Film Courage: Phil how much do you worry about your ideas being stolen?
Phil Hawkins, Filmmaker: I don't really worry about them to be honest.
I'm probably contradicting myself by not revealing an idea I said earlier when you ask me a question
but that's because I feel like they're not ready to be heard yet. I think it can hold people back
and maybe I’ll eat my words and maybe I'm being naive but I think this idea that
someone's going to read your script steal it and then write their own thing is kind of a bit absurd
because it's like if they liked it enough to want to steal it why would they start again it's like
at worst they would bite off you and you would never hear from them again and then and then
they would go and make it the film they want to be for x amount of dollars whatever that is but this
idea that I think that the big corporations the students are apt to steal ideas and
and and not let us in or not help us I think is is is is not very productive I think it stops people
again it's the whole thing about putting yourself out there right how people are gonna know you've
got that great script if you don't share it like how and you can protect it it's very easy to
copyright things and you put in an envelope and post it yourself all that kind of stuff
that people say you can do but it's from everyone i've met all the execs development people studio
heads and things like that that want to make film like they just genuinely want to meet
talented people right because talented filmmakers and writers are going to make great movies and
make make hopefully money and art so why would you want to steal it I don't I just it makes no sense
you may be on a maybe there might be a case in a smaller level like you've got an idea for a
short film and then someone else takes that and makes the short film I guess that could be very
very frustrating but this is the business of collaboration you can you just cannot do this
by yourself so you've kind of got to let people in there's got to be there's got to be a certain
amount of trust involved and as someone that has been stabbed in the back and someone that has
been the victim of certain things they've never really been about things being stolen it's been
more about other other things that can go on so I just I’d say don't let that hold you back
send it out submit it to competitions let friends read it let's friends pass it to friends because
you never know you never know the odds are already against you why make it worse than
just doing this and not letting people see your work just to play the devil's advocate what if
they don't have the talent you have and and there's a part of them that wishes they did
but they have some access to money that can make it I think that's the part that that could be
scary they they see your vision they see what you've done previously and they go wow this guy
actually has an excellent idea I want to do what he's doing and I have someone who can yeah and
and that's that's very very good devil advocate to play I would hope that in that situation that
it's not just about an idea an idea doesn't really exist until it's a screenplay until it's cast
until it's shot until it's made there's a heck of a lot involved in making that great idea so
it's it it it's a tricky one because it's it's about what is the idea right is it like you just
pitching a film it's like oh you it's a three sentence pitch well I could give you or seven
other people that three sentence pitch and they'd write very different screenplays like at its core
it's it's the long line but it's very very different that's not saying that's not excusing
kind of stealing that but what I'm trying to say you stumped me with that one no I see I
see where you're going it doesn't exist until until it's really a screenplay and hopefully
no one would take it at that phase either but I think that's a fair answer I think it's um
I think I think I would hope that people like that in the world are few and far between
and again maybe it's my optimism coming out here but I would hope that if someone cares enough to
want to steal something it just doesn't make sense why they wouldn't you wouldn't be involved in
that thing or just to pay you off like why would you risk that eventual lawsuit or that thing by
by just stealing it and making it it's like hope sure you bring people into the fold
or you buy it and let them go which happens which happens so but I just
you know it's hard because obviously there are bad people in the world and it and it's it's a tough
industry and and and there are some charlatans out there but it's I there's so much else that's
already holding you back personally professionally in terms of obstacles you need to challenge
like I wouldn't let that fear factor get in the way of people seeing or experiencing an
idea because on the flip side there could be that guy or girl or whatever that has that money that
wants to make that film and you just so happen to have the great skip to the right time like it's
you can't have all your cards close to your chest you've you've got to go this is me you've got
to go this is what I want to do you've got to go you've got to set your store out so people
understand what you're trying to do and if they like it hopefully that starts the conversation
unless you're really hostile about it and they want to steal it because they don't like you but
then just be nice be nice everybody so then you don't know anyone who's had their material stolen
no I don't know anyone that's had material stolen no you read about it now and again
in trades of like I sent this back in and then you suddenly made this big film and it was a
huge success give me some money and and then some sell out courts and whatever whatever
happens to those ones but no personally I don't know anyone that's had anything stolen on a
from a commercial perspective sometimes you you get a script from an agency and you write
a treatment a visual interpretation of that and you think that when you're writing like well no
one else has come up with this way of making this and then you don't get the job and then you see
it and you're like hang on that's quite close to the bone here but how do you like how do you prove
that and also that's that's that's very different to having a screenplay stolen or something
and I'm sure maybe that some of that stuff happens maybe your little ideas are borrowed or
maybe creative ideas become part of the melting pot and then suddenly you make it your own
and and you genuinely believe that it's your idea I guess there's a danger in that
but no I don't know I don't know anyone personally that's had anything stolen.
Do you worry about your screenplays or original ideas being stolen?