You may want to contact an entertainment attorney.

MM's got Sage advice here. Hollywood's gota billion of 'em. You might want to check on something like wwww.scriptsales.com. Also, registering your script (you can do it on-line now) can protect what's unique to you. In anaycase, write and register the script before you shop it, alse heartbreak will ensure.

Copywrite is a weird thing. For the most part, you are correct about the "dead fifty years" rule. That's true unless the writing's publisher, screenplay rights holder or family are cagey. H.P. lovecraft's work should have gone into public domain a short while ago, but his estate has managed to circumvent it. (Helped, in part, by the fact that they're very generous with granting permission.)

H.P. lovecraft's work should have gone into public domain a short while ago, but his estate has managed to circumvent it. (Helped, in part, by the fact that they're very generous with granting permission.)

Too generous in my opinion. Anybody else see the movie Dagon? Feh, with a double helping of ptui.

Too generous in my opinion. Anybody else see the movie Dagon? Feh, with a double helping of ptui.

It's SG, of course they're gonna grant permission. I missed it at the Film Fest, though the masses liked it. But, we were only there for the one P. worked on.

Thanks a lot for that MM.

The writer in question has been dead for a long time, and everyone and his dog has made adaptations. I've just fixated on the Novel That Everyone Forgot. I saw Michael Douglas as the villain while reading it and the whole thing just fell into place. All I need now is some time to write it, and, er, well, talent? Never even thought about screenplays before. I know how to format them..?

What's the book I should now go out and buy? The no-nonsense, insider-knowledge, been-to-hell-and-back-and-here-to-tell-the-tale seminal book on how to write a movie screenplay? I've read all kinds of cool William Goldman gossipy stuff but I want practicalities.

John, Look around www.scriptsales.com. You'll find everything you need.

One more version of my Berkeley application essay. My major issues here: some of the phrasing seems kind of awkward, but I can't figure out how to make it better. There are a few places where I use the same word (appreciate, enjoy) a few times within a paragraph, and I'd like to not do that. Contractions: do I use them? Or not? Any other comments/issues? (And don't worry, I won't be posting a million of these here. Once I've got this one down, I can just revise certain parts to use for other schools. Berkeley is my first choice school and the first application due, so I'm focusing on getting this one done well first.)

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The main reason that Berkeley is my first-choice school is the strong logic program and the option to concentrate in Foundations of Mathematics. I’ve take one course in the mathematical and logical foundations of computer science, and I plan to take a course in model checking next semester.

I participated in an REU at Cal Poly this summer, and I enjoyed having the opportunity to participate in research and writing. I have appreciated my liberal arts undergraduate education, but I found this summer that I really enjoy being able to focus all my academic energies on math.

I have been president of the Tulane branch of Women in Science since sophomore year. I’ve appreciated the support structure this organization created, and I’ve tried to arrange at least one program dealing with mathematics each year, so I would be very interested in being involved with the Noetherian Ring. I have also been a member of second- and third-place teams for the Louisiana Math Skirmish and the MAA Regional competition, and I placed in the intradepartmental Putnam competition in 2001.

I also have experience teaching. I have been a math tutor for undergraduate and high school students, I have volunteered as a math and computer teacher for elementary school programs, and I am currently working as a grader for a calculus class.

A few suggested edits:

The main reason that Berkeley is my first-choice school is the strong logic program and the option to concentrate in Foundations of Mathematics.

Berkeley is my first-choice school because of its strong logic program and the option to concentrate in Foundations of Mathematics.

I’ve take one course

I'm sure this is just a typo, but make sure it's corrected to "I've taken" before you mail the app.

I have appreciated my liberal arts undergraduate education

I value my liberal arts....

I’ve appreciated the support structure this organization created, and I’ve tried to arrange at least one program dealing with mathematics each year, so I would be very interested in being involved with the Noetherian Ring.

I’ve appreciated the support structure this organization created, and I’ve tried to arrange at least one program dealing with mathematics each year. If I am accepted at Berkeley, I plan to become involved in the Noetherian Ring.

Wrod to everything Susan said.

And another:

I participated in an REU at Cal Poly this summer, and I enjoyed having the opportunity to participate in research and writing. I have appreciated my liberal arts undergraduate education, but I found this summer that I really enjoy being able to focus all my academic energies on math.

I enjoyed researching and writing in an REU at Cal Poly this summer. While I have appreciated my liberal arts undergraduate education, my summer program showed me that I really enjoy focussing all my academic energy on math.

I'm trying to boil it down and make more direct statements....

Dear god, can focussing really have two s? That's horrible. I'm upset.

t edit

Need a life over here in the Lizard corner! Stat!