*shudders*
I need some advice Page 2
Quote: Tim Walker @ October 28 2009, 4:19 PM BST
I'm in a similar dilemma to catskillz, I've been taking a great interest into the life of this person on the internet ("JC") who I think would make the basis for a good sitcom/textbook on psychology.
Just realised, it's all there in the initals, isn't it?
Jesus Christ =
John Cleese =
Jimmy Carr =
James Corden =
James Cotter.
Sorry guys, Jeemy Spicer has beat you both too it.
I ended up sending an email to the bloke, and he replied to it last night. He seemed quite intrigued, so I've just sent him another email, this time going into more detail about my idea. I recommended he should put a Treatment together, and maybe a Pilot episode.
The reason I didn't keep the idea to myself, was because the guy had so many brilliant ideas on his blog, that it would've been obvious that I'd nicked them, if I'd tried to use them. Anyway, I'm still busy working on my own sitcom script.
So, now I'm just gonna see what he says in his next email. Who knows, if he's all for it, and something comes of it, I might end up writing for it, and/or get credited for helping to create it.
I know this is all probably gonna come to nothing, but I'd never get out of bed in the morning if I didn't have these dreams to follow.
I would have written a treatment and then gone to him as you can't copyright an idea and either can he. With a treatment you at least have an expression of the idea which is automatically copyrighted.
For example, if he's put on his blog that he's writing a film about Hippos in Space, you could go and write a film about hippos in space and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Just an idea can't be copyrighted.
Hipponauts is actually already in development with Spielberg ContainNuts, I think it is largely CGI.
Quote: ContainsNuts @ November 5 2009, 8:47 AM GMTI would have written a treatment and then gone to him as you can't copyright an idea and either can he. With a treatment you at least have an expression of the idea which is automatically copyrighted.
For example, if he's put on his blog that he's writing a film about Hippos in Space, you could go and write a film about hippos in space and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Just an idea can't be copyrighted.
Well I said I told him about my "idea", but it wwas really more of a vision. I just didn't want to use that word, because it sounds so pretentious! The email I sent him was really just me trying to convince him that he's got the makings of a great T.V. show.
Okay, so the guy's really interested in doing something, but he said he doesn't know a single thing about writing and pitching etc. So, as he lives in America, I was wondering if the whole process is any different over there, compared with the British way of doing things.
About the idea not being protected, they certainly aren't in uk or euro laws but American copyright I hear is very different so u might wanna just confirm that first. They are big on registering ideas over there, I believe, so maybe you wanna check that out online as well. I'd say for u as a Brit to try and pitch and sell a piece to the US market is a hellovalota work, so I really would just leave it to the other guy to do, if you're happy to let him have the idea, if it weree me. The Americans have a powerful writers' union and from what little I've heard they are not as accommodating to outsiders as we Brits always are - the Americans are isolationists by nature, IMO, and I'd include their TV industry in that label as well. But why not PM an American member of this site to find out more?
I don't think any of the American members are writers, are they? Thanks for the advice anyway.