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Tell my director friend about my story ideas when he shamelessly rips off other works

I got the opportunity to film a project with my friend. One of our big investors is also a mutual friend so it works out perfectly. The problem is my friend loves to take ideas and not even change them around. It feels weird mentioning about my ideas if he's going to take them one day.

Anyone else been in a situation like this?
 
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Oh man, another opportunity came up to discuss my movie and series ideas. It's killing me to keep these ideas inside. What do you guys do with your best story ideas? I reveal them to my close friends who aren't in the industry or close friends in the industry that have shown to strive to go original when they can. But in this situation it's tough. I tell producer, he mentions it to me and my codirector, and my codirector will look at me like I'm horrible. (To my aid though, he does completely rip off ideas and try to sell them as his own.)
 
I would think, you should write everything down. Make it a finished product, on paper. Do this before you ever discuss it. Then register it, to get a date on your copyright. Then discuss it freely. If he tries to steal it, then, do whatever you feel you must.
 
I thought about that too and am damn serious by this point that I wanna do that. But still is it true, if he changes a few details around it wouldn't infringe on copyright? I mean if somewhere down the line I have evidence that we talked about it (not sure what evidence that would be) but that is what's required in order to show that he did copy my idea?
 
There are others here that could better advise you, but I got a big mouth. :) Seriously, if you can't trust the guy, why work with him? Or why even consider discussing undeveloped ideas with him? Why can't you and the producer work something out?

Also, you have to remember, you are not doing anything wrong by seeking out the producer. Isn't that the way it works?? If he wants to use your director friend on the film, great!! If not, fuck it, your film got made.
 
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Oh well I guess I'll explain the situation a little better.

The producer is a mutual friend and we're working on the same project right now. However, we're always talking about what we want to film next. So far we have been making the same series and I wanted to mention my own. However, because we're such close friends, if I told the producer my other director friend would most likely find out.

It sucks because I have never met a director or writer that openly bit off other works and didn't even bother to change some names. He's young and all, but still wow.
 
You've got what we call in my day-job profession a 'dual relationship.'

It's always tricky to go into business with friends. And that's exactly what you're doing, 'art' or not, you're going into business. Most friendships can't survive it.
 
Yeah I definitely have to go about registering my idea/s. When you register and copyright, are you copywriting entire scripts or can you do even concepts? I would guess concepts are too general, but if someone is paid to approve them, then can't they approve concepts that are specific enough?


And yeah it is a crappy situation. This producer is probably the best link I have into the next step of the industry. He's doing well with producing, acting, connections, studio, mainstream companies. There's a chacne he may be directing a movie that goes into theaters nationwide (!) That is why it's such a dilemma and not just "one" of the producers friends I have bumped into and maintained contact with. He's my best link.
 
Never heard one schript, word stealing (except for Ronnie Rocket) . I mean, no one can realy look into joure head and realy, see al the awsomenes of the schript. Jou can only steal half of it. If some one told me, heeeee......I have a awsome schript about Mark Zuckerberg. I would not want to steal this.....because I cannot possibly make a movie out of this.
 
True but I guess if you get specific enough when copyrighting it might work. It's been a while and I have to refresh myself about the registration system. And yeah with only a few words that my friend overhears he can't make a whole movie out of it, but when I talk to the producer it's usually all three of us around each other and any finer details I tell him, would most definitely be known to my director friend. My director friend is a pretty good guy as a person, but as a writer I'm shocked :(
 
You can't copyright an idea, only a script.

But ask yourself this: Are you more worried about your friend stealing your idea, or are you more worried that he'll steal it and make a better movie out of it that you would?

There's no way your idea is so original that no one has done it before. So just be confident that if you guys both make a movie based on your idea, that you'll make a better one :)
 
I've thought of that too sure, but his filmmaking skills so far have been carried on my back. So while he may still have lots of potential, I haven't seen anything from him that was outstanding. We were just close friends who were both directors so we decided to collab.

I think to some degree everything has been done before. But there are a lot of ideas out there that as they begin to become shaped ARE very original. I don't think just because an idea is original that it will get a million fans either. But if you have an idea that is pretty original AND it is something that audiences would be drawn to, you have something special and it shouldn't just be thrown and given away to just anyone.

I'm not afraid of my codirector making a better movie. It's simple, I don't want him getting the credit for something I thought of creatively. Because he's known to blatantly rip off other movies and not even change some names and terms around. With any other director, I wouldn't have this problem.
 
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Iv said it many times, ideas are cheap. Execution is where it matters. If you only have this one great idea, your doomed.

Specific to your situation. It not like your married. Do you HAVE to work on the same projects TOGETHER all the time like some old married couple or do you have a more open relationship where its OK to go out and meet others?
 
Yeah man we are married with 12 kids. Thanks for the input though.

Also it's not one single idea. It's several ideas I've been working with for 5-7 years. I think it'd be stupid to claim to have thought of one huge idea that hasn't been done before. That's not me.

We don't have to work on everything together, however, the current project all three of us are around each other. For that reason, any ideas we talk about are heard and overhead by each other. If we weren't currently doing this project together already, and if the mutual producer wasn't looking for any ideas to finance and film, it wouldn't be a problem.
 
Is it really a problem though? I mean, you're all working on Other Director's project today. Producer is looking for something to do next. Why not say "hey, interested in doing my project next?" on which, the Other Director could be your assistant. Help you develop it the way you're helping him develop his idea.

You don't HAVE to work on everything together, true, but why not make a team effort out of it, or rather, keep the ball rolling on the team that you have?
 
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