A new Venture

[JLR (Dragon)]

For the past few months there has been much banter about Screenwriting/producing/directing, and the ethics of selling scripts. As I steadily evolve my script, making it deeper and richer, I created along with it it's own mythos, thus making it's own rules ect. Sort of like what George Lucas did for Star Wars, his sci-fi dream. Well making a short story long hehe. For the past 4 1/2 months of college I have been writing HTML, and BANG an idea hit me.... <BR>Ok, let's say a young screenwriter has a real deep script, loaded with tons of mythical beasts, far away places, and a backstory that is just incredible. While these things may not necessarily have anything to do with the actual Screenplay, it IS what the Screenplay or Novel is "based on." A foundation if you will. While selling his or her script is important, they also want to the back story to stay connected. After all it is hard to sell a screenplay with a Screenplay Companion attached to it. Well what I am saying... <BR> <BR>As we have seen, and will be seeing is that the internet will become more and more popular and its power will increase, especially when broad bandwidth becomes more commonly used. Let's say, in the future a producer gets a far-out knock-off sci-fi script. He reads a couple of pages, and feels a little iffy. He likes the story, but he still draws a big blank. Well let's say at the bottom of the script is a special website, souly created by the author, or someone the author hires to build a Companion site, that will better help the producer/director/ect. get an idea of what they are dealing with. Also since this site is avalable to masses of people, they can also view reader comments, and get an idea of what the audience at large would think of this story. <BR>Or maybe this could evolve into a whole new business. Say an agency, of which sends PDF filed screenplays to Producers, instead of actual scripts. PDF preserves the script format, and is readily printable. This Agency could also do the Companion script site thing. The site would include addition script information, and Bio information on the writer, past credits...and all. <BR>Thus making it easier for the producer to choose better quality scripts. <BR>I knew that idea would come out sooner or later. Sorry for the endless ramble. <BR>What do you think?

[Sheri Gordon (Sheri)]

I know exactly whatcher sayin, Dragon, and I'm already one step ahead of ya. ;-) "Production" on my Quick Life website/Flash media presentation will begin later this summer, once I've gathered enough raw footage and material to create it. Heck, maybe it'll be an saleable entertainment genre in of itself. <IMG SRC="http://www.electric-ent.com/bbs/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":)">

[Tina (Trina)]

That is a great idea. Can't wait to see it.

[Chris Ceraolo (Chris)]

I say great with one major concern- <BR> <BR>Make sure you Trademark the heck out of it-with that much work, it would be nice to not have anyone steal your idea. <BR> <BR>Chris <BR>The FOX plant

[Sheri Gordon (Sheri)]

No worries, Chris. It'll basically be a teaser site. I'll make it as if the movie really exists, and this is the website for it. Drum up the interest in it so that it will just HAVE to be made. ;-) <BR> <BR>And I could always do a pay-per-view sort of thing. Kinda like what Stephen King did with his novel. <IMG SRC="http://www.electric-ent.com/bbs/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":)">

[Sheri Gordon (Sheri)]

Speaking of trademarking work online....I was bored last night, snoopin through ebay...some guy has a WGA registered script up for auction. (For movie rights) Now that's one way I never though of for promotin work. (and I don't think I'd ever get that desperate) LOL Granted it's only for a B-movie, but gotta give the guy an A for guts. <IMG SRC="http://www.electric-ent.com/bbs/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":)">

[Great Taste AND Less Filling! (F_U_N_G_U_S)]

Unfortunately, trademarking is annoyingly expensive. <BR> <BR>Copyrights are 20 bucks for as much as you can fit in the envelope, or if you post on a site that you own/are registered for, then there's an inherent copyright that you are entitled to, so you've got <I>some</I> protection on your side. Trademarks though, are 245 dollars to register, plus you MUST use the trademark within a year, at a cost of another 50 dollars! if you don't use it within the year, you loose your tm registration (that's why some items have the 'R' with the circle (registered), and others have the "TM" which means they've used the trademark before, paid the additional 50 bucks, and are now officially trademarked). <BR> <BR>btw, copyrighting doesn't protect a name. It can protect a logo, but someone can always steal your name and make a new/different logo. But trademarking means nobody else can use your name unless they can prove indefinetly that nobody would confuse their product for yours.

[Sheri Gordon (Sheri)]

I think she meant copyrighting. And the beauty of Canadian laws state that as soon as you put your signature on something, it's yours. (The $20 US thing is just a money grab, as far as I'm concerned.) Of course, if ever disputed, you gotta prove that it was yours. That's what rough drafts and other material related to the project are valuable for.

[JLR (Dragon)]

Actaully all that 20 bucks does is further your protection, and thus your work is placed in the US library system, or somethig like that. <BR> <BR>As with you Sheri, might site will not say anything about the script in general, but will be a storybook form of the mythos of which I've created. It is going to be AWESOME. Plus I am able to connect a message board to it. I'm glad my brain hit a good one!!

[Lee Phillips (Leep)]

Interesting.......