Anybody know anything about screenplays?

[yertle]

I know this isn't a true comic book type question but humor me for just a minute please.

 

I was cleaning out some boxes yesterday and I found a Conan the Barbarian screenplay by John Milius (second draft) that I had forgotten I still owned. I'm trying to find out if I can somehow authenticate this and what would the value be. My searching online hasn't resulted in finding anything even remotely close to what I'm looking for so I now turn you guys and gals. Can anybody help with a link or some insight? Pretty please.

[joe_collector]

Is it an original screenplay? Does it have signatures, notes, etc?

[Paladin]

Originality is the key. Got a copy of a screenplay from the defunct NBC television series "Earth 2"'s episode "Flower Child". I was jazzed to get it a convention they had in New Mexico in 1996. Got it autographed by a few of the actors in the epsiode. It was pretty much known there that there was multiple copies of the episode so all those involved with the production could have a copy. I made some copies of it after I won it in an auction and gave it to some of the other Earth 2 fans. Later saw the screenplay I had made copies of (had the same autographs I had gotten) being auctioned off on Ebay (advertised as original even). Needless to say I fired off an email to that seller.

 

So with all the above gabbing, it's probably best to have the original draft right off the writer's printer.

[yertle]

It was pretty much known there that there was multiple copies of the episode so all those involved with the production could have a copy.

 

That's what I figured and I'm guessing I have just that, a copy that was used by somebody on the set. I don't know the true history of the book since I obtained it a few years ago in a box of comics I bought and I doubt the seller of the box knew it was in there. Thanks for the information.

 

To answer your question Joe, no it doesn't have any signatures, notes, or do I belive it to be the "original". It's pretty boring looking if you ask me, just a blah type cover and back with a sticker on the front identifying what is inside. The most exciting thing is a photocopy drawing of Conan on the front page.

[joe_collector]

Then it's definitely not an original, since those never have pictures, drawings, etc. and are just plain type-face. That's likely a fan copy.

[Joanna]

True original screenplays will have multi-colored pages, denoting the different versions. Every time you change anything on a screenplay, there is a revision number with a corresponding different colored page, i.e. 1st revision might be pink, 2nd blue, 3rd yellow, and so on. This is true for television and film.

 

However, "original" is really a misnomer with screenplays because they're all copies, even the ones with the colored pages. There's no such thing as a screenplay with one original unless it is the writer's draft (the copy first turned in prior to all the changing that happens). The term "writer's draft" is written on the screenplay (it's the equivalent of "first draft").

 

Once a -script is accepted, then the changing starts. I know things are different with film and television, but with TV, the -script is then "tabled" (a room full of writers -- usually not including the original writer -- goes through and punches up the -script. It can either come out fairly close to the writer's draft, or so changed there's almost nothing recognizable). When it is finally considered finished, they do a published version with all white pages. Then there is read-through with the cast and all the stuff you thought was great (and fell flat) gets changed. This is where the colored pages start piling up. Eventually, you have a shooting -script, and this is multicolored. Many copies are made so that the writing staff, producers, actors, director and other assorted crew all can have copies. In ebay terms, these would all be considered "original" scripts, and are the ones worth money, depending on the production.

 

-- Joanna

[Paladin]

Yep, mine wasn't in the multi-colored variety. All the pages were of one color (or maybe they were multi-colored. Oh, heck I'll have to go check it out ), and you could see corrections/edits made on some of the pages. Auctioned off to me in a nice binder with a "Universal" television sticker slapped on the front. So, I guess mine was in the original area, but not like the very first.

 

Anyhow, sounds like you got a cool find. Enjoy.