I was told by a few on here that if I show it around it could get my foot in the door better, but even if a person cannot copy the script, they can still use the same idea. If someone uses my idea before me, then mine won't be so original when I finally get around to making it into a film. Or is that not the case?
Is it safe to show your script around even if copyrighted?
- Thread starter harmonica44
- Start date
I only wrote one script and in the process of writing another, the Golden goose one. I will sit on the previous script until I become successful enough to get the budget to make it, if I do. I don't wanna show either off till I know what I am doing then. So I guess I'll just show around short film scripts for now then maybe.
So how come some indie filmmakers where I live, want their workers to sign non-disclosure agreements, if showing around your script is a good thing? Or do they normally just have them sign after production is ready to start?
I can't answer that - but they can.
A non-disclosure agreement is worthless. Maybe the indie filmmakers
where you live are just as nervous and worried as you are - and for no
reason at all. What worries you is someone will take your idea, write a
script, get the financing, produce the movie and get it distributed before
you do. Even if that person has signed a non-disclosure agreement they
can still do that.
Sure, you can sue and you might win some money but that is very
doubtful and it will still be too late - the idea will be out there and you
won't be able to make the movie you want to make.
Do not show your script or idea to anyone. A non-disclosure agreement
will not prevent what you are nervous about.
A non-disclosure agreement is worthless. Maybe the indie filmmakers
where you live are just as nervous and worried as you are - and for no
reason at all. What worries you is someone will take your idea, write a
script, get the financing, produce the movie and get it distributed before
you do. Even if that person has signed a non-disclosure agreement they
can still do that.
Sure, you can sue and you might win some money but that is very
doubtful and it will still be too late - the idea will be out there and you
won't be able to make the movie you want to make.
Do not show your script or idea to anyone. A non-disclosure agreement
will not prevent what you are nervous about.
Oh okay. I'll show it around when I'm ready to make it. How are NDAs worthless?
Even if everyone has signed a non-disclosure agreement someone
can still take your idea, write a script, put together the financing,
producer the movie and find distribution before you do.
Sure, you can sue and you might win some money but that is very
doubtful because all that was used was your idea. A NDA will not legally
keep someone from using the idea you covet. And that's what you're
worried about, isn't it? Besides, it will still be too late - the idea will be
out there and you won't be able to make the movie you want to make.
Anyway, as everyone has said over and over and over, you are worrying
for no reason. What you believe might happen will not happen. But no
one telling you that means anything to you. So do not show your script
to anyone and your unfounded fears will be calmed.
can still take your idea, write a script, put together the financing,
producer the movie and find distribution before you do.
Sure, you can sue and you might win some money but that is very
doubtful because all that was used was your idea. A NDA will not legally
keep someone from using the idea you covet. And that's what you're
worried about, isn't it? Besides, it will still be too late - the idea will be
out there and you won't be able to make the movie you want to make.
Anyway, as everyone has said over and over and over, you are worrying
for no reason. What you believe might happen will not happen. But no
one telling you that means anything to you. So do not show your script
to anyone and your unfounded fears will be calmed.
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lol okay I thought maybe they were important since other producers get there people to sign them. But ya. I will make it after I've had some good practice. Thanks guys.
Big production have NDA's to keep the lid on the project so they can control the marketing message and timing of "leaks" getting out.
For example (this is all supposition by the way, I have no facts other then my observations), you might know of Andrew Kramer of video copilot. He has been working on a "secret project" for a few months now, since the release of that project is soon he can now talk about it.. where as earlier he was prevented from disclosing publicly what he was working on. NDA's are normally just clauses in a work contract.
In the Engineering world, violating an NDA can land you in prison! Certainly people have been sued and lost everything becuase of doing so.
For example (this is all supposition by the way, I have no facts other then my observations), you might know of Andrew Kramer of video copilot. He has been working on a "secret project" for a few months now, since the release of that project is soon he can now talk about it.. where as earlier he was prevented from disclosing publicly what he was working on. NDA's are normally just clauses in a work contract.
In the Engineering world, violating an NDA can land you in prison! Certainly people have been sued and lost everything becuase of doing so.
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Well why do big companies use NDAs if they are no good, as one user said before?
I have worked for all the majors at one time or another in various
jobs from grip to special efx camera operator to reader. I have
never - even as a reader - signed a NDA regarding script I have
covered.
I worked in “Revenge of the Jedi” when it was called “Blue Harvest”
and no one on the crew signed a NDA. I worked on “Indiana Jones
and the Crystal Skull” and wasn’t asked to sign an NDA. I have
never heard of a casting agent or casting director who requires
auditioners to sign an NDA.
