Message Board

Who's entering Walt Disney this year?

If so, feature or TV?

I am, in TV. I heard less people entered TV or it was easier to win in TV or something to that effect. How about you?

I heard the same thing.

I wrote a script for "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Which one did you write for?

jessie

I'm entering the TV competition, spec of Alias.

I entered a screenplay with a male mouse with an effiminate voice as the lead. (Why not kill two birds with one stone?)

I'm doing TV as well.

Great, lots of TV writers. I bet everyone heard the rumor that it was easier and now there will be a flood of TV scripts. Like William Goldman says, nobody knows anything. ;) I'm doing The Simpsons. It's a spoof of Lord of the Rings.

Curb sounds interesting to write for. Is anyone doing straight-up drama, like The West Wing?

Richard-

Does the mouse have ears that stay perfect circles no matter how he turns his head? Because call me crazy, that smells like a hit to me.

Feature for me.

I don't understand television.

Guess I have less competition this year. :)

Good luck to everyone.

Doug

http://dougsolter.tripod.com

I have a feature-length comedy that I may enter. Good luck to everybody!

I would rather enter the features division but I'm doing TV because the feature I'm working on is not complete. I hadn't heard a thing about there being less entries in the television division.

I applied for the TV sector as well. I did my spec on My Wife and Kids. Wishing you all the best!

Peace, Love and Blessings Ruby www.connected2theFather.com

Stephanie--

Actually, my mouse wears a neck brace and spends most of the story in an iron lung. So...

Yes!

I've never submitted to the Disney Fellowships because I've always been concerned about this: If you are selected as a fellow, everything (!) you've ever written that has not been sold or is not currently under option becomes Disney's for the taking, if they want it (of course, I know they have to pay you.)

Can they FORCE you to sell to them something you may not want to sell? The very idea of surrendering everything to them gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Can anyone clarify if I'm right about this, or if, instead, I have misinterpreted their rules?

Thanks.

According to their website, it's the work that you do if you're selected as one of the fellows. The writing that is done that one particular year.

At least, that's the way I took it.

This is what appears under their Guidelines & FAQs:

Q: Who owns the rights to the materials that I submit for entrance to the Fellowship Program and/or materials that I previously created?

A: You will retain ownership in such material. However, if you are selected as a Fellow, any material written by you prior to the term of the Fellowship Program and currently controlled and/or owned by you must be disclosed in writing and Disney and ABC will have an "Exclusive First Look" at such material whereby Disney and ABC shall have the option to purchase such material from you in accordance with the policies and terms outlined in the Fellowship Program contract.

...I certainly don't like the sound of that! Does anyone else agree that it says what I think it says?

Sure what it sounds like to me, Paula.

You don't like the sound of a major studio buying your scripts for large amounts of money? Isn't that, um, sort of the goal here?

Disney rarely (if ever) exercises their option in any case. They simply want to take a look at everything you have.

Who wouldn't accept the chance to show their work to Disney and have the chance to sell it? What exactly are you afraid of?

That said, I suppose nothing would prevent you from not disclosing the scripts you 'may not want to sell.'

To me, it says, "Hey, we want you and we're interested in whatever else you've written."

And if they wanted to purchase my other material -- I'd be quite happy. I'd have a party!

Paula,

Pardon me for saying so but I think you're getting a little paranoid.

So what if Disney gets a first look at your stuff? If they pass, you can use all those great contacts you'll get out of this and sell your work somewhere else after your year is done.

Doug

>>Who wouldn't accept the chance to show their work to Disney and have the chance to sell it? What exactly are you afraid of?

My favorite of all of my screenplays is one that I wrote for myself to direct. From the words FADE IN: onward, that was my intent. Before you laugh it up, I have an MFA in filmmaking from USC. After surviving that killer program, let's just say I know a little something about filmmaking. So the idea of me directing my own feature screenplay is not exactly preposterous.

I'm not selling that particular script unless I direct it. If it never sells for that reason, well, then it never sells. THAT I can live with. But what I wouldn't be able to live with is having that screenplay swept away from me, because of some legal language, to which I would be bound, in the Disney Fellowship agreement. And if by some wild, remote chance I happened to be selected for the program, that script would be left unprotected. I'm sorry, but Disney is the WRONG company for it. And do you honestly think they would let me direct it? This is Disney we're talking about. I'd never be nuts enough to think they would.

Sure, winning a Disney Fellowship is a very, very, VERY long shot. I'm aware of that. I don't kid myself that the odds would fall in my favor. But even with those long odds, I don't want to risk it. My other screenplays? Hell. Sure. Make an offer. But that one? Not unless I direct it.

You may think that makes me crazy or delusional. Too bad. That's the way I feel. Besides, there are plenty of other contests out there to enter.

Does that answer your question?

Paula,

I don't think you're crazy, or delusional.

I do think you needn't worry about Disney forcing you to turn over the script you want to direct.

Here's what happens. You turn in a list of all your completed scripts and a brief synopsis. (and, if you conveniently leave off your pet project script, how would they know?) If they are interested, they'll ask to read some or all of them. If they want to buy it, they begin negotiations with you. I don't think you are forced to sell it to them, at whatever price they name.

I was a Disney finalist and this was what I gathered from tne final interview.

Also, as for your script not being a 'Disney' script, bear in mind Disney owns Miramax, Buena vista, and Hollywood Pictures, producers of some very UN-Disney like movies.

Just food for thought. Best of luck,

Z.

Speaking of the Disney Fellow, you know the biography portion of the application? How did you guys write it? Was it in the first person, an autobiography or the third person a biography?

I wrote mine is third person, just mentioned my body of work, my occupation and what I am presently working on.

Since I don't have anything that would really make me diverse, that's what I did too. But if you have something that might make you interesting to them, such as you come from a minority background or grew up in some weird place, I would mention that. After all, this used to be the Diversity Fellowship. Basically, if it helped you get into college, put it down here.

Richard -

Love the iron lung. I think it is a very underrated plot device.