The Mistake I Made When Hollywood Stole My Screenplay - Shane Stanley

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
  • Shane Stanley is a producer/author/instructor/screenwriter known for numerous film and television projects including Desperate Passage (1987) starring Michael Landon, The Desperate Passage Series (1988 to 1995) starring Sharon Gless, Edward James Olmos, Marlo Thomas and Louis Gossett Jr. Street Pirates (1994), Gridiron Gang (2006) starring Dwayne Johnson and Xzibit, A Sight for Sore Eyes (2004) with Academy Award nominee, Gary Busey. Shane is also the author of WHAT YOU DON’T LEARN IN FILM SCHOOL: A Complete Guide To (Independent) Filmmaking.
    BUY THE BOOK - WHAT YOU DON’T LEARN IN FILM SCHOOL: A Complete Guide To (Independent) Filmmaking - amzn.to/3lk3KdP
    MORE VIDEOS WITH SHANE STANLEY
    bit.ly/2T8N8JU
    CONNECT WITH SHANE STANLEY
    www.shanestanley.net
    www.imdb.com/name/nm0822597
    whatyoudontlearninfilmschool.com
    / shanestanleyofficial
    / officialshanestanley
    SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A MEMBER
    / @filmcourage
    CONNECT WITH FILM COURAGE
    www.FilmCourage.com
    #!/FilmCourage
    / filmcourage
    / filmcourage
    / filmcourage
    BUSINESS INQUIRIES
    bit.ly/22M0Va2
    SUBSCRIBE TO THE FILM COURAGE CZcams CHANNEL
    bit.ly/18DPN37
    LISTEN TO THE FILM COURAGE PODCAST
    / filmcourage-com
    Stuff we use:
    CAMERA - This is the camera we have used to film 90+% of our interviews (over 200 interviews and counting) It continues to be our workhorse - amzn.to/2u66V1J
    LENS - Most people ask us what camera we use, no one ever asks about the lens which filmmakers always tell us is more important. This lens was a big investment for us and one we wish we could have made sooner. Started using this lens at the end of 2013 - amzn.to/2tbtmOq
    AUDIO
    Rode VideoMic Pro - The Rode mic helps us capture our backup audio. It also helps us sync up our audio in post amzn.to/2t1n2hx
    Audio Recorder - If we had to do it all over again, this is probably the first item we would have bought - amzn.to/2tbFlM9
    LIGHTS - Although we like to use as much natural light as we can, we often enhance the lighting with this small portable light. We have two of them and they have saved us a number of times - amzn.to/2u5UnHv
    COMPUTER - Our favorite computer, we each have one and have used various models since 2010 - amzn.to/2t1M67Z
    *These are affiliate links, by using them you can help support this channel.
    #writing #screenwriting #screenplay

Komentáře • 1,6K

  • @filmcourage
    @filmcourage  Před 17 dny

    Here is our full interview with Shane - czcams.com/video/VBcQVQ2ZaMI/video.html

  • @ThePianoman63
    @ThePianoman63 Před 3 lety +1042

    If you write the book first then they can’t steal it. If the story is good, it will get noticed from the book. I used to write scripts but now I write the book first. Anyone can steal an idea but they can’t steal your story.

    • @bobleclair5665
      @bobleclair5665 Před 3 lety +56

      That’s very smart,

    • @Renzo_Anime
      @Renzo_Anime Před 3 lety +7

      Amen!

    • @joecook5689
      @joecook5689 Před 3 lety +8

      Did davinci code author plagiarize in your opinion?

    • @geoffreybassett6741
      @geoffreybassett6741 Před 3 lety +88

      Or a play. I know a lot of screenwriters going this route that you mentioned. Write it as a book or short story and release it before trying to shop it as a film.

    • @captainobvious90
      @captainobvious90 Před 3 lety +8

      @@joecook5689 whose work did Dan Brown plagiarize?

  • @DJEvillincoln
    @DJEvillincoln Před 3 lety +1100

    "The key to creativity is hiding your sources well."

    • @sabymondal
      @sabymondal Před 3 lety +4

      Funny 😁

    • @MrDawnRise
      @MrDawnRise Před 3 lety +9

      You take the Force Awakens approach as well...BE BLATANT ABOUT IT

    • @datguitarplayer1656
      @datguitarplayer1656 Před 3 lety +1

      Boom

    • @allyourbasearebelongtous2191
      @allyourbasearebelongtous2191 Před 3 lety +25

      That looks like a direct quote from pretty much every main stream journalist. They make up their dumbass stories and then tell everyone else that their "sources" are private. Wouldn't be such a big deal if they didn't accuse everyone they write about of every crime imaginable.

    • @acebrockton1828
      @acebrockton1828 Před 3 lety +3

      @@allyourbasearebelongtous2191 what in the?

  • @jamesscott8962
    @jamesscott8962 Před 3 lety +135

    I always say "Getting paid is the greatest form of flattery".

  • @JrtheKing91
    @JrtheKing91 Před 3 lety +1090

    This is the dark side that I hate the most about the business.

    • @tubemoog
      @tubemoog Před 3 lety +21

      this happens every day, hour, minute, second.......

    • @xianthegaian4060
      @xianthegaian4060 Před 3 lety +18

      Weinstein was proof that the business is changing, let's bring some much needed non blinding light.

    • @silenciothequiet3471
      @silenciothequiet3471 Před 3 lety +19

      That's the nature of ANY business.

    • @mjolninja9358
      @mjolninja9358 Před 3 lety +69

      Yep, A late friend of mine had this issue too and he wasn’t able to handle it because he’s worked so hard on it he literally bleed out all his thoughts on that screenplay but was stolen in a flash. Unfortunately he’s no longer with us since he took his own life, and I am still furious about what that company did to him. Shame on them.

    • @JrtheKing91
      @JrtheKing91 Před 3 lety +18

      @@mjolninja9358 Sorry to hear about that.

  • @1019caveman
    @1019caveman Před 3 lety +548

    Why don't they want to pay the writers? Why don't they invest in the writers? That's why we're watching the same films over and over.

    • @WarIsntOver
      @WarIsntOver Před 3 lety +71

      why invest in writers with creative, new ideas, when they can simply make the same movies they've always made and making a promised 1000% profit?

    • @larapalma3744
      @larapalma3744 Před 3 lety +52

      Exactly and we end up with 15 bloody awful batmans

    • @Thecuriousincident1
      @Thecuriousincident1 Před 3 lety +5

      Greed I guess.

    • @bsl4762
      @bsl4762 Před 3 lety +33

      @@larapalma3744 more like why You get 15 mcu movies that are the same. Batman movies are never the same

    • @AAllen-br8it
      @AAllen-br8it Před 3 lety +1

      $

  • @AnyoneCanSee
    @AnyoneCanSee Před 3 lety +352

    It's happened to me in the UK. Several times. One was heartbreaking as it was a dream project I worked on for years. The one piece of advice I give to everyone is to get everything in writing. This is true of theatre producing just the same. If you have an idea and talk to people about it people often just go ahead and steal the idea.
    Never trust anyone. I've had people I had known for years steal from me or in one case sabotage a successful tour I did annually in order to take over the tour. If something is successful and other people are not successful in the industry never underestimate how far they will go and what they will do to take it from you.

    • @brianmurphy7372
      @brianmurphy7372 Před 2 lety +5

      Thank uou for the advice.It is priceless!

    • @BravoRox
      @BravoRox Před 2 lety +3

      What was the project about that they stole?

    • @Nosliw837
      @Nosliw837 Před 2 lety +5

      Truth. I had a manager that "built" and "improved" my creative thoughts and ideas and reaped all the rewards. Classic ****.

    • @Myth_or_Mystery76
      @Myth_or_Mystery76 Před 2 lety +4

      I don’t talk my ideas. Ever.

    • @hydrolito
      @hydrolito Před 2 lety +7

      The McDonald Brothers made the mistake of trusting Ray Kroc and he took over restaurant business which is still named McDonalds but not owned by the McDonalds.

  • @danharmon8763
    @danharmon8763 Před 3 lety +338

    I interned at Warner Brothers and this guy ain't lying!!

    • @princessmarlena1359
      @princessmarlena1359 Před 3 lety +28

      Warner Brothers sucks. My friend worked in their accounting department and got laid off when they outsourced it to India.

    • @jordanwhitehead1251
      @jordanwhitehead1251 Před 2 lety +3

      What happened when you interned there if you don't mind me asking?

    • @frozzytango9927
      @frozzytango9927 Před 2 lety +8

      Thats why sequels suck coz you know they stole the script.

    • @joshuaiowa2190
      @joshuaiowa2190 Před 2 lety +3

      You were an intern, so basically you know all about the ins and outs of the business... FOH with that..

    • @RoaringMind
      @RoaringMind Před 2 lety +1

      What happened while you were at WB?

  • @PhilosopherKing1138
    @PhilosopherKing1138 Před 3 lety +435

    The biggest takeaway from this is to always cover your bases when you have meetings with people. Always protect yourself or you'll get ripped off, lied to and taken advantage of.

    • @PhilosopherKing1138
      @PhilosopherKing1138 Před 3 lety +41

      @@user-uv6ri Like he said in the video, when you meet with producers or email someone with your ideas, leave a paper trail that provides proof of what you discussed.

    • @CC-mr5xq
      @CC-mr5xq Před 3 lety +1

      @@PhilosopherKing1138 Thank you.

