Another "It is possible to make it in this business" Story

[socalwriter1]

I was in Chicago and this caught my eye in one of their papers.

Originally from South Florida, Conrad came to the Chicago area as a student, studying English at Northwestern University. Not too long after he graduated, he sold his screenplay "Wrestling Ernest Hemingway," which was made into a film in 1993.

... He has had two fairly recent successes as a screenwriter with "Happyness" and "The Weather Man", which helped pave the way for directing his first feature film.

If it can happen to him, it can happen to us, right?

Just a little motivation as I struggle with this unusual heat at this time of year.

[PaleWriter]

Re: Another "It is possible to make it in this business" Story

Not only that, he still lives in Chicago.

[suzeaa]

Re: Another "It is possible to make it in this business" Story

Here's another great story:


Brooklyn's Cinderella Screenwriter


Brooklyn's Finest is expected to be released sometime during the summer of 2009, and yet the film is already surrounded by a huge buzz. Why is that so? Well, the guy that wrote the script would be the latest installment of the present day Cinderella story. Michael Martin is a Brooklyn transit worker who wrote the script about a group of Brooklyn cops while he was undergoing physical therapy after a car crash. He was motivated to write a script when he say a listing for a screenwriting contest and thought he could use the money from the contest winnings to buy a new car. Instead of the first place win he was given a contract deal with Warner Brothers to have the script produced into a film. Lucky him.

The film has been described as a combination of the two successful drams Crash (2004) and Training Day (2001). In the realm of Hollywood repetitiveness acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua and the Oscar nominated actor Ethan Hawke have both worked on Training Day together come back as a working pair for Brooklyn's Finest. Now I would be pushing the envelope with connecting-the-repetitive-dots when I mention that Don Cheadle, who also was hired to star in this film, appeared in the film Crash.

Despite gaining a notable contract to have his script given a green light Michael Martin is currently working as a construction flagger in the Transit Authority while writing the script for New Jack City 2. Good luck with a writing career Mike.

[Landis26]

Re: Another "It is possible to make it in this business" Story

If you look up Conrad on IMDB you see he had a ten year dry spell between Hemingway and Weatherman. I wonder why. Anyone know?

[winter dreams]

Re: Another "It is possible to make it in this business" Story

It probably wasn't a dry spell ... he was probably very busy with assignments, etc. on projects that either never got made, or on which he wasn't given credit.

[CottonFitzsimmons]

Re: Another "It is possible to make it in this business" Story

No, I heard rumors that he went through a deep depression....a horrible divorce or something like that....and was pretty much written off by the industry and then he sat down and wrote THE WEATHERMAN and it sold huge so all was forgiven.

[Landis26]

Re: Another "It is possible to make it in this business" Story

No, I heard rumors that he went through a deep depression....a horrible divorce or something like that....and was pretty much written off by the industry and then he sat down and wrote THE WEATHERMAN and it sold huge so all was forgiven.

I heard something like that too.

If he chucked writing for a while, how did he make a living? Just interested...

[diehardatthegetty]

Re: Another "It is possible to make it in this business" Story

Craig Mazin talks about the value/necessity of a "champion" for your writing.

Todd Black (aka Escape Artists) seems to be Conrad's (4 of his 5 studio pictures). Yes, Todd Black is a great guy and has good taste. Yes, Conrad is a talented writer.

Insofar anyone can be a talented writer and can also win the graces of a producer with a discretionary production budget; yes, it can happen to anyone.

[thatwritergirl]

Re: Another "It is possible to make it in this business" Story

If you look up Conrad on IMDB you see he had a ten year dry spell between Hemingway and Weatherman. I wonder why. Anyone know?

I just listened to his interview on Creative Screenwriting podcasts. He said that he couldn't get anyone in Hollywood to read his stuff even after Hemingway. He was very upfront about it -- about how broke he was, right down to the wire, and about how he simply couldn't get a read.

He has always worked with the same producer (the only guy who would read his stuff, he said), and when he was at his most desperate, he finished the Weatherman and showed that to this guy (whose name escapes me). That producer also did Happyness, and Conrad said he wanted to do the project in part b/c he knew what it was like to be broke.

The interview was fascinating; as are most of the CS podcast interviews.

[suzeaa]

Re: Another "It is possible to make it in this business" Story

I just now stumbled on this article about the 2001 Nicholl winners and how the wins affected them.

TURNING NICHOLL INTO GOLD

http://patriciaburroughs.com/screentalk_2.htm

Makes my heart race, just reading it.

I wonder where they are now.

[Moviequill]

Brooklyn's Finest Problems

Here's another great story:


Brooklyn's Cinderella Screenwriter


Brooklyn's Finest is expected to be released sometime during the summer of 2009, and yet the film is already surrounded by a huge buzz. Why is that so? Well, the guy that wrote the script would be the latest installment of the present day Cinderella story. Michael Martin is a Brooklyn transit worker who wrote the script about a group of Brooklyn cops while he was undergoing physical therapy after a car crash. He was motivated to write a script when he say a listing for a screenwriting contest and thought he could use the money from the contest winnings to buy a new car. Instead of the first place win he was given a contract deal with Warner Brothers to have the script produced into a film. Lucky him.

The film has been described as a combination of the two successful drams Crash (2004) and Training Day (2001). In the realm of Hollywood repetitiveness acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua and the Oscar nominated actor Ethan Hawke have both worked on Training Day together come back as a working pair for Brooklyn's Finest. Now I would be pushing the envelope with connecting-the-repetitive-dots when I mention that Don Cheadle, who also was hired to star in this film, appeared in the film Crash.

Despite gaining a notable contract to have his script given a green light Michael Martin is currently working as a construction flagger in the Transit Authority while writing the script for New Jack City 2. Good luck with a writing career Mike.

trouble for the finished product post-Sundance, including a new ending

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.co...nce-leftovers/