Quoted from George Willson If you write a romantic comedy, guess what? Everyone else's romantic comedy is going to have exactly the same plot points. They split up at the third act break?! Came back to gether in a climactic kiss?! It's new! It's fresh! It's been done. At least as far back as "It Happened one Night" in 1934, and likely long before that

Your absultely right George. The COMEDY plot derived from Greek Philosophy and Greek drama plays, the opposite is a TRAGEDY of course.

Guess who also wrote a lot of comedies, yes, William Shakespeare. Guess where he developed his ideas from, yep, you got it, he refined the Greek comedy plots.

Where do all Rom Com plots come from - Shakespeare amongst others.

The movie "Shakespeare in Love" was written incorporating a main plot and a subplot and both were a reflection of Shakespeare's plot types. One was a Tragedy (the play) the other was a comedy (the film intself).

There are distinctive motifs within Shakespear comedies. Usually they include two characters falling in love but are not able to join in union due to some dark figure or manelvolent parent figure preventing the lovers. Next one of the lovers takes on a different identity in order to indulge in their love activities. This can be confusing for both the actual love character and other characters within the peice thereby causing further confusion (comedy) and thereby additional conflict. Only at the end when the character reveals his or her identity, which usually has been wrong in thr first place and he or she transpires to be somebody else more important, then the two lovers can come together with the parent's consent. Otherwise, the dark figure is thrown off the stage further into darkness so the two lovers can live their life in the light, and love of course..

No plot is new or original, they are all re-workings of plots from our historical literature, myths, fairy tales, plays, novels - you name it.

The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories [Paperback]  by Christopher Booker

20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them [Paperback]  by Ronald B Tobias

The above two books are a good reference for writers as to what constitutes a plot and how and why a plot is used over and over again. And why these plots are sucessful.

Quoted from tonkatough What do you mean by registered? Both my scripts I have up loaded onto Simply Scripts are registered with a writer's guild. I hope this is what you are all talking about. Plus I reckon the best way to protect your scripts is by writing something that is original and genreless. No way in hell Hollywood would pinch one of those, let alone do something original. plus I like Gerorge's idea  of just write a fantasy epic that is set in a fantastical world that is so rich and complex that it would take $300 million in production costs to turn it into a movie.   It's common knoweldge that the big studios will choose an adaptation of a comic or novel over an original because the fan base is already there,

The problem with these ideas is that they're strikes against you when you try selling your script.  Hollywood will not spend $300M on a script from a nobody.  And no one will be interested in a script that can't be pitched.

I, personally,prefer to copyright my scripts at the Copyright Office in Washington.  It costs a few dollars more than WGA, but the copyright lasts 75 years past your death.  WGA registration is good for only five years and (IIRC), they don't even notify you when your five years are up so you can renew.


Phil

Quoted from Takeshi I think so. Check this out, it's not too long winded:http://www.slatergordon.com.au/ourfirm/nowin_nofee.htm

I took a closer look at this site and it said they don't handle commercial litigation. They specialize more in personal injury. I'm guessing, taking legal action, over copyright infringement, would come under commercial litigation.

When you register a script with the WGA, you're giving them a copy to hold for five years.    They keep your script in a sealed and dated envelope.  In return, you get a certificate saying it's your script and they have a copy of it.

If someone produces it, claiming they wrote it and you go to court over it, you get your registered copy from WGA and bring it to court with you.  Your script and the other guy's scripts are compared, as well as any dated registration that he or she may have.

The same applies with the copyright office, only they keep it longer.

Registration or copyrighting the script does not technically prove you wrote the script.  It gives a date when you had it in your possesion.  If we went to court over the script Phlegmdogs:  The Musical and our registration dates are only a few days or weeks apart, the judge will have trouble figuring out whose script it is.  If your script was registered on December 1, 2006 and my script was registered November 1, 1996, the judge will most likely rule in my favor.

Keep in mind that if I registered my script on November 1, 1996, with the WGA and did not renew it in 2001, the WGA would not have a copy of it on file.  That's why I prefer to copyright my work.


Phil

Quoted from tonkatough plus I like Gerorge's idea  of just write a fantasy epic that is set in a fantastical world that is so rich and complex that it would take $300 million in production costs to turn it into a movie.   It's common knoweldge that the big studios will choose an adaptation of a comic or novel over an original because the fan base is already there,

I have a feeling this was a tongue in cheek comment, but for the record, you would have to be a serious spend-thrift to fork over $300M to produce even the largest of the Fempiror saga. Seriously, we're not talking about a effects-intensive story here. Most of it is set pieces as opposed to special effects. I know this was off topic, but I don't want someone to get the wrong idea about my stuff.

No george I was not being tounge in cheek and no I was not even refering to Fempiror saga

I was refering to a way to write a script no producer would steal. But then again as Doglebe pointed out it would be impossible to pitch to a producer, which is good, right, cause then they won't steal it, which is bad because it means you have written an unmarketable script, which is good though cause you can then post it here on Simply Scripts and be safe in the knowledge that your exposed script will not be stoeln by a producer- ever, which is bad really because . . .

Hmm, can you see a catch 22 pattern happening here?  

Quoted from tonkatough No george I was not being tounge in cheek and no I was not even refering to Fempiror saga I was refering to a way to write a script no producer would steal. But then again as Doglebe pointed out it would be impossible to pitch to a producer, which is good, right, cause then they won't steal it, which is bad because it means you have written an unmarketable script, which is good though cause you can then post it here on Simply Scripts and be safe in the knowledge that your exposed script will not be stoeln by a producer- ever, which is bad really because . . . Hmm, can you see a catch 22 pattern happening here?

HAHAHAHAHA. It comes with a free frogurt. Thats good! The frogurt is also cursed. That's bad.... I can't remember the rest word for word, but it's classic.

Has anyone ever used a more... unofficial method as to prove their script was written first, like putting it in a time capsule? Dirt doesn't lie.

ths question is directed to anyone that could give me an answer

If i post a screenplay on this site would it be protected from people who want to steal it?

Quoted from silent0saint If i post a screenplay on this site would it be protected from people who want to steal it?

No.  Please read and review the text on the submit link: http://www.simplyscripts.com/submit_your_script.html

In short, protecting your script is your responsibility.

Don

oh I see , sorry if that was a stupid question. Well aparently it was seeing how the answer is in the above comments lol.