@ Scott -- so do you think the spec market is back? 3 million dollar offers seems like Shane Black territory. I ask, because the current market seems to be very split -- films like Chronicle, that have relatively no budget seem to be very appealing on the one end. But hearing sales of 3 mil (and an 8 mil dollar offer for a hard R property in a PG-13 world seems ridiculous). The market seems much more unstable / volatile than the late 80s and early 90s. What are your thoughts?

James, until someone comes along and creates a database of spec script sales back to the early 90s or so, all we can rely on are the misty colored memories of old farts such as myself who went through the supposed Golden Age of Spec Scripts. Here are my impressions. * That period between '90-92 was quite active and there were several eye-popping deals in the 2M+ range. However every year there are several seven figure spec sales, so studios have - more or less - always been willing to shell out big bucks to acquire hot projects. * Sales dipping down as low as 55 in 2010, my guess is that's the low-water mark for spec sales in the last 20 years. However I know from memory there have been years where there were only 60-70 spec sales. * The 110 spec sales in 2011 may not be the highest total in the last two decades but it's certainly up there. There are special circumstances surrounding the sale of "White House Down" to Sony that may have pumped up the price, however $3M is still a crap-load of money. And frankly with two "Die Hard" type projects selling [a pitch went down to Uni today], it's pretty hard not to have flashbacks to the late 80s and early 90s. It's pretty amazing when you think about it seeing as even 6 months ago, some people in the mainstream media were still saying the spec script market was dead. But the GITS community knew better. And I think it's really hard to argue anything other than a position that yes, the spec script market is back in a big way. But again can't be definitive without any firm numbers in terms of spec sales going back that far. If only somebody would pull together a database of those historical deals...

Scott, What does it mean that 120 comedy scripts went to market in 2011. Am I to believe that 65K scripts are written a year, but only 120 comedies got through the gate keepers to actually be read by "somebody". Or does it mean something else?

True true. Another thing that seems interesting (to me at least) is that these record breaking sales all followed a Writer's Strike. The 90-92 era you talk about was on the heels of the 88 Writer's Strike. Curious how much that influences on the top end sales figures. Or if it's just crazy coincidence. One more thing a database of sales could track lol.

My only bit of additional advice is don't make the same mistake as I did by putting the package together by yourself. I had a hot pitch and was flown out to meet with Universal by Michael Shamberg. The night before the big meetings I met an A list director who wanted to sign onto my project. I arranged a meeting with the producer and director the next day and built the package we set it up and I got paid well. Sounds great right? It was a huge mistake. Just like when you're writing and you want the audience to get invested in the material you also want to give the agents and managers something to do! When you step back and allow the system to work you get the deal makers involved and feeling responsible for what you've done. It's a bitter pill and I know for a fact that unless you let the dealmakers do the work there is nothing in it for them professionally. The deal is their life blood. I usurped that and made no friends in the process. Learn from my mistake.