Should I get an NDA before a pitch meeting?

Most studios will not sign NDAs before pitch meetings. Requesting one can signal distrust and damage the relationship. Cryptographic proof of authorship works whether the other party agrees or not — no signature required.

Should I protect my script before or after a pitch?

Before. Protection after a pitch proves your script existed at that point, but so does everyone who was in the room. Protection before creates timestamped proof that predates any possible exposure.

How long does it take to protect a screenplay before a pitch?

About five minutes total. Hash your screenplay, hash your treatment, note the meeting details, and email yourself the proof.

Protect Your Script Before the Pitch Meeting: A 5-Minute Checklist

You’ve got the meeting. The one you’ve been working toward — a producer, a development exec, someone who can actually say yes.

You’ve rehearsed your logline. You’ve polished your treatment. Your script is as good as it’s going to get.

But have you protected it?

Here’s the thing about pitch meetings: you’re about to share your best ideas with people you don’t know, in a room with no recording, and no written agreement about what happens to those ideas afterward.

Most of the time, nothing bad happens. But “most of the time” isn’t the same as “always.” And the time to protect yourself is before you walk through that door.

The 5-Minute Pre-Pitch Checklist

Hash your screenplay2 min

Create a cryptographic proof of your current script. This timestamps exactly what your screenplay contains right now — before anyone else sees it.

Every word, every scene, every character name is captured in the SHA-256 hash. If anything similar appears later, you can prove your version existed first.

Hash your treatment and pitch document1 min

If you’ve written a treatment, synopsis, or pitch deck, hash that too. These documents often contain the specific elements that get “borrowed” — your unique take, your structural innovations, your character concepts.

Note the meeting details1 min

Record who you’re meeting with (names, titles, company), the date and time, which version they’ll see, and your hash ID. This establishes access — a critical element in any infringement claim.

Email yourself the proof1 min

Send yourself an email with your certificate or hash confirmation. This creates a secondary timestamp in your email provider’s systems — another independent layer of evidence.

Breathepriceless

Walk into that meeting knowing your work is protected. Pitch with confidence, not anxiety. You’ve done the one thing most screenwriters never do: created verifiable proof before sharing.

Why Before Matters More Than After

If you protect your script after a pitch meeting, you’ve proven it existed at that point — but so does everyone who was in the room. The evidential value drops significantly.

If you protect it before, you have timestamped proof that predates any possible exposure. That’s the difference between “I had this idea too” and “I had this idea first, and here’s the mathematical proof.”

Think of it like a security camera. A camera that starts recording after a break-in captures the aftermath. A camera that was already running captures the event. Your pre-pitch hash is the camera that was already running.

What About NDAs?

In an ideal world, everyone would sign an NDA before a pitch. In reality:

NDAs in practice

Most studios won’t sign them

Requesting one signals distrust

Expensive to enforce even when signed

Don’t cover “independent creation” claims

Cryptographic proof

Works whether they agree or not

No relationship risk

Independently verifiable

Covers your exact content

Created in minutes, lasts forever

NDAs are nice when you can get them. Cryptographic proof of authorship works whether you can or not. For a deeper look at how screenwriters are left vulnerable in the current system, see Screenwriter IP Theft: What the Industry Won’t Tell You.

The Pitch Meeting Paradox

Screenwriting has a fundamental paradox: you have to share your work to sell it, but sharing your work is what puts it at risk.

Every successful screenwriter has navigated this tension. The difference between the ones who got burned and the ones who didn’t isn’t luck — it’s preparation. For a complete guide to layered protection strategies, see How to Protect Your Screenplay from Theft.

Real Talk

You probably won’t need this evidence. The person across the table is probably there in good faith. The meeting will probably go fine.

But “probably” is a terrible protection strategy for something you spent months or years creating. And with tools like blockchain proof of authorship, you can combine your WGA registration with permanent cryptographic proof in under five minutes.

Five minutes. That’s all it takes to walk in protected.

Protect Before You Pitch

ScriptShield’s free tier lets you hash your screenplay in minutes. For full certificates and draft tracking, protection starts at $19.95.

Hash Your Script Free

ScriptShield Team

We build tools that give screenwriters and creators cryptographic proof of authorship.

ScriptShield provides evidence documentation tools for creators. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.