http://goo.gl/k1Wd1
This is a screenplay I wrote called The Safest Place in Town. 2004 Finalist at the Houston International Film Festival. Similar to (Reasonable facsimile) the beginning of Blood Diamonds, but written and copyrighted before then.
That's life.
I also learned that the U.S. copyright office is the way to go for copyrighting your script. I no longer stop at the Writer's Guild of America method. The difference is damages in a suit. You have a stronger base for your attorney should you need to fight copyright theft.
Copyright attorneys will take cases, of course, but if on contingency, they like a slam dunk case--word for word stuff. That's not likely to happen. It's my understanding that a reasonable facsimile case can work, but it requires the attorney to work harder and with less confidence, unless of course you are paying by the hour.
The format is the style for submitting scripts. A lot of scripts you see on the web are production scripts; you don't turn in those styles if you are proposing for a sale.
I use Final Draft.com for my formatting of the script. It was recommended to me by Cam Jones, Executive Producer of the movie Traffic.
Yeah, I know him, but it's not like that. It's a business.
The studio has writers. You need to come up with something unique and likely something they can't do due to your unique knowledge and experience..
Keep it real: for most of it's an enjoyable hobby until we sell something. Until then, we are giving studios ideas.
I still write: it's fun. Attend festivals now and then; they are also fun, and they have their own unique dynamics. I met a few famous actors that way. Good conversation.
