Screenwriter Services Celebrates the Evolution of Hollywood Script Development; This October Marks Screenwriter Services’ 6th Year Anniversary

Los Angeles, CA, October 23, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The Hollywood Reporter and The Age reveal statistics that cinema earnings in September were down 20 percent from last year. And in 2011, the box office was off 4 percent from the year before. With these figures striking fear into the pocketbooks of investors, it is no wonder why Hollywood is tightening up along with the rest of the economy and production companies are being highly selective in the scripts they touch.

With October 15, 2012 marking the sixth year anniversary of Screenwriter Services, owner and an experienced veteran in the entertainment industry, Stefan Gray, explains the trends of script packaging and production in the past two decades. He reveals the best strategy for screenwriters to get their script into the right hands.

In the 90s, Mr. Gray owned Gray-Goodman Inc., a Beverly Hills talent and literary agency. He is very knowledgeable of the inner workings of the industry at that time and remembers how literary agents were able to easily sell spec scripts outright to production companies. The projects would be packaged with name actors then financed by the studios. This was the usual course of business in Hollywood.

However in 2002, a new industry practice began to evolve. The budget squeeze in major studios like Sony, Paramount, Warner Brothers and others caused a chain reaction. Producers and directors were being forced to develop their own projects since they were not getting their 10 to 20 percent from studios to develop the project. Therefore, the onus of packaging a script was transferred to screenwriters.

Due to the slowing American economy, this trend became the industry standard starting around 2006. By this time, producers and distributors were already spoiled with receiving scripts pre-packaged and close to production. The final piece left was financing. Distribution could not even be secured until talent was attached. This marked a pivotal shift in the entertainment industry. The freewheeling days of companies bidding for screenplays and buying them on a regular basis without any potential attachments were gone.

Mr. Gray remembers the shift very well because this is what gave birth to the idea that would later be known as "Screenwriter Services," one of the first comprehensive script packaging services in Hollywood for screenwriters.

Fast forward to today. There are virtually only two routes for aspiring screenwriters: Packaging the script themselves or shopping their “bare” scripts to agents. Most of the time, these agents will not even have their assistants look at a script without an established screenwriter’s name on it. If a writer is lucky enough to secure agency representation, there is still no guarantee that his/her script will ever be submitted. For many, this is a very time consuming path, reaping nothing but frustration. Therefore, pre-packaging is the best alternative and one that provides the highest likelihood of success.

With the American Film Market (November 3-10) held in Santa Monica, California right around the corner, Mr. Gray states, “This event attracts a multitude of prolific producers and distributors looking to buy and sell completed films. However, they’re also seeking pre-packaged screenplays.” A pre-packaged script is not only Hollywood’s gold standard, but is also the best weapon for screenwriters competing for a piece of the proverbial pie in today’s film market.

About Screenwriter Services
Screenwriter Services, one of Hollywood’s leading film packaging companies, provides a comprehensive list of script packaging services, including rewrites, cast wish list, directors wish list, budgets, production package top sheet, marketing breakdown, and more.

Screenwriter Services, taking a project from a bare script to a completed project, consults with aspiring writers struggling to attain their goals. Screenwriter Services is comprised of a team of creative and marketing experts who work masterfully to craft each element of a pre-packaged screenplay and promote a finished product ready for production.

Screenwriter Services website: www.ScreenwriterServices.com