Tracking may be one of the elements of development that seems the most elusive from the outside, but is actually one of the most simple. The term "tracking" literally refers to keeping track of the available material, including spec scripts and books that agents are going out with around town.

Tracking boards

Tracking boards (on the internet) have been put up so that groups of D-people (assistants and execs) can post information about these available (i.e. for sale) books and scripts, including date they are going out, title, author, loglines, genre and comments (good, bad, etc.). Originally a job done on the phone, tracking has become a successful internet community tool, allowing up-to-the-minute information to keep track of and discuss new material.

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Tracking Buddies

Tracking buddies are great people to call upon when you're either in need of getting a spec slipped, or looking to report on a specific piece of material.

When posting, it's important to log accurate (correct date, everything spelled correctly, etc.) information, as your board members' opinions form through attention to detail and accuracy. You will notice that people who post messy, incoherent or inaccurate information tend to be those that other trackers shy away from.

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Representation and Tracking

Agents and managers usually hate tracking boards, not just because they can create negative buzz and kill a spec before it goes out, but also because they spread information like wildfire. Once a spec is posted, representatives are often flooded with superfulous calls from unrelated production companies. That being said, some agents actually embrace the tool and try to generate buzz for their specs this way. If a D-person does decide to help an agency in the creation of false buzz, they should be aware that it may ultimately spring back on them. Items logged on boards reflect the poster's opinion. Abusing fellow trackers with invalid propoganda could damage the opinions of people who may be valuable later on.

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Joining a Tracking Group

There are different ways of joining a tracking group. Each method depends on the size of your current network.

1. Know someone in an existing tracking group. The existing member will contact their "group administrator" to ask the him/her to add you to their group.
2. For FilmTracker tracking groups, you can request to join an open tracking group from the "Open Tracking Groups" page. A request will then be sent to the administrator who has the power to "invite" you into their group.

In either case, the administrator will evaluate whether their group would benefit from your membership. Although this may initially sound harsh, credible reasons are ususally provided. The group may restrict based on the company you work for, executives of a certain level, or (very rare) personal reasons. In most cases, however, the group has someone from your company or from a competing company with the same studio deal. Groups tend to limit their size for security/confidentiality reasons because a board heavy with d-people from, for example, Warner Bros. based companies would effectively limit the possibilities of any member curtailing information to protect their rights to a particular piece of material. If, however, you are denied, don't take it personally, because there are plenty of other great groups to join. Additionally, you can (and probably should) join more than one.

Tracking Etiquette

The success of your tracking board depends solely on the contribution of its members. The information is available and easy to access, as long as everyone contributes. As a rule, you should only put into your group as much as you get out. And even if your board goes belly up, the group members can continue to be great resources. Often people have more info than they post, and if you give people a call (and you are nice, and you help them when they need help), they will most likely help you.