Ok, so here is somewhat of a horror story, if you can call it that, about coming up with movie ideas.

Every year my college has a student film festival, although there is no film program at my school, its just a fest run by the campus TV station. So last year me and a couple friends came up with a pretty decent idea for a movie, wrote it down, story boarded it and whatnot. We never ended up making the movie, because of time, laziness, lack of interest, etc. However, I did tell a "friend" of mine at the time, all about this idea that I came up with, because we were just having a general discussion on movies and perhaps thought of collaborating on making one. So I did not really see this person for about a year afterwards. So come april 2005, the new film fest comes, and I go to see it. I hope you all can see where this is going already. So I'm watching the films, and one pops up, and I see this certain person is the lead actor in it. As the movie progresses, I realize it is in fact the very same idea I had described to him a year ago. I could tell exactly what was going to happen next, because I had written the darn script. So after watching this ridiculousity of a farse of a movie that was stolen from me, I was quite in shock. So I actually called up the two people who helped me work on the movie idea, and they had not been to see the film fest, and had no idea what had happened, and I asked each one to describe to me what our movie idea was. And lo and behold, they described the movie I had just seen. So I proved to myself I wasn't crazy, because I couldn't remember exactly what I had told this thief of a man a year ago about my movie idea, but now I was sure. Sure they added a few small things to the movie, I mean they had to, because the kid didn't have the actual script in front of him to steal from, he had to do it from memory, but almost the entire story was plagarised. So, on top of all that, the dang movie ends up winning best picture, just to twist the knife a little more.

The reason I post this is just as a warning, or lesson, or the moral of the story type thing, so that other film makers do not do what I did. Never tell anyone your idea! Unless they are really good friends of yours, or are actually working with you on the movie. Unfortunately this person was not a good friend, and I gave him too much trust. Luckily I learned my lesson early in life, when there was no money or anything really important involved.

I also wonder what should I do about this. I actually lost/threw away any proof of this movie idea when I left for the summer last year, becuase I didn't think I was going to make the movie ever. So I dont know what I can do to the kid really. I've been thinking of different things to say to him, to perhaps trap him, but I dunno, maybe I'll just forget about it, and make a sweet movie next year to blow his out of the water. Any suggestions?

Well, the guy was pretty much a hack to completely steal the idea and never even ask you as a courtesy to use the idea, so I believe some sorta confrontation is alright. What kind though, I have no idea.

elliott.

Sucks for sure, though personally I'd just let it go. It was an idea you probobly would have never made into a film anyway (sounds like you were over it), so he didnt really rob you of any accolades or glory. If you see the guy in everyday life you might congratualte him on winning and mention to him the parts of the script he got wrong, maybe get him to autograph a printout of your script (thought you said you didn't have any proof left). Make a killer movie next year and thank him in the credits for stealing your ideas and motivating you to show what a prick he is.

Or you could always resort to extreme physical violence.

that should inspire you man, i mean YES you did get ripped off, but your idea WON THE CONTEST! That should tell you you have good ideas and also be a kick in the butt to make movies you come up with and not just forget about them. Sucks bad that it happend to you but like you said at least you learned early in life just how snakey people can be.

Thats rough man. Part of me agrees you should move on, but I really think you need to confront homeboy and also let the people who ran the fest know what happened. Seriously he shouldn't get away with that. Chances are he might enter it in other fests as well.

But this brings up my favorite aspect of filmmaking, just how friggen hard it is to get a film done! Look at you; you had this great idea and you let laziness get the better of you and eventually it bit you on the ass! I don't mean to be harsh, and that hack who stole your idea should be tuned up real good. But I never worry about sharing ideas cause 9 out of 10 people arte too lazy to even attempt what we all do, never mind get all the way to post on even the simplest of projects.

