The 1st Writers Initiative is for filmmakers who have not received funding for a feature film. Six scripts are chosen to go to a workshop and one or two of those go into the Commish development process. I may be wrong but I don't think any Writers Initiative scripts have been made or are about to be made into films.
I've been asked not to divulge the script and the filmmaker in question so I can't say verbatim what was written, I will try and give a flavour. The letter thanks the filmmaker for their time and effort and on being shortlisted. Since they were shortlisted they get feedback which is not the case for the other one hundred+ scripts that didn't get that far. After that cheery beginning things do go downhill somewhat. This particular script belongs to a very specific type of genre and the the giver of the feedback (one of the more senior members of the Commish, not an underling) is quick to point out that such genre pieces are prone to failings of the well worn kind. After that things really bottom out when the feedbacker states that this script doesn't do what the genre is supposed to do. Suggesting for instance that for a horror film (it's not a horror film) it isn't at all scary. The coup de grace is made by essentially telling the writer that their story needs passion/drama/stakes/everything else. Then it ends in cheeryland again by wishing them well for the script and their writing in the future.
Hmm. As you can imagine, this particular filmmaker wasn't very encouraged. Does the Commish want them to continue on this script? No one knows. There's no where to go under the 1st Writers Initiative. Rejection for that is basically the end of the line for an idea. So do they keep working on it? The letter says that the reason for the feedback is for the ongoing development of the script. But why continue for no money on an idea that the Commish doesn't seem to like in the first place?
It's ridiculous to let people spend a good deal of time and energy on a project that the Commish will never make. When the filmmaker in question told me the idea I said it sounded fine but the Commish would never make it. It just didn't tick enough of the boxes. But the Commish should be telling filmmakers that, not me.
New Suggestion. Get filmmakers to send in treatments. Select twelve to turn into 1st Drafts. Give those twelve a small amount of money to write that first draft. Select six to go the workshop. Then if they're good enough they go into development.
Don't have one hundred plus angry people feeling like they wasted three months or more of their lives. They might turn into Commish haters...
