Here's an age-old question I would love to get a definitive answer to:
What should you do if you're minding your own business, merrily working on a script, and a project with a very similar or almost identical premise either goes into production, comes out in theaters or becomes a new series on, say, Fox? (We'll pretend you haven't been keeping up with industry comings and goings.)
Should you smile to yourself, thinking, "Well, at least I'm writing the type of stuff people are buying and making" and move on to another script?
Should you finish that script and try to use it as a writing sample?
One of the reasons I ask is because I've been beaten to the punch on a number of occasions, including on a script that was on the verge of going out. (A collaboration with a friend a few years ago; his agent was going to go wide with it but never did.) And every time it's happened, I've killed the project. Just stopped it cold. Because years ago that's what someone told me to do.
So it trips me out when I see a script like BURIED (which I loved) not only make the Black List, but sell for mad money, attract talent, and get made.
Because, hey, there was episode of CSI that dealt with one of the characters being trapped in a coffin.
Therefore, even if I *did* get the idea to write a script about a guy trapped in a coffin for the duration of the movie, I would never have written it.
Because of the CSI episode.
Am I a fool?
(Yeah, yeah, I know some joker's to come along and say, "You should ask your manager." I probably will. But for now I'm procrastinating, and we haven't had a thread about this in ages, so I'm asking the fine Done Deal community.)
What should you do if you're minding your own business, merrily working on a script, and a project with a very similar or almost identical premise either goes into production, comes out in theaters or becomes a new series on, say, Fox? (We'll pretend you haven't been keeping up with industry comings and goings.)
Should you smile to yourself, thinking, "Well, at least I'm writing the type of stuff people are buying and making" and move on to another script?
Should you finish that script and try to use it as a writing sample?
One of the reasons I ask is because I've been beaten to the punch on a number of occasions, including on a script that was on the verge of going out. (A collaboration with a friend a few years ago; his agent was going to go wide with it but never did.) And every time it's happened, I've killed the project. Just stopped it cold. Because years ago that's what someone told me to do.
So it trips me out when I see a script like BURIED (which I loved) not only make the Black List, but sell for mad money, attract talent, and get made.
Because, hey, there was episode of CSI that dealt with one of the characters being trapped in a coffin.
Therefore, even if I *did* get the idea to write a script about a guy trapped in a coffin for the duration of the movie, I would never have written it.
Because of the CSI episode.
Am I a fool?
(Yeah, yeah, I know some joker's to come along and say, "You should ask your manager." I probably will. But for now I'm procrastinating, and we haven't had a thread about this in ages, so I'm asking the fine Done Deal community.)
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