I signed up for this site a while ago and have never posted anything. I am not in the industry, but would like to get into it with a production idea I have. I've had the idea forever, adding little bits and pieces here and there over the years. I have no idea how to protect my idea, or how to go about getting writers or investors. I would welcome any insight anyone could offer. And hey, if you're maybe interested in working together I would like to hear from you too. Trust me...this idea is a life changer if it is done properly!!
Introduce Yourself : Hey Everyone - I NEED HELP by Kevin Skinner
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I am new to screenwriting as well. I believe this is a great place to start. Welcome to Stage 32!
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Hi Kevin, thanks for coming out of the shadows! Every day is a great day to break into the industry and Stage 32 has a vast supply of resources for you. A good primer for you is to head over to Stage 32's YouTube page - nearly 250 videos of free content for you to familiarize yourself with the entertainment industry. >> https://www.youtube.com/user/stage32com
Next, head over to our Stage 32 blogs, all topics are searchable by hashtag >> https://www.stage32.com/blog
So much good content there too!
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Hey, Kevin Skinner. An idea can't be protected, but after you write it into a treatment (or script), you can register that with the U.S. Copyright Office (https://www.copyright.gov/).
You can read more about that here (https://www.copyright.gov/what-is-copyright/) and here (https://www.copyright.gov/registration/performing-arts/index.html).
You can check the Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting) for a co-writer. You can also post a listing in the Job Section (https://www.stage32.com/find-jobs). If you plan to write the script yourself, I suggest reading scripts to see how they're written, taking screenwriting webinars on Stage 32 (https://www.stage32.com/webinars/tag/screenwriting), and jumping into the script and just writing (don't know about how the first draft turns out -- you can make the script better during rewrites).
You can check out the Financing/Crowdfunding Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/fundraising) to learn about investors. Colette "ByFilms" Byfield is in that Lounge. She knows A LOT about financing.
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Kevin, the best piece of advice I can offer you is Melissa Mathison. Her masterfully written screenplay "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" (you can download it in PDF form; search Google) was written for young actors (Henry Thomas, Brew Barrymore, and Robert McNaughton). The words Mathison used were wonderfully descriptive. I'm sure the young stars could instantaneously imagine what the film would look like. When I was in the 10th grade, a family friend (Annie Fitzgerald, Chair of the English Dept., Denison University) gifted Syd Field's book "Screenplay". Field's book, coupled with Mathison's "E.T." gave me the tools I needed to become an award winning competitive screenwriter.
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Hey Kevin, welcome to stage 32 I’m sure you will find some really helpful people and resources on here like I have :) also I would be happy to help any way I can ? I have sent friend request, feel free to drop me a message :)