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Post by escarondito on Feb 20, 2010 15:55:07 GMT -5
I'm working on a live-action pokemon screenplay I've been running around my head for months. I actually posted the first 6 pages in scenes for review.
My question is this. Will have trouble selling this as a spec script as it is copyrighted material?
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Post by Jeff Messerman on Feb 20, 2010 16:36:27 GMT -5
Wellllll.....
I hate to burst your bubble and let me just say that I think ALL writing is worthwhile, stretches and flexes those creative muscles n' all...
BUT...
An agent or producer more than likely wouldn't touch your project with a 200 foot stick.
Unless you try, perhaps, pushing it onto the actual company in charge of the Pokemon franchise, which is still one hell of a crazy longshot.
One possible way out for you... change it. Alter it completely. Take out ALL Pokemon references and change it to your OWN version of "little creatures who battle upon command of their owners and masters." While you'll still get fairly or unfairly compared to Pokemon, at least you don't have to worry about lawsuits and rightfully skittish prospective buyers.
Just my 2 centavos...
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Post by songswithoutwords on Feb 20, 2010 16:44:49 GMT -5
I was about to write the same thing as Jeff... content of my post:
===================
Wow. I have no experience in this. But something jumped into my head and I have to post it.
Pokemon is a brand which will have been carefully cultivated and protected by Nintendo and creator Satoshi Tajiri. As far as a spec script is concerned, it seems to me they would need to green light it. How would that work? Would they buy it from you, and then hire a production company to make it?
Whereas with a normal spec script, there are a lot of potential production companies which may be interested, it seems to me you have to convince Nintendo. If they say no, you have no other avenue. If I'm right about that, it reduces your chances. On the other hand, if Nintendo loves it, then they might help to get it produced...
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Post by lazzard on Feb 21, 2010 6:21:02 GMT -5
Also, you'd have to presume that a company like Nintendo will have considered this already and probably have about three dozen scripts lying about the place.
This is the kind of project they would brief out - and I'm guessing the job would go to a proven pro.
If it's already written, then no harm in sending it to them - what's the worst that can happen (a Cease & Desist Order, I guess!).
On the other hand if you're only just starting, you might want to spend your time on a less risky endeavour.
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Post by echomusic on Feb 21, 2010 7:02:50 GMT -5
I would say continue to write it -- but only as a writing exercise for yourself. I have a couple of scripts that I've been tooling away at that are TOTALLY trademarked material that I doubt I'd ever get a chance to do anything with. But the story and the visuals and the cool moments of those scripts are so strong in my head that I HAVE to get them out onto paper (computer screen) so I continue to work on them from time to time. But I'm making sure that they're not the only things I've got going. Keep the original material in the works at all times -- and in those dry spells, go back to the stuff you know you can't sell (unless you get super famous  ) |
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Post by songswithoutwords on Feb 22, 2010 4:18:56 GMT -5
I have a couple of scripts that I've been tooling away at that are TOTALLY trademarked material @echo, i dunno why but when reading this sentence, Spiderman jumped into my head. Now I gotta know. Is it Spiderman? |
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tcsp
New Member
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Post by tcsp on Feb 22, 2010 4:36:39 GMT -5
If you sent it to Nintendo, and they rejected it, then you take out all refs to pokemon...does that still leave the evidence with nintendo if the edited version if it got into production and they wanted to sue on the grounds it was based on the idea of pokemon ?
whatever happens dont change the pokemon references to pacman ;D
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Post by echomusic on Feb 22, 2010 7:02:30 GMT -5
I have a couple of scripts that I've been tooling away at that are TOTALLY trademarked material @echo, i dunno why but when reading this sentence, Spiderman jumped into my head. Now I gotta know. Is it Spiderman? They are not Spiderman (I type this as my son sits no more than two feet away, playing with a Spiderman figure while in his Spiderman PJs) The things I'm writing are in the sci-fi area -- one is a mega-trademarked franchise and the other one is a near dead franchise that no one can seem to revive correctly (coughcoughsyfytvseriescoughcough) But I do have a couple of superhero outlines lying around that I have to revisit eventually. |
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Post by adamcarter216 on Feb 23, 2010 13:22:45 GMT -5
escarondito,
Due to the legal implications, this is definitely not something you can just send out and hope someone will buy.
However, if you use it as a writing sample alongside your original work, it could be beneficial. If the script is good, it'll show you have the ability to take an existing property and adapt it efficiently for film. This makes you incredibly "hire-able" for future projects.
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Post by escarondito on Feb 26, 2010 17:27:25 GMT -5
k thank you. You have all helped me out immensely. I will continue writing it as it is the most passionate idea I have in my mind right now. Also it will be my second screenplay so it's just more experience to take under my belt.
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