IS IT A MATTER OF TRUST???

[Crynot]

Hey guys,

I am all for passing out scenes of my script for you guys to critique. Are some of you guys afraid of other people stealing them? The solution is to register your script with the WGA for $20 bucks. The problem I have is that the script I'm working on is not finished so I can't register it, but I would love for some of you guys to give me your opinion on it so far to see if it's worth finishing. Do we trust each other here??

Suggestions???

Crynot

[Scarface]

Crynot, I'm 14 years old and am about $20 bucks short of registering shit so i wouldn't know what the hell to do with ur script. Send me urs and i'll send u like the first 20 pages of mine (thats all i got so far).

markel_182@hotmail.com

[screamfan]

im quite interested about your scripts and would like to read them, Email them to me thanxs!!

[screamfan]

oh yeah ill send you mine when im finished with it>

[Crynot]

Ok you guys,

I will send what I have so far of my script out on Monday because I've got the latest copy at my work.

You'll get it then. Thanks for the help.

Crynot

[DarkLight]

Crynot,

Sure, I'll have a look at what you have so far. I'd love to have the time to steal your ideas, but I'm not even going to have time to finish my own! I think I'd like to finish mine before I finish yours! 20 bucks, 20 scmucks. I'm in the UK and I'm still hunting for ways to get mine registered once I'm done!

DL

darklight@starplace.com

[yojimbo13]

Originally posted by Crynot:
Hey guys,

I am all for passing out scenes of my script for you guys to critique. Are some of you guys afraid of other people stealing them? The solution is to register your script with the WGA for $20 bucks. The problem I have is that the script I'm working on is not finished so I can't register it, but I would love for some of you guys to give me your opinion on it so far to see if it's worth finishing. Do we trust each other here??

Suggestions???

Crynot

You know, when I heard "screenwriter/filmmaker" as the list, I thought there would be some in this board. But damn, you guys are strictly amateur. You haven't even finish ONE SCRIPT and you're already sending them out for people to read? Are you nuts? I would NEVER want anyone to read my first scripts -- especially UNFINISHED ONES.

I guess I came to the wrong place. And I pretty much expect to get the shit flamed out of me after this message, but go ahead and have at it -- I'm gone after this post, anyway, never to return.

If you want to take the advice of someone who has been writing for a while (and when i say "writing," I don't mean diddling around on my computer with an unfinished script, I mean FINISHED dozens of scripts, novels, and have an agent)... HERE IS MY ADVICE: listen to it or not:

You're not a writer until you've FINISHED a writing piece. Until then, you have a hobby, nothing more.

DON'T, whatever you do, send your script to someone to read that ISN'T FINISHED. It's just dumb and you're bound to get the advice of people who hasn't even finished their own scripts. Consider this analogy: would you show the car that you built out of scratch to someone who is trying to learn how to build his own car from scratch and actually expect a valuable, knowledable critique back? Not gonna happen.

And I know most of you are going to do this, because you're all young and (most likely) don't know much about much. DO NOT send your "just finished" script out to an agent or to a producer. It's a TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. Trust me on this -- been there, done that. Of course, that was when I was young and stupid. Don't follow my stupidity and you'll save a lot of money on query letters and SASE, not to mention stamps and books that lists agents.

Here's what you do: FINISH ONE SCRIPT and put it away and GET TO WORKING ON ANOTHER ONE. Forget about that first script -- trust me, it's a piece of crap. I guarantee you that the formatting is wrong and you've written WAY too much dialogue because you've seen too many Tarantino movies, and your descriptions FILL THE PAGE. Been there, done that. Toss that first script away.

Get to work on the next one. And the one after that. And READ scripts. Read the masters. FORGET about buying books by "screenplay teachers" who have never sold SQUAT. Look, would you rather take advice about filmmaking from a real filmmaker like say, David Fincher or Steven Spielberg, or from that old hippy Film Professor who hasn't made SQUAT in his lifetime? I think you know the answer. So when you're shelling your money out for those "how to write and sell" books, PAY ATTENTION TO THE AUTHOR'S NAME.

And for God's sake, DO NOT LET PEOPLE READ YOUR UNFINISHED SCRIPT. It's stupid and it's a WASTE OF TIME.

As I said, this is my last post, so don't bother flaming me thinking I'll read it. I'm not coming back. Take my advice or don't, I don't care. Hell, if you guys give up, that's one less competition for me!

And remember, most of all: DON'T BRAG ABOUT HAVING WRITTEN YOUR FIRST SCREENPLAY. Don't throw it at someone's face as if that will impress them. Only your friends and families will be impress -- and they're the same people who thinks actors make up their lines as they go. Telling someone "in the know" that you've written a screenplay and you should get some respect is like saying you got a haircut and they should all bow down to your superior knowledge about movies. Ain't gonna happen.

Okay, rant's over.

Please feel free to bash me and call me names and all that other good stuff. I turn the board back over to you now.

[Crynot]

Okay, I'm not going to bash this guy cause that would be a total waste of my energy and time. Just here to say that I'm glad he's gone - screw him.

I've been writing scripts for just two years now. I know that I will probably be old and grey by the time I sell one - or I may not sell one at all, but hey I love doing this stuff and for some shmuck to tell us that we basically all suck - whatever!!!!

We are all here to help each other - at least that's what I get out of this forum.

You know what that guy tells me? He tells me that he cant sell a script - that's what he tells me.

Crynot

[Silent Bob]

Hey guys:

Please send me all your scripts to Jake1405@hotmail.com...IM me on AIM at Jake14o5. I will not steal anyones' scripts, becuase I'm the kinda guy who would feel realllllllllyyy guilty if he did that. Also don't worry I can't write worth a shit, so I won't make fun of your script or critisize you.