If I have entered a short screenplay in a competition that has the standard rule about the material not having been optioned or produced, what happens if I verbally agree to let a director go ahead with producing my short some time next year, after the contest is over?

I just learned one of the top prizes in the contest is having one's short produced.

Am I violating the rules by not letting them know that, in all probability, I'm going to have the short produced?

Or does the "optioned"-thing only apply to features? I mean, since there's no legal binding in the agreement I've made with the director.

The reason why the competitions have this rule is because, if a script wins or even places, people will ask to see it who can produce it.  If this happens, the competition gets credit for getting you produced.  If you take that away from them, you take away their reason to live.

The rule applies to all scripts entered, not just features.  The verbal contract could come back to bite you on the ass later.


Phil

But that's not the answer I wanted at all!

God damnit.

Can't they both produce it? I mean, come on! There's plenty of me to go around.

From my personal experiences, no producer wants to film something that someone else did.  It could cause problems if both show up at the same film festival.  There's also copyright problems here.


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe From my personal experiences, no producer wants to film something that someone else did.  It could cause problems if both show up at the same film festival.  There's also copyright problems here. Phil

You're right.

I guess the "right" thing to do is letting the contest know now before the announce the semis...damn I just wish I could've seen how far it would've gone.