    • @JaxRwld
      @JaxRwld Před 3 lety +21

      @@user-uv6ri A few I can think of: Record your Zoom meetings, save your emails, get copyright BEFORE any talk.

    • @Retrostar619
      @Retrostar619 Před 3 lety +13

      @@PhilosopherKing1138 Leaving an 'so as agreed in our meeting of 14 Jan...' email trail is good advice for any office job.

    • @captainobvious90
      @captainobvious90 Před 3 lety +15

      Note to self: most people are dicks and will use you for their own self interest
      Its just sad that the only thing we can do is accept it as a fact of life. Dang im so pessimist these days..

  • @dougwhiddon8227
    @dougwhiddon8227 Před 3 lety +199

    The oldest story in Hollywood is "The Writer Got Screwed."

    • @gcaplan1
      @gcaplan1 Před 2 lety +7

      No the oldest story is the starlet was so clueless she screwed the writer

    • @darrylmars
      @darrylmars Před 2 lety +4

      oldest story is "there's a part for you...now blow me"

    • @hydrolito
      @hydrolito Před 2 lety +2

      Some actors and actresses end up broke, Britney Spears other people control her money and even have control of what medicine she takes and basically have made her a slave to work for them.

    • @dougwhiddon8227
      @dougwhiddon8227 Před 2 lety

      @@hydrolito Almost all pro athletes end up bankrupt.

    • @michellelekas211
      @michellelekas211 Před 2 lety

      Watch THE PLAYER 1992

  • @dukebox86
    @dukebox86 Před 2 lety +103

    The first "producer" I ever met, back in college, tried to convince me that his film trilogy was bound to scoop up all these awards and he'd have an easier time selling my script if I put his name on it. Despite my naivete, I didn't go for it. But he conned so many people into doing his will

    • @Owen-ub3fv
      @Owen-ub3fv Před 2 lety +23

      May he live a miserable life.

    • @mansoorsabaag3964
      @mansoorsabaag3964 Před rokem +1

      How can someone do such a thing? Disgusting!!

    • @mel3687
      @mel3687 Před rokem

      That shouldn't matter unless the check is cut to him. Authorial pseudonyms can copy any name unless it's a trademarked name. So...

  • @mrj3217
    @mrj3217 Před 2 lety +13

    Companies that get caught ripping off scripts should be banned from the business.
    Make theft like this a virtual death sentence in the industry.

    • @jdee8407
      @jdee8407 Před 2 lety +3

      How do you stop that when those at the very top are the ones doing it the most?

  • @sylviathescreenwriter1919
    @sylviathescreenwriter1919 Před 3 lety +547

    As a new writer I really appreciate this video💛

    • @theeladyj
      @theeladyj Před 3 lety +1

      do u have social media?

    • @frozzytango9927
      @frozzytango9927 Před 2 lety +3

      Thats why sequels suck coz you know they stole the script.

    • @MadXlownz
      @MadXlownz Před 2 lety +2

      please for the love of god protect your stuff

    • @crumblebee6728
      @crumblebee6728 Před 2 lety +3

      Don’t invest too much in it as a new writer, you need your work to be seen, you need feedback, and most importantly, your first screenplays will bot be good, no matter how much you’re convinced they’re something someone would want to steal

    • @joshuaanderson9938
      @joshuaanderson9938 Před 2 lety

      Make it happen no matter what. Don't let fear stop you from creating

  • @AlbowaSinema
    @AlbowaSinema Před 3 lety +460

    I like this. We made a decision to produce our own projects in Kenya and even Netflix is licensing them now. Perseverance shall win through.

    • @MeatCatCheesyBlaster
      @MeatCatCheesyBlaster Před 3 lety +7

      What are your movies called

    • @AlbowaSinema
      @AlbowaSinema Před 3 lety +49

      @@MeatCatCheesyBlaster there is 40 sticks, Sincerely Daisy, Disconnect, Poacher...and one calle Veve. For now that is what is on...but they have opened an office in Kenya too.

    • @nyikomaswanganyi5983
      @nyikomaswanganyi5983 Před 3 lety +15

      @@AlbowaSinema
      Can't wait. All the best!!!

    • @DonKituto
      @DonKituto Před 3 lety +2

      we meet on this side of the internet @Albert Nyakundi

    • @a.t.v3519
      @a.t.v3519 Před 3 lety +3

      Albert Nyakundi Can I find you in IMDb?

  • @ghostdog2041
    @ghostdog2041 Před 3 lety +279

    I feel like this happens all the time. It can’t be a coincidence that Volcano/ Dante’s Peak, Wyatt Earp/ Tombstone, Armageddon/ Deep Impact all come out so close to each other. I feel like, and I’m basing this on nothing, the studio will hear a pitch for an idea, like it, but decide that they could make it themselves for less money.

    • @filmcourage
      @filmcourage  Před 3 lety +47

      Here are some more thoughts on the "coincidences" we see in Hollywood movies - czcams.com/video/-5CRTXgBTv8/video.html

    • @nilslindqvist8825
      @nilslindqvist8825 Před 3 lety +10

      Hardly examples of “screenplay theft”.

    • @alexhasnobudget
      @alexhasnobudget Před 3 lety +6

      @@sirmadam8183 which studio was that? so that I can avoid it.

    • @justanameonyourscreen5954
      @justanameonyourscreen5954 Před 3 lety +14

      I can't believe it's taken people this long to open this conversation up...

    • @crosleysparty
      @crosleysparty Před 3 lety +3

      I was wondering about that too

  • @dukebox86
    @dukebox86 Před 2 lety +48

    IP theft happens everywhere, even by people you trust.
    I was in a sketch comedy writing class and I became friends with a few people there. One of them was this very talented writer and performer, I'll call him Andrew. We seemed to have a very similar perspective on life and comedy, and I felt a kinship with him. I imagined the two of us writing together someday, we had such chemistry and shared sensibility. Until I see he posts a sketch online that was way too eerily similar to one I wrote, in that class. Several lines remained verbatim, even. I check Andrew's CZcams and realize he had stolen more sketches from me and others from that class. What made matters worse is that people in the comedy community defended Andrew, because he was gaining social clout as his star was rising and people wanted to grab onto his coat tails. This guy ripped off at least 20 independent scripts from at least 6 different people, just from that class. And now he's writing for TV.

    • @tyrannapusandfriends6254
      @tyrannapusandfriends6254 Před 2 lety +14

      Fucking hell, that sucks. And it probably happens all the time.

    • @TheGoodContent37
      @TheGoodContent37 Před 2 lety +2

      I always get mad when people denouncing someone don't share their name. Like why? Just say his name! What's wrong with you sharing your perspective of a story? Is that illegal?

    • @basilbaby7678
      @basilbaby7678 Před 2 lety +1

      @@TheGoodContent37, there are slander and defamation laws.

    • @TheGoodContent37
      @TheGoodContent37 Před 2 lety

      @@basilbaby7678 Sure, but does that mean you can't say whatever you think happened? Are those laws superior than free speech? I think it is more that he doesn't want innecesario trouble like burning bridges and such. And that's helping the criminals.

    • @basilbaby7678
      @basilbaby7678 Před 2 lety +4

      @@TheGoodContent37, honestly…it’s become apparent that free speech is out the widow, and litigious might…makes right.

  • @ThatGuyNorm
    @ThatGuyNorm Před 3 lety +247

    Scary. So many people in the industry say that doesn't happen.

    • @filmcourage
      @filmcourage  Před 3 lety +53

      Indeed, we haven't spoken with many people who say their ideas have been stolen.

    • @JHallenbeck
      @JHallenbeck Před 3 lety +17

      It doesn't happen often. This guy is jaded from a couple of bad experiences. I would not take his advice as gospel.

    • @authorcandacephillips-ande1460
      @authorcandacephillips-ande1460 Před 3 lety +41

      @@JHallenbeck It happens more often than you think. TRUST ME!!

    • @JHallenbeck
      @JHallenbeck Před 3 lety +7

      @@authorcandacephillips-ande1460 Are you basing that statement purely on anecdotal experience? How many people do you know of this happening to? Give me a ballpark figure.

    • @authorcandacephillips-ande1460
      @authorcandacephillips-ande1460 Před 3 lety +23

      @@JHallenbeck No problem. Thanks for your question. I know of only three people. Nonetheless, 3 is much too much! Actually, a have a 4th person, but it was not with a movie, it was a song. The song incident happened to my mother who was a songwriter. Thanks.

  • @NoJusticeNoPeace
    @NoJusticeNoPeace Před 3 lety +36

    When I was fresh out of journalism at college, I started freelancing. I nearly starved to death having my stories rejected by editors, then watching them get slightly rewritten and published the next day by a staff writer.

    • @stecder2470
      @stecder2470 Před 3 lety +2

      where they copywrited?

    • @thisismagacountry1318
      @thisismagacountry1318 Před 2 lety

      @@stecder2470 WERE they copyRIGHTed is what you meant, but your public school got in the way.
      Please, never EVER write again.

    • @simonem.7385
      @simonem.7385 Před 2 lety +9

      @@thisismagacountry1318 What is wrong with you?? You're really putting someone down over a slight grammar mistake, really? You should take your own advice and never write again if this is how you treat people

    • @stecder2470
      @stecder2470 Před 2 lety +2

      Bro simone! that was hilarious

  • @avidadolares
    @avidadolares Před 3 lety +60

    Best way to avoid getting ripped off is to not ever write anything. Thats worked well for me so far.

