AboutDon Vasicek Expertise I can take you from the inception of your idea to the market. This translates to if you have an idea for a movie or a book, I can guide you through the jungle of writing these tomes all the way to getting it to producers, agents, editors, and/or publishers.
Experience Writer/Consultant for MGM's "Warriors of Virtue"
Writer/Associate Producer for American Film Corporations' "The Lost Heart", "Born To Kill"
Writer/Director/Producer for Olympus Films+'s "Faces" and "Oh, The Places You Can Go..."
Writer/Director/Producer for Olympus Films+'s "The Sand Creek Massacre"
Screenwriter for Incline Productions, Inc.'s "The Crown"
Author of "The Write Focus" and "How To Write, Sell, And Get Your Screenplays Produced"
Question In advance thank you for reading my question and I look forward to your response.
I'm an aspiring writer/director who has never written a script before other than jotting down ideas and making a start 100 times (never completing) and its about time I get my act together and start on one. I have always had one script I've dreamed of writing and turning into a huge feature film, and I know this dream of mine has more than 1000 obstacles standing in its way but it's something I've never managed to let go of.
I have a family member with a fascinating life story who I would love to write a biopic about. A book has been written about him (about 4 books, but one in particular) and I was wondering whether I'd have to enquire about buying the rights to the book, or whether I could risk writing a screenplay without use of the book. I have not read the book on purpose so that maybe I'd be allowed to write a screenplay and not worry about this already published book as I havent based my screenplay on the book, but on my own research about his life.
What is the deal with writing a biopic?
Does me being a relative of this person work in my favour at all?
Thanks again
Natalie Gothelf
Answer Hi, Natalie,
I apologize for taking so long to answer.
I'm working on a film and just got back
to my computer.
I'm not a lawyer, so I can't answer your question.
I can say that you should check to see who, if
anyone, has the rights to your family member's
story. Once you find out who that is, then, you
will have to see if you can negotiate a deal with
them to do the movie, or to purchase the rights
away from that person, or those persons.
By being a relative, you can utilize that in getting
the rights.
Oh, by the way, if you believe you have 1,000 obstacles,
then, guess what, you have 1,000 obstacles. Rather, I
would think in terms of the 1,000 things I have to be
successful with my project.
I hope this has been of help to you.
Best Regards,
Don
Donald L. Vasicek
Olympus Films+, LLC
The Zen of Successful Writing and Filmmaking http://www.donvasicek.com
dvasicek@earthlink.net
