Eddie and Aaron

No. When I first moved to LA in the early 90’s I was also under the impression that ideas were sacred and you had to carefully guard them, and be very secretive about telling anyone what you’ve been working on. The truth is the more developed your story, and the more specific the “expression” (a copyright term), the more valuable it is. Legally, ideas are not protectable by copyright law. In general, “ideas” are just not that valuable — the execution of a good idea is what IS valuable.  If you do have something more than a logline, or general idea, write it down in treatment form, and simply register it with the writers guild, and keep records of emails, correspondence, so in the very unlikely event your treatment is copied illegally, you have some documentation to prove it.

Sure. If you can get feedback, and get people to actually read your script, that’s a good thing. If your goal is to sell the screenplay or present to the marketplace, I would be very hard on myself, and make sure that you were putting your best foot forward. But I think that the best use of a site like Triggerstreet is to improve your screenplay by getting feedback from readers.

There is no answer here. The reason most people do it non-traditonally, is less about “independent spirit”, and more because, well, it’s easier. For literally nothing, someone can make a feature film. Now, the odds of the film playing theatrically are very slim, but we always say that you should be entrepreneurial in the making of your film, AS WELL AS THE release of the film. The world is changing drastically, especially techniologially, so consider alternatives (straight to download, short films, webisodes, video on demand, day and date, etc.) that may be right for the size of the film you made.

No. I would suggest outlining your script before you start writing it however, and take a look at Blake Snyder’s book, “Save the Cat.”  It’s very important you understand screenplay structure, and the mechanics of writing screenplays before you launch into a script and see “where it takes you.”  Don’t look to those examples of people who say they wrote their script in three nights. Those are rare exceptions. Most sucessful screenplays are the product of rigorous outlining.  Another book to familiarize yourself with her is Robert McKee’s “STORY”, which can also be purchased on iTunes, and discusses the importance of disciplined outlining and preparation of the story structure.

Not sure that answered the question — a producer may ask you for a treatment if someone does not want to read the entire script.  In this case, a well written synopsis is an effective tool to pique interest, and, as I said earlier, to crystallize your own sense of storytelling. You need to be able to briskly pitch your story in  a user-friendly, active way.

“I feel like I wrote something really big.  Yet, I’m afraid that everybody but the right person will be told about it.  This is Lucas and Spielberg big and I want them to know about it.  So how do I get their attention?”

Is the script exceptional? “Big” is not good enough to get those guys’ attention. It doesn’t matter who you are. Generally, cream does rise to the top with screenplays. I would recommend you focus on getting the script to those you know who can help. If it is in fact special, and exceptional, these people should be able to generate interest in the material.

Ed and Aaron