Current Interests

TechGenie Media involvement in movie production is on the Current Projects page of the Visual Writer Web site. Contact regarding these projects is through this (TechGenie Media) Web site. See contact information below. Before contacting, please be aware of the following:

TechGenie Media is primarily interested in doing script development and pre-production services (and later Production/Post-production in the St. Louis, MO. area), on projects that it generates from within, or for script development for others.

TechGenie Media has no interest in simply reading or evaluating scripts not developed by TechGenie Media, except in the context of development. Please don't request coverage, ask for script readings or story analysis except in the context of development.

If interested in investing in or directing any of the current projects listed on the Visual Writer Web site, you are welcome to contact Scott. Serious inquiries only. Because of the unique nature of these projects, their descriptions are intentionally vague, and a non-disclosure agreement is required for more information (until a formal working agreement is entered into).

Script development

Over the past 15 years I have seen TV productions increase in quality and movie productions rise in quality and then decrease. Most of the TV pilots I've seen have a lot of flaws, and they are easily fixed. Many of the movies I see have flaws that easily could have been fixed.

Coming: I offer two services for script development for independent productions:

1. A rigorous development process that will take a script at any development level, analyze and critique the characters, plot, and evaluate the movie audience appeal by up to 70 proprietary criteria, create a new synopsis, target a production budget, rewrite the script, bring it to a superior level, and consult with you during the entire process.
   
   First you will get a report on areas needing improvement and suggestions for improvement for $300.00. Turnaround time is two weeks.
   
   Next, if mutual recommendations are accepted (there shouldn't be disagreement at this point), turnaround on rewriting is ~four weeks. Your charge for the rewriting service is $3000.00, and you will also get a script breakdown with a preliminary estimated budget, and organized for shooting scheduling, with soundstage shooting recommendations. (Color coded script breakdown file (EP Scheduling), but no strip board.)
   
   Note that the budget estimate will include a worst case forecast for everything going wrong and everything being very expensive. Directors and production designers may want to make very different choices, which can't be accounted for. You will need to have a line producer fine tune the budget for items like property doubles, the exact cost of your crew and any deals, director choices, etc.
    
2. Audience potential: For scripts for which I do development, I also offer pre-production focus group analysis of a mini-production for story marketability and movie distribution. Cost is around $25,000.00. This does not apply to high action movies. It's better to spend $25,000.00 and fix it now, than to risk 1 to 5 million on a hope that the audience will like it.

Note:

• I can't project budgets that include stars or expensive action sequences due to the wide variability in these costs. Budget estimates can be at union scale or non-union for various parts of the cast and crew.
• I prefer stories that are both character and plot driven. I can do primarily plot driven. I do not do stories that are strictly character driven, slice of life stuff, with no discernible plot.

  For more information