Greetings,
I thought to post here about my little journey of the last 7yrs. Now mind you the last 7 is not the whole time, there is another half dozen years behind it. I lived in Socal for some of it, Az for a short stint and now in Florida for the last 7. I learned Adobe Suite, Blender, and other creative programs and laughable for sure is the graphics I see being used in 2023 are the ones I learned in 2017.
I decided to move into directing and found that writer's are very protective and want to be the Director too. Anyhow after full time study to learn Directing, which basically is watching for opportunities for Metaphors and cutting shoe leather a writer stuffed in there to get to 120pgs. After a couple years of studying Mamet, Lynch, Terantino, Rodriguez, Scorceze, and the list goes on. Blessed to live in a time of Youtube, MasterClass and basically the Internet. I soon learned that those looking for a Director in the Indy scene, you also need you to have the whole production team pre- post and legal in your rolodex (old term for connects.)
I moved on and learned to write.
I 've written 2 movies, with one getting 7 rewrites (that is daunting for sure) the last one was another writer's script I read and I gave notes back of "a complete page 1 rewrite" which was supposed to be connected to a large Studio. Funny how everything in the industry is "work for free" and then IF we get it sold you can get paid. That does not work at the grocery store for food.
I joined Facebook groups to get involved and see if they needed a free writer, free after effects, free director and found that I was not interested in working most of the projects due to lack of professionalism or worse yet some kind of hidden agenda message they are hung up on. Whatever happened to Maxwell Smart type of entertainment? (Rhetorical)
I digress, The last movie was a rewrite page1. I rewrite it page 1, send over a logline and Treatment 16pgs, considering most have the attention span of a gnat (congrats if you have read this far). I get Notes from "so called producer 100 days later, Told to remove integral part/character as the market it is being sold to is not responsive to it. I rewrite, send new Logline, and wait, wait and wait. I am then told that the Logline should have the WHY in it. I was taught, two super adjectives, polar opposites, irony, coupled with someone who reads it will know the setting (house, racetrack, ocean) or back lot and the cost to someone who is savvy. All in 1 maybe 2 sentences. EG., A cop goes on vacation to only find himself in the middle of a bank heist.
Let's see. . . Guns, Bank, Cops- Sounds like Dogday Afternoon. Anyhow, I write the Story without hearing back, as I was told to "just write it". I write it, send Logline and 16pg Synopsis via using Act 1,2,3 in the Slugline, so whomever reads will know when something is being presented, thesis, anti thesis, struggle x3 and resolve back into new world but the same, sorta. 100 days go by and I get a text, Just write the whole thing out 120-140pgs please. I reply back, we are now at the point where you go get the money to make the movie.
You see the premise of this was a 25mil movie, target audience China and middle America living in a tract homes. So I tell them; "Go open escrow, send me 10k for the first draft since you liked Act 1,2,3 and got a treatment to see the nuts and bolts of the movie."
You know what I got? Nothing. Just yet another J>O situation where they want me to keep re -writing over and over and then MAYBE they can sell it.
There must be 100,000 writers out there who have written 250,000 movies where, 25000 are really good and only 150 are ever really read by a studio with money and 20 are made for the year. IF you have all kinds of 'Woke' Easter Eggs in it, as we have seen Marvel and Disney screw the pooch and learn that the masses are not interested in watching screwing the pooch.
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Great to have you back in the community, Simon. Nothing ventured and nothing gained. My mom just published her first book at 86 years old. Keep writing and keep trying!
I had a similar story in Russia, except that I wasn't even allowed to write a script for free. Authors need to avoid scammers and those who want to get creative for free. But it comes with experience.
Thanks for chiming in. Sam Sokolow I was actually thinking about a book/novel. They do get better traction from large studios. Like when I did music, the label liked remix/remake/covers as they have a track record (no pun intended) they come pre packaged with a fan base. Like The Voice, if you have a large (very large) fan base/followers you will get an audition.
@Arthur I only offered to work for free for the couple years over in AZ to get connected and did some editing/A.D work. However, people want you to work on their stuff for free but will not oblige. Laughable. It does not matter persey,
I really only wanted to share how someone can spend big bucks on school and do nothing with it but service a student loan (if you took one) OR like I did via Online and end up with the same result. I really wanted to bring some reality to this industry and those who maybe getting started. I thought to share the last 7yrs as an unsent letter type and also to warn people. Like I save a lady a barrel of money in regards to patents. Got robbed twice in my life, both times by an attorney.
There are success stories, just as sure as someone hit the 1.4b last night in Maine. The rest of us (like me) had a ticket with no numbers hit. The scammer is not really a scammer persey more of an industry standard as it seems now. I can go over to jobs section here and most (I bet) are free, no pay or IF it gets sold. The funny one's who pay nothing and also ask for resume', credits, etc. As IF. . . I am not going to stop writing, I enjoy it, however I do not enjoy writing others stuff for free. Like Carpentry, I do not mind tricking my house out, and enjoy building. However I do not care to come over and build a 15k kitchen at someone else's house and do not even pay for blades or bits. Tough business for sure.
As an example, I make 5-7k Demo & installing a kitchen takes two days. IF I build the cabinets somewhere in the range of 15k and takes 3weeks to build and install. Yet a so called studio who says they are estimating a 25 mil budget can't peel off 10k AFTER proof with a treatment and Logline 1st. BEWARE is all I am touting.
That same person (who I've known for years) and said he is connected to a large studio and the partner is someone with a large IMdb just said; "I'll do it myself". Basically a F.Off. if I did not want to cont to work without any money out front or after the 2nd rewrite. Just moving onto the next sucker and prob will use a lawyer to try and screw me out of MY copy.~Irony.
Maybe that is why there is no new movies out there? Just the same ol' crap with a few changes of skin color, gender, or something else that is supposed to make it new or cutting edge.
Like I had a ghost written in the 1st draft and then told, no ghosts, China does not like ghosts. Too bad I guess China missed out on GhostBusters. . . LOL or Ghost with Swayzee and Moore. ,
Nashville Tn, has writing rooms where large country stars go buy music/songs. Take note on the New releases and how the songs are very similar in the story line. I mention Nashville because Country music is basically a story within music. That story is obviously pounded out in these "rooms" and then there are different versions of it. My brevity might not be clear enough to get the gist across.
I know there are writing rooms here (instead of free, you pay them)
Then there is my fave. . . "Hey we are going to send this over to a well known writer to touch up, who will get credit too, but we can get funding with a Name. . . Heard that one yet?