  • @ceecee4873
    @ceecee4873 Před 3 lety +5

    VERY grateful to Shane Stanley for blowing the lid off this wicked malpractice and not giving an F! I cannot count the number of times I've been told not to be paranoid about my scripts because no one steals in Hollywood. Yet, something told me not to trust that advice. Perhaps because after meeting a writer who told me how her script got ripped off early in her career - a script that ended up making multi-millions for both the thieves and the studio. Many years later, she is squatting house, no money, no real career, just cos she dared to challenge the studio in court. She lost. They took everything from her. She feels so bitter with life and unable to forgive. I have come to realize those people who call you paranoid or an amateur for worrying about your script getting stolen are the very people who plan to steal from you if you let them. Be careful of the Vultures in Armani Suits!

    • @officialshanestanley
      @officialshanestanley Před 3 lety +1

      👊🏻

    • @TimucinLeflef
      @TimucinLeflef Před rokem +1

      The best way of knowing if a producer is a thief is if they tell you "plagiarism doesn't happen in Hollywood". 😂😂😂

  • @Shade23753
    @Shade23753 Před 2 lety +8

    I worked on the film "Baby Boy" as an actor which John Singleton directed. He and I talked writing and at the end of my filming he asked if I had a script I'd like him to read. I did. Two years later I was in Chicago and saw an entire torture sequence that from that film in Fast and the Furious 2 directed by guess who? Yeah. I was bitter until his untimely death, only then was I able to "let it go".

  • @julianavellaromero3378
    @julianavellaromero3378 Před 3 lety +82

    This happens everywhere, all the time, and it will keep happenning if victims dont name names. So, NAME NAMES.

    • @Cool-Edit-5000
      @Cool-Edit-5000 Před 3 lety +15

      He won't because he wants to be in the game, and is just as skanky as the rest of them.

    • @mikekillagreen9432
      @mikekillagreen9432 Před 3 lety +12

      @@Cool-Edit-5000 Easy for you to say. You're not a working writer

    • @Cool-Edit-5000
      @Cool-Edit-5000 Před 3 lety +3

      @@mikekillagreen9432 All I can say is I can't imagine what it's like being a writer. I've had plenty of writer friends, and I know it's brutal.

    • @Cool-Edit-5000
      @Cool-Edit-5000 Před 3 lety +2

      @@mikekillagreen9432 I'm an out of work editor. So... LOLOL! It's a grind. Best wishes.

    • @mikekillagreen9432
      @mikekillagreen9432 Před 3 lety +2

      @@Cool-Edit-5000 Im sure the work will come for you, once the pandemic ends there will be tons of work that's backlogged. Good luck!

  • @stephen1Oace
    @stephen1Oace Před 3 lety +156

    The very best lesson I learned was when a concept I created was literally stolen word for word that was made into into a television series for ABC back in 2002. I was livid!!! Angered beyond my own comprehension to the point I threatened the woman who made herself 80k from stealing it. Missed the first episode aired... I tuned in on the 2nd episode, tense, livid... I watched. Within 3 minutes I was completely relaxed! They stole the words but completely lost the actual essence behind the words. The 3rd airing was preempted by the Iraq war. ABC had pulled the plug on the series before it's 3rd airing. That program now runs in Siberia. The thieves? Not hirable.

    • @heartstrings7814
      @heartstrings7814 Před 3 lety +28

      Wow Stephen. Sorry you went through that. This is so scary. Writers are the heart of every and any hollywood movie, series or tv show. They need us. We must figure out the best way to get our work credited by us and not stolen from us.

    • @joshuaanderson9938
      @joshuaanderson9938 Před 2 lety +16

      That's what I'm saying, they can steal the idea but they wont understand it. Only you know the ins and outs of your story. You should get it made still since it's your original idea :)

    • @Crunch_Buttsteak
      @Crunch_Buttsteak Před 2 lety

      Wonder what happened to that pos lady...

    • @bloodeagle6458
      @bloodeagle6458 Před 2 lety +2

      Cus there uncreative they didn't have you to steal ideas from when the studio asked them for a new show they had nothing 🤣🤣🤣😒

    • @Shade23753
      @Shade23753 Před 2 lety

      Feel good story of the day.

  • @TheWalkingDavid
    @TheWalkingDavid Před 3 lety +84

    I’ve mentioned this in a different comment section on this channel, but I too had a movie stolen from me. An indie film that I invest thousands of dollars of my own money into, had co-written, done pre-production, produced the entire production, and even helped edit and produce in post. It was stolen by the other producer/director of the film. I was devastated. I wish it was as simple as that though. Not only did he steal it, he bashed me and accused me of the things he had done, in a Facebook group I created to keep the cast and crew up to date with shoots and reshoots and such things. The actors who came to my aid, and defended me? Only two, and he reshot their scenes because of it. Did any of the so called “friends” of mine come and defend me or inquire if any of it were true? No. They just threw me to the wolves, or under the proverbial bus. That was absolutely soul crushing. I even went to therapy because my paranoia and mistrust for people was off the charts. It only got worse. He took my name off the poster, took it out of the credits and everything I did, he put his name in my place, and tried to rewrite history as if I wasn’t there. I didn’t even realize that he sent an updated version of the script with only his name on it and removed my name from it, so only his would be seen. This guy was pathological and psychotic. He even drunken confessed that he tried selling my “half” of the movie to someone in the film who was an actor. When I said no to the thought, he pointed a gun at me while I wasn’t looking, and I turn around to see him still pointing it at me. I didn’t budge, and didn’t blink. He finally lowered it and went upstairs and passed out, only the two of us knowing what happened that night. I never saw him again. I never went over there. I didn’t get in the way of the film, I just stopped helping get it done. Why would I continue after all of that? He even tried to report behind the scenes videos I had edited together and shot for my CZcams channel (probably because they prove I was there). To have no one come to my aid, was the absolute worse. It made me feel like they believed his nonsense and made me really gun shy when it came to making movies with anyone who knew him. I’ve since bounced back, but it took a lot of hard work on my end. After months of grieving the loss of the film, I did something I never thought I would do, I went on IMDb, and removed all of my credits that remained. I didn’t want my name associated with a psychopath. I figured I would let him have it because without me it would go no where. The film is on Amazon prime now (my idea), and hardly anyone has seen it except the actors and crew involved. He put me through all of that, just to call it his.
    Sorry for the long post FC.

    • @libby9047
      @libby9047 Před 3 lety +17

      oh my god!!!!! dude i’m so sorry. that must be heartbreaking, are there any newer projects you’ve been working on i could check out? or, mind sharing the title of the movie for anyone who sees this to watch it with you in mind, knowing the story?

    • @minombre_xjj3445
      @minombre_xjj3445 Před 3 lety +4

      Do you still make movies? Did you consider legal actions? Is it possible?

    • @filmcourage
      @filmcourage  Před 3 lety +39

      Horrible story. We appreciate you taking the time to post. We are glad to hear that you have found a way forward and that you are back to creating. Hoping you can find more joy in the process and more joy with those you collaborate with moving forward.

    • @TheWalkingDavid
      @TheWalkingDavid Před 3 lety +10

      @@filmcourage thank you very much for the support and kind words. It means a lot. 🤘🏼❤️🎬

    • @TheWalkingDavid
      @TheWalkingDavid Před 3 lety +14

      @@libby9047 I’d rather not share the name, for fear of it coming back to me in my personal life. But there are newer projects of mine you could check out! There are trailers I have made to them on my CZcams channel. Two of which are called “where is Vinny?” And “going under” ☺️

  • @daniellove162
    @daniellove162 Před 3 lety +17

    About 10 years ago a few friends of mine wrote a screenplay based on Devils night in Detroit in 1986 (the worst Devils night ever in Detroit). It was going to be a comedy. We sent the screenplay to Will Ferrell agent for a small part we could shoot out in 2 days. The agent got back with us within a week to decline. We thought that was nice of him to be prompt. Within 2 years Will Ferrell & John C Riley announce they put a film in development Called Devils night based on many of the same story beats we had in our screenplay. I learnt a BIG lesson. Get representation before shopping a script.

    • @lawswon4857
      @lawswon4857 Před 2 lety +2

      Just checked that out. Looks like it was first announced as a project back in 2013, but it didn't get made. Your friend must be livid.

  • @chilesauce7248
    @chilesauce7248 Před 3 lety +94

    A writers best friend is a lawyer! Thank you Shane for the insight; I can't wait to see your 2020 project .

    • @officialshanestanley
      @officialshanestanley Před 3 lety +2

      Thank you. Appreciate your kindness. Best of luck to you Chile Sauce ❤️🙏

  • @gilangridhoutama
    @gilangridhoutama Před 2 lety +32

    Yes, your paranoia about “what if they steal my idea” is very very justified.

  • @goldeneddie
    @goldeneddie Před 3 lety +35

    So proud of Film Courage for running with this. So many 'You Can Do It' film schools deny any risk of plagiarism to the point of making new writers feel dumb for even worrying. Thank you for your honest, adult approach to every topic, especially concerning difficult issues like this.

    • @af98
      @af98 Před 3 lety

      They just want your money.

    • @basilbaby7678
      @basilbaby7678 Před 2 lety +1

      You don’t need film school.
      It’s just another worthless certificate mill. Just production assistant on real projects, and produce as much of your own content as possible. Learn from your inevitable, but invaluable creative mistakes.

