3- Choose a leader

A project needs a leader. Someone to push it and has a global vision, either of where the development of the project should go as well as from where and how to move it. Therefore, choose a leader for your project. Someone must lead it.

It can be the person who had the original idea or who works best in sales tasks such as talking with producers, pitching, networking, etc. Whoever might be the leader, the important thing is to be able to defend the project before the people to whom you want to sell it.

4- Seek advice

Finally, it is always advisable to consult with a lawyer specialized in intellectual property to advise you on these issues. Especially because there are many elements that you may don’t know.

With great ease we can lose rights (and money) in clauses that we do not know. As for example rights of transformation, on a remake, scale up in ticket office, titles of credit, promotion of the film, etc.

Keep that in mind and feel ready to collaborate!