My Plagiarism' heart.

ANTVGM64

So, a friend of mine is in a script writing class, and told me recently she hasn't done any of the work, and that screen writing is the hardest thing she has to do for her major. Now I believe this is more because she is lazy, or doing millions or other things, and as a result, just hasn't done it.

She has a reputation as a bit of a flake.

So, enter me. I offer to do her homework, which is writing about 30 pages of script, because I like to. I also find I write better under a deadline, or with someone I have to show my work too. So I'm eager to help and do this work for her for a couple of reasons.


1) I like to write this sort of thing.

2) Her teacher's feedback on the script would be invaluable to me, as the professor writes the kinds of things I like to write.

3) There's a chance that, if it's the best, it'll get produced(!)

4) I may not get to take this particular class because I may not be able to afford college next year due to loan shenanigans.


However, I realize this is kind of a funky Plagiarism situation. I told the girl she's welcome to say "Written By" as long as I get "Story and Created by:", when it's essentially been all me. PERSONALLY I don't have a problem with it. And I could honestly care less if she gets in trouble for saying my work is hers, even if I said it was okay.


What kind of trouble could I get into here? Lets say the teacher finds out, grills my friend, and she comes clean saying it was all me, I offered, etc etc etc.

I'm not looking at any serious academic trouble, am I?

Doc

Do you go to the same university that she does?

travathian

That is totally academic dishonesty which could lead to both of you being thrown out of school.

Brodo Faggins

You definitely are looking at serious academic trouble, yes.

Metalbourne

this just seems like a bad idea on all fronts.

You do stand to get in trouble. How much, I don't know.

Having your work published and someone else taking credit for it seems like something you'd want to avoid, seeing as how if all goes well you legally can't be entitled to any money for it and even open yourself up to accusations of plagiarism if you claim the work as your own.

In short, this stuff will work in an animated movie, like say, where a rat cooks in a kitchen and gives all the credit to a bungling idiot, but in real life, you're not a rat, and you can't live under your friend's hat, so don't do it.

SmokeStacks

She's probably looking at a major shitstorm if it gets produced and it is later discovered not to be her script, even if it wasn't stolen. Producers don't like that at all, and they have long memories.

I don't know if you'd catch any flak for it, it depends on your school. Count on a stern talking-to at the minimum I guess.

But, more importantly -

If you love screenwriting so much, and you value her teacher's feedback that highly... why aren't you in the screenwriting class?

urahonky

travathian wrote: »

That is totally academic dishonesty which could lead to both of you being thrown out of school.

see317

Serious academic trouble.
Probably worse for your friend then for you, as she's the one taking credit for another persons work. Most schools have plagiarism penalized by flunking the course, if not expulsion from the school.

Robman

Plagarism on this level will likely get you both ejected from the school, and a black mark on your records that will prevent you getting a degree for the next several years.

Wait until she's working at a strip club next year to see her tits.

ANTVGM64

haha, well, I am not attempting to see anyone's tits. And am, instead, attempting to get as much feedback and work critqued and produced before I can't afford school.

I'm on my own this coming academic year for loans, and don't think I can get any. Also, even with the whole "Story and Concept" credit that I'm getting, I could still get into trouble?

and I'm not in this class because I can't afford it, and it was full this semester before I could register.

travathian

ANTVGM64 wrote: »

Also, even with the whole "Story and Concept" credit that I'm getting, I could still get into trouble?

Is it worth potentially getting expelled, put on academic probation, having a permanent black mark on your writing record, and destroying any good will you might end up getting from professors at this school?

Maybe you should just try writing the screen play and stopping by the professor's office at the end of the semester, explain your situation, and ask them if they'd be willing to take a look at your work.

bsjezz

listen. as soon as you write 'story and concept by [another student]' on the front of a lazy student's assesment, questions will be asked. questions like - who is this other student? have they been in the habit of eagerly writing scripts? are the sentence structures and language style similar in these two works by apparently different students or is it just me, bob?

questions will also be asked directly. to you, and to your friend. so you'll have to lie. and if you crack, that's it.

i guess you may be really lucky and get away with it if your professors are inept idiots, but in that case you don't want their feedback anyway. you stand to gain nothing and you put yourself at terrible risk, alongside cheapening the whole system's integrity and devaluing the output of all the kids who work terribly hard to get their shit done on time.

just don't do it

Robman

Odds are the prof would love to give you feedback if you've got a genuine interest in producing work. They're professors because they love what they do. Mostly.

ceres

If you want a script read, go to the prof yourself, talk to them for a while, and get feedback that way. Don't do this, it is really a bad idea.

Inquisitor77

Your idea is bad and you should feel bad for thinking of it.

I do find it interesting that you take the concept of getting the screenplay produced and your next logical thought is, "That would be awesome!" No offense, but you're either lying to yourself or have psychological issues. Also, you wouldn't last 2 days in Hollywood.

PS - Professors generally have office hours. Many of which are spent with no students showing up.

ANTVGM64

Well, crisis adverted, I was kind of having second thoughts about it anyway.

neville

SmokeStacks wrote: »

If you love screenwriting so much, and you value her teacher's feedback that highly... why aren't you in the screenwriting class?

2868

Tell your fucking friend to do her own work.

I teach screenwriting at the university level, and I can spot shit like this miles away. She has to have 30 pages done, chances are there are additional elements preceding this assignment that she hasn't completed. Beat sheets. Cards. Outlines. Etc.

Let's say everything goes according to plan, you wouldn't get produced. She would. The professor isn't giving you feedback he is giving her feedback. This is dishonesty and it is not how writing works.

Going forward this asshole friend of yours would be able to represent your particular style as hers.