I just want to counteract the cynical idea that sharing is a bad thing. Laziness is far worse than thievery and the lesson learned on this one should be DON'T BE LAZY! And if by some damn miracle someone rips you off and actually finishes the thing, you should come down on them like the friggen hand of GOD. (Metaphorically and nonviolently of course!, go to the folks in charge or the idividuals peer group i'm sure this dude has a history of this kinda thing.)

Or just make a documentary about how this knucklehead stole your idea. Start with a dramatization of the screening just how you told all of us and then treat it like an investigation. Interview your freinds the people who ran the event and then finally descend on the guy in question and capture the rat on tape as he either refuses to talk to you or admits to the sordid affair! Hell I'd pay to see that.

Oh boy! That SUCKS! What a jerk.

Without physical proof you have no case whatsoever, I'm afraid. Either with the law (you'd never win, even if you DID have proof) or with the festival. For all they know, you're just some jealous nut, unfortunately. Still worth mentioning it to them, of course. If you could find a script, or even some old notes that would be great, and might help a bit. Worth a shot.

Definitely get your old friends together and go talk to this guy. At least tell him you know what he did, and you're watching him

this is just a sad story because judging from how you feel about this, it would have been easy for him to simply ask if he could use the story, you seem to be over the idea that you weren't goinjg to make, and either a "screenplay by" or "story by" credit would have been good (in fact, you should pressure him into re-editing the credits to give you what you damn well deserve). yeah, you have to confront this hack with your two friends, you don't have to threaten him or be hostile, just be cool and let him know how you feel about being ripped off and that if he continues to do it one day he will get busted and sued if he were to sign a contract selling the film and claiming it was his idea. also, don't tell him that you no longer have the proof, let him know simply thay you wrote the screenplay, let him think you still have it and then you can scare him into giving up credit, at least that would humiliate him if he had to tell everybody that he stole the idea. thats what i would do, and lets just pray that something like this never happens on this site, but do be carefull nonetheless with what you say.

hahahaa, why does this remind me of all these movies comming out like "flight of the pheonix" that are remakes of old classics? cant anyone come up with their own ideas anymore?

by the way hoyafilm.. you gotta break this kid. break him open.

or as they said in the usual suspects, "I'll Flip You! Flip You For Real!"

Was it Amos and Andy where some guy said "I'll open everything that's closed and close everything that's open!" ?

How the heck does blatant plagiarism make him a genius? If hoyafilm had proof this "genius" would be in big trouble.

well, if you say you werent going to film it, then it would have never been filmed. and he just did. it's kinda like if you have a perfectly good apple, you dont want it, cant eat it, or whatever, and you throw that apple on the ground.. right? and then you have told someone about the apple,.. and they liked it.. so when they had a chance they picked the apple up.. makes sense doesnt it? and now your mad cause you should have told anyone about the apple that you were going to throw away. dont be angry, the apple was now used. you should be happy. happy that your idea moved him so much as to actually produce it, now what if he would have been a big executive for let's say universal.. you sold your idea to him, why not universal?

Welcome Cutie

Nope. Sorry. Stealing an idea is NEVER okay. Ever. First of all, it shows a lack of creativity and originality, secondly it is (if provable) illegal, thirdly it is unethical.

The apple metaphor doesn't work. The apple is not your creation, and if you throw it away you have no right to be mad. Maybe if it were an apple which you had carefully injected with special flavors to make it totally unique, and which you had placed in your freezer, to save for another day, and someone stole it, and ate it. That brings the apple analogy closer to working

If this guy worked for Universal he'd know better than to steal an idea. He'd call up hoyafilm and say "Hey, look, I want to talk to you about something. Can you check your mailbox outside? You should find a first class round trip ticket to LA. Get on the plane, and see me in my office in two hours." And he'd give him $300,000.

