How to Copyright a Screenplay or Script

How To: Copyright a Screenplay

When you are beginning the process of producing a film one of the key elements you are going to need is a script. You can either find a script that has already been written or write your own. However you decide to go about doing this it is important to register the work with the United States copyright office before going into production on the project. This guarantees that once the film is produced no one can come back and claim you produced a work that they had written. The United States copyright is a must before going into production on any project no matter how small. The copyright is a form of protection for both you and anyone else involved in the project.

The first step is to put together a package including either a form TX or short form TX, a check for $30 made out to the “Register of Copyrights” and a non-returnable copy of the materials that are being registered. The form TX and short form TX can be obtained at the copyright offices website at http://www.copyright.gov under the literary works tab.

Finally address the package to…

Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C.20559-6000

As soon as the copyright office receives your package and confirms that it has been received in proper order your copyright is considered to be in effect. You will receive written confirmation in the mail shortly thereafter.

It is also of paramount importance to register your screenplay with the WGA. It can be done online and does not cost a lot of money at all. Simply go to: http://www.wgawregistry.org/webrss and follow the instructions. A lot of management companies won’t take screenplays that have not been registered with the WGA.

Copyright protection is the legal right granted to the creator of creative work to be the exclusive party who can exploit that work. What this means is that if an author, playwright, musician, composer, filmmaker, or distributor registers their work with the copyright office they are the only person who has the right to exploit their work for profit or for distribution. Copyright protection has been instituted to protect the creators of these types of works which are generally referred to as intellectual property. These laws do not cover the creator of a work if they have been hired by another individual or party specifically to create a work. This is what is known as a work made for hire, in which case the person who hired the creator will retain the copyright.

If you are trying to register any type of literary work you should follow the copyright process as explained here. Literary works can generally be described as any manuscript, book, poetry, written text or any computer program or database.

How to Write a Spec Script or Screenplay

All movies start with screenplays. Many of those screenplays start as spec scripts. A spec script is a screenplay written with the speculation that a production company will make the script into a movie or a management company has a production company lined up. In many cases the spec script itself doesn't sell, but the quality of the writing can lead an agent or producers to offer the script's author a writing job on another screenplay. Here's how to write a spec script that could result in a movie deal for you.

1. Step 1

   Write a treatment or outline your script first. The outline doesn't have to be detailed. Numbered steps touching on all the major plot points will do. Having the story laid out before you begin makes it easier to focus on the details. Many writers outline with index cards because they can be easily rearranged to accommodate the story as the script develops.

2. Step 2

   Focus on telling the story. You should never include scene numbering or shot calls or any other type of breakdown information in a spec script. Those elements are reserved for a shooting script. A spec script should never stray from the story or try to describe how to film the story.

3. Step 3

   Format a spec script as you would format any type of movie script. Scene headings, action, and dialogue are the key elements to focus on. Write only what you can see and hear. Write action elements in present tense, as it takes place. You can't see what a character is thinking or what they feel, so you have to find a way to show it on the screen. Always focus on visual elements.

4. Step 4

   Use proper script format. Dedicated screenplay software handles the repetitive formatting for you, allowing you to focus on writing. Movie Magic Screenwriter and Final Draft are the leading screenplay programs on the market. You can also use Celtx, which is free, or one of the online screenwriting sites that offer the same power and versatility of stand-alone screenwriting software.

5. Step 5

   Bind your screenplay between two pieces of cover stock in white, blue or black.Use a three-hole punch and three 1-1/4 inch brads. Do not write anything on the cover. Include the title of the script and all contact information on the cover page of the screenplay itself. Send to a management company or production.

For questions or comments call Eric Greenstein 323.898.5350 or TalentCreative@gmail.com

SCRIPT AND SCREENPLAY EXAMPLES

SCRIPT, WRITING AND SCREENPLAY EXAMPLES

Here are a few examples of good (and maybe not so good) writing that has sold and been made into feature films. Take a peak and contrast and compare to your own writing and if you feel you have a product that can sell. Call Eric Greenstein at 323-898-5350. Our management company will get the job done.

SCRIPT AND SCREENPLAY EXAMPLES (click to view)

Above the Law

Apocalypse Now

Bad Boys

Blade

Deer Hunter

Die Hard

Gladiator

Postman, The

Rush Hour