January 17 at 8:21am

Where Do Good Ideas Come From?

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I have linked to Steven Johnson before. I find how his observation that “chance favors the connected” all that I need to justify the energy I spend trying to unite our indie film community. I still haven’t read his book yet, but luckily I do have his lectures.

I love how the environment suggested for good idea generation is chaotic. I long had a piece of calligraphy in my office with the symbols of chaos and creativity. Further his dominant “slow hunch” process helps me from getting too restless about how long it is taking to get us out of the current swamp. I may have to read the book — if I can find the time that is.

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  • David
    Hello, Ted...Thanks so much for your appearance in Cleveland last night!  Great talk, very inspirational, full of humor and candor from all guests. If you remember, I am the one who came up and asked you about the new Kevin Smith-style self-distribution model at the end of the evening.  At any rate,  I am now subscribing to your blogs, and thank you for the wealth of information to be found here!  Hopefully you can find time to address my question.  (I decided to post it here, seemed like the most relevant blog)

    How on EARTH does one protect one's ideas in this crazy business?  I have pitched (and in one case produced a trailer for) some ideas, only to have them rejected by some big players.  I have seen IDENTICAL ideas then go into development and even get made!  Seems like it truly does "take money to make money"...in other words, seems like one has to have a few 100K sitting around to truly get something into development before someone else snatches it up.

    On a related note, I have several ideas where there are underlying rights issues...in one case, I have an EPIC true crime story, set in Cleveland, that has a charismatic anti-hero going against a buttoned-down fed, each guy fighting for DECADES to protect their version of the American Dream.  Looks like I will need significant $ to buy the life rights of the fed.  I have a treatment for this, and I pitched it 6 years ago (to a MAJOR player) and was shot down.  Now of course it is in development (at a different company).  Arrghh...frustrating!

    Sorry for the long post, just wondering about advice on how to deal with protecting ideas and developing ideas that have rights issues baked into them (life rights, rights to novels, etc)

    Thanks so much,

    Dave
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