Let's talk some Inception guys :))
Years back I've read somewhere that in the 40's and 50's Hollywood was buying off movie ideas. It was quite popular.
Basically anyone having a great idea or concept for a movie and not having enough input or time to write script could sell it on a page-two exposition, after what execs would hire experienced screenwriters to work on it and have movie done.
There was even a case of this local community priest who sold his idea for reportedly 15 K - a lot of money that time. Question is: do you think this is accountable today?
For me itchy thing about all this is - copyright. I don't think there's any possibility to copyright an idea and by that all hopes on getting it sold are quite unsecured. What's your opinion?
No advice's addressed to me please, not interested into doing it myself :)
Yeah, I think that's possible for famous people. But even with a finished script, it's harder than ever to sell a spec - as the market has fundamentally changed due to comic book movies (i.e. already established IP).
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I don't think it's impossible but feel it's implausible. The main issue being that movies in today's market don't sell off the back of ideas, they sell off the back of attachments and established IP. That's before even getting into the time, energy, paperwork needed for a corporation to action the purchase of such little content.
Supply and demand has completely shifted. When the movie industry started booming, finding literate people with access to typewriters and a penchant for dreaming up concepts was relatively difficult. Now there's a thousand aspiring screenwriters for every movie that's made. The result is that writers have to do a lot more groundwork (alone or as part of a team) to bring value to the table.
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Gotta same vibe CJ. I mean nowadays you can throw a stick in a bush and hit an aspiring screenwriter. No offense, through, I'm aspiring screenwriter as well... :)
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GDToro, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese talk about their idea failures. Oscar winning folks can't sell everything
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Kiril Maksimoski, when I pulled out of a spec sale at the 11th hour last Dec, someone in the chain said something similar about myself. They advised the producer they could walk out the door, throw a stone, and hit a dozen alternative screenwriters to work with. It cut me up a little to hear that but they aren't wrong, especially from the perspective of someone established in the industry.
In the past, I'd have argued that finding a dozen capable screenwriters would be hard but I've come to learn there's so much talent out there, so much content. You have to be so damn good and dig so many ditches to be valuable.
I see so many people looking for a shortcut when they need to be taking the long way around to gain an advantage.
Create leverage anyway you can and keep pushing.
Yup. I'm not referring to it as a bad thing either. It's just how it is. Then again there's the good old "Ad astra per aspera" :)