Dream to screen... help?

[teachphillips]

Need advice and maybe help. I had something unusual happen to me, a dream so vivid and clear that I can replay it as a film in my head. I have written it down as a 12 page outline and had a dozen people read it and they can't wait for me to do something with it. Everyone says it would make a GREAT movie. It is a scifi thriller titled "Superior species". How do I protect the idea and or screenplay?

Accept any help, thanks.

Tony

[eddie]

Well first of all you should turn the idea into a screenplay. As an unknown person your 'idea' isnt worth a thing. Any aspect of it could be ripped off.
Turn it into a script. Then print two copies of it and post one of these to yourself. Dont open it when you receive it. This package will have a date and author details on it. Its the oldest way to secure your rights to the script. Send the other copy to an agent and get him to do the selling for you.
Viola.

[khan488]

You can also copyright it for a small fee. That maybe the best bet for you. I'm not sure how to do it but email me and I can find out and tell you how. One of my associates knows how to do it and I can forward you all the pertinent material.

[sirchimpalot]

Isn't the posting to yourself way a bit dodgy. Surely you could have just sent an envelope to yourself, then put a script in it much later on and re-sealed it.

Surely its worth paying the fee to do it properly?

[Eliud25]

Don't let anyone read it. Finish the screenplay and make the movie in secret.

[WastedSpace]

Although posting it to yourself stands up in court there is one small problem, The Frickin Royal mail. I sent copies of my script to myself and every time the royal mail made sure it was ripped, torn, burnt or otherwise unreadable, trust me find another way to copyright it, it's cheaper and less annoying in the long run.