I kind of think that if someone puts a truckload of money to production and even gives me a bagful of it... I think that he has quite a lot to say about how to do things. Yes... I know they'll ruin it. And they don't have the vision. And.. But... They have the money, the crew and the lawyers. They decide. I might hint things. If they don't want to listen, I just take the money and run.
If some of my future writing will be shot as movie or tv-programs, this is what I would be interested: - Rights to characters, story world and sequels? - What I could learn? - What kind of small but important contact network I could get? - Does the deal include travelling and if, then how much and how expensive? - How to avoid bullshit? - Right to the spin-off production, names... other immaterial and material rights? -How to really understand what deals mean in the real world? I could be flexible. But if I sell some rights, then I must know what I am doing, who gets what, why and how. I know that it is impossible to get the screenwriter you like, but if it was possible... Alan Sorkin, Andrew Klavan, Derek Connolly, Graham Moore, John Orloff, Louhimies&Rantala, Nopola&Nopola...
If such an offer were ever made to me, the first thing I'd probably do is find a very, very good lawyer. Because, undoubtedly, they'd hand me the contract and my reaction would be that of Frodo: It's some form of Elvish, I can't read it. Only then would I worry about my artistic integrity, and in all likelihood decline the offer.
Honestly, if I had to have my book adapted, I'd rather have it as an animated TV show. I love animation, and all that you can do with the medium. Plus, I'm aiming my book at adults, and adult animation (at least ones that aren't comedies) are seriously lacking in America.
I imagine if my first book was made into a movie, it would be more like a Richard Linklater movie like Slacker or Dazed and Confused - rambling scenes of the chaotic lives of young people on their own for the first time. My 2nd one would probably do well as a movie or a TV series.