    • @TimucinLeflef
      @TimucinLeflef Před rokem +1

      I fully agree. Most of those 'schools' are run by predatory producers who have a vested interest in convincing us that plagiarism hardly ever happens. The industry protects itself this way and feeds itself with fresh new ideas from naive creatives.

  • @bchery4048
    @bchery4048 Před 3 lety +63

    This is soooo important, as writers I think we get caught up with the art but forget the logistics, things like this are IMPORTANT

  • @niriop
    @niriop Před 3 lety +114

    I remember the case of Harlan Ellison having to go out every weekend for two years and lecture at universities for money in order to pay for the lawyers to lead his case against a major network who had totally ripped off a script he had written with Ben Bova-he got lucky, won, and made legal history.

    • @budusbusham3324
      @budusbusham3324 Před 3 lety +2

      Lecture/rant lmao

    • @spenser9908
      @spenser9908 Před 2 lety +6

      He had to fight James Cameron over Terminator as well.

    • @MurderMostFowl
      @MurderMostFowl Před 2 lety

      Yeah but then the T-101 went back in time and killed Ellison. ;)

  • @1971bdott
    @1971bdott Před 3 lety +62

    Stealing!! In Hollywood!?!! Why I never....

    • @JB-1138
      @JB-1138 Před 3 lety

      Unthinkable! 😆

  • @janedoll3237
    @janedoll3237 Před 3 lety +86

    Allegedly, Stranger Things and The Matrix we’re both stolen. Which makes some sense because their follow ups were not anywhere near as strong.

    • @lana_del_rei
      @lana_del_rei Před 3 lety +17

      The matrix definitely was not stolen. The writer who claims this is clearly deranged.

    • @DestinyAlready
      @DestinyAlready Před 3 lety +17

      Exactly. It wasn't as strong because they didn't write the first Matrix so in the 2nd and 3rd installments, they don't know what they're doing.

    • @commandercaptain4664
      @commandercaptain4664 Před 2 lety +1

      The Matrix was stolen from a used toilet.

    • @infinityryvus
      @infinityryvus Před 2 lety +16

      Nearly everything in the Matrix was stolen from something else. It goes beyond homage when a third of your film is a shot you ripped off of another film. The scene that always sticks in my mind is originally from Jumping Jack Flash. You'll remember it as the scene where Neo is asleep at his computer, and is woken by (presumably) Trinity telling him to "Follow the White Rabbit/Knock knock." That was lifted from the end of Jumping Jack Flash. If you're paying attention and you've seen tons of films, you can make a list, and it will be extensive.
      The worst is probably from Dark City though. They actually used left-over set pieces in the production of The Matrix. But when you watch Dark City, you realize something is wrong. They've copied the plot from a movie that got made before their own. A movie they had access to while it was being produced.
      All of these things, by themselves, can be shrugged off as influence or idea fodder. It's when you look at the other two films they made that you realize, all they contributed was style. Which, granted, is a ton of the film's draw. Just don't sit there and tell me they're geniuses. I love The Matrix too, but I can see exactly what happened. They sucked the marrow from actual geniuses and frankensteined something entertaining from them. In Hollywood, there's nothing wrong with that.

    • @spenser9908
      @spenser9908 Před 2 lety +18

      @@lana_del_rei Look at literally any other film the Wachowski’s have made. Each one is dogshit.

  • @RicFrugoli
    @RicFrugoli Před 3 lety +17

    Unfortunately it's a "modus operandi" for this industry anywhere, even here in Brazil. Years ago, when I was contacting people for one of my projects all they give me almost the same advice: be carefull, don't share your ideas with a great studio or network without a third part ( an agent or producer) involved in or they will modify and use it without any payment.

  • @anitahamlin2411
    @anitahamlin2411 Před 3 lety +6

    I lived with a screen writer for years. His first script won first place at the Huston and Berlin film festivals and played on HBO and Showtime 27 times and even went to blue ray. He never got the lousy $15,000 his deal was for as the director claimed the movie made no money. He sent another script to Warner brothers unsolicited and needless to say they made that movie changing a couple names and a few things, but the same basic script. It was a blockbuster and they even made a book telling how the concept had been created. He made the mistake of telling someone else his idea for another, and a little over a year and a half later it was a block buster. He left California many years ago broken over this. There are no morals when it comes to Hollywood profits. If you do sue someone you probably won't work in "Hollywood" again.

    • @filmcourage
      @filmcourage  Před 3 lety +1

      Thank you for sharing this story, Anita. :)

    • @anitahamlin2411
      @anitahamlin2411 Před 3 lety

      @@filmcourage People have to know what they are getting into.

    • @filmcourage
      @filmcourage  Před 3 lety

      Thank you again. Very sad to hear this story but important to know about.

    • @TimucinLeflef
      @TimucinLeflef Před rokem

      That's generally what I've been told. If you sue plagiarists and even win the case, you will still lose because you're then deemed a "trouble-maker" and will essentially get blacklisted by Hollywood. Best solution is to produce your own movies, but that's not easy.

  • @JDWitherspoon
    @JDWitherspoon Před 3 lety +415

    Hollywood’s trash 🗑

    • @AnyoneCanSee
      @AnyoneCanSee Před 3 lety +8

      It's true in any business. If you have a company making good money people will do everything to take what you built from you. Or if you create a market for something they will try to destroy your company and take your business from you.
      Steve Jobs was tricked by someone he brought in and then forced out of Apple. He only came back when it was nearly bankrupt.
      If you are successful people will come saying they want to help you grow or whatever but they really want to force you out or find your client list or undermine you and replace you.
      When there is money involved no one is your friend.

    • @orionsghost9511
      @orionsghost9511 Před 3 lety +9

      @@AnyoneCanSee Don't forget all the people Steve Jobs screwed to get into Apple to begin with, including his friend who coded all those games for Atari.

    • @AnyoneCanSee
      @AnyoneCanSee Před 3 lety +6

      @@orionsghost9511- That was Dave Wozniak. He started Apple with Dave Wozniak. Steve Jobs made the financial deal with Atari and Steve Wozniak was the technical brains behind the work and at first behind creating the first Apple computers.
      They were meant to be partners but Stever took a bigger chunk of the money while telling him they were splitting it.
      It was only a few hundred dollars but yes that is a perfect example of what I am talking about. You cannot trust anyone. If he had insisted on something i writing from Atari Steve could not have ripped him off.

    • @orionsghost9511
      @orionsghost9511 Před 3 lety +5

      @@AnyoneCanSee Thank you, I could not remember his name. Yea, he mistakenly trusted Jobs because they were "friends". There was a lot of additional theft and manipulation by Jobs, besides the money, but yea. Gates and Zuckerberg did similar things to "friends" of theirs. The least moral tend to rise to the top, and anyone who has a good idea needs to be on guard against these types of persons.

    • @princessmarlena1359
      @princessmarlena1359 Před 3 lety

      “That’s showbiz!”

  • @WordsPictures997
    @WordsPictures997 Před 3 lety +18

    Such a valuable pep talk. Some main takeaways for me:
    1.Sometimes people steal work. It's an unfortunate reality. Don't take it personally just do your part to protect yourself.
    2.You can have a successful career as an independent depending on what success looks like to you.

  • @atis9061
    @atis9061 Před 3 lety +35

    I had a shady teacher try to steal from me. This is the best of your videos that I’ve seen. Very helpful

  • @tylerskiss
    @tylerskiss Před 3 lety +25

    Original writer gets ripped off and complains and they never work again.
    Two writers completely lift an existing film, sell it to a big studio, cost the studio millions and get rewarded with more projects and, eventually, producing big franchises like Star Trek!!
    Hollywood and Washington DC are similar in so many ways.

    • @gabbar51ngh
      @gabbar51ngh Před 3 lety

      Are you referring to JJ Abrams?

    • @tylerskiss
      @tylerskiss Před 3 lety +7

      @@gabbar51ngh no, I was referring to Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who "wrote" the Michael Bay film the Island which was a direct lift of 1979 film the Clonus Horror. The two should have been blacklisted, but since they were Bad Robot alumni, they get a pass and actually get rewarded with huge franchises like Star Trek and the Mummy- repeatedly creating critical bombs, but still never short of work.

    • @ArtemisScribe
      @ArtemisScribe Před 3 lety +5

      @@tylerskiss Bob Orci is a stain on the industry. The fact that man still gets work is just proof of how much of a corrupt Frat club Hollywood is.

  • @angeldomingos
    @angeldomingos Před 3 lety +53

    I watched an interview with Emma Thompson and she said it’s happened to her. It’s making me change my mind about sending out scripts 🙁

    • @justanameonyourscreen5954
      @justanameonyourscreen5954 Před 3 lety +6

      I've never sent one out...becareful about the hacks tho...

    • @TimucinLeflef
      @TimucinLeflef Před 3 lety +4

      She has also been accused of stealing more than once! (It reminds me of the movie 'Bicycle Thieves'. The man who had his bike stolen eventually steals one himself just so he can pay the bills): www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2052643/Emma-Thompson-accused-plagiarism-Eve-Pomerance.html

    • @godfreydaniel6278
      @godfreydaniel6278 Před 3 lety +10

      Spec scripts are literally a thing of the past - no one wants them. The studios just throw them away - they're afraid of being sued - there are SO many similar ideas circulating it's almost impossible to submit something that isn't very much like something they've already rejected. If you have a pitch meeting and they like the idea - they'll either hire you to write a treatment - or steal the idea and commission a writer they know to do the script. Only the international arms (or drug) trade is a rougher business environment than Hollywood - especially if you're a writer...

