Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

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  • #61
    Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

    Originally posted by Bono View Post
    Even when I wrote, I guess we wrote slow or maybe it's just we were always developing ideas and that stuff can take 6 months to years of your life away because you're always making "progress" on it... trying to get it ready for reps.... reps trying to sell it... producer wanting to make it better for them... director likes it...

    I feel I wasted most of my scripts on the same 5-10 concepts but there was stuff happening. Still a waste of time end result, but that's what happens a lot too.

    You do development and unlike John August you don't only lose the Tv show or movie, you don't get paid 1 god damn nickel for your time and effort.

    Hopes and dreams zero. Failure 100%. Yeah!
    Yup!

    Like I've said. I did a year and a half of "development hell" with a big name producer. DO. NOT. DO. THAT! Waste of time! No matter who it is....
    Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

    Comment


    • #62
      Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

      My writing partner and I wrote a script let's call it BALL SACK. 78 pages we had when we signed with our managers... they liked idea but had a new spin so we tried it their way.

      BALL SACK VERSION 1 -- nope, no notes, don't like

      BALL SACK VERSION 2 -- better, still don't like it

      BALL SACK VERSION 3 -- same, not good enough

      Yup we wrote the same script 3 times and did it different ways, some of the same stuff was used, but we took the same idea and tried different storylines to get them to like it and take it out. They never did.

      After they fired us when our junior manger left the business, they called me up a few months later and said we still like BALL SACK let's work on it some more... pitch us new ideas and we will try to go to Green Hat with it...

      Yada Yada, tried some things. They never liked it. I'm like just send them one of the scripts. They refused.

      So I sent the script to Green Hat myself and they passed.

      Then my ex-managers called me up and yelled at me for doing that. And I said you aren't repping me, you havent done anything with the script, so I took a shot. And he's like don't you know not to do that and better to come from them when the time is right? And I said, "No, I don't because I'm still learning and this is the first phone call I'm having with you 18 months after you were offically repping me..." I apologized but said I want to learn and want a manager to teach me...

      Anyway, get new managers, pitch same BALL SACK script idea we still love to producers who happen to be 15 feet from our ex-managers in that buidling and they don't say a world. Dead silence. So we go on to our next pitch..

      A month later read on deadline they are doing BALL SACK and that's why they didn't say anything... and a good part of feels that our ex managers mentioned the idea to them after I did that green hat thing... now I can't be sure... and ideas are a dime a dozen, but maybe... they got so quiet is why... they didn't say what others say "actually we have something in developoment... and stop us..." So just seemed odd to us...

      My point is we never did finish our version of the script. The one we loved. And we would have been better off to finish that and go out with it as a spec then we did develping it with a rep.

      I'm 0 for 3 or 4 working with reps on new material. I always hear form friends, I write the scripts and I expect them to go out with them when I do.

      I was always told NOPE.

      We wrote 2 specs on our own, that went out to the town. When trying to work with the managers and agents who can help us do better somehow we can't please them enough to go out with an idea they approved every step of the way... outline, treatment... act one...

      One we pitched ideas in front of every WME agent it seemed or like 50 of them and they loved an idea, so we wrote it. Still nothing. WTF????

      So what the hell do I do with that?

      That's why I'm so unexcited about getting a rep again off a spec because unless they sell it, I know I'm ****-ed.

      So when I give advice and people fight me on it about going back to same idea over and over again -- I'm not talking from a higher ground. I'm talking from the bottom of the ocean where my reps and my years of work left me.

      Comment


      • #63
        Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

        Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
        Lol. Right? Tried to make white people look good-ish in this (my fam), but the truth is, EVERYONE is racist, to a degree, so I said so. Which is the entire point. Racism goes both ways if you're biracial.

        It's gonna kill me out there. But, I refuse to lie. That's not "WRITING". IMO.

        Trying with it. It's been a battle.
        Is the work a full drama with that message or is it real life filled with comedy too? Are you getting feedback with all this in it or are you just preparing yourself for the worst?

        I know it's your story, but sometimes they are going to fudge stuff around to make it work from them... Queen movie is filled with some much bullshit and lies because Freddie is dead and the band is alive. They're the heroes.

