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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board    Discussion of...     General Chat  ›  Content theft: The big picture Moderators: bert
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  Author    Content theft: The big picture  (currently 5914 views)
Grandma Bear
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 10:39am Report to Moderator
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I came across this today and thought I'd post it here since I think it affects us too. Wether you're a screenwriter or filmmaker. Some people here are making their own independent films and others have their scripts being made into indie films with hopes to get paid once the film is released.



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Electric Dreamer
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 11:49am Report to Moderator
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Taking a long vacation from the holidays.

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Pia,

Good link. The basic message is sound.
But there are plenty of other reasons why the industry is suffering too.  
I had no idea the "watch the movie streaming now" sites looked so legit.
And the advertisers probably aren't researching the sites.
So, you have reputable ads lending credibility to these movie streams.
No wonder so many folks think that the stuff is on the up and up.

E.D.


LATEST NEWS

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is producing a short based on my new feature!

A list of my scripts can be found here.

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Electric Dreamer  -  December 8th, 2011, 12:08pm
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James McClung
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 5:14pm Report to Moderator
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Sorry, Pia, but shouldn't we get over piracy already? I don't think it's going anywhere. We're in the middle of an information/media revolution, where things like books and CDs are practically in death throes, and all the studios have done to combat it is try to censor the Internet and produce sobby PSA's like this one that make utterly vague calls to action like "join the fight." What does that even mean? I hope they don't expect us to get behind those shitty bills of theirs that will never pass anyway.

And as screenwriters and filmmakers, what are we supposed to do about piracy? Write our senators? I think the best we can do is support the films that we want to see and not rip other filmmakers off. Other than that, you can either cry and be a martyr or put on your big boy/girl pants and realize filmmaking involves risk.

And honestly, if you're just a screenwriter and waiting for back end to get paid, you signed a bad contract and deserve to be ripped off. Always get money up front.


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dogglebe
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 5:37pm Report to Moderator
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As someone who has had his work stolen on several occasions, James, I think we have to fight to protect our work.  Writing to our representatives may seem silly and cliche,m but that is all that we have.  Most contracts nowadays include points on the back end; that's the way the industry is.  Few have the money to pay everyone up front.  Pirated films is part of the reason.

I've lost money in legal fees to protect my work.  It's not fun.


Phil
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James McClung
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 6:05pm Report to Moderator
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So writing senators to pass bills that repeal net neutrality is the best chance we've got to fight piracy? Aside from spending legal fees to get your work back when indeed it does get stolen?

...

I swear, being a screenwriter is the worst job in the world that anyone could want to have. I get more jaded by the day.


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Mr.Ripley
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 6:33pm Report to Moderator
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I'm aware we can't stop bootlegging (people who go to the theaters and record) but how about ripping from DVDs? Can't they not hire programmers to stop that?

Also, those links that claim to have a movie before it's out in theaters or in theaters are kind of shady. I believe those links are meant to lure you in and then rob your identity. Unless you download and see for yourself that it's a movie then you can say you've had your work stolen.

But the biggest problem is ripping so get programmers to stop that.

Gabe


Just Murdered by Sean Elwood (Zombie Sean) and Gabriel Moronta (Mr. Ripley) - (Dark Comedy, Horror) All is fair in love and war. A hopeless romantic gay man resorts to bloodshed to win the coveted position of Bridesmaid. 99 pages.
https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-comedy/m-1624410571/
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leitskev
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 6:36pm Report to Moderator
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Now that information is digitized, there's no way to ever fully stop content theft. But if they can find ways to shut down the big perpetrators, that should actually help. If they don't, it's going to really get bad as it will soon be the norm for people to get all of their movies over the internet. It sounds like the problem is sites that are operating internationally. There should be ways to deal with that, and it really has little or nothing to do with freedom of the internet, especially if they go after the hosts, not the viewers.
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James McClung
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 6:46pm Report to Moderator
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I honestly feel like the studios should just do a better job at protecting their shit and taking measures to ensure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands in the first place. That's probably easier said than done but I think they should consider it regardless.

Or beat the pirates at their own game. A few years ago, a band I like leaked their own album with maybe one or two minutes of the first song intact and then the rest recorded over with them talking to each other in pirate voices. Filmmakers might think of doing something similar, especially the independent ones.


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dogglebe
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 6:59pm Report to Moderator
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Studios did this all the time with VHS.  They made the tapes so they couldn't be copied.  Then the pirates would get around it and the studios would come up with another copy guard.  The pirates got around it.  And so on and so on and so on.

My work was actually stolen from this site.  Two shorts were produced without my consent and another found its way on some asshole's site with his name attached to it.


Phil
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Grandma Bear
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 7:35pm Report to Moderator
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Not sure how many of you watched the whole video, but I was amazed to see how many people this affects. Especially independent filmmakers who has investors and see their films go online for free the same day as they appear on DVD or some other distribution. Curious how you feel about that James since you are an independent filmmaker (I think).


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Sandra Elstree.
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 8:21pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


What if the Hokey Pokey, IS what it's all about?

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Hi Pia, I just watched this and here's what I think.

I understand this problem and more than that, I understand its root cause, but I don't want to lay down any heavies on that right now. What I do want to say is:

Our world has transformed and is transforming so very rapidly, I don't think there's a single person on this planet that can keep up individually anymore. More and more, we are going to be forced to turn to each other and ask, "What the Hell's going on?!!!" This is all predestined for a reason. We will come to realize that every soul on this planet has value and is connected to every other soul. Our world is more and more an integral place where geographic boundaries no longer matter.

