How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

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  • How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

    I was wondering what you guys thought about this. I'm not a paranoid person by any means. I am, however, a cautious person. It occurred to me while posting a couple of my ideas today, that if I were a seedy low-level producer without an inkling of creativity in my body, that this forum would be the perfect place to steal ideas.

    I'm not talking about the produced and well-respected guys. I'm talking about the garbage on the outskirts of Hollywood. Let's be realistic, this town has been known to attract some seedy characters.

    I think it was Blake Snyder who said: "Anybody who's afraid of getting their idea stolen is an idiot." I don't know if I agree with that but I do agree that you'll never sell any ideas if you don't tell anybody about them. Still, I'm not one to just throw my best ideas out for the whole world to see.

    What about you? Are you cautious about what you post? Or do you lie in the Blake Snyder field of thought? Why?
    Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

  • #2
    Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

    Originally posted by wilsoneads View Post
    I was wondering what you guys thought about this...
    Write the script first. Otherwise, you have nothing to protect.

    An idea is like a fart. You cannot capture it, protect it, or sell it. If the idea has no substance, then there is nothing to stop someone else from getting a whiff, doing the actual work and selling it themselves. They will use the idea, cash the check, and leave the other lying in a bed of his own farts.
    "THIMK." - Amomynous

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    • #3
      Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

      Originally posted by R.D. Wright View Post
      Write the script first. Otherwise, you have nothing to protect.

      An idea is like a fart. You cannot capture it, protect it, or sell it. If the idea has no substance, then there is nothing to stop someone else from getting a whiff, doing the actual work and selling it themselves. They will use the idea, cash the check, and leave the other lying in a bed of his own farts.
      Amen, R.D.

      I also love how you quote yourself in your sig line!
      "I hate to break it to you but there is no big lie. There is no system. The universe is indifferent.- - Don Draper

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      • #4
        Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

        R.D., I agree with everything you said (not the analogy I'd *personally* use but it got the point across). But what about you personally? Would you list all of your ideas on this board without a second thought?

        I'm not saying that in a confrontational way. I'm genuinely curious.
        Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

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        • #5
          Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

          Originally posted by wilsoneads View Post
          R.D., I agree with everything you said (not the analogy I'd *personally* use but it got the point across). But what about you personally? Would you list all of your ideas on this board without a second thought?

          I'm not saying that in a confrontational way. I'm genuinely curious.
          I've never done it. This is partly due to the trust factor. But also, I usually have a script out in one or more contests, and I don't want to compromise the anonymity.

          I would like to add that at times I have posted scenes I was having trouble with. People have been very helpful, and I think this is okay since the scenes are out of context.
          Last edited by R.D. Wright; 08-31-2008, 09:23 PM.
          "THIMK." - Amomynous

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          • #6
            Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

            The people who are most capable of stealing your concept are the people least likely to do so. Most of the writers who have the ability to write a sellable script are already busy writing their own ideas.

            That said, I wouldn't post a movie concept on here until I had written it myself.

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            • #7
              Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

              This question is a golden oldie.

              I guess I would not want to talk about a really unique idea.

              "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

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              • #8
                Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

                Agree - it's a characteristic of successful screenwriters that they don't publish their work prematurely, and don't worry about their ideas being stolen, or about stealing ideas. When something is ready and registered, you want people to read it.

                Ideas can't be owned or sold anyway until they're incorporated into a fully realized story and script theft is essentially bottom-feeder activity.

                The real thing that's difficult for aspiring writers to come to terms with is how many people have similar ideas at a similar time, so it's worth all the effort you put into finding fresh concepts within genre.
                Last edited by DavidK; 09-01-2008, 03:29 PM. Reason: tyypo
                "Friends make the worst enemies." Frank Underwood

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                • #9
                  Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

                  Originally posted by DavidK View Post

                  The real thing that's difficult for aspiring writers to come to terms with is how many people have similar ideas at a similar time, so it's worth all the effort you put into finding fresh concepts within genre.
                  This is so the truth. I've had books come out similar to mine within month of my release (and my ideas and books tend to be pretty high concept). Considering the lead time, there's no way someone could have even heard my idea and thought "oh, that's great, I'll do something similar." It had to be parallel development.

                  About two weeks ago, I pitched my agent an idea for a new fantasy series, which I really love. Cool working title, too. Poking around on line last night, I came across a similar idea out there with a similar title. Had never seen it before (and I'm not going to read closer, b/c I don't want my own idea influenced, and I don't intend to drop it).

                  It's an interesting beast, the collective unconscious.
                  If you have someone on the set for the hair, why would you not have someone for the words?
                  Louis Malle

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                  • #10
                    Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

                    Originally posted by thatwritergirl View Post
                    This is so the truth. I've had books come out similar to mine within month of my release (and my ideas and books tend to be pretty high concept). Considering the lead time, there's no way someone could have even heard my idea and thought "oh, that's great, I'll do something similar." It had to be parallel development.

                    About two weeks ago, I pitched my agent an idea for a new fantasy series, which I really love. Cool working title, too. Poking around on line last night, I came across a similar idea out there with a similar title. Had never seen it before (and I'm not going to read closer, b/c I don't want my own idea influenced, and I don't intend to drop it).

                    It's an interesting beast, the collective unconscious.
                    Same here. A studio movie came out a couple of years ago that was almost identical to a script I was finishing. Some of the scenes were almost word for word, yet both were written completely independently.

                    And late last year a script was sold that was so close to one I was developing that I had to scrap it.

                    Weird stuff, but it happens. At least I know I'm coming up with commercial concepts
                    TimeStorm & Blurred Vision Book info & blog: https://stormingtime.com//

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                    • #11
                      Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

                      "A small town in the middle of nowhere decides to fake a UFO crash in order to reap the financial benefits - a la Roswell."

                      I didn't think it was earth-shatteringly original - but original enough. Two months later there it was in the trades. Exact same logline, almost to the word. Half a million bucks. It gets better. The guy who repped the deal was Michael Eisner (not the Disney guy). I taught his son tennis and was carefully cultivating the relationship so that one day I might approach him with my material.

                      Man was that a bummer.
                      Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

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                      • #12
                        Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

                        Wilsoneads, suggest you either:

                        a) Edit your post, or

                        b) Sue the guy
                        TimeStorm & Blurred Vision Book info & blog: https://stormingtime.com//

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                        • #13
                          Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

                          Haha. I realized I left out a key piece of information. I never showed him that idea. I never showed anybody the idea. My point being - our ideas aren't as original as they seem.
                          Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

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                          • #14
                            Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

                            Originally posted by R.D. Wright View Post
                            An idea is like a fart. You cannot capture it, protect it, or sell it. If the idea has no substance, then there is nothing to stop someone else from getting a whiff, doing the actual work and selling it themselves. They will use the idea, cash the check, and leave the other lying in a bed of his own farts.
                            Yeah, and like a fart, some ideas can really stink.

                            There's nothing wrong with being cautious, but holding onto an idea for dear life is kind of futile, considering that your idea has probably already been written, pitched or even produced.
                            Last edited by Terrance Mulloy; 09-01-2008, 10:10 PM.
                            @TerranceMulloy

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                            • #15
                              Re: How confident are you posting your ideas on Done Deal

                              Originally posted by hscope View Post

                              Weird stuff, but it happens. At least I know I'm coming up with commercial concepts
                              Which is no small thing!
                              If you have someone on the set for the hair, why would you not have someone for the words?
                              Louis Malle

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