Screenwriters Have To Fight
Well last portion in the above picture is bit exaggerated but I guess rest is common. I myself and my screenwriters friends have experienced at least two situations above. No.5 with Einstein’s picture has been experienced by almost all the screenwriters all over the world. 😀
Last year I had an Hollywood agent and he liked my screenplay and produced to a medium size studio but that deal derailed because of some technical reasons. Back in India that news got leaked that I am negotiating with a Hollywood studio(but nobody knew that the talks had been failed). Within a week I had emails from 4 major film studios and they asked me the synopsis. I was pleasantly surprised and i promptly sent them. Within couple of days I got mail from the Vice presidents of the two studios stating that they are very excited and would love to meet me and asked my Hollywood negotiations status. I told them the talks have failed. After that I never got reply from them. I kept on mailing them every week. Then I received two mails. One said that the screenplay is under review by the production team and they will let me know. Till the date I have never heard from them. Second reply was that my screenplay is TOO DEEP and INTENSE and the studio does not make movies into that genre, which is Drama. 😀
Screenwriters have a tough job. First they spend hell lot of time and money on their writings and then after that also they have to fight with everybody. But screenwriters have the best job in the world. They sail into a dreamy river. Just found out the best Screenwriting lecture at BAFTA by Brian Helgeland who is an Academy award winner Screenwriter of movies like L.A. Confidential and Mystic River
Never apologize for being a writer. You have to fight, you have to be absolutely been known as difficult. Executives should dread when they see you are coming in. They should dread because you make them feel stupid.
That is the most important line said by Brian Helgeland. Unfortunately I failed to do that. There is no better way of learning than following the footsteps of the successful people.(that doesn’t mean copying them.)
Following are the mail points made by Brian Helgeland at BAFTA’s to screenwriters.(Just one liners, watch the video yourself) 😉
- Not become cynical about the work itself.
- The best way to try to something is to do it.
- Pick something worth to be writing about.
- Every time you write a script you will feel how i am gonna do this.
The video is worth watching if you want to be screenwriters. Please let me know your thoughts in the comment box below and subscribe to the newsletter above.
