The Memory of Shadows - Group Bidding

[Apsu]

Hello,

so i'm really sorry if the idea i'm gonna say sounds incredibly stupid or bad or illegal.
It's really just an idea I just had and i'm really to open to be cruxified (nicely) and criticized (constructively) about it.

Here is the script of The Memory of Shadows : https://www.ebay.com/itm/Babylon-5-U...reenplay-RARE/
As you can see, It is at an incredibly expensive price, BUT i was wondering, could it be possible if a group of fans do buy the script together, and share it among themselves through strictly personal copies.
For example, 10 fans sharing the cost, and the script falls at 60$, 20 and it falls at 30$ etc...
There would be a cost of copying and shipping to all the others, but overall, it will make it :
- accessible to a lot more than just a single person
- making the cost more accessible to fans

[Looney]

Isn't there some question as to the validity of these various scripts on eBay?

[Jan]

I'm not going to stand in the way of this idea but a few things: First, if you look at that seller's other items you can find it much cheaper in a bundle. Also, this is at least the fifth copy that seller has auctioned and the price is almost certain to go down soon. And finally, be prepared to wait a month after paying for it.

[Jan]

Isn't there some question as to the validity of these various scripts on eBay?

This person does seem to have some kind of contact with show business despite the mailing address being in Illinois. Copies, yes, but they're quality copies, in some cases with color. This is the link to the bundle I referred to:

[Apsu]

Ok, what do you think on a personal level about doing this Jan ? Do you feel this is illegal or unethical ?
I really am questionning, because to be honest, i'm still angry that this method should still allow that seller to sell a simple script at very high price, encouraging overpricing, and that that money will not come back directly in indirectly to people behing the B5 community (JMS, B5Books, etc...).

[Jan]

Ok, what do you think on a personal level about doing this Jan ? Do you feel this is illegal or unethical ?
I really am questionning, because to be honest, i'm still angry that this method should still allow that seller to sell a simple script at very high price, encouraging overpricing, and that that money will not come back directly in indirectly to people behing the B5 community (JMS, B5Books, etc...).

That's not a simple question but I'll try.

First the part about the price because I have a definite opinion on that: I have no problem with charging "whatever the traffic will bear" for a rare item like TMOS. I've personally sold a copy of the fifth season "Gut Reactions" script for over $800 though my opening bid was much lower. The one I sold was from a member of the crew and JMS has said a number of times that those are okay to buy and sell.

Now as to this seller... As I said above, they seem to have come contacts within the business given the rare nature of so many of the items they sell - so these may well be scripts that were being handed around to studios by agents. The presentation is quite professional with heavy paper covers and brads holding them together. With actual production scripts, one can often look for colored pages denoting drafts to help assess authenticity but all of these are from unproduced scripts so they're on white paper. "The Flickering Light" is an obvious copy of a copy. The others might well have come from agents. You can see that TMTOS has a color copy and "Earthlight" has some clear photos, at least a couple of which were color. I had my misgivings but did go ahead and buy the pack. I note that the seller went up $50 since then so you might want to wait until it goes down again, though I know that's a risk.

Hope this helps. I'd love for JMS to get the money direct, believe me, but that doesn't seem to be an option. And though you haven't asked, my personal policy is to not share or copy scripts.

Jan

[Apsu]

Thank you very much for your input, it's fascinating and makes me learn lots of things about the industry !
Last question Did you buy copy of MOS because the configuration makes it impossible ever for B5Books to publish it ? It seems a perfect script to be published by B5Books in the future, but from what I understand, JMS doesn't have the property anymore, so those scripts on ebay are the only way to have them, I am right ?

[Jan]

Thank you very much for your input, it's fascinating and makes me learn lots of things about the industry !
Last question Did you buy copy of MOS because the configuration makes it impossible ever for B5Books to publish it ? It seems a perfect script to be published by B5Books in the future, but from what I understand, JMS doesn't have the property anymore, so those scripts on ebay are the only way to have them, I am right ?

I can think of two reasons why B5 Books might not publish TMOS. There may be any number of other reasons.

What made it possible for JMS and B5 Books to publish the B5 scripts of JMS and the Other Voices writers was the 'Separation of Rights' clause in the Writer's Guild of America contract. This allows physical copies of the scripts to remain in the control of the writers. I don't know much about the group that optioned the feature film rights from JMS and commissioned the script so I don't know if they were signatories of the WGA contract. If not, there may not be anything like the Separation of Rights clause in the contract JMS was working under and so he wouldn't have the right to publish it.