It is very, very rare for a studio or big prodCo to require anyone to
sign NDA’s because they know they have no teeth.
harmonica is worried that an actor auditioning for a part or a director
or producer reading the script will take his idea and make a movie using
that idea before he does. As I have said several times, if that happens
a NDA will not prevent it. Anyone can sign one and still take the idea and
make a movie before he does and his fear has come true. He does not
have the resources to prevent that from happening - frankly neither does
a big company. Once the idea is out there, it's out there and the reason
for the NDA is gone.
jobs from grip to special efx camera operator to reader. I have
never - even as a reader - signed a NDA regarding script I have
covered.
I worked in “Revenge of the Jedi” when it was called “Blue Harvest”
and no one on the crew signed a NDA. I worked on “Indiana Jones
and the Crystal Skull” and wasn’t asked to sign an NDA. I have
never heard of a casting agent or casting director who requires
auditioners to sign an NDA.
It is very, very rare for a studio or big prodCo to require anyone to
sign NDA’s because they know they have no teeth.
harmonica is worried that an actor auditioning for a part or a director
or producer reading the script will take his idea and make a movie using
that idea before he does. As I have said several times, if that happens
a NDA will not prevent it. Anyone can sign one and still take the idea and
make a movie before he does and his fear has come true. He does not
have the resources to prevent that from happening - frankly neither does
a big company. Once the idea is out there, it's out there and the reason
for the NDA is gone.
Well I just gotta conquer my fear and show it around. I will show both of my scripts around, once the first one is done. However I think there have been a lot of cases of scripts being copied. Just the ideas really. I mean there are a few movies that came out and just a few months later, a very similar one came out, which suggests a filmmaker wanting to compete with a movie, that just came out. After Flight 93 came out, a few months later there was United 93. After Capote, a few months later there was Infamous. After Tombstone, a few months came Wyatt Earp. After Paranormal Activity, came Paranormal Entity. So it seems to me that there is definite idea copying competition going on, but that's okay. I'll still show it around. Just making an observation.
I think I might post some of my first 10 or more pages on here to get feedback once I'm done maybe.
I think I might post some of my first 10 or more pages on here to get feedback once I'm done maybe.
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And? In your first three examples the films were all based on real-life events/people and The Asylum (who made Paranormal Entity) will do the same to any successful film. If your film is based on real events then a reinterpretation is no more of a rip-off than the second film based on a particular novel would be.
Seriously harmonica, you need to understand the business a little.
As chilipie points out your examples are way, way off.
Do you honestly think that “United 93” was made because someone
(an actor auditioning, a director or producer reading scripts) saw the
script for “Flight 93” and thought, “I can use that same story!”? You
really think that is even a possibility?
And you feel that Dan Gordon and Lawrence Kasdan discovered the
story of Wyatt Earp only after reading the script of “Tombstone”?
Are you sure "Tombstone" wasn't "stolen" from the 1946 film "My
Darling Clementine" or the 1939 "Frontier Marshal"?
How about a few examples that address YOUR fear - an actor at an
audition reads a script, loves the idea, writes a script based on that
idea, gets it financed and produced and released before the original
filmmakers does. You know of that happening? Or someone on a
message board reading a script and making the movie before the
writer/director can get it made. You got one? Just one?
And please learn a little about companies like The Asylum. chilipie is
correct - they see a hit movie and very quickly make a rip-off. They
have been doing that for years - I have written and/or directed several
of them. But they make their rip-off AFTER the original movie in in
the theaters. They have never ripped-off an idea from an actor auditioning
and stealing the idea. Do have any idea how many “Blair Witch” rip-off’s
were made? I know of at least 10 “Paranormal Activity” rip-offs. I
have seen well over 20 “Resevoir Dogs” rip-offs.
Have you ever seen John Sayles excellent "Jaws" rip-off?
The day the first trailer came out for “Snakes on a Plane” was released
I got a call from The Asylum asking me to write a rip-off of that film. Not
based on reading the script or any idea other than the title - and they
couldn’t afford a plane set. So I wrote a script called “Snakes on Cocaine”
to be shot in the jail set they happened to have.
You’re right, there is plenty of idea copying and there is a lot of competition.
But what you fear has never happened. Ever.
people you trust for feedback.
As chilipie points out your examples are way, way off.
Do you honestly think that “United 93” was made because someone
(an actor auditioning, a director or producer reading scripts) saw the
script for “Flight 93” and thought, “I can use that same story!”? You
really think that is even a possibility?
And you feel that Dan Gordon and Lawrence Kasdan discovered the
story of Wyatt Earp only after reading the script of “Tombstone”?
Are you sure "Tombstone" wasn't "stolen" from the 1946 film "My
Darling Clementine" or the 1939 "Frontier Marshal"?
How about a few examples that address YOUR fear - an actor at an
audition reads a script, loves the idea, writes a script based on that
idea, gets it financed and produced and released before the original
filmmakers does. You know of that happening? Or someone on a
message board reading a script and making the movie before the
writer/director can get it made. You got one? Just one?
