Another really sad thing is that in most cases the person could get permission to use the work if they would just simply ask for it. They would rather steal it than give the writer any credit.

I’ve met a lot of producers and directors who admit they’re not very good writers. Sometimes I meet a producer who wants his own idea turned into a script but he can’t do it himself. That’s fine. But some producers often fancy themselves as creators. I believe some people just want credit for themselves for creating a script, i.e. inventing characters, etc., so badly that they’re willing to steal it.

Honestly, it seems to me that the very motive for it is to cut the writer out. I don’t know if it’s a god-complex or what but it seems like they have a compulsive need to be the “brains behind” something. They don’t understand that a good director can make a film his own, no matter who wrote it.


Breanne

Quoted Text some producers often fancy themselves as creators

I think, to be fair that Producers are the least of a screenwriters problem, in terms of plagiarism at least. A Producers vanity is usually either geared towards money or failing that, their "creative" side will usually transpire at the editing stage.

The sad truth is that it is usually other screenwriters who have the most to gain from stealing. This is true at every level. If you send a script to a large firm, they employ readers who are more often than not screenwriters looking for a break. The temptation to literally take a decent script and put it in a drawer and later pass it off as thier own must be quite large.

I know for a fact that this happens in places like the BBC where a reader gets sent an interesting script and then five years later find themselves promoted. All of a sudden they are under pressure to come up with ideas and they just pull out ideas that they've read in the past.

It's brutal and particularly annoying for communities like this that exist to get feedback. It's quite disconcerting to think that there are vultures circling just waiting to steal peoples work.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films I think, to be fair that Producers are the least of a screenwriters problem, in terms of plagiarism at least.

I was referring more specifically to smaller independent producers, who usually are the writers and/or directors as well.

Sorry to hear about this, Phil. I know how you feel since it happened to me recently. I hope you take this guy to the cleaners.

It still amazes me that people stoop to this when often all they'd need to do is ask permission and give credit where credit's due.

Quoted from Old Time Wesley I was going to mention unless you sign a contract of sorts with the others but yeah. E mail can't be admitted as evidence, can it? E mail can be faked.

E-mail can be admitted as evidence.  However, it's not as concrete as a signed and witnesses confession.

Quoted from Old Time Wesley I'm pretty sure if he's making short films with material that isn't his that he cannot afford an attorney to fight it.

It could've been laziness in his part.  Or the fact that he can't write to save his life and he thought he could get away with it.

If he doesn't have money, his future earnings can be garnished.  If he owns film equipment or a car or anything of value, he can lose it.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films I just hope it is as pointless as it seems. A director stealing a script certainly seems pointless, they can either direct or not. I wouldn't have thought it would make too much difference if they wrote the film or not. I just hope that there aren't people out there who have made a career out of others work.

I guess when the thieving bastard saw the script, he thought, "Hey, I can do this really cheap and no one would be the wiser.  Hey, this is the age of the internet.  When someone farts, we know about it.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films It's a c***s business at times.

I'm not sure what word you censored, Rick.  I can think or two or three words that I can use.

You Brits really know how to screw with the English language.

Quoted from Breanne Mattson Another really sad thing is that in most cases the person could get permission to use the work if they would just simply ask for it. They would rather steal it than give the writer any credit.

In the last couple of years, I've given the okay for most of my scripts to be produced, for the most part without any upfront compensation.  In the case of NED, I was planning on producing it myself.

Quoted from Breanne Mattson They don’t understand that a good director can make a film his own, no matter who wrote it.

I guess that film students will do anything to impress their teachers.

Quoted from Martin It still amazes me that people stoop to this when often all they'd need to do is ask permission and give credit where credit's due.

That's usually how it works.  New writers and new directors need each other.




Phil

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