People rip off each other all the time. Not giving anyone your ideas is a sure way to never get a job (especially if you're a writer)

the way the writing system is set up with the Guild means that only certain people, or one person, gets credit for the movie eventhough 10 people might have written the screenplay. moreso, even if was originally your idea, if the studio gets your idea and then gives the script to Charlie Kaufman and has him change the screenplay enough, it's totally within their rights to give all the credit to Kaufman and give him the money and not give you anything.

if you're going to be a writer, it's going to happen to you a lot at the beginning.


anyway, i like the idea of people using my ideas. it means they can come up with something interesting. i tell my ideas to people all the time and most of the time they just look at me confused and don't really get it. everytime i show my stuff in class people are "oh, i get it. " it really sucks for me because if i can't get the idea across to someone before hand, it's hard to convince them to give me money.

but think about this, how do you explain Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to someone? there's no way that script would have gotten money or gotten made without Charlie Kaufman. it pretty much got made as weird as it was, because charlie kaufman is famous and respected. that's it.

so anyway, give out your ideas. let people know what you're doing. share your technology. if they steal it, they'll probably make a terrible mess out of it and no one is going to like it anyway. and then when YOUR movie comes out, everyone will say "ah, that's how it's supposed to be done!"

Baz Luhrman is still making his Alexander, eventhough Oliver Stone's Alexander bombed. it's what happens in hollywood, just keep going and do your best.

Oh man, I've been there.


One of my "friends" takes every little joke me and my other friend make in idle converstaion and put it in his movie, which is really starting to get annyoing. Not only that, but he's a character in my movie and I'm a character in his, and I noticed the other day he made a fight scene that was almost verbatim to mine. Which really ****ing pissed me off. A lot. It even had the same dialogue and camera angles.


And the apple thing REALLY doesn't work.

If he wanted to help him out by brining his idea to life, he should have ASKED HIM first, ina very polite manner, and you know, collaborate. What he did was stealing all the glory. If he cared that much about the project he would have worked with him on it.

Man, I just got on and read all these posts, and there's some good stuff in here. I particularly like the idea of making a sort of documentary about the whole occurence as proposed by REDKing, that would be classic. There's alot of good suggestions though, so hopefully I can do something before the year is out, there is only two weeks left. I think I figured out the best thing to say to this kid if I see him

"Hey buddy, how's it hanging"...blah blah...normal meaningless conversation. Then:

"Hey remember that movie idea I told you about last year? I'm thinking of making it this year, you interested in helping out?"

What can the kid say? Nothing really. If he says "oh hey I actually made that idea" then I can go crazy on his @ss. If he denies ever knowing about this idea and doesn't bring up that he made the movie, I'll just say "oh yea, thats right, you already made that movie didn't you. you stole it from me. I have the script sitting on my desk right now. Funny how I never gave it to you and told you to make a movie about it. What are we gonna do about this?"

Oh man I hope I see him soon, cause every day I care less and less. I will definately try to make a sweet film for next year's fest, and in the credits thank him for inspiring me as someone already suggested.

haha if you do all that stuff to him, he'd have to fell like a complete idiot. that sucks that he stole your idea though .

quote:

"Hey remember that movie idea I told you about last year? I'm thinking of making it this year, you interested in helping out?"

I am cracking up here. Do that!!

quote:

Originally posted by RFranco:
so anyway, give out your ideas. let people know what you're doing. share your technology. if they steal it, they'll probably make a terrible mess out of it and no one is going to like it anyway. and then when YOUR movie comes out, everyone will say "ah, that's how it's supposed to be done!"

No they won't. They'll say "Hey, you ripped off that other guy's idea! Can't you think of original ideas yourself?"

I can't help but dwell on the irony.

I dont think the internet lets people see this happening to them. Someone in North Carolina can be using an idea by someone from California and it will never get back to them. Sure it wont kill you in the long run, but its nice to have your ideas close. Thats why I only ask for ideas and give away plots before any real development on it has really has done.

quote:

Someone in North Carolina can be using an idea by someone from California and it will never get back to them.

Hey! Isn't that the other way around?

I would hope (at least on this board) that people can share info and ideas without being taken advantage. But you make a good point. Ideas can't be copyrighted, so I suppose everyone should be a little careful in throwing them out for the world to see!