And please learn a little about companies like The Asylum. chilipie is
correct - they see a hit movie and very quickly make a rip-off. They
have been doing that for years - I have written and/or directed several
of them. But they make their rip-off AFTER the original movie in in
the theaters. They have never ripped-off an idea from an actor auditioning
and stealing the idea. Do have any idea how many “Blair Witch” rip-off’s
were made? I know of at least 10 “Paranormal Activity” rip-offs. I
have seen well over 20 “Resevoir Dogs” rip-offs.
Have you ever seen John Sayles excellent "Jaws" rip-off?
The day the first trailer came out for “Snakes on a Plane” was released
I got a call from The Asylum asking me to write a rip-off of that film. Not
based on reading the script or any idea other than the title - and they
couldn’t afford a plane set. So I wrote a script called “Snakes on Cocaine”
to be shot in the jail set they happened to have.
You’re right, there is plenty of idea copying and there is a lot of competition.
But what you fear has never happened. Ever.
Do not post random pages for feedback. Finish your script. Then offer it to
people you trust for feedback.
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Yeah I know my examples were based off true stories, but it is a little too coincidental that they all came out within such close proximity it seems. But yeah I'll take your advice on the script. However many people I trust are not the ones who have connections.
To use an old phrase, when it's time to railroad, you railroad. Just because two or three studios have a script in production or that's being released, and they are all similar, does not mean there was any 'idea copying' going on. It obviously was just a good marketable idea for the time so out of the thousands of writers out there, more than one of them got made.
Do you see what I'm saying?
All that aside, a $35 copyright from the US Copyright office will solve any problems. Or register it with the WGA ($20-25).
That way, show it to everyone. If something pops up that looks like your script in a few years (this has happened less than 20 times with documentation) and you can prove that more than 60% of the plot, characters, and details of your screenplay are in this new screenplay by someone else, then you file a claim against them (with the WGA it will be investigated and arbitrated by their arbitration board, not sure the process for US copyright, but pretty sure it's quite similar) and if the investigation proves that they stole that amount of material from your script, you will be entitled to any money they make from it. (or some, it's all decided by the people doing the hearing)
But like others said, don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If it's a great idea, it'll make its way up through the ranks. If it's not, no one will want to steal it anyway.
Just remember though, for every The Golden Child and Alien vs Predators (the two most famous cases of this) there are 1,000 Forever Youngs (ideas no one would want to steal).
Wow I didn't know those two movies were stolen. Perhaps they should have a law that if it's proven stolen that it cannot be distributed or distribution must be pulled once proven. But yeah, I was referring to a feature I wanna do, not a short. Thanks for the info. So I won't post the script on here, but will worry about who I show it too once it's done.
Well, I don't know the whole story on Golden Child or AvP, but... http://www.lpsla.com/news/summary-j...uit-re-motion-picture-alien-vs-predator-2011/
harmonica44, it seems like everyone on this thread is telling you not to worry so much, and you keep returning to paranoia. I sorta understand your fear (you have an idea and want to make a film out of it, not someone else), but it is misplaced. As Infested Films said, if it's a good idea, it'll be used and re-used anyway. And you always, always, ALWAYS need feedback from people who are doing what you are doing. Showing your friends and relatives a script is all well and good. But the best feedback is going to come from people who aren't friends (as in, have no reason to avoid saying things because they want to be nice) and people who are experienced in filmmaking and/or scriptwriting.
Put yourself in someone else's shoes. Someone hands you a script to read, to be part of the production or just for feedback/critique. Are you going to steal it? Or would you rather work on your OWN ideas? Creative people (myself included) have egos and ideas! If you were a director and someone hands you a FANTASTIC idea that you want to use, wouldn't you then discuss it with the writer, rather than just stealing it?
Anyway, don't worry so much! And copyrighting is relatively cheap and should put all your fears to rest.
harmonica44, it seems like everyone on this thread is telling you not to worry so much, and you keep returning to paranoia. I sorta understand your fear (you have an idea and want to make a film out of it, not someone else), but it is misplaced. As Infested Films said, if it's a good idea, it'll be used and re-used anyway. And you always, always, ALWAYS need feedback from people who are doing what you are doing. Showing your friends and relatives a script is all well and good. But the best feedback is going to come from people who aren't friends (as in, have no reason to avoid saying things because they want to be nice) and people who are experienced in filmmaking and/or scriptwriting.
Put yourself in someone else's shoes. Someone hands you a script to read, to be part of the production or just for feedback/critique. Are you going to steal it? Or would you rather work on your OWN ideas? Creative people (myself included) have egos and ideas! If you were a director and someone hands you a FANTASTIC idea that you want to use, wouldn't you then discuss it with the writer, rather than just stealing it?
Anyway, don't worry so much! And copyrighting is relatively cheap and should put all your fears to rest.