The Scoggins Report: April 2012 Spec Market Scorecard
The Scoggins Report is a compilation of sales and trends in the industry. The Report is reprinted at ScriptMag.com by permission of the authors.
The Scoggins Report
by Jason Scoggins & Cindy Kaplan
April 23, 2012
2012 Spec Market Scorecard
as of April 20, 2012
Back in January we’d planned to take this week off to catch our breath and get set for the second half of the 2012 spec market. We ended up going dark a week early, though, because shortly after we published the last Scoggins Report we departed ItsontheGrid.com, our home of the past two years (nearly three years, in Jason’s case), and we had a ton of transition stuff to manage last week. We’re heartbroken to see our beloved site in the rear view, but we’ll have a new home set up for The Scoggins Report in the next week or so. In the meantime we’ll publish via email.
But enough about us. It appears the spec market took a mid-season hiatus as well, thanks at least in part to Passover/Easter a couple of weekends ago. April’s total specs and spec sales numbers are both off of 2011’s pace, but there’s a week left in the month and we’ll see how we end up in a couple of days.
Here’s the big takeaway from the below grids: Despite April’s low numbers so far, buying activity has been relatively robust over the past four weeks: Eight specs have sold since the last Spec Market Scorecard.
Keep your tips up, Hollywood.
2012 Overall Numbers
The below grid shows sales of scripts that originally came out this year. In addition to the below, 12 scripts have sold this year that originally went out prior to 2012. Here are the spec sales numbers through April 20 on their own…
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | 2011 | |
Specs | 21 | 35 | 36 | 16 | 108 | 370 | ||||||||
Sales | 9 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 29 | 119 | ||||||||
Percent Sold | 43% | 17% | 31% | 19% | 27% | 32% | ||||||||
2011 Sales | 3 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 8 | 10 | 119 |
…and here are combined total spec and pitch sales numbers for the same period.
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | 2011 | |
| Specs | 12 | 9 | 17 | 3 | 41 | 119 | ||||||||
| Pitches | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 33 | 106 | ||||||||
| 2012 Total | 20 | 16 | 23 | 13 | 74 | 225 | ||||||||
| 2011 Total | 7 | 21 | 28 | 16 | 15 | 28 | 20 | 9 | 12 | 30 | 16 | 24 | 225 |
Spec Sales By Genre (sold/total)
Each cell in the below grid shows the number of specs in each genre that came out and/or sold that month, plus the number that sold that month that came out previously. The percentage column on the right is that genre’s percentage of total 2012 spec sales.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Sold/Total | % ofSales | |
Action/Adventure | 1/5 | 1/8+1 | 5/7 | 1/3 | 9/24 | 22% | ||||||||
Comedy | 3/7 | 1/6 | 2/8+1 | 1/2 | 8/24 | 19.5% | ||||||||
Drama | 2/2 | 0/1+1 | 0/7 | 0/1 | 3/12 | 7.3% | ||||||||
Horror | 1/1 | 2/5 | 1/4 | 0/1 | 4/11 | 9.8% | ||||||||
Sci-Fi | 0/1+1 | 0/2 | 1/3 | 0/4 | 2/10 | 4.9% | ||||||||
Thriller | 2/2+2 | 1/9+3 | 2/5+3 | 1/6 | 14/30 | 34.1% |
Spec Sales By Buyer – Studios
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | |
Columbia | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||
Dimension | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||
Disney | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
Fox 2000 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||
Lionsgate | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||||
New Regency | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
Paramount | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||
Relativity | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | |||||||||||
Syfy Films | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Universal | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||
Warner Bros. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 6 |
Here are the combined pitch and spec purchase numbers for the studios that have bought at least one of each:
Specs | Pitches | Total | 2011 | |
Columbia | 4 | 6 | 10 | 16 |
Disney | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
New Regency | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Paramount | 2 | 5 | 7 | 17 |
Universal | 2 | 5 | 7 | 19 |
Warner Bros. | 2 | 4 | 6 | 30 |
Spec Sales By Buyer – Other Buyers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | |
Atlas Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Aldamisa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Amazon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
ANA Media | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
AR Films | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Black Forest | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Chernin | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
College Humor | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Chockstone | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||
Cinetic Media | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Derby FIlms | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Endgame | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||
Exclusive Media | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||||
Indian Paintbrush | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
K Jam Media | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Killer Films | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Lava Bear | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Legendary | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Millennium/ Nu Image | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Nick Wechsler Productions | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Paradox | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Sentinel | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Sidney Kimmel | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||
Skyrock | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Sobini Films | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
Voltage | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
WWE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Here are the combined numbers for spec and pitch sales by non-studio buyers that have bought at least one of each:
Specs | Pitches | Total | 2011 | |
Indian Paintbrush | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Each of the following production companies has been attached to at least one spec sale so far this year. Companies in bold are new since the last scorecard.
