"So, what exactly is on the grid?"

If you've read the About IOTG page, you know the site was started by a group of MP Lit managers who were trying to solve two problems:

1. Build a great tool to track spec scripts, one that would have easy, searchable access to the "who, what, where, when and how" for every spec on the market; and
2. Collaborate effectively to collect the same type of information about studio open writing assignments.

The result is itsonthegrid.com, a web-based database of

• Feature film projects in active development in Hollywood (over 500 OWAs alone, plus scores of ODAs and hundreds of other projects with recent development activity);
• Every spec script that's gone out wide since the beginning of 2009 (and most of what came out in 2008);
• Every company involved with every project (over 600 agencies, management companies, production companies, studios and other buyers); and
• Every person associated each project (over 3000 agents, managers, executives, producers, directors and writers).

We designed the system so you can easily search for specific People, Companies and Projects (filtering by Specs, OWAs, ODAs and so on, depending on your subscription level) using the "Quick Search" and "Advanced Search" features. You can also simply browse each of those categories on the "Browse" page, which is like an electronic version of the hard copied OWA Grids you've been sneaking out of the big agencies for years. (Save a tree...sign up for itsonthegrid.com.)

In addition, the system allows you to store private notes associated with every Person, Project and Company in the system. The idea is to let you keep track of your submissions on a particular project, or information about the people you've met, or the inside information you've gathered about what a particular company is looking to develop. Your personal information is secure and private, visible only by you...which is one reason you shouldn't give out your username and password. Ever.

"Sweet. So...what's not on the grid?"

As you'll see when you sign up, IOTG is a pretty great version of what it is, and the site will become even more indispensable, especially to industry professionals, as we roll out the additional features and functionality currently in development. But there are few things we're not trying to do here:

• Compete with The Studio System and IMDB Pro. Those sites are great sources of comprehensive credits for movies and TV going back decades. Think of IOTG as a complement to those sites (or, you know, vice versa), not a substitute.


• Compete with The Hollywood Creative Directory and Representation Directory. HCD is far more comprehensive than IOTG when it comes to contact information across the length and breadth of the entertainment business. IOTG's contact information overlaps part of HCD, but focuses exclusively on the feature film development business.

On the other hand, the above sites don't do what we do. At all. So if you're serious about the feature film development business, you should subscribe to itsonthegrid.com along with those other industry standards.