screenplay template on Google Docs =)

Randall_Oelerich

Randall_Oelerich

Veteran
I just discovered this screenplay template on Google Docs
http://docs.google.com/previewtemplate?id=w.dd8nn97m_327s6nc776&mode=public
I use Google Docs for my initial story outlines, beat sheets, etc. before exporting then importing into Movie Magic Screenwriter. Working on a new screenplay in google docs today so I was curious if google had a template for screenplays, finally did a search today and lo and behold there it was. Whether it is useful or not remains to be seen, but I thought I would share the url for the template here in case anyone is interested. I like google docs, allows editing docs from several PCs without losing track of the data, google handles the data storage and backups, docs can be shared for viewing or collaborative writing, and it also means there are breadcrumb trails for potential disputes about intellectual property.
 
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I dunno, I think I'd be more worried that Google might try to make your plot and concept open source before you were ready.

I prefer to keep stuff on my PC, where I can control it. USB thumbdrives are a great inexpensive way to avoid risk of loss while making files easily transportable from PC to PC.
 
KeithK said:
I dunno, I think I'd be more worried that Google might try to make your plot and concept open source before you were ready.

I prefer to keep stuff on my PC, where I can control it. USB thumbdrives are a great inexpensive way to avoid risk of loss while making files easily transportable from PC to PC.
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Doesn't that only happen when you share the specified files? I've been using google docs too, mainly to pen ideas and keep them there while i'm at work.
 
One must specifically share google docs with friends for others to see them, google disallows spiders/bots from indexing google docs. I suppose a hacker *might* get in, but then again it is google. Pretty secure I think. I actually see using google docs as a plus regarding legal protection as google docs saves revisions, saves all the docs on their servers, so there is a great electronic paper trail of breadcrumbs should any dispute arise over originality, ownership, dates, etc.


raymondluo said:
Doesn't that only happen when you share the specified files? I've been using google docs too, mainly to pen ideas and keep them there while i'm at work.
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raymondluo said:
Doesn't that only happen when you share the specified files? I've been using google docs too, mainly to pen ideas and keep them there while i'm at work.
Click to expand...

Don't know, never used Google Docs. As stated above, I tend to prefer to keep files on my computer, where I can control access to them. Maybe thats just because I am natually a controling person. I dont use free e-mail accounts for anything important, because if they decide to terminate your account they can do so without warning and they dont have to let you have access to your messages, which could be a big deal if you have important stuff in there. Instead I host my own mail server where I can control who has acess to the data and nothing goes bye bye unless I want it to.

I just distrust Google for important things like that after they did several things to weaken copyright laws. I.e. that made copying images from websites and using them in their own site fair use (thumbnails decision) and they they are trying to shift the burden of ensuring that republication of somebody else's stuff does not consitute infringement to the holder instead of to the person doing the republishing (Google Books and Thumbnails Decision).

If I publish a book and sell a copy to a library, that should not give Google the right to digitize my book and offer it for free on thier website. What Google does with its books thing is digitize the collections of libraries without the knowledge or consent of the publisher. Sure, you can opt out, but just like spam and telemarketing, it should not be opt out, it should be opt in. And the copyright law says the system is opt in, that is, you are assumed to retain all rights until you specifically disclaim them or assign them. Google has defeated that and turned it around and made it so that they have a license to your work unless you notify them otherwise which is BS.

Meh, I guess I am a little paranoid. :)
 
I think Google makes use of the TEACH act (law), part of the Digital Millenium copyright law, allowing them to reproduce copyrighted material without the consent of the owner, for educational purposes. Hmm, okay as I just typed that my own words hit me-- might Google make public google docs material as a result of those same loopholes? They say they will not (on Help in Google Docs), but damn if someday they did make it public that would really be, well, not a good thing, if a high concept screenplay I was working on in Google docs all of a sudden went public. Ouch!

I could give up Google docs if I could just find some workarounds to keeping track of the most current version of a document. Honestly, I am drowning in a pool filled with so many places one's data gets scattered it is almost freaking me out! I have a home PC, with multiple drives for data to be saved to (and forgotten about unintentionally); external TB usb drives; usb flash drive on my keychain; external mini-usb drive used on...; laptop computer; oh yeah don't forget Google docs as yet another data storage location. Oh, and my private server space where I (ftp) upload data backups. My nightmare scenario is overwriting that 8th draft of a high concept academy award winning screenplay, losing it in the sea of data repositories. :crybaby:
 
You really have me thinking now. I have my own private server space that I could set up my own private net-based text editor--with password security, etc., all web-based. That could give me the functionality of google docs without worrying about any of my docs going public. I am going to look into that, maybe transition from google docs to my private alternative. You know Celtx has a similar issue-- Celtx allows uploading and usage of their celtx server space for screenplays, but the same privacy issues exist. The only real way to keep docs from any prying eyes is to keep them offline (but then how many of us have computers and laptops connected to the net on home networks, so potentially a virus / trojan could play games with even that data) or maybe host a private and secure online text editor.
 
Randall_Oelerich said:
You really have me thinking now. I have my own private server space that I could set up my own private net-based text editor--with password security, etc., all web-based. That could give me the functionality of google docs without worrying about any of my docs going public. I am going to look into that, maybe transition from google docs to my private alternative. You know Celtx has a similar issue-- Celtx allows uploading and usage of their celtx server space for screenplays, but the same privacy issues exist. The only real way to keep docs from any prying eyes is to keep them offline (but then how many of us have computers and laptops connected to the net on home networks, so potentially a virus / trojan could play games with even that data) or maybe host a private and secure online text editor.
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Celtx server space only caters to one market, screenwriters. So pretty much every single file has some value to it. Google docs on the other hand, has an entire chunk of whatever-you-want-in-a-doc for any occasion. I don't think that google docs would 'suddenly' go public or have the resources for that matter to secretly tap into every single doc everyone is creating.

Besides that conspiracy theory, in the end the purpose of docs for google is not to keep or store screenplays exclusively- unlike celtx. We are the miniscule market who just so happen to have found use in google docs. It's essentially an office application catered to corporate and casual users, privacy is mandatory. I don't see why any corporate/ business user would want to use google docs if anybody everybody can see what they wrote regardless of whether they enable sharing or not.

Other then that, even if everybody can see anybody's doc- what's the likelyhood that the 1 document out of the 100 million (50 mil empty) is yours?
 
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