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#778787 - 12/14/09 06:09 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: BettieR]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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Congrats again this year Dean for your Grammy nomination for your new project Captain Nobody! Your success just keeps rolling along! We're all thrilled to live vicariously through the success of a good friend and you've been great about bringing us all along for a peak!
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#827025 - 06/24/10 03:39 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Brian Austin Whitney]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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There's been some questions about co-writing on another post and I think this interview addresses them from someone who obviously knows how it works at the very highest levels of success in the industry. Give it a read, there's lots of great info.
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#831922 - 07/19/10 11:46 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Dan Sullivan]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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Dan,
That's alwaya been the unfortunate truth about people who write and create. They usually do it in the dark, behind the scenes and far from the spotlight and hoopla. But for many, they also get paid. In music, I'd much rather be a writer with 10 successful hits than the artist performing them with no writing credits. If you have a choice between fame and money, choose the money. You can have a much better life of your own choosing without spending it being told what to do by multi-national corporations every day. Dean is someone I look up to as a perfect role model for a creative person. Most people would be thrilled with any 1 of his areas of success. I'd be happy with simply having the freedom to enjoy attempting all the areas he's been a smashing success even if I never made a dime at it. To get both sides (success and creative freedom) has to be a surreal existance for mere mortals. Dean is clearly operating on a wildly different level than most of us could even imagine.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#859366 - 11/21/10 11:57 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: BettieR]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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I thought I would bump this post for those who are new and might have missed it. It's a great read!
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#870766 - 01/12/11 01:54 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: BettieR]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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Hi Folks,
Just testing some posts out to make sure they are running properly again after some site maintenance.
Thanks,
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#884678 - 03/11/11 01:29 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Jody Whitesides]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 8,574
Mike Dunbar
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JPF Mentor

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 8,574
Nashville Tennessee
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I saw the remake of Footloose this evening. Tantalist!
You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way. -Johnny Cash It's only music. -niteshift Mike Dunbar Music
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#884686 - 03/11/11 02:25 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Mike Dunbar]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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I wonder how much of Dean's script and music they saved? The more they used, the better the movie would have been. The range of songs he wrote for that film are breathtaking. All those hits in different styles and different artists and all big hits and some have become inextricable tied to that era of life for anyone coming of age back then (as I was).
Dean has been such an iconic creator and his fingerprints are far more present in our lives than most people will ever realize.
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#885671 - 03/15/11 01:20 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Jody Whitesides]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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Haven't heard from Dean on what he thought of it all. Will be interesting to hear, but it seems odd they'd change the premise and story but keep the music and character names. I realize Footloose is a huge brand name to launch a movie with, but beyond that, wouldn't people be disappointed in not getting an updated version of the movie they thought worth re-doing?
Hollywood seems much worse than the music industry when it comes to this type of thing.
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#891015 - 04/08/11 11:22 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: BettieR]
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1
2424
Casual Observer
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Casual Observer
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1
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#891231 - 04/09/11 01:31 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: 2424]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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Hopefully Dean will stop in and say hi and update us on what he's working on these days!
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#980436 - 10/18/12 11:40 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Dayson]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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Dana,
Glad you got a chance to read it. It's why I have left it up here. It really is such an amazing story of just DOING what you love instead of talking about it. Put yourself in position to succeed, rather than always and endlessly finding new ways to get ready to succeed.
I hope some others will follow suit who haven't spent the enjoyable time reading through one great musical success story. (And by the way, he hasn't slowed down since this interview. He's still at it, ever expanding his legacy and the passion for what he does. You may say few have his talent, but I say the real issue is that few have his courage and work ethic!).
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#984940 - 11/22/12 03:05 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Dayson]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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Dana,
Good for you! Anything that can get you fired up is a great thing. There's no question that for most of the folks with enough talent to appeal to large masses, those juices sort of dry up over time. Very few can truly sustain it. That's why I think going for a small niche fan base who "gets" you and serving them closely and personally while you share all your stuff and get it out in the world as often as possible, you'll get a little of that fire back. Too many people wait for perfection instead of just going with inspiration in whatever crazy direction it takes them!