Second, I can't help but remember how he said when he announced that the project had dead-ended, that "...the script went through many revisions". Now that simply doesn't sound at all like JMS who seldom released a script that needed much in the way or revisions except for production needs. With TMOS we know there was an attempt to get Warner Bros involved and they wanted to recast many of the main characters with 'name' actors. It could just be that JMS didn't care much for the final product.

But it's all just supposition on my part.

[Apsu]

Ok, I understand better. Thank you very much anyway because in 3 posts you manage :
- to make the price to reach divided by two !
- explained a lot about the business of script selling
- the special case of TMOS, which i wasn't aware of

THANK YOU

[Ubik]

Cool idea. Might potentially be interested but funds are very limited at the present time. I feel like a lot of TMOS was recycled into Crusade, although hard to verify without having read the script.

Somewhat surprised it never leaked online, but I guess B5 still really isn't that high profile a thing.

[Jan]

Ok, I understand better. Thank you very much anyway because in 3 posts you manage :
- to make the price to reach divided by two !
- explained a lot about the business of script selling
- the special case of TMOS, which i wasn't aware of

THANK YOU

You're welcome. I've been collecting scripts for a long time and sometimes I'm surprised at how much I've learned - mostly from JMS posts.

I feel like a lot of TMOS was recycled into Crusade, although hard to verify without having read the script.

No, TMOS came well after Crusade, in 2003-2004. The main story featured a friend of Lochley's. As for funds being limited, I would imagine that the pack will be on sale for some time. One listing ended last night and was automatically re-listed.

Somewhat surprised it never leaked online, but I guess B5 still really isn't that high profile a thing.

Some small sides were seen at the time that the 'B5 Bucks' campaign happened and word that WB would only get involved if there were 'name' actors but that's all I've ever seen.

[Ubik]

No, TMOS came well after Crusade, in 2003-2004. The main story featured a friend of Lochley's. As for funds being limited, I would imagine that the pack will be on sale for some time. One listing ended last night and was automatically re-listed.

Ah, my chronology is well off there! Interesting, perhaps JMS saw this as a chance to tie up the 'left over shadow tech' thing.

Jan, can I ask, have you read the TMOS script? Is it any good?

[LateArrival]

This person does seem to have some kind of contact with show business despite the mailing address being in Illinois. Copies, yes, but they're quality copies, in some cases with color. This is the link to the bundle I referred to:

Babylon 5 Creator Script Pack | eBay

https://www.ebay.com

Screenplay are copies, sold collector to collector, no rights given or implied

While this is an old thread, noticed on Ebay a new listing for a Memory of Shadows script, except that it comes with Red Mars.


Babylon 5 Unfilmed Screenplay *RARE*

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284211645930

The screenplays we sell are copies, not originals, sold collector to collector for educational purposes only, with no rights given or implied.


Guess it had to have been copied from an original at some point unless it Fell From The Sky?


And on a unrelated subject, saw a script yesterday of "The Gathering - 2 hour pilot" for $10 (393179216555). Know next to nothing about scripts and script revisions, but didn't see a date on the cover so no idea what revision it might be, except the cover is titled "Babylon 5" rather than "Baby5lon". Perhaps it's an early version before they came up with the logo? ...Plus there's already a Writers Draft 03/26/89 in Volume 1 and a Production Draft 02/27/92 in Volume 15 .

And out of curiosity, poked my nose over to see what version All My Words Volume 1 has --- The Amazon listing shows a "May 25, 1992 pre-production draft".
...Time to go out to The Car and join Ivanova

[Jan]

While this is an old thread, noticed on Ebay a new listing for a Memory of Shadows script, except that it comes with Red Mars.


Babylon 5 Unfilmed Screenplay *RARE*

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284211645930

The screenplays we sell are copies, not originals, sold collector to collector for educational purposes only, with no rights given or implied.


Guess it had to have been copied from an original at some point unless it Fell From The Sky?

The seller does seem to have a source for these. But I just got seriously pissed off when I saw this:

***Our source is allowing us to sell another copy of this on the occasion of the passing of Mira Furlan. If this had been made, it would have been her last appearance as Delenn***

Yeah, not buying that one at all. More like taking advantage of a market after the death of Mira Furlan.