I’ve wondered this occasionally before, and this post by Annie-Xmas finally convinced me to ask the question here.
Is there a way (even if it’s only in the industry rather than available to the public) to search the archives of distributed film scripts to look for specific language? And if not, can you tell me how a company like Macy’s would be able to compile the collection referenced in Annie’s post?
I can’t answer specifically about searchable archives, but I know that a big company like Macy’s will have an in-house promotions department that will keep records of the company’s mentions in film and literature. They may pay an agency to do it as well.
When I saw the commercial, the first thing I thought of was Shirley Jackson’s hilarious short story “My Life with R.H. Macy,” in which she documents her first (and last) day as a sales clerk. It was her first published story and a far cry from “The Lottery.”
I hate shopping at Macy’s, but that commercial makes me want to go there. I hope the person who came up with it got a big fat raise.
There are a number of sites out there that fit your description, some more comprehensive than others. I’ve had good luck with ScriptCrawler and Simply Scripts in the past.
Not exactly what you’re looking for but it might help.