ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years ago - Stephen Potts

Hi Ned,

What Marlom said.

You absolutely need the rights for anything in copyright. The date at which copyright expires and the material enters the public domain varies, depending on the country and the date of publication. (For example, anything published in the US before 1923 is now public domain material.)
If you want to adapt anything by a well-known author, you are going to have to pay: and if it is a well-known story you may have to pay a lot (unless it is Stephen King, and he has given you rights for a dollar...) On the other hand, a well-chosen story by an author who is not a household name could be obtained up for a token sum, plus credit, if you approach the author respectfully and in a spirit of co-operation.

Stephen

www.stephenpotts.net

11 years ago - Ned Hussain

Thank you everyone for the advice.

I wouldn't be selling the short film, don't think there is a market. But if I was pleased with the final out come, I would enter it into festivals.

11 years ago - Richard Anthony Dunford

Yes like everyone has said you need to buy the rights. If the author is no longer living the publisher will own the rights or atleast be able to tell you who does.
With that Stephen King dollar thing yes you can use his short stories for a dollar but I think there's some kind of clause where you are not allowed to make any money from the subsequent film or if you can enter into contests so I'd check the small print if you wanna do one of those.

11 years ago - Marlom Tander

You can do whatever you like if it's a personal project not for distribution or showing. But if you want to sell or send to festivals, you'll need permission.

Whether you ask first, or make it and hope to impress them so much that they'll grant permission is your choice.

Good news - short stories pay badly, so if it's an unknown author they'll probably be happy to entertain the idea in return for a credit. Being writers they might to write the script.

11 years ago - Sade Adeniran

Hi Ned,

I would ask for permission before you start the whole process, it's the respectful thing to do regardless of your intention. I'm assuming you're not going to be making a film which is intended for your own sole consumption.

If the author is dead I would check the copyright status, according to UK copyright law, it extends 70 years after an authors death. Not sure about other countries, either way my advice is to seek permission first. If you don't and your film becomes successful and the author finds out...