Continued success!
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#1013607 - 06/30/13 05:39 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: BettieR]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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This is just a note to let new members know this is a great post to read and learn from, especially if you are a lyricist like Dean. He's a perfect example for you all to follow.
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#1077125 - 03/21/15 09:38 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Brian Austin Whitney]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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It was great hearing back to back songs by Dean on American Idol last week. Let's Hear It For The Boy and Footloose.
A good week for a songwriter!
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#1095720 - 11/16/15 04:50 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: niteshift]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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I need to check in with Dean and see what he's up to. If anyone hasn't read this interview yet, give it a look, it's really interesting and I think you'll agree.
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#1122275 - 01/10/17 11:45 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Brian Austin Whitney]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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If anyone new hasn't read this, it is a great article about going for your dreams with success! Give the first two posts a read!
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#1141142 - 05/28/18 09:26 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Brian Austin Whitney]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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I just noticed how many people have read this... amazing!
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#1141155 - 05/28/18 07:08 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Brian Austin Whitney]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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It's his real name... good guy... he used to post here but got too busy and he's gone quiet.
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#1150398 - 01/26/19 06:55 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: RonnieDean]
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Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 1
PatrickG
Casual Observer
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Casual Observer
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 1
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Ya think Pitchford is his real name or some people are just destined by name? I see you're going by that old one "nomen est omen." haha
Last edited by PatrickG; 01/26/19 06:56 AM.
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#1150555 - 01/30/19 05:11 PM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: PatrickG]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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Ya think Pitchford is his real name or some people are just destined by name? I see you're going by that old one "nomen est omen." haha I am not sure I follow?
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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#1152408 - 04/03/19 07:02 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: Brian Austin Whitney]
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Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 1
ChereMcdougal
Casual Observer
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Casual Observer
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 1
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DEAN: Its impossible to get that. If you look at the end crawl on a motion picture, the very last frame that comes up -- if you can freeze frame it and look at it -- is says. For the purposes of copyright Paramount Pictures or Sony Pictures or whomever is the author of this screenplay. Unlike my novels to which I own the copyrights, anybody who writes work-for-hire for a motion picture company doesnt own the underlying rights. They get credited, they get royalties, they get paid their fees, they get DVDs royalties and royalties for broadcast on television, etc. They get all those things, but, for the purposes of copyright the studio is the author of the screenplay. If, on the other hand, I wrote Harry Potter, and a studio buys my book of Harry Potter and then I would have more control, because the underlying property doesnt not belong to them
BRIAN: Because its an adapted screenplay
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DEAN: Exactly. The screenplay could be copyrighted by the studio, but the underlying story could not. In the case of Footloose, they acquired underlying rights when they bought my screenplay, because there was no previously existing story.
BRIAN: So if youd written Footloose, the novel, then you might still have a piece of it?
DEAN: Exactly.
BRIAN: You had one project that you werent very happy with and that was the movie Sing. Since weve talked about your triumphs, tell me about this one case where things didnt go as well.
DEAN: Its basically High School Musical. The high schools in Brooklyn since the late 40s have had an ongoing tradition where the Sophomore, Junior and Senior classes write and build and stage their own musicals, and then they compete. Then the winners from each school to go an inter-borough competition, and perform their shows, hoping to win the championship of Brooklyn. And over the years many many many big stars have worked on Sings. Art Garfunkle and Paul Simon and Barbra Streisand and Neil Simon and so many talented artists who went to school in Brooklyn did Sing in high school. So its a very emotional tradition with them.
I was approach about doing a movie about the Sing competition. I wrote any number of drafts and went through any number of studio ups and downs. I wished that I were smarter about these things than I was, but it was only my second movie. What I found over the years is that a lot of people -- especially studio heads, especially at that time -- they had the idea that, Oh, those teenagers will buy anything. Make it loud, make it flashy, and theyll go to it.
When Alan Parker made Fame, the studio didnt interfere with him. He shot it in New York, away from their prying eyes, and he turned out a very intricate, beautifully shot, quite dark piece. And what made it such a spectacular success was that it didnt trivialize the experience of being a teenager.
