themovieguru

Mods if this belongs into another thread please move. I wasn't sure where this belongs.

Anyway I live in Michigan far away from Hollywood, I like to write screenplays as a hobby, how would I go about selling one or even trying to get it made into the movie. Is it even possible living away from Hollywood? Or is this basically a pipe dream?

devilshalo

Register it at the WGA then send it to agents to see if they'd pick you up for representation.

RyoHazuki

Copywright it. Make sure its in proper script format. Send it to every major studio script reader in the country and hope it gets bought.

jaeufraser

Follow the suggestions from above. Get to know people in film and have them look at it, circulate it and so on. Also...write more scripts. As many as you have ideas. I don't care how great your sccript is, that doesn't mean it'll sell. The more ammunition you have the better. But you'll need representation so finding that is an important step. it's tough to sell a script...there are about 45 lines of people you have to get through before anyone who considers making movies will even read it. People can lose their job just for recommending bad screenplays to the execs, so they're always looking to dump on you.

Lastly, don't get your hopes up too high. If you really want to see your film made, find some small financing and make it yourself or with others.

Shannon Nutt

Most studios don't accept unsolicited scripts - they'll either return them unread or trash them...this is simply to avoid legal problems later on, and due to the amount of material that's already piled up on their desk.

If you're a good writer, you may be better off working on a book and trying for success that way. You have a much better (although still not great) chance of having your story being read by the general public...and that's what you really want, right? If you're in this thinking you'll make millions, you're in the wrong business...even successful writers are probably the most underappricated and underpaid group in Hollywood. Seems to me, if you have the talent (and a bit of luck), you can make a better living as a published author.

TCG

how do you go about registering it at the WGA?

TCG

and how do you copyright it?

thanks

Jackskeleton

same way you copyright anything else.... Mail a copy of it to yourself.

then again you could do it in a method that isn't so 1950's and just go through the copyright process..

http://www.copyright.gov/

everyone would suggest atleast that before you submit it..

here's a good read for you:
http://www.powernet.net/~scrnplay/submitscript.html

adumbc

I'll buy it for a dollar. No questions asked.

jaeufraser

If you go to www.wga.org you can register your script there with the WGA. It's simple and cheap..$20 I believe and you can do it online.

Jackskeleton

yeah, but he still needs to copyright it before submitting it to the WGA.

Burzmali

What about adapting a novel or short story. You would have to get permission first before copyrighting correct?

Makes you wonder how Jackson and co. wrote LOTR unless they had prior permission from the Tolkien estate.

Or I could be completely wrong, wouldn't be the first time.

DVDho78DTS

So I am guessing you never bought that video store. Maybe this will work out for you.

DonnachaOne

That won't hold up in court.

Philip Reuben

You basically answered your own question there ^^;

Burzmali

Philip -

I don't see how that makes sense though. Why would the Tolkien estate give Jackson permission to adapt LOTR without seeing anything first?

Hypothetically, if you wanted to adapt a novel, let's say Noble House or something. You would write your screenplay, and present it to the Clavell estate? But you wouldn't have any rights to it. Man I'm really confusing the hell out of myself.

j123vt_99

i'd like to start a bidding war.. One dollar and 2 cents

Goldblum

Of course it will.

A work is copywrited the instant it is put down on paper. That's the law.

Filing with the Library of Congress is simply a method to make it easier to prove you wrote it. But mailing a copy to yourself registered mail is another way.

Jackskeleton

You dare question the poor man's copyright?



true it wont hold up in court, but hey, this thread needed some comedy.

CrumpsBrother

I'm not sure if Jack is driving at some point I'm not seeing, but you do NOT have to copyright a script before registering it with the WGA. In fact, most people in Hollywood look at the WGA process as a substitution for copyrighting.

The only drawback with the WGA process is that their registration is only good for 5 years. After that, they dump all record of your script and you lose your proof.

necros

I would say if you really want to see your script become a movie. First, copyright it. Then do the WGA thing. Then, just hope someone likes it enough to represent you. But, you should be prepared for that to not happen, because there'a a bazillion people out there that submit scripts and the folks that get them have about 100 piled up on their desks at any given time. I bet some of the best movies ever end up tossed in the trash because the person that read the script the first time didn't like it enough, or just skimmed it real quick and moved on to the next one in the pile.

My friend/biz partner has written many scripts. Some incredible, some pitiful. At first he hoped to just sell them but on a whim he went out and bought a miniDV camera and we filmed our first short with it. We made a lot of mistakes and learned from them all and now we are working on our first full length movie with a real digital camera (Panasonic DVX-100) with a real editing system (Mac G5 with Final Cut Pro 4). We did it the Kevin Smith way by maxing our credit cards Anyway, moral of the story is, if you don't have any luck getting hollywood folks interested, just make it yourself Start out small, short films are great practice And, don't go into the thing thinking you're gonna be a zillionare. Just make movies because you like to, and if you get lucky, great.

Also, check out these forums.. http://www.uemforums.com/2pop/ubbthr...reads.php?Cat= Lots of fimmakers post there (indie folks, music video guys, whatever) and just about anyone is happy to answer questions and they're all generally good folks. Also try www.dv.com, they all have boards just for filmmaking in general

Jackskeleton

WGA suggest to copyright it with the U.S. copyright offices before sending it in. most places wont even accept it unless it has a copyright and a WGA protection on it.

mee2

Interesting, it worked for me.

necros

I've been reading some books on the subject lately. Basically they say Hollywood has enough money to pay enough lawyers to find enough ways around stuff like the "poor man's patent" to make it pretty much useless in court. I don't think it costs all that much to offically copyright it.

Jackskeleton

Last time I checked it was roughly 20 bucks. It's not even a hard process. some paper work and ta da, your done. if anything, copyright the script AND mail yourself a copy. the copyright papers alone should keep you safe in any court of law, but having the poor man's copyright wont hurt since it does provide a stamped date of postage on it.