        Comment


        • #64
          Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

          Originally posted by Bono View Post
          Is the work a full drama with that message or is it real life filled with comedy too? Are you getting feedback with all this in it or are you just preparing yourself for the worst?

          I know it's your story, but sometimes they are going to fudge stuff around to make it work from them... Queen movie is filled with some much bullshit and lies because Freddie is dead and the band is alive. They're the heroes.
          Lemme go with this one first...

          We ended up fudging some stuff (managers notes). It went from 100% true to about 85% true.

          Yup... I'm preparing myself to be slaughtered out there. Swear to god, I thought it would be an easy sale. But, I didn't take into account how racist Hollywood is (whites and blacks) which is the entire FUKKING POINT of the story (And it's a crazy one). I now realize there is NO ONE in Hollywood who completely GETS what the **** I'm talking about in this story. Yet, there's 18 million of us asking for this story to be told. We want to see ourselves on screen in a dramatic setting, validated for once, not in a comedy which undercuts what we've been through.

          Full on dark drama. Similar in tone to something else I wrote: AMERICAN BEAUTY meets THIRTEEN/KIDS. About a biracial kid in a ****ked up world. Coming of age. Trying to find himself. Drugs, sex, violence, etc. REAL!

          I just want to get in rooms to pitch it. I'm WAY better in person.
          Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

          Comment


          • #65
            Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

            ^That sounds interesting and for what it's worth I appreciate honesty. You don't see as much of it these days. I think some of these entertainment types are so afraid of being torn up by twitter mobs that they refuse to put out anything that isn't bland and vanilla, or something that even slightly challenges their (supposed) ideals.

            Comment


            • #66
              Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

              Originally posted by DDoc View Post
              ^That sounds interesting and for what it's worth I appreciate honesty. You don't see as much of it these days. I think some of these entertainment types are so afraid of being torn up by twitter mobs that they refuse to put out anything that isn't bland and vanilla, or something that even slightly challenges their (supposed) ideals.
              1,000,000% agreed!

              I think that's LITERALLY the problem I'm facing on this project. People would rather I lie. It's fukkin controversial. Whatever. I say in it that my black grandma said to me "Boy... You'll neva know what it's like to be black. Ya' mama even added a "Y" to ya name to make it sound more white." 100% true fact, yet, blacks and whites don't want to admit that this is what it's like for biracial people. I'm super honest in it. I merely want to tell the truth. I'm 100% certain other biracial/mixed-race people would be like "Fukk yeah! Finally the real story is told! THANK YOU!"

              But... you aren't allowed to be HONEST about black racism. Pathetic!

              Mixed-ish is bullshit. I do NOT relate to it. Fukk that show.
              Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

              Comment


              • #67
                Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

                Originally posted by Bono View Post
                My writing partner and I wrote a script let's call it BALL SACK. 78 pages we had when we signed with our managers... they liked idea but had a new spin so we tried it their way.

                BALL SACK VERSION 1 -- nope, no notes, don't like

                BALL SACK VERSION 2 -- better, still don't like it

                BALL SACK VERSION 3 -- same, not good enough

                Yup we wrote the same script 3 times and did it different ways, some of the same stuff was used, but we took the same idea and tried different storylines to get them to like it and take it out. They never did.

                After they fired us when our junior manger left the business, they called me up a few months later and said we still like BALL SACK let's work on it some more... pitch us new ideas and we will try to go to Green Hat with it...

                Yada Yada, tried some things. They never liked it. I'm like just send them one of the scripts. They refused.

                So I sent the script to Green Hat myself and they passed.

                Then my ex-managers called me up and yelled at me for doing that. And I said you aren't repping me, you havent done anything with the script, so I took a shot. And he's like don't you know not to do that and better to come from them when the time is right? And I said, "No, I don't because I'm still learning and this is the first phone call I'm having with you 18 months after you were offically repping me..." I apologized but said I want to learn and want a manager to teach me...

                Anyway, get new managers, pitch same BALL SACK script idea we still love to producers who happen to be 15 feet from our ex-managers in that buidling and they don't say a world. Dead silence. So we go on to our next pitch..