    • @justanameonyourscreen5954
      @justanameonyourscreen5954 Před 3 lety

      @@godfreydaniel6278 right! My theory of everything wasn't a movie tho...

    • @mermaidtingzzz
      @mermaidtingzzz Před 2 lety +1

      Maybe develop on an indie level or just get your copyright together like he said.

  • @cxa011500
    @cxa011500 Před 3 lety +6

    The best advice he gave is that if you have an idea, just make it on your own. It doesn't have to be a big budget production. Just make it a short with some friends on a weekend and put it on CZcams or Vimeo. After you make it, THEN you can negotiate with studios to make it into a big budget film.

    • @davidjames579
      @davidjames579 Před 3 lety +2

      I've heard this advice as well. And the crucial thing is you have your work in the public eye and dated on You Tube. This is a major turn off to studios looking to rip off. Ripping off a script seen by a few people in the industry is one thing, but viewed by a lot of members of the public, or even just the fact it's publicly viewable is a no no, as it shows them up.
      As you say if they see it's well viewed/liked online, that could draw them to offer you a deal.
      The directors of Evil Dead remake and The Maze Runner kicked off their careers by putting shorts on You Tube (albeit for other films, but the Maze Runner guy was offered a deal to do a feature ver of his short).

  • @bobfg3130
    @bobfg3130 Před 3 lety +9

    0:30 The copyrights don't last for ever, they last the lifetime of the author and 50 years after that.

  • @johnmonk66
    @johnmonk66 Před 3 lety +83

    The safest thing to do is write it in the form of a novel, even if it isn't good, and get it on Amazon. That is automatic copyright because it is published and in print.

    • @z-beeblebrox
      @z-beeblebrox Před 3 lety +12

      right and then deal with the absurd world of literature lawsuits instead. There's a reason it's good to have a publisher behind you..

    • @johnmonk66
      @johnmonk66 Před 3 lety

      @J H You know nothing about copyright law.

    • @johnmonk66
      @johnmonk66 Před 3 lety +8

      @@z-beeblebrox Yes, go pay your publisher 80% of every penny you make in case you get sued, instead of a single lawyer if you ever need him.
      Do you pay a mechanic a full time salary in case your car breaks down? Or do you think it cheaper to pay a mechanic ONLY if your car breaks down?
      Learn copyright law before throwing your money away. Read about Hugh Howey, who became a millionaire on Amazon and made the publishers BEG HIM to publish his books

    • @z-beeblebrox
      @z-beeblebrox Před 3 lety +2

      @@johnmonk66 So in other words, Hugh's success story was that he finally got signed with a publisher :p

    • @z-beeblebrox
      @z-beeblebrox Před 3 lety +3

      @@johnmonk66 Okay Hugh thanks for the autobiography lol

  • @tomasnoi108
    @tomasnoi108 Před 3 lety +187

    Im not at his level... but I’m in school and this is the reason why I like to work alone

    • @JRPMEDIA1
      @JRPMEDIA1 Před 3 lety +23

      The reason you work alone is because you’re not really doing much. You have to work with people to make film.

    • @neurohack9038
      @neurohack9038 Před 3 lety +1

      You’ll never make it or follow your dreams. Remember this comment in a few years.

    • @Jets1713
      @Jets1713 Před 3 lety +1

      Amen bro

    • @stealthstar4
      @stealthstar4 Před 3 lety +3

      @@JRPMEDIA1 Not true. He can be fully independent (solo) and make a living from it without EVER entering the industry.

    • @yabe1496
      @yabe1496 Před 3 lety

      Develope social skills, even Einstein had to. You have to work with people even if you are indie. The mere act to register in a copy right system requires basic social skills.

  • @moondawwg
    @moondawwg Před 3 lety +129

    As an aspiring writter, this is so demoralizing.

    • @darkprinceofdorne
      @darkprinceofdorne Před 3 lety +15

      There is a dark side to everything. We as writers have to adapt to it.

    • @JasonZakrajsek
      @JasonZakrajsek Před 3 lety +7

      What’s a “writter”?

    • @moondawwg
      @moondawwg Před 3 lety +19

      @@JasonZakrajsek a writer with an extra t, duh

    • @passage2enBleu
      @passage2enBleu Před 3 lety +1

      @@moondawwg Lol. Excellent. I'll be a reading Robert Bly next.

    • @yabe1496
      @yabe1496 Před 3 lety +3

      You have enough creativity to figure out how to resolve this "dark side" plot in real life. There is a dark side in every industry.

  • @creekandseminole
    @creekandseminole Před 2 lety +8

    I learned a lot of lessons once I got to college for creative writing. One of the first things I learned was to not share too much of my writings before I finished because people can throw an off hand critique and it can really screw you up. Also don't go and explain in detail the entire story, especially if you are not finished either.

  • @MrRezRising
    @MrRezRising Před 2 lety +12

    I wrote a few sketches for an SNL cast member I knew. She couldn't even look at them for fear of even accidently ripping me off.

    • @jamestaylor3805
      @jamestaylor3805 Před 2 lety +1

      That was drilled into SNL members, and rightfully so.

    • @MrRezRising
      @MrRezRising Před 2 lety

      @Cutter Yup, that's what you guys say every decade. Still on the air, though.

    • @MrRezRising
      @MrRezRising Před 2 lety

      @Cutter Yep, decade after decade, you guys sound exactly the same.
      See you at the 50th. 🔥

  • @butcher568
    @butcher568 Před 3 lety +35

    I know a guy who submitted his script for the film foundtaion (it was for young screenwriters only) well he didnt win. His gig meanwhile was being a focus puller and they called him for a film 2 years later and he realised on set that it was his script.

    • @Biring1
      @Biring1 Před 3 lety

      Holy shit. What did he do?

    • @butcher568
      @butcher568 Před 3 lety +1

      @@Biring1 Nothing. Because there is nothing he can do really in my country.

    • @Biring1
      @Biring1 Před 3 lety

      @@butcher568 Where are you from?

    • @butcher568
      @butcher568 Před 3 lety +1

      @@Biring1 Hungary

    • @joshuaanderson9938
      @joshuaanderson9938 Před 2 lety +9

      This is why I never give away work to contests like that. They're all scams to get free ideas instead of paying writers or artists for their work

  • @StudioArtFX
    @StudioArtFX Před 3 lety +41

    I totally love this idea of having an idea you're passionate about and just going out and doing it. Things happen along the way.

  • @joshuacollins3355
    @joshuacollins3355 Před 3 lety +9

    Happened to me. It’s a real thing. Definitely opened my eyes and how I now send out my scripts to folks. I DATE everything and track ALL EMAILS of those who received my script.
    I’ll tell you my script essentially was used for the reboot for X-Files. I contacted my then agent after receiving several phone calls after the episode aired. My agent asked me how much money I had in my bank- regarding suing Fox and Company for plagiarism. My script went through a few festivals in its growth. Eventually I had a final version which I then registered at the Writers Guild. Subsequently months and months later X-Files went into production. And eventually I saw my script right before my eyes.
    Both flattering and heartbreaking. I liken it to seeing your wife with another man (or gender flip if you’re a female writer).

    • @user-jd9wm3nj3w
      @user-jd9wm3nj3w Před 3 lety

      How would you seek professional edit services these days?

    • @michaelsix9684
      @michaelsix9684 Před 3 lety +2

      thanks for sharing, so sorry you were ripped off, makes me want to quit writing, did they ever pay you anything?

    • @stecder2470
      @stecder2470 Před 3 lety

      did you copyright it before you send those emails?

    • @joshuacollins3355
      @joshuacollins3355 Před 3 lety

      @@michaelsix9684 no absolutely not :(

    • @joshuacollins3355
      @joshuacollins3355 Před 3 lety

      @@stecder2470 I had it registered with the writers guild. I even contacted my agent and they basically just said “that sucks”- and that was it.

  • @ej6887
    @ej6887 Před 2 lety +5

    Wow this enlightened me. I am a writer and have a few screenplays, I was going to enter a screenwriting film festival but I was cautious because of the idea of stealing. I’m glad I saw this video at the right time, I am now working on changing my script into a graphic novel first. My script is copyrighted and soon my book and idea will be protected. Thanks!

    • @TimucinLeflef
      @TimucinLeflef Před 9 měsíci +1

      That's a good way to go. I unfortunately made the mistake of sending my script out to festivals in 2013. Since then, there have been many movies with very specific similarities. Before 2013, nada. In fact, if it was merely a product of the 'zeitgeist', the similarities would have appeared in 2011 when I wrote the feature script, or 2002 when I wrote the short script. However, no major similarities appeared in Hollywood movies until 2014 and after. And although it won awards, I regret sending it out to this day.

  • @burningflag3679
    @burningflag3679 Před 2 lety +26

    Thanks for this.
    I hear it all the time "there are enough ideas for everyone. Nobody wants to steal your work".
    Look I'm not freaking out about somebody stealing my story. It's just nice to have professionals acknowledge the "possibility".

  • @darrylmars
    @darrylmars Před 2 lety +5

    I've had a film script dumbed down & made under a different name ( the Groove Tube), & many sketch comedy bits copied by NBC. Stealing is only illegal for the poor; 100% allowed for the rich.

