--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before you approach a production entity…" description: "\"Before you approach a production entity or even a potential producer, you should write up a treatment and register your show with the Writers Guild of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/penelope-spheeris-18348_america_before-you-approach-a-production-entity_2001341.jpg" --- # Before you approach a production entity or even a… ![“Before you approach a production entity or even a potential producer, you should write up a treatment and register your show with the Writers Guild of America.” quote by Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/penelope-spheeris-18348_america_before-you-approach-a-production-entity_2001341.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/penelope-spheeris-18348_america_before-you-approach-a-production-entity_2001341.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/penelope-spheeris-18348_america_before-you-approach-a-production-entity_2001341.jpg) > “Before you approach a production entity or even a potential producer, you should write up a treatment and register your show with the Writers Guild of America.” [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. You must prepare a detailed treatment and officially register your project with the Writers Guild before pitching to producers. **In simple terms:** Prepare and register your show before pitching. Key Takeaway Register early to protect your work. Themes writing production legal career planning Mood cautious professional Type advice procedural When to use this quote - pitch meetings - script development - grant applications - production planning Key Concepts intellectual property industry standards networking Questions to Reflect On - Do you have a treatment ready? - How will registration affect your pitching strategy? A Different Perspective Neglecting registration can lead to loss of rights or legal disputes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Treatment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treatment/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [As a past president of the Writers Guild, I think women shouldn't write for free. Maybe you have to do it for a time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/as-a-past-president-of-the-writers-guild-i-think-women-shouldn-t/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [When you're a big enough part of the process that the Writers Guild gives you a lot of credit, that's a good thing. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/when-you-re-a-big-enough-part-of-the-process-that-the-writers-guild/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [Being in L.A., it was really hard to find a country writer and producer. I eventually - years of searching - found this guy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-pieterse/being-in-l-a-it-was-really-hard-to-find-a-country-writer-and-producer/) [Sasha Pieterse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-pieterse/) > [I don't write a synopsis, I don't write a treatment. I write scene by scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-sciamma/i-don-t-write-a-synopsis-i-don-t-write-a-treatment-i-write-scene-by/) [Celine Sciamma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-sciamma/) > [“My Mouth Goes into Politics. The Rest of Me Is Forced to Follow. After the Writers Guild of America Strike that Changed the World…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/my-mouth-goes-into-politics-the-rest-of-me-is-forced-to-follow-after/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [I own all the characters I created, thanks to the Writers Guild, so nobody can do anything without me. The way it works is:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-schwartz/i-own-all-the-characters-i-created-thanks-to-the-writers-guild-so/) [Sherwood Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-schwartz/) > [The first thing is that we're being attacked by both the Writers Guild and the Producers Guild. Both of these groups are trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frankenheimer/the-first-thing-is-that-we-re-being-attacked-by-both-the-writers/) [John Frankenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frankenheimer/) > [I'm a member of the Writers Guild of America and the Writers Guild of Canada.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/i-m-a-member-of-the-writers-guild-of-america-and-the-writers-guild-of/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [When I was 18, I joined the Screen Actors Guild, and after college I came to New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marla-maples/when-i-was-18-i-joined-the-screen-actors-guild-and-after-college-i/) [Marla Maples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marla-maples/) > [I am kind of like the guide, the leader of this discussion. 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That's all I wanted to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-mashima/if-you-re-a-guild-treat-your-comrades-right-that-s-all-i-wanted-to-say/) [Hiro Mashima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-mashima/) > [Yet if anyone cares to read over the now crumbling minutes giving an account of the meetings at which the Italian Fasci di Combattimento…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/yet-if-anyone-cares-to-read-over-the-now-crumbling-minutes-giving-an/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) ## More by Penelope Spheeris > [In other countries, it's a common thing to have outcast children running around the streets in packs, and I don't think we're so far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/in-other-countries-it-s-a-common-thing-to-have-outcast-children/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [My mother was a barmaid and I was raised in a trailer park. I'm used to that language. I put it on the screen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/my-mother-was-a-barmaid-and-i-was-raised-in-a-trailer-park-i-m-used/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [Nobody wanted to touch Decline III when they found out what it was about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/nobody-wanted-to-touch-decline-iii-when-they-found-out-what-it-was/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [The first Decline I did was out of sheer love and appreciation for the music. In 1977, it was more about bands, because punk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/the-first-decline-i-did-was-out-of-sheer-love-and-appreciation-for/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [When men have money and power they get turned on, sexually. They get horny as hell. Can't imagine why, though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/when-men-have-money-and-power-they-get-turned-on-sexually-they-get/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [For the most part, studio movies have huge budgets. They don't do anything under 30 to 40 million. When you have that much money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/for-the-most-part-studio-movies-have-huge-budgets-they-don-t-do/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [I got IRS records to finance what I wanted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/i-got-irs-records-to-finance-what-i-wanted-to-do/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [It is the idea that it's a movie in a movie. So I did it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/it-is-the-idea-that-it-s-a-movie-in-a-movie-so-i-did-it/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [I really feel kind of guilty spending 80 million dollars. People are starving in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/i-really-feel-kind-of-guilty-spending-80-million-dollars-people-are/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [I actually picked up copies of Decline I and II at a flea market once. I walked out without paying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/i-actually-picked-up-copies-of-decline-i-and-ii-at-a-flea-market-once/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [Me and Johnny Rotten have been talking about doing a movie of his book, No Irish, No Dogs, No Blacks. We have a script,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/me-and-johnny-rotten-have-been-talking-about-doing-a-movie-of-his/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [Decline III, I funded myself, from the studio money. That, and I sold a lot of drugs. Kidding. Don't print that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/decline-iii-i-funded-myself-from-the-studio-money-that-and-i-sold-a/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [Different parents have different standards for their children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/different-parents-have-different-standards-for-their-children/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [It's really hard to imagine there ever being the kind of impact there was when punk rock happened in the late 70's. I wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/it-s-really-hard-to-imagine-there-ever-being-the-kind-of-impact-there/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) > [What I found interesting is that it's human nature to have a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/what-i-found-interesting-is-that-it-s-human-nature-to-have-a-family/) [Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) [Explore all 35 Penelope Spheeris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. 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