                A month later read on deadline they are doing BALL SACK and that's why they didn't say anything... and a good part of feels that our ex managers mentioned the idea to them after I did that green hat thing... now I can't be sure... and ideas are a dime a dozen, but maybe... they got so quiet is why... they didn't say what others say "actually we have something in developoment... and stop us..." So just seemed odd to us...

                My point is we never did finish our version of the script. The one we loved. And we would have been better off to finish that and go out with it as a spec then we did develping it with a rep.

                I'm 0 for 3 or 4 working with reps on new material. I always hear form friends, I write the scripts and I expect them to go out with them when I do.

                I was always told NOPE.

                We wrote 2 specs on our own, that went out to the town. When trying to work with the managers and agents who can help us do better somehow we can't please them enough to go out with an idea they approved every step of the way... outline, treatment... act one...

                One we pitched ideas in front of every WME agent it seemed or like 50 of them and they loved an idea, so we wrote it. Still nothing. WTF????

                So what the hell do I do with that?

                That's why I'm so unexcited about getting a rep again off a spec because unless they sell it, I know I'm ****-ed.

                So when I give advice and people fight me on it about going back to same idea over and over again -- I'm not talking from a higher ground. I'm talking from the bottom of the ocean where my reps and my years of work left me.
                Similar story...

                Swear to god, I think my previous reps slipped my script to another one of their clients (Yo, check it out, just sold this, maybe consider what he did.). Can I prove it? Nope!

                But, what are the odds that this agent would sell TWO SHOWS about the same thing? I don't trust these people.
                Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                Comment


                • #68
                  Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

                  Ha! My brother is convinced a recent tv commercial showing a woman getting a tattoo by a robotic arm was swiped by someone who read the opening scene of a script I posted here many years ago. I'm not convinced.
                  Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

                    Originally posted by sc111 View Post
                    Ha! My brother is convinced a recent tv commercial showing a woman getting a tattoo by a robotic arm was swiped by someone who read the opening scene of a script I posted here many years ago. I'm not convinced.
                    True. 99.99% of the time it's just coincidence.

                    The specific aspect that throws me in my situation is that I asked to get the SAME consultant the other show attached. I was told "You don't need him." Wait, excuse me, why not??? Then I see them sell a similar show with the SAME (famous) consultant attached that I suggested? Hmmmmm... seems fishy. Normally I'd say "nah... coincidence", but in this case I was like, "Bruh, I dunno... that's SUPER coincidental. Same consultant I asked for, repped by the same agency. Sold by the same agent???" I dunno...

                    Agents will sell you the fukk out given the chance. Swear.
                    Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

                      Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
                      True. 99.99% of the time it's just coincidence.

                      The specific aspect that throws me in my situation is that I asked to get the SAME consultant the other show attached. I was told "You don't need him." Wait, excuse me, why not??? Then I see them sell a similar show with the SAME (famous) consultant attached that I suggested? Hmmmmm... seems fishy. Normally I'd say "nah... coincidence", but in this case I was like, "Bruh, I dunno... that's SUPER coincidental. Same consultant I asked for, repped by the same agency. Sold by the same agent???" I dunno...

                      Agents will sell you the fukk out given the chance. Swear.
                      Your situation sounds like it's not a coincidence at all. I agree with you. The discussion just reminded me of a recent conversation with bro ranting over it. Sorry if it sounded like I was challenging you.

                      Frankly, the experiences you share confirm my decision to bow out of the whole breaking in thing.

                      I didn't get further than a manager and the process drove me nuts and ate up a lot of my life. These days it appears to be even harder to get anyone to shop your spec.

                      Btw. I enjoy you speaking truth to power.
                      Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

                        Originally posted by sc111 View Post
                        Your situation sounds like it's not a coincidence at all. I agree with you. The discussion just reminded me of a recent conversation with bro ranting over it. Sorry if it sounded like I was challenging you.

                        Frankly, the experiences you share confirm my decision to bow out of the whole breaking in thing.

                        I didn't get further than a manager and the process drove me nuts and ate up a lot of my life. These days it appears to be even harder to get anyone to shop your spec.

                        Btw. I enjoy you speaking truth to power.
                        Oh crap!

