What’s a big advantage a professional writer needs to have?
The ability to be silent about a project.
If your producer doesn’t want you telling everyone about a project, then.. don’t.
The reality of it is, everyone’s got their projects they have in the works. You hear about ABC films working on a project – say, a remake of “The Wizard of Oz” – and you look at your own schedule, and you’ve got the Star Trek film, the Willie Wonka remake, the “Born Free” animated feature, and the history of the Utah Raptor thing for Discovery Science.
You just don’t have time to rip off the other guy’s project.
But people do get influenced by hearing what the other guy’s working on. And let’s just say you’re working on a history of arctic penguins, but you want to follow one penguin all the way through. DEF Films is working on a film about chess champions – but they like the angle you’re working on. So suddenly their focus is on following four families with big headed kids off to a national championship for chess.
Nobody ripped you off or stole your project – but suddenly your logline’s focus can now fall into the background noise, because two other production companies are busy working on “following the stories of four…” and your “following the story of one…” sounds like it’s just part of the mist.
Most producers don’t require you to sign non-disclosure agreements – but understand it’s better not to talk too much about your project until you get a greenlight from your producer.
Okay, I’m off to work on a project of four penguins traveling to London for a Chess Championship.