  • @alefortune
    @alefortune Před 2 lety +9

    Shane! I love the last part you talked about - Just go do it yourself, independently, with whatever amount of money you have. I am on that track myself, and it's amazing how it all will and does come together. I worked in the Hollywood machine too for years and because of that (seeing the good , the bad, and the ugly), it is what made me stay on course independently, plus going with my gut instinct, I have realized real creativity at its' finest. "You build it, they will come". Instead of being at the mercy of the "system". Nothing is more suffocating than that.

  • @HazeyCazeyTv
    @HazeyCazeyTv Před 3 lety +16

    My friend had his book turned into a movie in the UK... Without his permission. He tried suing, but was told he couldn't because it was in another country.

    • @jordantroutt2965
      @jordantroutt2965 Před 3 lety +6

      I bet if the roles were reversed and it was your friend who had made a movie he stole from a book in the UK then they would for sure be suing him.

    • @af98
      @af98 Před 3 lety +3

      He shouldve given the production company negative publicity, it would've gained some media attention and the production company would've scrapped the idea.

    • @grantp33
      @grantp33 Před 3 lety

      all these statues they rippled down last summer yet they pass right by the limitations one. wonder how many ideas/scripts have been stolen from private messages or google searches. look up " The Facebook emotional contagion experiment" and you dont need acct for them to know all about you either. i still think freedom of speech should overrule private company that has info on everyone and admits to reading private messages, when its used in a country where thats basis of whole nation.

    • @eriksmith2514
      @eriksmith2514 Před 3 lety

      I'm not the expert, but I doubt that a writer lacks standing to sue for copyright infringement in the U.K. based on where the writer's book was published. International compacts can also apply to those situations, such as the Berne Convention.

  • @Skrubb_Lord
    @Skrubb_Lord Před 2 lety +16

    There is also the old copyright way by writing up your idea, print it out, package it up and mail it to an address that you can get it from. Once you have it DO NOT open it but file it away somewhere safe. Since it's not opened it hasn't been tampered with and there should be a stamped date by the USPS. The only time it should be opened is in court and by the judge.

    • @cattothefuture
      @cattothefuture Před 2 lety

      Can this work nowadays?

    • @cattothefuture
      @cattothefuture Před 2 lety

      Where do I mail it to, exactly?

    • @Skrubb_Lord
      @Skrubb_Lord Před 2 lety +4

      @@cattothefuture Mail it to yourself. The point is to have a sealed/untampered piece of evidence with a USPS stamped date.

    • @michellelekas211
      @michellelekas211 Před 2 lety +1

      If you publish A PLAY first, you are safe. It cannot be changed or unacknowledged, but that is some work.

    • @mel3687
      @mel3687 Před rokem +1

      You shouldn't advise people in legal matters, especially when you don't vet your information properly. What you're describing is called the poor man's copyright method and it's not legally viable. Even the US Copyright Office warns specifically against trying to use this as a means of legal protection. “The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes called a ‘poor man’s copyright.’ There is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration.”

  • @ReelThingFilms99
    @ReelThingFilms99 Před 3 lety +35

    When he was talking about his dads script, he started singing the opening lines (notes) to the TV show SWAT!

    • @cuttersboi08
      @cuttersboi08 Před 3 lety +5

      Yeah he does a great job of talking without actually saying a lot.

  • @AliensAnonymous
    @AliensAnonymous Před 3 lety +38

    Now this is a great interview!

  • @stevevet3652
    @stevevet3652 Před 2 lety +3

    It's amazing how a couple of other Script writing CZcams teachers say, "No, don't bother copy writing your work. No one is going to rip you off. That's a thing of the past." For my money, I'll listen to Shane.

    • @mel3687
      @mel3687 Před rokem +2

      The unspoken but implied point being that most writer's work isn't valuable enough to steal in the first place. But if you invested years of your life into a project, and there's a chance you're a decent writer, then registering your work with the copyright office before trying to sell it or find representation (agents) for it is reasonable.
      Stories and ideas are stolen all the time regardless of copyright. So long as there are enough differences to avoid copyright infringement, there's nothing you can do about it. That's why, as he says, there are trends cropping up in Hollywood and the literary world. Someone will always write derivatives of a successful story. It's inevitable.

  • @Spectrumpicture
    @Spectrumpicture Před 3 lety +6

    In a previous video another guy said "don't worry about that, just send your script to as many people as possible"

    • @Jaddaprog
      @Jaddaprog Před 3 lety +2

      Different goals i suspect.

  • @tomsizemore5162
    @tomsizemore5162 Před 2 lety +3

    My brother wrote something he'd been working on for 6+ years and finally got it to where he was reading it back and wasn't thinking, of a better dialogue or removing a interaction between characters, I admit, I read thru it and found myself forgetting that it was something my brother wrote and thinking, this could be a trilogy not based on anything more than, I'm a fan of movies and this was not a recycled, haven't we seen this or similar to what has already been made. He here's back from a couple studios, both saying, Because of 9-11, now isn't the time for this movie. I'm also pretty sure, I've seen his movie and of course it wasn't his name attached to it. I've heard Hollywood does this. You confirmed it. I also trained a guy who was a writer and he gave this advice you did.

  • @thehouseofcm
    @thehouseofcm Před 2 lety +42

    This guy takes the theft of ideas pretty well. I would be raging probably protesting outside the studio or the thieves home.

    • @phabiorules
      @phabiorules Před 2 lety +6

      Probably because at some point, there is nothing you can do, so you have to move on.

    • @bloodeagle6458
      @bloodeagle6458 Před 2 lety +5

      Its because he's creative he knows he personally will never run out of ideas unlike those that steal will only have that one property to there names and nothing ever again

    • @TheMasterQuests
      @TheMasterQuests Před 2 lety +2

      Your right I got up to 5 journals worth of ideas

    • @thehouseofcm
      @thehouseofcm Před 2 lety +3

      @@phabiorules But tis not fair those rats live up the Sunset strip and this guy is barely making it.

    • @Tom-kh9zo
      @Tom-kh9zo Před 2 lety

      Look up what happened to the guy who wrote Danny Boyle's 'Yesterday'...

  • @Sean-lv6fx
    @Sean-lv6fx Před 3 lety +61

    I copyright everything with the US Copyright Office before I send it out.

    • @Orangeflava
      @Orangeflava Před 3 lety +1

      How much does that cost?

    • @Sean-lv6fx
      @Sean-lv6fx Před 3 lety +7

      @@Orangeflava - If you're just copyrighting a single film as I have done a couple of times, and the work is all your own I think it costs around $50. The fees can vary depending on what you are copyrighting and if other people contributed(co-writers) to the project etc.

    • @Orangeflava
      @Orangeflava Před 3 lety +2

      @@Sean-lv6fx thanks so much for the quick reply! Seems reasonable.

    • @cnlicnli
      @cnlicnli Před 3 lety +15

      @@Orangeflava *COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION:* To be clear, when you create art/film, you receive an immediate and automatic copyright. The next step is to *“register”* the work *(NOT “copyright it” - you already have your automatic copyright)* with the US Copyright Office (USCO).
      By registering your creative work quickly (as an un-published work or within FIVE-years of its first-publication date) helps prove your filmmaking authorship creation and copyright ownership to a federal judge, as you’re granted prima facie evidence/presumptive proof that you have a valid copyright claim and that all the information included in your copyright registration application (who’s the author, copyright owner, creation/date of publication, etc.) will also be deemed valid.
      You’re also eligible to pursue enhance statutory money damages and recoupment of attorney fees against infringers if the work was registered BEFORE the infringement begins OR within THREE-months of its FIRST-publication date. You may have headaches enforcing your movie copyright claims against infringers if you miss either of those two time-sensitive windows.
      *To register a single published or un-published work via the USCO’s on-line registration system, like ONE movie, is $65. Use the “Standard Application” (on-line eCO) process: **czcams.com/video/6gNkssUfYas/video.html*
      *You can also group-register a group of up to TEN UN-published (non-photographic) works of the SAME kind of medium (like up to ten un-published movies) via a single GRUW application for $85 total fee. See the tutorial “Group Registration of Unpublished Works”: **czcams.com/video/eR14iSM4esQ/video.html*
      US Copyright Office Information & tutorials (links are current as of December 13, 2020): www.copyright.gov
      1) Copyright Registration: czcams.com/video/mM5fs2TCMKs/video.html
      2) Submitting Your Work to the Copyright Office: czcams.com/video/0w29otj5s6Y/video.html
      3) US Copyright Office Registration Portal: www.copyright.gov/registration/
      4) Copyright Office FAQ: www.copyright.gov/help/faq/index.html
      5) US Copyright Law basics: www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf

    • @Orangeflava
      @Orangeflava Před 3 lety

      @@cnlicnli yeah i dont think cnlicnli knows what they are talking about. 😛

  • @JohnnyStroud
    @JohnnyStroud Před 3 lety +12

    WOW! I know the feeling. I had a project taken back in 2000, by a huge Hollywood actor who pried the script from my partner as he was working on a film with this huge actor. It took the actor one YEAR to produce the work for TV. My partner and his Father FLEW to HOLLYWOOD to try to fight it to no avail. Its a sad business, and I only use the USPTO to file my works ever since.

    • @erik-sr9bj
      @erik-sr9bj Před 3 lety +1

      Which movie was that, if I may ask.

    • @JohnnyStroud
      @JohnnyStroud Před 3 lety +1

      @@erik-sr9bj The Patriot!

