Contacting BSG

[Mordraken]

I've got one hell of an idea for BSG (well, I think so anyway) that I'd like to put on e-paper. It would probably be good for about 40 minutes of screen time over 2-4 episodes, and give a whole lot of posibilities for future stories along the same line. But - unless I know where to send it, there really isn't much point.

Does anyone have any contact info for the BSG writing/directing dept? Or even a general fan-box mailbox?

[Ziptie]

Think this is one of those "never in a million years" deals. IIRC many writers deliberately insulate themselves from fan fiction and story proposals to prevent the legal repercussions that can ensue if a similar storyline actually gets written at some point in future.

Your best bet would probably be to contact R&D TV, but, without wanting to sound too negative, the chances of any fan-inspired story even being read by the series' producers are likely to be pretty slim.

[Mordraken]

Yup, I know that's a fact, but I thought I'd take a shot anyway.

Anywhoo, I'd give 'em an "it's all yours" blanket coverage up front - I don't need the few bucks that I'd get from writing... I already have a job . It would just be nice to see my ideas come to light.

[bluegreenturtle]

Hey Mordraken -

I've done some writing for both film and television, have a university degree in screenwriting and have worked in the industry on and off for a decade.

Ziptie's comments are on the mark.

Legal stuff aside - and it is a real consideration - you are walking into something that is a very different world than I think most people think.

What you have to understand - and most non writers don't - is that your ideas have no value to the writers of a series. Especially at this early point in the series production. This series has a highly scripted story and character arc - that is, very few of the episodes stand alone in the arc and they are part of something that "arcs" over at least a half dozen episodes at a time. If the scripts aren't written for another dozen shows already I would be surprised. Treatments are there for many more. And there are piles of ideas and treatments "on deck."

All that aside, the creators and writers of most series have literally hundreds of ideas of their own that they would like to incorporate into scripts but have to pare down and toss out. Going to outsiders for such ideas is not something that is done often (but sometimes, and I'll get to that in the next paragraph). Few writers lack for ideas - they lack for the time to write them in a completed form and they work on the fine points of execution. I have a file drawer full of full feature length outlines and treatments - they're all competent and would work fine. I can complete them, too - I have no problem finishing a script. The difficult part is elsewhere - in the selling, not the writing - which is beyond the scope of this post.

When I say your idea has no value, I really do mean exactly that. *However* your completed script - well polished and perfect in every aspect - could have some value and could be considered as a writing sample to the submitted party, assuming you can make the connections to get to somebody who is willing to read it. The few execeptions to the rule of accepting ideas from the outside have been *exclusively* for completed scripts.

So if you want to pursue this, do yourself a favor and take a few hours every day for 6 months before you go to your job and write a script based on your idea. Or just take a few months off. Make sure you totally understand the format that you are writing in (I mean the technical format of screenwriting, the format of the 60 minute drama, the format of science fiction, the format of the show itself) Then get it read by every person you know and consider their feedback. If you really think you have something then after revising, you might want to try to get in contact with somebody who can hook you up with an agent. Then a much longer road can begin.

But seriously, if you go up to somebody and say "I've got this great idea for your show" you are going to be the butt of a joke 5 minutes later. If you go up to them and hand them your very polished script and can pitch the story idea in 2 sentences or less, you may get at least something more than actually being made fun of, though that still might happen too.

[Mordraken]

Thanks for the response BlueGreen. I appreciate the words as I really don't know anything about the industry. I do know for novels, publishers won't look at it unless it is 80-90% complete.

If I was to write this, it could only be as a screenplay since... well... I can't see any other way to write this other than as a play. That said, I am not a writer, so if I was to do it I would hook up with a real writer to work with (I have some friends in the Toronto film indurty, but more on the production side than the writing side). And since I really don't see that happening, I think my ideas will just have to die with me

Oh - one more thing... regarding the leagal stuff - the way musicians (who write music) get around that is by mailing themselves copies of their work. The sealed envelop is post-marked by the post-office, and can be kept in case any leagal action is done. Then the sealed envelope is brought before the court as proof of when the piece was completed. Sure beats copyright fees!

[bluegreenturtle]

All screenplays get registered (at least by anybody who is thinking about it) by the guild for a fee. They hold them in a vault and arbitrate in case of problem. You send it to them and there is a receipt that you get back and that date is the one used.

I'm pretty sure most professional musicians use a similar system (I'm a professional symphonic double bassist by night, as well) and ASCAP or BMI can take care of any registration issues for copyright.

Despite that, very few producing entities will read a submission unless it is submitted by a known agent, an entertainment lawyer, or there is a prior agreement between the submitter and the producing entity saying essentially "I know you, I won't sue you, you can read my stuff and you're not liable for any infringement."

[Mordraken]

Yeah, only problem with registered sources is that for Jazz (which is my area) you're writing music like crazy, and often playing it publicly quite soon after it's written. They'll often evolve over time, and if it evolves into something that can be submitted for grant money or publication, you want to make sure you're backed up.

If you're writing one piece a month (like with orchestral music), then the fees are probably justified, but if you're doing 3-5 songs a week and playing them publicly (with other musicians that may not be so ethical when it comes to money), it's a super cheap way to protect yourself.