Neither did Footloose. I worked with Herbert Ross who by that time was in his 60s had directed or co-directed Funny Girl and Funny Lady and so many Neil Simon movies. And Herbert came to that material with a great deal of seriousness and a great affection for the characters.
BRIAN: Thats true, John Lithgow could have easily have been a caricature and he never was.
DEAN: No. That was the big saving grace. John Lithgow brought to this part a great deal of humanity.
But when we did Sing, there was this attitude prevalent that all you need to do is give the kids a beat and theyll line up. That was sort of the studio mentality that drove Sing off the rails. It was cast wrong, it was directed wrong, I wrote it wrong, I just kept getting broader and broader to accommodate what I was hearing everybody asking for and it ended up being a kind of a caricature of a teen movie.
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#1152430 - 04/04/19 12:03 AM
Re: A Conversation With Oscar Winning JPF Member Dean Pitchford
[Re: ChereMcdougal]
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Brian Austin Whitney
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 18,839
Indianapolis, IN USA
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DEAN: Its impossible to get that. If you look at the end crawl on a motion picture, the very last frame that comes up -- if you can freeze frame it and look at it -- is says. For the purposes of copyright Paramount Pictures or Sony Pictures or whomever is the author of this screenplay. Unlike my novels to which I own the copyrights, anybody who writes work-for-hire for a motion picture company doesnt own the underlying rights. They get credited, they get royalties, they get paid their fees, they get DVDs royalties and royalties for broadcast on television, etc. They get all those things, but, for the purposes of copyright the studio is the author of the screenplay. If, on the other hand, I wrote Harry Potter, and a studio buys my book of Harry Potter and then I would have more control, because the underlying property doesnt not belong to them
BRIAN: Because its an adapted screenplay
.
DEAN: Exactly. The screenplay could be copyrighted by the studio, but the underlying story could not. In the case of Footloose, they acquired underlying rights when they bought my screenplay, because there was no previously existing story.
BRIAN: So if youd written Footloose, the novel, then you might still have a piece of it?
DEAN: Exactly.
BRIAN: You had one project that you werent very happy with and that was the movie Sing. Since weve talked about your triumphs, tell me about this one case where things didnt go as well.
DEAN: Its basically High School Musical. The high schools in Brooklyn since the late 40s have had an ongoing tradition where the Sophomore, Junior and Senior classes write and build and stage their own musicals, and then they compete. Then the winners from each school to go an inter-borough competition, and perform their shows, hoping to win the championship of Brooklyn. And over the years many many many big stars have worked on Sings. Art Garfunkle and Paul Simon and Barbra Streisand and Neil Simon and so many talented artists who went to school in Brooklyn did Sing in high school. So its a very emotional tradition with them.
I was approach about doing a movie about the Sing competition. I wrote any number of drafts and went through any number of studio ups and downs. I wished that I were smarter about these things than I was, but it was only my second movie. What I found over the years is that a lot of people -- especially studio heads, especially at that time -- they had the idea that, Oh, those teenagers will buy anything. Make it loud, make it flashy, and theyll go to it.
When Alan Parker made Fame, the studio didnt interfere with him. He shot it in New York, away from their prying eyes, and he turned out a very intricate, beautifully shot, quite dark piece. And what made it such a spectacular success was that it didnt trivialize the experience of being a teenager.
Neither did Footloose. I worked with Herbert Ross who by that time was in his 60s had directed or co-directed Funny Girl and Funny Lady and so many Neil Simon movies. And Herbert came to that material with a great deal of seriousness and a great affection for the characters.
BRIAN: Thats true, John Lithgow could have easily have been a caricature and he never was.
DEAN: No. That was the big saving grace. John Lithgow brought to this part a great deal of humanity.
But when we did Sing, there was this attitude prevalent that all you need to do is give the kids a beat and theyll line up. That was sort of the studio mentality that drove Sing off the rails. It was cast wrong, it was directed wrong, I wrote it wrong, I just kept getting broader and broader to accommodate what I was hearing everybody asking for and it ended up being a kind of a caricature of a teen movie. So what are you saying with this quote? Just that you found it interesting or?
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@aol.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..."
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