                        That's the opposite effect I wanna have here. I'd hate to think I'm helping you QUIT writing. I merely want to STAND FOR WRITERS and share truths for us to look out for as we navigate this town.

                        However, if you're really done with it [writing], I can understand why.

                        And no, I didn't feel you were challenging me. I was merely attempting to explain a situation I faced. Sorry for the confusion...
                        Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

                          Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
                          Similar story...

                          Swear to god, I think my previous reps slipped my script to another one of their clients (Yo, check it out, just sold this, maybe consider what he did.). Can I prove it? Nope!

                          But, what are the odds that this agent would sell TWO SHOWS about the same thing? I don't trust these people.
                          Oh yeah, that BALL SACK rant, they also when they had zero notes for us on the phone -- the junior manager loved what we did, but we learned it was the 2 partners who mattered of course -- they kept offering to give our idea to a bigger writer so they could pitch it.

                          And we would get nothing for that. And we said no and we didn't get why we would do that unless we could write it with him or push for story by credits or produce...

                          They asked us at least 4 times over the course of writing it... so they always seemed like they just wanted the idea and not us to write it for the most part...

                          So yeah why would you trust anyone in this town whose goal is to sell art that isn't theirs?

                          Comment


                          • #73
                            Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

                            Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
                            Lemme go with this one first...

                            We ended up fudging some stuff (managers notes). It went from 100% true to about 85% true.

                            Yup... I'm preparing myself to be slaughtered out there. Swear to god, I thought it would be an easy sale. But, I didn't take into account how racist Hollywood is (whites and blacks) which is the entire FUKKING POINT of the story (And it's a crazy one). I now realize there is NO ONE in Hollywood who completely GETS what the **** I'm talking about in this story. Yet, there's 18 million of us asking for this story to be told. We want to see ourselves on screen in a dramatic setting, validated for once, not in a comedy which undercuts what we've been through.

                            Full on dark drama. Similar in tone to something else I wrote: AMERICAN BEAUTY meets THIRTEEN/KIDS. About a biracial kid in a ****ked up world. Coming of age. Trying to find himself. Drugs, sex, violence, etc. REAL!

                            I just want to get in rooms to pitch it. I'm WAY better in person.
                            I'm confused because I thought liberal producers jump at the chance to make these movies to prove how unracist they are! And black filmmakers and actors not excited? Steph Curry can produce this pic he relates! Jeter on the line? So many examples! Call Lebron now because he's a big time producer....

                            Call John Legend...

                            Reach out then to more liberal artists or athletes or Roc Nation and circle back around if Hollywood isn't listening...

                            Also have you or someone write an article about your life for IP...

                            In 2019, I figured a story about growing up bi-racial would be very appealing... I'm so confused! I guess it's my white male privilege. Oh wait I'm Jewish... they hate my guts too! Even the Hollywood Jews hate me.

                            Comment


                            • #74
                              Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

                              Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
                              Oh crap!

                              That's the opposite effect I wanna have here. I'd hate to think I'm helping you QUIT writing. I merely want to STAND FOR WRITERS and share truths for us to look out for as we navigate this town.

                              However, if you're really done with it [writing], I can understand why.

                              And no, I didn't feel you were challenging me. I was merely attempting to explain a situation I faced. Sorry for the confusion...
                              Lol. I made this decision a while ago. I'll never give up writing completely. I still earn a living as a freelancer, marketing/advertising.
                              Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

                              Comment


                              • #75
                                Re: Here's a new one... -UNTILED RANT-

                                Originally posted by Bono View Post
                                Oh yeah, that BALL SACK rant, they also when they had zero notes for us on the phone -- the junior manager loved what we did, but we learned it was the 2 partners who mattered of course -- they kept offering to give our idea to a bigger writer so they could pitch it.

                                And we would get nothing for that. And we said no and we didn't get why we would do that unless we could write it with him or push for story by credits or produce...

                                They asked us at least 4 times over the course of writing it... so they always seemed like they just wanted the idea and not us to write it for the most part...

                                So yeah why would you trust anyone in this town whose goal is to sell art that isn't theirs?
                                Rolls eyes... This fukkin town man!
                                Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                                Comment

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