If you are interested in this professor's work and feedback go to him and explain your position, you are broke, but you love to write and you admire his work. Ask if he'd mind reading a finished script. Chances are he will. The system is almost impossible to break into, and if this professor had to break in he knows it. Someone had to give him a chance the same as he would give you a chance.

But if you do this and get caught, kiss it goodbye.

Don't do your friend's work. It won't go anywhere or anyhow or anyway that you think it will.

LoveIsUnity

While every professor is different, and I can only speak from my own experience, this is the one thing that makes me see red. I teach a lot of writing courses at a community college, and at least one person hands in a plagiarized paper each semester. I've made it my general policy to not only give a FF (means the F is permanent and the class cannot be retaken) to a student who is caught but also take the case to the dean's office (and I never, ever like talking to the dean). This teacher may feel differently, of course, but it's incredibly disrespectful to yourself, your friend, and the teacher if you end up helping someone cheat on this assignment.

Hachface

This is a terrible idea.

WildEEP

Tell me this is for sex. Because if its not, this is wrong on so many levels.
Its homework - and any "collaborative learning" is going to at least get her an F for the course, if not you both being thrown out for doing it.

If its for sex - well...you aren't the first person to do stupid things for sex. If its not, then its another reason that this is a HORRIBLE plan.

ANTVGM64

nah.

Back in highschool if I found a particular topic interesting I'd do a friend's paper or something just because I liked writing about various topics and I was bored alot.

The same logic applied here. I got to write something under a specific deadline and defined parameters, and the bonus was the fact that I'd get to see it in visual on someone elses budget if it got picked as the best in the class.

I didn't care particularly deeply about the work, and I guess sort of akined it to ghost writing for a friend for my own nefarious purposes.

But yeah, I realized it was a pretty terrible idea about five minutes after posting this.

iamthepieman

2868 wrote: »

Tell your fucking friend to do her own work.

I teach screenwriting at the university level, and I can spot shit like this miles away. She has to have 30 pages done, chances are there are additional elements preceding this assignment that she hasn't completed. Beat sheets. Cards. Outlines. Etc.

Let's say everything goes according to plan, you wouldn't get produced. She would. The professor isn't giving you feedback he is giving her feedback. This is dishonesty and it is not how writing works.

Going forward this asshole friend of yours would be able to represent your particular style as hers.

If you are interested in this professor's work and feedback go to him and explain your position, you are broke, but you love to write and you admire his work. Ask if he'd mind reading a finished script. Chances are he will. The system is almost impossible to break into, and if this professor had to break in he knows it. Someone had to give him a chance the same as he would give you a chance.

But if you do this and get caught, kiss it goodbye.

Don't do your friend's work. It won't go anywhere or anyhow or anyway that you think it will.

Ant's friend is in your class.

JohnnyCache

are you EXPLICITLY allowed to collaborate with other students in the class she is in, and are you eligible for that collaboration being not enrolled? ONLY if those two are true should you consider this. And even then, man, screw her she should do something.

BlazeFire

ANTVGM64 wrote: »

nah.

Back in highschool if I found a particular topic interesting I'd do a friend's paper or something just because I liked writing about various topics and I was bored alot.

The same logic applied here. I got to write something under a specific deadline and defined parameters, and the bonus was the fact that I'd get to see it in visual on someone elses budget if it got picked as the best in the class.

I didn't care particularly deeply about the work, and I guess sort of akined it to ghost writing for a friend for my own nefarious purposes.

But yeah, I realized it was a pretty terrible idea about five minutes after posting this.

You may consider reading up on your (or any) university's academic honesty policy. You have a real skewed (or non-existent) perspective on who should be doing work in school. If you love writing about various topics, then write about them for your own interest. Not to do a friend's work, thus taking away from their education.

Darksier

ANTVGM64 wrote: »

nah.

Back in highschool if I found a particular topic interesting I'd do a friend's paper or something just because I liked writing about various topics and I was bored alot.

The same logic applied here. I got to write something under a specific deadline and defined parameters, and the bonus was the fact that I'd get to see it in visual on someone elses budget if it got picked as the best in the class.

I didn't care particularly deeply about the work, and I guess sort of akined it to ghost writing for a friend for my own nefarious purposes.

But yeah, I realized it was a pretty terrible idea about five minutes after posting this.

Good that you realize it's a terrible idea. Just make sure you don't go through with your plan. Write it for yourself, clam the credit, and make some good connections. If you want to get into the profession don't commit dishonesty, it's a black mark for any professional writer.

FafnerMorell

Metalbourne wrote: »

In short, this stuff will work in an animated movie, like say, where a rat cooks in a kitchen and gives all the credit to a bungling idiot, but in real life, you're not a rat, and you can't live under your friend's hat, so don't do it.

Damn it, there goes the idea for the screenplay I writing. Luckily I still that one about the adventures of fish who's lost his son.

urahonky

FafnerMorell wrote: »

Metalbourne wrote: »

In short, this stuff will work in an animated movie, like say, where a rat cooks in a kitchen and gives all the credit to a bungling idiot, but in real life, you're not a rat, and you can't live under your friend's hat, so don't do it.

Damn it, there goes the idea for the screenplay I writing. Luckily I still that one about the adventures of fish who's lost his son.

I think we need to have a talk...

Metalbourne

urahonky wrote: »

FafnerMorell wrote: »

Metalbourne wrote: »

In short, this stuff will work in an animated movie, like say, where a rat cooks in a kitchen and gives all the credit to a bungling idiot, but in real life, you're not a rat, and you can't live under your friend's hat, so don't do it.

Damn it, there goes the idea for the screenplay I writing. Luckily I still that one about the adventures of fish who's lost his son.

I think we need to have a talk...

Mostly about those words someone stole out of his post.