FOUR WAYS TO KILL A SCREENPLAYEven the greatest idea is nothing but a thought, a figment of our imagination. It is so fragile that once it begins to take shape and creep into the world, it doesn't take much to derail it, discourage it, or even destroy it. Some ideas, however, keep moving forward and pushing their way through the muck and, from time to time, end up redefining the world. To give your idea a fair chance, make sure to protect its characters, imagery, dialogue, and plot.
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COPYRIGHT PROTECTIONThe U.S. Copyright Office offers the only legally binding form of copyright protection in the U.S. And it's on first register, first own basis! So don't delay.
Please note that an earlier WGA registration will not override a later U.S. Copyright Office registration. ISBN has nothing to do with copyright protection either. So registering with WGA or publishing a piece and obtaining an ISBN will not protect you. Only filing it with the US Copyright Office, which will then assign a Library of Congress Number (LCCN) to your piece, will preserve your IP (Intellectual Property) rights. |
WHY STORYTELLING
Our eyes may be the windows to our souls, and they may see the whole world, but they can never see themselves. They can never look into the windows that they are and see that soul within. At least not without a mirror.
Stories are those mirrors to me. In them, like in a reflective surface, I can recognize and more easily see my self, my life, my dreams, my nightmares. Some are just minor pieces of my puzzle, but some come to define me.
And stories are everywhere.
From time to time, we get lucky and come across actual people who reflect different pieces of our inner selves. Their stories become our lessons, each one revealing, unleashing, containing, or just validating some part of us. Perhaps that is why we naturally seek out those who resemble us and why our friends tend to be cut from the same cloth, hence the proverbial judgment of a person by the company they keep.
But friends don't like to be treated like lab rats, where you keep poking and prodding at them to figure out your own demons. So be grateful for their reflective surfaces, but respectful of them as well.
Books and movies, however, don't mind if you intrusively examine, analyze, relate, and learn. You can't hurt them and they can't hurt you, which is why so many of us are drawn to them. They are far less tricky to deal with than people.
Yes, I am aware how anti-social that sounds, but we all need to retreat into our own shells every now and then and look at ourselves in solitude. C. G. Jung once said that he “who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes,” and P. B. Shelley warned us of how "dream has power to poison sleep." It's dangerous to dream forever. We all must look within from time to time and wake up.
But to do that, we need a reflective surface . . . so we look to a good friend, pick up a good book, or turn on a good movie.
Stories are those mirrors to me. In them, like in a reflective surface, I can recognize and more easily see my self, my life, my dreams, my nightmares. Some are just minor pieces of my puzzle, but some come to define me.
And stories are everywhere.
From time to time, we get lucky and come across actual people who reflect different pieces of our inner selves. Their stories become our lessons, each one revealing, unleashing, containing, or just validating some part of us. Perhaps that is why we naturally seek out those who resemble us and why our friends tend to be cut from the same cloth, hence the proverbial judgment of a person by the company they keep.
But friends don't like to be treated like lab rats, where you keep poking and prodding at them to figure out your own demons. So be grateful for their reflective surfaces, but respectful of them as well.
Books and movies, however, don't mind if you intrusively examine, analyze, relate, and learn. You can't hurt them and they can't hurt you, which is why so many of us are drawn to them. They are far less tricky to deal with than people.
Yes, I am aware how anti-social that sounds, but we all need to retreat into our own shells every now and then and look at ourselves in solitude. C. G. Jung once said that he “who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes,” and P. B. Shelley warned us of how "dream has power to poison sleep." It's dangerous to dream forever. We all must look within from time to time and wake up.
But to do that, we need a reflective surface . . . so we look to a good friend, pick up a good book, or turn on a good movie.