Bavariapool
Benderspink
Blumhouse Productions
Bobker/Kruger Films
Chernin Entertainment
Film 44
Henceforth Pictures
Imagine Entertainment
Intrigue
Michael De Luca Productions
Movie Package Company
MXN
Mythology Entertainment
Original Film (2)
Payam Films
Platinum Dunes
Quadrant Pictures
Robert Cort Productions/Barnstorm Pictures
Ruby Films
South Creek Pictures
Strike Entertainment
Sunswept Entertainment
Underground Films and Management
Valiant Entertainment
Vertigo Entertainment
Wonderland Sound and Vision
Spec Sales by Seller – Agencies (sold/total)
Each cell in the below grid shows the number of specs each agency took out and/or sold that month, plus the number it sold that month that it took out previously. The efficiency rating shows the percentage of scripts taken out this year that have sold.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | Efficiency | |
APA | 0/1 | 0/5+1 | 0/1+1 | 0/1 | 2/10 | 0% | ||||||||
CAA | 1/1+1 | 1/3 | 0/2 | 3/7 | 33% | |||||||||
Gersh | 1/3 | 1/1 | 2/4 | 50% | ||||||||||
ICM | 1/1 | 1/2 | 2/3 | 1/1 | 5/7 | 71% | ||||||||
Original Artists | 1/1 | 1/1 | 100% | |||||||||||
Paradigm | 0/1 | 1/4+1 | 0/3 | 2/9 | 13% | |||||||||
UTA | 1/1 | 0/4+1 | 1/2 | 3/8 | 29% | |||||||||
Verve | 0/0+1 | 1/1 | 0/0+1 | 3/3 | 100% | |||||||||
WME | 3/3 | 2/3+3 | 5/5 | 1/3 | 14/17 | 79% |
Here are the combined spec and pitch sales numbers for the agencies that have sold at least one of each:
Specs | Pitches | Total | 2011 | |
CAA | 3 | 8 | 11 | 50 |
ICM | 5 | 4 | 8 | 27 |
Paradigm | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
UTA | 3 | 6 | 9 | 30 |
Verve | 3 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
WME | 14 | 9 | 23 | 50 |
The following 44 agents have been involved with at least one spec sale in 2012:
Four:
Mike Esola (WME)
Two:
Dan Cohan (WME)
David Boxerbaum (Paradigm)
Rich Cook (WME)
Nicole Clemens (ICM)
One:
Aaron Hart (Verve)
Adam Levine (Verve)
Adam Weinstein (ICM)
Adriana Alberghetti (WME)
Amanda Urban (ICM)
Bayard Maybank (Gersh)
Bryan Besser (Verve)
Charlie Ferraro (UTA)
Chris Sablan (Original)
Chris Donnelly (WME)
Dan Vantresca (Gersh)
Danny Greenberg (WME)
Dar Rollins (ICM)
David Karp (WME)
Debbie Deuble-Hill (APA)
Devra Lieb (Gersh)
Geoff Morley (UTA)
Jeff Gorin (WME)
Jordan Bayer (Original)
Joseph Cohen (CAA)
Julien Thuan (UTA)
Kathleen Remington (ICM)
Kimberly Hodgert (CAA)
Matt Leipzig (Original)
Matt Rice (UTA)
Max Michael (UTA)
Michael Sheresky (UTA)
Nigel Meiojas (ICM)
Philip Raskind (WME)
Ramses Ishak (UTA)
Rob Carlson (WME)
Rob Herting (Verve)
Roger Green (WME)
Ron Bernstein (ICM)
Ryan Saul (APA)
Scott Carr (UTA)
Scott Greenberg (CAA)
Stuart Manashil (CAA)
Todd Hoffman (ICM)
Spec Sales by Seller – Management Companies (sold/total)
Each cell in the below grid shows the number of specs each management company took out and/or sold that month, plus the number it sold that month that it took out previously. The efficiency rating shows the percentage of scripts taken out this year that have sold.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | Efficiency | |
3 Arts | 1/1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
Anonymous | 1/1 | 1/1 | 2/2 | |||||||||||
Apostle | 1/1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
Brucks | 0/0+1 | 1/1 | 2/2 | |||||||||||
Circle of Confusion | 0/1 | 1/2 | 1/2 | |||||||||||
Elevate | 1/1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
Empirical | 0/0+1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
Energy | 2/2 | 1/2+1 | 4/5 | 75% | ||||||||||
Gotham | 1/1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
Grade A | 1/1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
Heroes and Villains | 0/1 | 0/1+1 | 1/3 | |||||||||||