    • @erik-sr9bj
      @erik-sr9bj Před 3 lety +1

      @@JohnnyStroud I will check that one out

    • @oldplanetmedia1629
      @oldplanetmedia1629 Před 10 měsíci

      @@JohnnyStroud The Mel Gibson movie or a TV show?

  • @harveymalice
    @harveymalice Před 3 lety +2

    The reality is, even people you think are on your side can surprise you. I’ve had friends, coworkers, supervisors, and professors steal ideas. You have to remain diligent, learn to say no to people who are trying to take advantage of your trust, and file the right paperwork. I’ve learned most of those lessons the hard way.

  • @lhart99
    @lhart99 Před 3 lety +5

    One of the fucked-up things about what this man went through is, a writer can't even bounce ideas around with another writer/outside source. There used to be a time in Hollywood when writers could collaborate, and everyone would get their due credit(s). Collaborating is obviously a double edged sword, sometimes it makes a script better and sometimes it makes a script worse.
    Unfortunately, a writer has to be even more careful about when, where, and who they share their ideas with.

    • @mel3687
      @mel3687 Před rokem +1

      Doesn't that apply to everything, though? Teenage girls don't share their crushes for fear that the prettier one will steal him. Business partners don't share long term strategies or ideas for expansion if their values aren't completely aligned. Politicians don't share behind-the-scenes agreements with lobbyists for fear they'll lose the support of their constituents (voter) or their partner (the corporation funding their lavish lifestyle).
      Obviously when you collaborate with other creatives you approach it with some caution. You wouldn't hand the ideas you're most excited about, you'd bounce other ideas off of them and see what perspective they can add. If they can't provide anything you haven't already considered, then you know collaborating on more important projects is pointless--they aren't nearly as visionary.
      If you're stuck and need professional advice to doctor your script, then you approach your mentor with hypotheticals that are parallel to but unlike your current project. Just use appropriate judgment.

  • @timtrek
    @timtrek Před 3 lety +13

    It's the same in music. I was so naive and trusted a more famous person and showed them my little tricks on the keyboard along with all my demos only to have them completely ape my style and and have quite a few hits.. plus then a label released my record saying no need for a contract, we'll split everything 50/50 with the artist, it made money but they didn't share.. why am I such a carebear

    • @michaelsix9684
      @michaelsix9684 Před 3 lety +2

      music industry is the worst place for criminal behavior and theft, really sad so many ppl. there do it

    • @theseoulgoode
      @theseoulgoode Před 3 lety +1

      You better get good with business or else you'll continue making others rich while you wonder what could've been.

    • @NoYoutubeName1
      @NoYoutubeName1 Před 2 lety

      @@theseoulgoode This is what is difficult though. How do you get good at business?
      It seems it’s mostly just fakes that make it because of their sneakiness and constant narcissistic need for attention opposed to just wanting success so you can do your thing and survive comfortably and to have your talents being appreciated as a bonus, without letting any of that corrupt your good moral compass.

  • @ericmcquisten
    @ericmcquisten Před 2 lety +4

    A lot of it boils down to ego, and wanting to assert power over another, or to dig a pit for you to fall in.
    It is as true in Hollywood, as it is in corporate-America... the executives would rather spend $20 million fighting you in court, versus pay you $2 million for your intellectual property. And this has been going on for decades.

  • @golfinglibrarian
    @golfinglibrarian Před 3 lety +10

    I've got a friend who pitched her book to Disney and was turned down, and now a movie with the same premise is playing on Disney Plus.

    • @masterofallgoons
      @masterofallgoons Před 3 lety +1

      What was it?

    • @golfinglibrarian
      @golfinglibrarian Před 3 lety +2

      @@masterofallgoons Godmothered.'

    • @BoxerBeBop
      @BoxerBeBop Před 3 lety +1

      @@golfinglibrarian if I was her I'd go back to the office and throw a fucking table through the window

  • @RaymondArcangel
    @RaymondArcangel Před 2 lety +4

    Thank you for these videos. This one is fascinating (and scary). Do the producers care at ALL about artistic passion or what the life of a writer is like? Are the directors aware it's a stolen idea?? Who DOES this??
    I've had short stories published in a handful of literary journals, and as a writer it would never even OCCUR to me to steal an idea...because that would be such an insult to my own "talent," such as it is. Why would I want to tell THEIR story? You know what I mean? Is there no "vision" to it in Hollywood? Just filmmakers needing ideas the way a cattle rancher needs cows? How gross is that?
    I've been working on a script, and I honestly think it's shaping up to be the best thing I've written, but my daydreams ignore the fact that I have ZERO Hollywood contacts and no way to get it made. And then this, the idea of some producer just taking it or taking a part of it and leaving my name off it!
    Now I'm thinking I'm going to just use the script as an outline and turn it into a novel. Not that I've had any luck getting my first novel published yet, but I at least understand the PROCESS. If some literary agent DOES like it and wants to help me get it out there, most likely it will still basically be the book I wrote when it comes out. It seems like in Hollywood, it's all these people grubbing around for ideas, ideas, ideas, like rooting swine. And even IF you don't get ripped off, even IF they purchase from you this personal, heartfelt story you put your soul into, and even IF it gets the greenlight...the thing they end up making could be so watered down and removed from the story you were dying to tell!
    I'd love feedback if anyone has thoughts on this. But at this point, yeah, I'm thinking I'm just going to turn it into a novel. It's a shame, because I really SAW this story, really wanted to tell it visually, you know? It's funny and sexy and sad, and I don't care what anyone says, I KNOW it portrays working-class Philadelphia men and women more accurately than I've seen before. It's set in a neighborhood like the one I grew up in, and I have really been wading through some not very pleasant feelings to write it. The idea of someone just lifting sections of it, or taking it wholesale, that's a NIGHTMARE.
    What kind of scumbag does that?? How do they even kid themselves they are artists? They're lower than kidnappers or some "Nigerian prince" who talks an old lady out of their life savings. And apparently this is fairly common?? What is going on with these people?!

  • @AllThingsFilm1
    @AllThingsFilm1 Před 3 lety +4

    Thanks for this. I have experienced having my script stolen as well. I showed it to a successful novelist for his feedback. He was an acquaintance I met through an organization that we were both members of. I discovered this happened when I was browsing the local Blockbuster and came across a VHS of a movie with the same title as my script. I rented it and watched it. I cringed as I watched scene by scene unfold exactly as I had written it. Even mimicking lighting references that were in my script. The writer's name in the credit had the same initials as the person I showed it to. So, I called the WGA to find out who this person was. They wouldn't tell me. They said the name was a nom de plume and that they couldn't reveal their real name. I told them why I was calling and they said they were "sorry" but they couldn't do anything. Since then, I have taken on the same attitude that Shane Stanley expressed here. I will find ways to finance my own film productions. I wish I didn't have to, but, I feel I don't have much of a choice. Suffice it to say, the person who stole my script and had it made, has since passed away. So, I chalk it up to another lesson learned.
    Thanks, Film Courage, for always coming out with fascinating and useful videos. Your content gives me the "courage" to push forward and continue to seek my dreams.

    • @af98
      @af98 Před 3 lety

      But could you not prove that the script was your intellectual property?

  • @TheNefastor
    @TheNefastor Před 2 lety +3

    I think 2020 really separated people into two groups, for me : those who just accepted the situation and all it cost them, and those who decided to make the best of it, like starting a new project. Good on you for choosing the latter group, Mr. Stanley. And thanks for the priceless advice !

  • @BlaxicanBeautyTV333
    @BlaxicanBeautyTV333 Před 3 lety +38

    I remember being told in a college screenwriting course that scripts were basically f*cked when it comes to copyrighting them but you can actually go to the uscl? Why didn't they tell me this in class 😂

    • @keaston44
      @keaston44 Před 3 lety +15

      Because your not paying for college so that they can teach you anything. You pay for college to get proof of what you can teach yourself. It's why most professor's are just glorified/overpaid paper pushers.

    • @CaptainTae
      @CaptainTae Před 3 lety +7

      You went to a bad school. I went to a community college that taught this.
      Your school failed you.

    • @BlaxicanBeautyTV333
      @BlaxicanBeautyTV333 Před 3 lety +1

      @@CaptainTae I went to a community college too 😂 I think it was just the class. Most film/tv classes are hit or miss

    • @CaptainTae
      @CaptainTae Před 3 lety

      @@BlaxicanBeautyTV333 True

    • @shaolinwisdom
      @shaolinwisdom Před 2 lety

      Because they probably didn't know.
      I mean my mom was a registered nurse for 43 years, also had a science degree. She was obsessive with knowing all there was to know. And then some.
      Some nurses after her generation weren't taught certain things or they didn't ask questions at all.
      Writing is a imaginative livelihood, but imagine being a nurse and not knowing that doctors are not your boss, they're a colleague, that's life or death for the patient...
      Both Doctor & Nurses have different independent functions in medicine.
      Some nurses just do as their told, they get themselves the equivalent of a malpractice suit, because they gave a patient something they should not have and known better than to give if they had just been taught they're the patient's advocate not the doctor's subordinate. They give the drug at doctors orders even though something feels dangerous about it. Doctor is in the clear. Nurse gets sued and loses her job and career and license.
      My mom had to say no to a few doctors. My mom had to physically stop a doctor after a patient had asked him stop a painful procedure with needles because he ignored the patient. A patient has the right to stop or refuse what the medical people are doing.
      The doctor threatened my mom, but she knew her job, the younger generation that came after (and still some of her generation) think that doctor is their boss. Nope. Nice try. This isn't a hospital drama on tv. It's life or death and jobs at stake.
      I could go on about this analogy forever.
      So at least you know now about WGA stuff. Better late than never.

