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How Amazon Studios is Trying to Get Free Options to Privately Submitted Screenplays

06.11.12 @ 10:00AM Tags : amazon-studios, amazonstudios, chipstreet, free, option, private, screenplay, screenwriting

Many aspiring screenwriters want Amazon Studios to be the key to being discovered — a company with billions of dollars and an open door policy that wants to find content in new ways to make movies. Much has been written here and elsewhere about why the initial version of Amazon Studios was not a good deal for emerging screenwriters and independent filmmakers. So it was welcome news when Amazon Studios revised its terms, shortened its free option window to 45 days on public submissions, agreed to pay $10,000 for options beyond the 45 days for up to 18 months, agreed to get back to writers about their submissions within 45 days, and created private submissions for writers that did not want to share their screenplays with the community or provide Amazon Studios with a free 45-day option. Under these revised rules, however, screenwriter Chip Street has found a major catch. More »

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Is Amazon Studios the Future of Film or is it a Bastardization of Crowdsourcing?

11.17.10 @ 9:08PM Tags : amazon, amazon-studios, contest, crowdsourcing, funding, opportunities

Amazon has launched Amazon Studios, a new online film studio with a crowdsourced development process. Amazon has $2.7 million committed to film projects through their first-look deal with Warner Bros.; they will be awarding $140k in prizes for submissions this December. However, rather than just running a standard contest, they have some very interesting ideas for how to “develop” these projects, and they’re more than a bit controversial. More »