Hung | 1/1 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 1/3 | ||||||||||
Kailey Marsh | 1/1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
Kaplan/Perrone | 1/1 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 1/3 | ||||||||||
Mgmt 360 | 1/1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
Mindframe | 0/0+1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
New Wave | 0/0+1 | 0/2 | 1/1 | 2/4 | 33% | |||||||||
Principato Young | 0/1 | 1/1 | 1/2 | |||||||||||
Prolific | 0/1+1 | 1/2 | ||||||||||||
Silent R | 0/0+1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
UFUSE | 1/1 | 1/1 | ||||||||||||
Untitled | 1/1 | 1/1 |
Here are the combined spec and pitch numbers for the management companies that have sold at least one of each:
Specs | Pitches | Total | 2011 | |
3 Arts | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Apostle | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Circle of Confusion | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
Energy | 4 | 3 | 7 | 7 |
The Gotham Group | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
Kaplan/Perrone | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
Management 360 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
Principato/Young | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
The following 31 managers have been attached to at least one spec sale:
Four:
Brooklyn Weaver (Energy)
Two:
Josh Adler (New Wave)
Bryan Brucks (Brucks
Mike Goldberg (New Wave)
One:
Adam Goldworm (Aperture)
Alex Lerner (Kaplan/Perrone)
Andy Cohen (Grade A)
Ashley Berns (Circle of Conf.)
Chris Huvane (Mgmt 360)
Dick Hillenbrand (Heroes & Villains)
Elana Barry (Anonymous)
George Heller (Apostle)
Jennifer Graham (Mgmt 360)
Jennifer Levine (Untitled)
Jenny Wood (Elevate)
Jesse Silver (Mindframe)
Jewerl Ross (Silent R)
Jonathan Hung (Hung)
Kailey Marsh
Lawrence Mattis (Circle of Conf.)
Lee Stollman (Gotham)
Lindsay Williams (Gotham)
Markus Goerg (Heroes & Villains)
Mikhail Nayfeld (Heroes & Villains)
Mikkel Bondesen (UFUSE)
Nick Fariabi (Mindframe)
Paul Young (Principato Young)
Peter Principato (Principato Young)
Rosalie Swedlin (Anonymous)
Scott Leddy (Empirical)
Will Rowbotham (Prolific)
About The Scoggins Report:
The Scoggins Report is a terribly unscientific analysis of the feature film development business based on information assembled from a variety of public and non-public sources. The numbers in the reports are by no means official statistics. Caveat emptor. Mol?n labé.
1 Comment
Thanks for the advice Frank. I dobule checked the terminals and used an eraser to clean off all the metal connectors to ensure there wasn’t any residue blocking the connection between camera and flash. The flash worked fine in manual mode and the camera will fire the flash, even with a 3’extension cable, but I am not able to get any TTL communication between the camera and flash unit. Unfortunately I don’t know anyone with another D5000 and my D90 is still out for repair (since August – ugh!) so I can’t completely rule out the flash connection. I have a very old flash that I was using before I received this one. I’m out on the road while writing this response so I don’t have the flash with me but I think it is a Himmex brand. It is a single terminal, manual flash. I sure hope that flash didn’t do something to damage my camera. I couldn’t get any response from the US Metz dealer so I ended up sending the flash back to Adoroma.com this weekend. I guess I am going to take the plunge and spring the extra $100 for a Nikon SB700. I really liked the Metz 50. It seemed to have great power and was simple to use, in manual mode that is. I sure hope it is worth spending the extra money on the Nikon Flash.