  • @decorouspowersweeping4231

    Listening to this CZcams program pains my heart, because my movie script was stolen from me while I was in prison: Ladies' Night. In which, they named it "Magic Mike". So, yes, I truly understand what this guy is talking about. Hollywood would definitely purchase stolen materials from people and turn around and defend it. It's sad. Truly is...

  • @noteem5726
    @noteem5726 Před 3 lety +10

    USCO = US Copywrite Office
    Copywrites your script forever instead of just 5 years like the WGA

  • @internziko
    @internziko Před 3 lety +12

    This information is gold for anyone creative (not just writers)

  • @BarryDuffield
    @BarryDuffield Před 3 lety +6

    Seventeen years gone in the blink of an eye. My US copyright made no difference. No LA-based lawyer would go up against the studio. "Why bite the hand that feeds you" was the response to my NZ based QC.

    • @af98
      @af98 Před 3 lety +2

      Could you not use a lawyer from another city?

  • @jcozzamorrisvideos
    @jcozzamorrisvideos Před 2 lety +1

    I like how he doesnt sugar coat the deception, but also lays out the steps of how to be cautious, but still get your ideas out there

  • @sinanuluc5143
    @sinanuluc5143 Před 3 lety +3

    No need to be paranoid though. All types of business and work is like this. You work at Starbucks and a colleague steals your idea and presents it to the supervisor. You teach in an institution and a fellow teacher pretends to hate your idea but the next thing you know is they went and presented your idea to the school manager as if it's theirs. You write a song and a band steals it. It happens everywhere.

  • @MenTalThePoet
    @MenTalThePoet Před 3 lety +9

    After all the work and thoughts I'm putting into my writing I'm definitely not just submitting my work to a bunch of folks and I have no protection.
    I'd rather produce my own project than have someone else take my work, never respond to me or work with me but take my idea and have one of their friends remix my work and claim itas theirs.
    To hell with that

  • @sambula1027
    @sambula1027 Před 3 lety +2

    Hi Shane it's Sorina from LAVCC. Good to see you! Thanks for your interviews!

  • @MM-dv9hp
    @MM-dv9hp Před 3 lety +5

    Sometimes all the little person has is their intellectual property...I know this happens a lot. Thank you Shane Stanley for the advice.

  • @BeachBobRoss
    @BeachBobRoss Před 2 lety +6

    I can second every sentiment he makes in this video. Its not a nice feeling to get ripped off. Same title, same genre, largely the same plot.
    I also don't share anything anymore. I am working to self publish in novel form soon. I use their theft of one of my lesser works as all the proof I needed that my work can cut the mustard.
    It sucks being a young kid though, caring for your terminally ill father and working a job at blockbuster video, and having to stack the movie you wrote and sent off to Hollywood on the shelf.
    Its like someone steals your kid.

  • @vsproductionteam8093
    @vsproductionteam8093 Před 3 lety +7

    Great Info. Due to circumstances, I feel this needs to be discussed in our next meeting. Thank you.

  • @hakimamir2021
    @hakimamir2021 Před 3 lety +2

    Thank you film courage for putting out so much valuable content for writers and filmmakers!

  • @almanages
    @almanages Před 2 lety +1

    Loved the "let's get busy in 2020" line at the end. In my area, Hollywood North they call it, well in Vancouver area, if you dont have a budget nobody is interested in participating, it, mostly solo work that really never gets anywhere, wish i lived closer to Shane and his bunch lol

  • @joegilberto2513
    @joegilberto2513 Před 3 lety +3

    Really insightful interview! And I loved what he said about working on projects during/despite 2020

  • @meg-k-waldren
    @meg-k-waldren Před 3 lety +28

    Audiences these days have better instinct for sniffing out uninspired work.

    • @znmckague
      @znmckague Před 3 lety +5

      *laughs in MCU and Disney Wars and the giant pile.of remakes all making money*

    • @joshuaanderson9938
      @joshuaanderson9938 Před 2 lety +3

      @@znmckague that won't last

    • @alejandrojuarez5640
      @alejandrojuarez5640 Před 4 měsíci

      @@joshuaanderson9938 You weren't wrong lol. Every superhero movie in 2023 flopped, and there hasn't been another Star Wars movie since 2019.

  • @cristinadriviera8144
    @cristinadriviera8144 Před 3 lety

    I LOVE your attitude Shane! It's so inspiring and so REAL.

  • @TheDreamMasters
    @TheDreamMasters Před 3 lety +1

    It is always good to hear that I'm not the only one who got some GREAT ideas ripped off. Very frustrating. Always wise to have a very detailed papertrail for everything. Sometimes it is worth fighting and other times you just have to let it go and know that you had an idea that was a great story worth telling. Take that confidence in knowing your storytelling is worthy of pursuing and sharing.

  • @IAteFire
    @IAteFire Před 3 lety +5

    The biggest problem with the fear that your work will be stolen is the assumption that it's good enough to steal

    • @theoriginaltommysteward
      @theoriginaltommysteward Před 3 lety

      If you think you are better than you really are -- I would argue that is the problem and not fearing that it will be stolen. It all falls under "self-delusion" at that point. Let's not pretend people don't steal though.

    • @kbmariontv1736
      @kbmariontv1736 Před 3 lety +4

      Hollywood puts shitty scripts out everyday lol. They will steal anything.

    • @TimucinLeflef
      @TimucinLeflef Před 9 měsíci

      @@kbmariontv1736 - I agree. Producers are always cutting corners and are often too stingey to buy a good script in the first place. They will steal good ideas from good scripts, put them in bad scripts and make terrible movies out of them. Happens all over the world.

  • @stevegeorge7773
    @stevegeorge7773 Před 3 lety +9

    It is a crippling experience to loose years of work. It will do significant psychological and economic harm. To recover from it takes balls of..... !

  • @DangerousParent
    @DangerousParent Před 2 lety +2

    After thirty-years of writing I'm about to finish my first screenplay, it's an incredible story I'm "certain" hasn't been told before, thank goodness I happened upon this video: "Library of Congress" here I come!

  • @Videosonyourwebsite
    @Videosonyourwebsite Před 3 lety +8

    Yep. I had a scene stolen and used in a major sitcom years ago. Script was WGA registered. Now I know WGA is trash. Thanks.

  • @user-rv4wn5qk7q
    @user-rv4wn5qk7q Před 3 lety +9

    I was waiting this video!

    • @user-rv4wn5qk7q
      @user-rv4wn5qk7q Před 3 lety +1

      I almost got my script stolen some days ago, my luck is that I am paranoid and already had copyright and my script was too complicated to be stolen. I am still afraid that they might do something, but if they do. I have proofs to protect me and copyright.

    • @filmcourage
      @filmcourage  Před 3 lety +1

      Great to see you revisit Ismael. Hope this video is helpful to you.

    • @user-rv4wn5qk7q
      @user-rv4wn5qk7q Před 3 lety

      @@filmcourage It was, as always! Film Courage is being a big help to me for more than a year!

    • @filmcourage
      @filmcourage  Před 3 lety +1

      @@user-rv4wn5qk7q Love to hear it. Keep creating!

  • @alanrosenthal3978
    @alanrosenthal3978 Před 3 lety +3

    thanx FC, this was one of your best yet

    • @filmcourage
      @filmcourage  Před 3 lety

      Thanks Alan! What about this one made it one of the best for you?

    • @alanrosenthal3978
      @alanrosenthal3978 Před 3 lety +1

      @@filmcourage no one likes to admit this happens, even you guys stated as much just a few replies below this one! That’s exactly what the thieves/industry expect you to believe, yet when you know otherwise you’re made to feel like a nut. Shane makes it reputable and real with no apology. The only thing I wish is he would have named some names, but then you would have to deal with that list… what a town! If you guys were looking for your next story, try cracking that one open.

    • @filmcourage
      @filmcourage  Před 3 lety

      @@alanrosenthal3978 Thanks Alan, we appreciate the feedback. Going after names could be a big story, not sure it is the right one for us. We really appreciate how candid Shane was in this interview. He took a lot of time out of his schedule to pass as much knowledge onto our viewers as he could. Not sure how long it will be but when it's all said and done this is our current champ for longest interview. Lots more to come.

  • @danbee998
    @danbee998 Před 3 lety +2

    Thank You, Shane!

  • @funnyfiveminutes
    @funnyfiveminutes Před 3 lety +2

    Very informative interview!

  • @SaltyRoast
    @SaltyRoast Před 3 lety +5

    Same for reality TV. I pitched a show and the production company went around me to the talent. Plot is copyrighted but I expect a fight. I also agree with the "make your own film", I made one this year, zero budget and a lot of will power.

  • @authorcandacephillips-ande1460

    Thanks for your time and knowledge, Mr. Stanley.

    • @officialshanestanley
      @officialshanestanley Před 3 lety

      You’re so welcome. 😊

    • @isaacvargas3156
      @isaacvargas3156 Před 2 lety

      @@officialshanestanley Damn shane you got me so curious on who these scumbags are and the works they jacked from you 😂

  • @brandonroberts13
    @brandonroberts13 Před 3 lety

    I love this kind of message being propogated because it hints at how much opportunity there is for people on the offence vs on the defence.