We cannot get away from the fact that we are dependent upon each other and we need to wake up together, each of us step up to the proverbial plate and make the change.

No matter what goes on around us, we can all have it in our minds that we are going to "give" to the best of our ability. WE HAVE TO BE THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD. Politicians cannot help us. They are tied and bound by large business interests. And we, are tied to those same businesses that we like to sometimes hate because we depend on them for sustenance of some kind or another.

I believe that if you give of yourself, no matter what, the universe will give back unconditionally. Maybe not today or tomorrow or next week. Maybe next lifetime, but it will happen.

So:

I sincerely hope that people will continue with their sharing and with their creative efforts and not let this scare them away. Do what you do. And I will try and provide as much support getting the word out as I can. You are what's important; not the dollar bill. The value is in you, your service, your time, care and commitment to what you believe in.

Here's a video I will share here. I'm learning to write it out on big sheets of white paper in Hebrew and will be using it to teach English. (Go figure, huh?) I have a Chinese friend who I'm tutoring English as a Second Language (ESL) and I'll be sharing it with her. In sharing, I touch on all kinds of stative verbs that are hard to show by any typical means of action. We also use electronic translators.

So far, my methods are very unconventional, but they seem to be working. When she learned I was teaching "multi-dimensionally" it appeared to me she just never wanted to bring "the notebook" back anymore. (Conventional notebook for ESL).   "I'll just learn from you" she said. But I'm learning from her.  

Anyways, the first part of the song goes "Yachad lev el lev, niftach venereh, taor shabashemyim. And the nearest I can translate is this:

Together, heart to heart, we'll open and look to the light in the sky

Together, heart to heart, we'll open with hope for love.

Yachad means together.  




A known mistake is better than an unknown truth.
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Heretic
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 8:42pm Report to Moderator
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I think piracy is awesome.  The point of art is for it to be seen and piracy allows more people to see more things.  People that complain about losing money to piracy might wanna keep in mind that they're producing work which has no practical value.  Art is awesome and all, but expecting to be able to make a ton of money off it, or even a living, is pretty ridiculous in the big scheme of things.  In theory, piracy should best serve to hurt the oppressive studio system and enable wider distribution and interest for smaller productions.

That said, I don't think piracy has as significant an impact as is often suggested.  I think people often download films they wouldn't otherwise spend money on anyway, and I don't think that downloading decreases the amount of money they spend on other films.  People have a finite amount of money to spend, so each pirated film can't be counted as a straight loss.  On the flip side, free downloads increase exposure and function as advertising.  I seem to recall that Hollywood had its biggest year ever in 2009, despite piracy being significantly on the rise up to and through that year.  
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Grandma Bear
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 8:51pm Report to Moderator
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I understand your thoughts Sandra and Chris...sort of.  You Chris have an indie film almost finished, I believe. How would you feel if it was readily available online for free before you could get any return on your investment in the film whether you paid for the production yourself or you had investors? I watched this vid and I felt really bad for those indie filmmakers who got nothing out of their hard work, time, money and investors money. Eventually someone has to get a paycheck to pay their own bills. No?


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dogglebe
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 8:55pm Report to Moderator
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Are you serious, Heretic?  The independent film maker depends on people paying to see his film so he can make more.  He's not looking for the exposure that torrents provide; it doesn't pay the bills.

Let me know when you put your life savings down on a film you make, okay?


Phil
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Sandra Elstree.
Posted: December 8th, 2011, 9:15pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


What if the Hokey Pokey, IS what it's all about?

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Hey guys,

I always love to see the different views on a subject.

Sorry if I was long in my post above, but what I'm trying to say is probably best served by example:

I recently read a book "free" from the library entitled "Have a Little Faith" by Mitch Albom. I highly recommend it!!! But I will buy this book many times over and give it as gifts. It's that good!!! I believe in "supporting stuff"!!! Even if it's only half good or a quarter good. It's the effort; not always the outcome. Like a child who serves you burnt toast and you praise them. Why? Because they thought enough to try and serve something really special. And you eat that burnt toast and actually it tastes good!!!

Another example and please go out and buy this book if you can afford and desire it:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

I sincerely think that you will not be disappointed. If you can't afford it, then try your local library. If they don't have it, then request it.

What am I trying to say?

I'm saying that we need to support what we appreciate. We need to spend money!!! Keep everything flowing and moving!!! It's not the dollar bill, but the appreciation of the people that work in all kinds of fields and areas. It doesn't matter what. We need everyone!!! That's what I'm saying. I can't live without you. Period. I would be dead. Everyone else is my lifeline. They sustain me. It's really true with everyone.

So:

Yes, there might be some people that try and "steal" something and enjoy it privately, but that will NOT LAST. Eventually, their conscience will get the better of them and they will wind up giving back a gazillion fold. It will happen. It's the laws of physics and nature. That's it.

In the meantime, I hope to be able to share and pass along the books and scripts that I regard as of high value and importance. While I'm plugging:

I want to again support Henrik who is so very diligent and outstanding. I admire him. I admire his work. Definitely, he's an individual who is passing it on.

Sorry to be so long.

Sandra




A known mistake is better than an unknown truth.
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