lightbulb789 Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 Hi, Were looking to Rewrite a script for example 'Grease' and turn it in to a modern Grease so it will be called Something like Grease 2004 Etc. How do I find out about Copyright etc And does anyone Know of any Script Writers that could help me and my friend rewrite it?? Thanks, Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 I think you need to contact the copyright owner. (For Grease it's Samuel French Inc. according to my copy of the script.) It does say "No one shall make any changes in this play for the purpose of production." though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightbulb789 Posted December 22, 2004 Author Share Posted December 22, 2004 I think you need to contact the copyright owner. (For Grease it's Samuel French Inc. according to my copy of the script.) It does say "No one shall make any changes in this play for the purpose of production." though.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Where did you get your Grease Script??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 Permit me to point something out here, but this is a forum for technical matters of backstage theatre / rock / whatever - not for scripts and scriptwriting. Surely there is a more appriopate place you could post this question to. Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightbulb789 Posted December 22, 2004 Author Share Posted December 22, 2004 Tell me somewhere I can go and ill post it there then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinmonk Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 Stu, dont mean to be pedantic, but technically Scripts are something that fall under the role of the Stage Damagers amoung the rest of the team involved in a production, and in essence a script is something technical to a performance. Copyright is something that involves anybody in the industry, and reading the original post I believe lightbulb789 was asking if anybody knew any script writers they could get in touch with to help them... I maybe on my own here, but I dont see any problem in this post being posted... As for the topic: The current Script you have should have a copyright on it, try contacting the publishers of that copy to find out where you stand with them. As for Scriptwriters I dont really have any names, but you could always approach your drama teacher ( if you havent already ) or english teachers they are usually keen to get involved with projects... Or try looking through google for some scriptwriting resource websites... May turn something up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 Where did you get your Grease Script??? <{POST_SNAPBACK}>My school did Grease last month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightnix Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 Details of how and where to apply for Performance Rights are usually printed inside each script. You might be able to find some help from scriptwriters at Absolute Write, they have a forum which includes a Playwriting section. Apart from that, searching Google for "scriptwriters" may throw up some useful links. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 In my experience, getting permission to adapt is always difficult. Of course, if you change the character names, don't use Grease XXX as the title and have no reference to the original material apart from the era and different songs then problems start to go away. After all, a tribute to Grease isn't much different than the hundreds of tribute bands doing the rounds, and as far as I know, no one has ben prosecuted yet. On the script front - it is important to remember that if you copied the scripts to use as destroyable tech copies, and you are a school or college, you could be in all sorts of trouble with the copyright agency who routinely sample what goes through the copiers. The fact that many people do this doesn't stop it being illegal under current copyright law - in fact, the original hired scripts specifically tell you you mustn't do it! probably not a wise thing to say you have it on a public forum me thinks...... paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 To add to all the general points above, ISTR that the Grease rights holders are particularly sticky to deal with. For example, there is a song in the film, but not the show that it is forbidden to add. (May be the film rights holders on second thoughts...) Anyway, I'm sure it's not going to be easy to get a consent here.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 The more successful and desirable a show the more the rights owners protect the script. Its their asset and its continuing purity is ESSENTIAL. If you want to be inspired by "Grease " to write your own story of end of school budding romance then go ahead. Don't call it Grease and Don't copy plot/names /songs. If you want to rewrite grease for your own purposes apply to the rights owners with a reasoned synopsis and I realistically expect you to be refused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted December 24, 2004 Share Posted December 24, 2004 the other small snag with 'popular' musicals is that PRS often can't help with clearance - the well known songs get withdrawn from PRS - 7f'd in their language. You then need to deal directly with the rights holders, who then find out what you're up to, and may or may not agree to you using the music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightbulb789 Posted December 24, 2004 Author Share Posted December 24, 2004 I've noticed a few people have got the wrong idea, What I mean is I want to take an old Musical/play and make it more modern so more upto date, When I say rewrite it I mean take out old bits and change it with bits that kid/people now days can realate to (so Romeo and Juliet Put into Modern so it wont be like Thou shoul not bite te thumb at me etc it will be you starting on me etc) I hope you all get me on this. I've kind of lost my self once again. And I was using Grease as an example. Thanks,Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted December 24, 2004 Share Posted December 24, 2004 I think Shakespeare and friends are un-copyrightable so if you want to update something, the older the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted December 24, 2004 Share Posted December 24, 2004 I think Shakespeare and friends are un-copyrightable so if you want to update something, the older the better. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ... but think 50+ years, except "Peter Pan" for which Great Ormond Street has it's copyright for perpetuity. (I think; several ales have passed my lips) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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