i'm currently writing a script for my portfolio film for film school and i want some feed back, but i'm scared to post it on here
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is it safe to post scripts on here, for feedback
- Thread starter laurenvictoria
- Start date
Get a poor-mans copyright first. Send it to yourself in the mail...but you send it registered or something. I forget exactly. But it's at least worth doing that I'd think.
People in this business WILL steal your ideas. There's just enough of them out there to warrant safety precautions.
People in this business WILL steal your ideas. There's just enough of them out there to warrant safety precautions.
In the United States, as soon you as your pen leaves the paper, what is written is yours -- you automatically have copyright protection. Contrary to many "comments" one doesn't need to file a copyright to protect your work. Yes, you can take the extra step of having it "registered", but registered or not if somebody is going to steal your work, you don't have an extra level of protection to prevent that thief from stealing it.
The registration may help you in court, but likely you would have plenty of other evidence showing you wrote it initially.
Your primary concern posting it here would be somebody stealing your ideas -- ideas cannot be copyright protected.
Proceed accordingly.
Good luck!
The registration may help you in court, but likely you would have plenty of other evidence showing you wrote it initially.
Your primary concern posting it here would be somebody stealing your ideas -- ideas cannot be copyright protected.
Proceed accordingly.
Good luck!
alright thanks! i don't think i have any ideas worth stealing,i'm only a novice, but you never know 
What scares you? That your excellent idea will be stolen and someone
will write a script and make the movie before you do?
"the poorman's copyright" can easily be faked and won't hold up in court.
According to the official copyright website (copyright.gov):
“The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes
called a poor man’s copyright. There is no provision in the copyright law
regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration.”
What film school are you applying to?
im applying to a few: Ithaca, NYU, Pratt, SVA, Montclair, Emerson
Though you do have copyright protection, the key is showing WHEN your work was created.
In this digital day and age, it gets harder and harder to not be able to date your work. Further, each save or revision is also recorded in the digital realm in one place or another. You'll have a long trail supporting the originality of your work.
A thief will not have this and he'll have to guess as to when you originally created the work or started the outline. It would be nutty for a thief to spend the time to forge something as valuable as the average screenplay -- which is worth next to zero.
A typical stolen work is likely done by someone close to the project -- a disgrunted writing partner or producer who believe they own the work.
laurenvictoria,
What scares you about posting your script here?
What scares you about posting your script here?
well it's not that hard if you stick to the 'vintage' method of pen and paper. when you finish a script, type it up, date the paper version and send it to a lock-box in a bank or give it to a lawyer or some other official to hold in case someone does steal it. essentially date it and give it to someone who won't let you touch it or someone who can document when you went to the place last.
Why is there such a resistance to register the copyright?
It's inexpensive and official. What you propose is easily faked and
any good lawyer can poke holes in these methods. A lock box in a
bank (for example) can be accessed during the life of the script. It
will cost a LOT of money to defend a copyright suit using this
method - and it's very likely to fail. What "other official" would a
writer give a script to to hold in case you need to prove the copyright
in court? Is that really better than registering the copyright officially?
I'm not understand why people are offering suggestions other then
registering the copyright.
This is why places like this forum and FB thrive . . . people just want to add their 2 cents whether or not its useful or correct.
The fact that 99.99% of scripts aren't worth stealing and copyright protection is extended to ALL written works, registered or not, seems to be secondary to getting their 2 cents in.
Naturally that's the best. I think poor man's is used...well...because it's in the name...it's cheaper. I've had lawyers tell me it's better than nothing.
Id rather post my screenplay here and get a feedback from experienced filmmakers, than fear for "idea theft" and show the copy to my friends. When I know what im doing (I ve got looooong way to go to that point haha) then I ll pick and choose who will read my written turd..
Until them! I ll post it everywhere, give it to anyone who will say "sure, I ll read it".
In fact, if somebody steals it - I ll be soo happy that people concidered my written speaming pile of poop worth stealing.
So, don't be scared. Whip it out, and let us all see what your work with.
Wow, that sounded...just wrong... I m going away now, all embarrased
Until them! I ll post it everywhere, give it to anyone who will say "sure, I ll read it".
In fact, if somebody steals it - I ll be soo happy that people concidered my written speaming pile of poop worth stealing.
So, don't be scared. Whip it out, and let us all see what your work with.
Wow, that sounded...just wrong... I m going away now, all embarrased
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You have been mislead by those lawyers. And do you really mean
more than one? Shame on them.
At least if a writer does nothing they are not under the misconception
they have some form of copyright protection. The "poorman's" method
is no protection at all.
As already stated, once you write an original work, it is yours by law. Legal proof of WHEN the original work was created is only required if you have to sue someone or, conversely, someone sues you for copyright infringement. Non-members can register an original work with the WGA (Writer's Guild of America) for $30.00. The U.S. Copyright Office charges $35.00 for online registration. Most Notary Publics that I know charge $20.00 to notarize any document and discount additional documents done at the same time. Even if the additional pages only cost you $1 each, having 100 pages of screenplay notarized is just plain silly.
My thoughts.. (you can quote me if you like, Iv said it many times...)
Ideas are easy, execution is the hard part.
Register it first, you will feel better.
Ideas are easy, execution is the hard part.
Register it first, you will feel better.