Monday, April 16, 2007

Movie title, copyrighting

Alrighty folks, we have what just might be...A FINISHED SCRIPT. Rest assured, there will be changes as the film moves forward (and ESPECIALLY after it's cast...because I'm all for tayloring dialogue to better fit the actor). But for now, we have a script that I feel comfortable using as our jump off point. And it's called...

Bagged and Boarded

Any comic book collector probably already knows what this refers to. I'm now registering this script through several of the possible means. It's not necessary to do all three of the options below, but I like to cover my ass.

1. Register the script with the Writer's Guild of America. Currently, this costs $22 for non-members, $10 for members, and $17 for students. You can do this easily online at www.WGAeast.org/script_reg and you'll be done in 10 minutes. Piece of cake. Within 5 days you get mail confirmation, and your script is set for 10 years.

2. Register with the Library of Congress. This one takes more time and costs more money, but it ALWAYS wins in court (if you should ever find yourself in that unfortunate situation). Go to www.copyright.gov/register/performing.html (remember, a script falls into the "performing art works" category, NOT the "literary works" category). Currently, this costs $45. The site has a notice stating that the form will change on June 30, 2007, AND the price will drop to $35. Fill out the online pdf, print it, and then mail it with a check and a copy of your work. It will probably take months, but you'll get a certificate in the mail.

3. Send it to yourself through registered mail. It's also known as "The Poor Man's Copyright." Send your work to yourself registered, and then put it away and never open it. This is yet more evidence that you completed a specific work by a specific date. It doesn't hold a whole lot of water, but it's useful at times.

There are more ways to copyright a work (hey, just writing a (c) in a certain manner technically copyrights it), but the point is to find ways where you can PROVE that a work is yours, and that it was completed by a certain date.

Now that the script is set, the next step is budgeting. This step is very unsexy to write about, so you won't hear much on that. But then after that comes the fun part...STORYBOARDING!




2 comments:

Brian "Arkle" Webber said...

Way to go. I've been behind in following this project, and it's cool to come back to this news. I like the title. I never would've thought of it. I'd have done something silly like name it after the store or something (I'm not good with titles as you may know; remember Aphrodite Pandemos?).

Anonymous said...

GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!