Script finished, now should I trust people with my script?

T

tDOT

Hey guys,

Been writing some shirt film ideas for past month or so, never could get a nice finished script. However, a week ago I've made the first draft and just finished the final draft today.

So, from a newbie perspective, do you guys think I should give him my final draft? He said he wants to try to produce it before summer so we can submit it in festivals, but I'd like to hear from people(YOU) with experience and insight in this field.
 
Last edited:
Sort by date Sort by votes
You should probably get it copywritten first, just to be safe. What you could do just to start is male the script to yourself, and do not open it because I heard by doing that that legally copyrights it. Just don't open it, unless someone tries to steal your work.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
harmonica44 said:
male the script to yourself, and do not open it because I heard by doing that that legally copyrights it. Just don't open it, unless someone tries to steal your work.
Click to expand...

That's called "the poor man's copyright", and is not a good idea. You really do want the official authority to have it on record.

OP should definitely register a dated copyright with Uncle Sam at www.CopyRight.gov

It can be done online, and is pretty cheap to do.

The only thing I'm not sure of is, can a minor actually copright something for themself? Or does a parent/guardian have to do it on their behalf? I dunno. Worth finding out.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Its interesting to see the users on the forum replying "Copyright your work" as oppose to "trust him". I can assume from those response that the posters are aware of people who are stealing work.

But let me quickly add detail and I'll be on my way.

The screenplay(If you can even call it that) itself is merely 10 pages, its my first short film I'm eager to produce(Ive written other screenplays with greater lengths but never was happy with it) and I do not see it being any longer than 4 minutes.

Do you still think its worth it?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
No need to copyright shorts in my opinion.

For every short that gets made another twenty don't. If someone steals your ten pages and makes a short out of it then that's far from the end of the world. There's no money in shorts and there's a greater number of writers writing them than there are camera crews to film them.

I recommend uploading it to Google Docs and posting it on IndieTalk. It's a greater way to get feedback and you can always take it offline when you feel like it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
People in the industry do not steal 10 page scripts written by
high school students. People outside of the industry with no
connections to get a short made do not steal 10 page scripts
written by high school students.

Now to the question of trust;

You know the guy. If you feel his parents will steal your idea
and write a full length script and sell it before you can finish
your movie then do not show it to them. They already have
seen the first and second draft so if your script is good enough
to steal it has already been stolen. They have no use at all for
a 10 page script, they will need to adapt it into a feature before
it has any value at all.

My advice is to show your script to this guy and allow his parents
to read it. Take the chance that they will not steal your script and
sell it before you can make a movie together.

harmonica - the method you mention is an old myth that is not
a viable way to copyright anything. Please do not continue to spread
that myth around.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
NickClapper said:
No need to copyright shorts in my opinion.

For every short that gets made another twenty don't. If someone steals your ten pages and makes a short out of it then that's far from the end of the world. There's no money in shorts and there's a greater number of writers writing them than there are camera crews to film them.

I recommend uploading it to Google Docs and posting it on IndieTalk. It's a greater way to get feedback and you can always take it offline when you feel like it.
Click to expand...

Even though there is no money in shorts, someone could take a short film idea and turn into a feature. But if you are not planning on turning your short into a feature later on I guess there is nothing to potentially worry about.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I've been on the opposite side, looking for a short (I make movies for fun) and having to deal with writers who are so paranoid that I'm going to steal their idea and make millions from it. So I've ended up writing my own stuff because its just not worth the hassle (it takes me less time to write a short than deal with a writer who has written one).
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Let me put it this way, the film industry is highly competitive. And i mean HIGHLY competitive.

no offense tDOT, but your script is probably not all that great. I personally am a University student and has been making movies for only a few years. Though lacking in experience compared to others, but i think i can understand how you feel. When you've got your first script, it feels like THE ONE. (Kind of like when you date someone for the first time, lol....)

What i think you should do it really show it to this friend's parents. Let them give you ideas, professorial help, and if it's really good, they may even offer to personally tutor you or something. take you kind of as an apprentice?

And worst case scenario. They stole it, they ran away with it, they made millions off it, you didn't get any credit. But Then you'll know you've got the brain man. You'll be confident in your ability. If this is what someone else can do with your FIRST idea. Imagine what YOU could do with all the rest of your ideas?

Either way, you've got nothing to loose. Get as many opinion as you can, after all, that's why we are all here right? to share experience, and learn from one another.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Has anybody ever heard of the “mailing-your-screenplay-to-yourself” technique being held up in court? I know I haven’t. It’s always struck me as being a bit odd. Sure you get a sealed envelope with a date on it and your screenplay inside, which can’t hurt your chances. But surely, just by uploading it to the internet you get the proof that you wrote it before Michael Bay came and stole it and made $600,000,000,000 from it, and I don’t think many people would trust that.

As far as showing it to people, just do it. If somebody steals it and makes a multi-million dollar movie from it, that’s the best feedback you could possibly get. You just wrote the highest grossing movie of all time! Go write another one!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
If your idea is so unique and different that there is only room in the world for one film using it, then it's probably not really all that good of an idea. If it's not that good of an idea, who would risk being sued to steal it?

I think too much focus is put, in general, on being unique and original, particularly by beginners (in any artform. I've seen it a lot of music too). Being different is not as important as being good, and feedback is how you learn to be good. Share, and share with people with experience.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Maybe an illustration could be helpful:

Everyone has gone to school, everyone has had English class, but out of the millions that goes through school everyday, we've never heard of a case where an English teacher stole a piece of writing by a student and made millions off it.

Nor does any art teacher take a students work and pass it off as his own, usually.

I have heard of the rare second case throughout history, but in that case, the students whoes art work as been stolen would have studied and practiced day and night for many many years.

We don't see english students in high school or uni copyrighting all their writings, nor art students doing the same for all their artwork, so why should scriptwriters?

Of course, if it's something you REALLY, REALLY, TRULY, believe it's a BRILLIANT piece of work that COULD make lots of money. Then copyright it, but seeing it as your first piece of work, it's really not worth the trouble. Maybe after several years of practice and you create something good, you probably would want to copyright it before showing it to others, but until then, get as many help as you can, show as many people as you can get to read.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top