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  • 1.  TV/Movie scripts??

    Posted 08-18-2017 09:35

    Hi All,

    I'm looking to integrate multiple types of scripts into my Drama 2 class.  I want to study and rehearse using TV and movie scripts - NOT PERFORM THEM PUBLICLY.  Does this fall within the acceptable use copyright laws?  NO PUBLIC PERFORMANCES!!  Thanks for your insights!


    Mike


    Mike Hancey
    Theatre Program Director
    Musical Theatre, Drama & Theatre Guild
    Theater Manager
    Laramie High School
    Past-President WYACDA


  • 2.  RE: TV/Movie scripts??

    Posted 08-21-2017 09:30
    You might be able to find some online for purchase. They are not expensive.

    ------------------------------
    Stephen Ingle
    Drama Teacher
    Jefferson High School
    Jefferson, GA
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: TV/Movie scripts??

    Posted 08-21-2017 22:47
    I am by no means a copyright expert, but I've been reading "for your consideration" screenplays for several years now. Film producers make them available online in the months leading up to the Oscars for the convenience of Oscar voters. Some screenplays are clearly labelled that they are free to download. For example, The Weinstein Company has screenplays for Lion, The Founder, and a couple of other films on their website right now with links to pdf downloads. The producers of Loving offer the screenplay for download on the movie's official website. It should be easy enough to contact the producers to secure permission to read the screenplays in class. Or, if you are in a school that provides devices for students, they can access the screenplays individually.

    Again, I'm no lawyer, but if the owner of the material puts it online in a downloadable format and provides a clearly labelled link to the file, I'd bet you'd have an argument that it falls under fair use.

    - Bob

    ---------------------------------
    Bob Ramseur


    Newnan GA
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: TV/Movie scripts??

    Posted 08-22-2017 12:57
    I agree with Bob, especially if used in class. 
    My daughters &  I will play "name that quote" and recently I was looking for a quote from While You Were Sleeping. I used Google and just typed in "quote between mother & son in hospital" and several options came in. From there I went to www.script-o-rama.com and the whole script was there, including the song at the beginning of the movie! 

    Check out that website. Good luck!

    ------------------------------
    Connie Sandoz
    Waxahachie, TX
    Retired Theatre Director
    Henderson, NV
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: TV/Movie scripts??

    Posted 08-25-2017 12:52
    As long as you're just using it in class, I think you're okay. Just make sure you get permission if there are any performances involved (even kids from another class).

    I don't think putting something on the Internet means it's available for fair use. That just means it's available for private or classroom use, not to do whatever you want with it. Fair use is something entirely different.


  • 6.  RE: TV/Movie scripts??

    Posted 08-26-2017 03:19
    The Writer's Guild of America is very strict about the author's rights to movie and television scripts. They have also been battling the unauthorized distribution of scripts from the "old days" where below the line crew sold their scripts to the Internet piracy.  

    That being said - there's also the production companies who have copywritten the work.  Warner Brothers and Disney can be particularly difficult.  

    Public performance rights are very difficult to get ( I failed with a West Wing script even with a friend who produces with John Wells in my corner!)and duplicating scripts is also a huge no-no. 

    Do people do it and not get caught - of course!  But I was working at a school in West Hollywood and not only did I have WGA parents, but I also spent a lot of time teaching kids the "right" way to do things. 

    Trust me, working a few blocks from Samuel French in a "restricted zone" caused additional hoops for plays as well. 

    Kathleen Conner
    California State Thespians CFO


    Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone on the Verizon 4G LTE Network



    Original Message


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