"The Hollywood film business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." Hunter S Thompson
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base.
Dave Barry
I know your journey was as tough as the next guy and there's still lots to do to get where you need to be.
With that said, give us some advice or dead HONEST insight into your approach in getting your stuff made.
Were you aggressive in your pursuit? How many sleepless nights did you have per week, seriously? Worrying is a big part of being patient,if that makes sense, while the powers that be make a move on your stuff.
Did you have a mentor? Or someone that believed in your work?
thanks, would be great to get a no nonsense answer.
I know your journey was as tough as the next guy and there's still lots to do to get where you need to be.
With that said, give us some advice or dead HONEST insight into your approach in getting your stuff made.
Were you aggressive in your pursuit? How many sleepless nights did you have per week, seriously? Worrying is a big part of being patient,if that makes sense, while the powers that be make a move on your stuff.
Did you have a mentor? Or someone that believed in your work?
thanks, would be great to get a no nonsense answer.
I don't want to get deep into my war stories here. I typically only share those over a few beers.
Everyone's path to success is different. For some, it's a quick and relatively easy journey. For others, it's a long hard slog. So much depends on luck, timing, representation, market climate, etc.
Alas, I fall into the latter camp. If this was the NBA, I'd be considered a journeyman. I wrote THE LOST PATROL in 1999. I wrote BULLET RUN in 2005. Both bounced from producer to producer, director to director, option to option, $1 to $1... Now BULLET RUN seems very likely to get made, THE LOST PATROL less so. Each project has a long history behind it but, again, I don't want to get too deep into it. Not in this thread anyway.
To answer your specific questions... No, I wasn't as aggressive as I should have been -- left too much up to ineffective reps. Yes, I've had sleepless nights (ALL writers do). No mentor, but a very close director friend whom I trust implicitly.
I should also point out that I've been less focused on writing in recent years and more focused on producing.
The secret to success IMO? Write a great script and don't ever give up. Sounds easy doesn't it? It's not.
After having my scripts brutalized repeatedly by Andrew for 18 months, I considered our relationship a grudge match -- conducted from another coast by me at significant disadvantage. Hence, I hunkered down and applied what I learned from him -- and as of May, I got signed by a very good and respected Hollywood agent. I never would have accomplished that without Andrew. He is the best in the business -- at a tiny fraction of the "guru" price.
And FYI, it was I (I'm a professional journalist) who wrote the article in SCRIPT ("Getting Feedback") and quoted Andrew.
He is the man -- and now a three-times-sold spec screenwriter. That's a pretty small club.
Congrats, Andrew. It couldn't happen to a more deserving or smarter guy -- just please keep reading (at least for established clients). Happy 4th.
I don't want to get deep into my war stories here. I typically only share those over a few beers.
Everyone's path to success is different. For some, it's a quick and relatively easy journey. For others, it's a long hard slog. So much depends on luck, timing, representation, market climate, etc.
Alas, I fall into the latter camp. If this was the NBA, I'd be considered a journeyman. I wrote THE LOST PATROL in 1999. I wrote BULLET RUN in 2005. Both bounced from producer to producer, director to director, option to option, $1 to $1... Now BULLET RUN seems very likely to get made, THE LOST PATROL less so. Each project has a long history behind it but, again, I don't want to get too deep into it. Not in this thread anyway.
To answer your specific questions... No, I wasn't as aggressive as I should have been -- left too much up to ineffective reps. Yes, I've had sleepless nights (ALL writers do). No mentor, but a very close director friend whom I trust implicitly.
I should also point out that I've been less focused on writing in recent years and more focused on producing.
The secret to success IMO? Write a great script and don't ever give up. Sounds easy doesn't it? It's not.
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