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(19.1. 2003) Jitka Saniova: Fantasy scripts and my experiences with agencies. For almost three years, together with my friend Richard Brookes from California who I met in Internet (and we haven´t met personally yet!!), I have enjoyed writing stories in English. Then we have decided to write a screenplay together - a fantasy story called “The Wolf Queen”. We have written a pitch and started to offer it to agencies. The first agency who wanted to see the manuscript was a Canadian agency. But in the end, we got a polite rejection because the agent considered The Wolf Queen too expensive project. Never mind! With a big enthusiasm, we have again started to look for an agency. In Internet (on a free web!) I have found a list of agencies and producers which has brought a success to us. Natasha Tighe from Australia has enjoyed our manuscript. However, she had some requests (for example, she wanted the story to begin in reality and the boy to entered in the fantasy wolf kingdom afterward). We have worked on the manuscript through Internet and I must say it has been very enjoyable. Our relationship has become very friendly and all of us have discussed every suggestion with open mind and tolerance. Quite soon Natasha Tighe has been satisfied with all the manuscript and she is presently looking for financing the project. She has warned us it will be a long-term work as The Wolf Queen is really expensive fantasy, but she is optimistic. Australia isn´t Hollywood and so she has warned us as well that we can´t get money before getting start the project. The success of our first fantasy story made us very enthusiastic and my friend and I have written the second fantasy called Anabar (in the same year). This time we have started to offer it in U.S.A. After some rejections even the synopsis, we have got an agency that wanted to read our manuscript. A week later, we have got a contract with an offer of representation. You can imagine our enthusiasm. Although there was a problem – we had to pay a fee for representation. This agency wanted to get paid a fee every three months according their expenses (the maximum request could be, however, $ 90). My friend is retired with limited incoming money and I can´t say I can afford to spend money for such fees. It was a hard moment. In the end, my friend and I have decided to accept the contract which was made for almost one year. Jack R. Stanley from Texas University where he teaches screenwriting has told me agencies asking fees to their clients are usually less successful ones. A good agency is able to earn enough money for their salaries and expenses. But you know, in that moment it was hard to refuse the contract. Now – more than one year later I do know I will refuse any contract with fees. Our agent did send us a list of places where was going our manuscript and their comments, but they were so few studios! Then our agent suffered a family tragedy and health problems and, as a result, had to cut back on her work activity. This freed up the script without any problem because she herself didn´t renovate the contract. However, my friend and I have made (a little expensive for us) experience which has brought us to this conclusion: we wouldn´t never accept a contract with any requested fee for expenses. I have been desperate as in U.S.A. it is now so common to ask a fee. So I am really happy to see that finally Czech Republic has an agency for screenwriters. And what more – it is that kind agency which Jack calles “a serious and honest agency”. I have found here friendly and enthusiastic behavior. Thanks God, in future I can try to send my synopsis to a “home” agency. Although I have made another experience in these two years. I think I will try to write another genre than fantasy. It seems to be hard to sell. Jitka Saniova email: jsaniova@iol.cz