4 ms·

“I sent in script after script. Most were turned down. Then there would be interest, I’d rewrite, hurry up, turn it in and wait weeks and weeks, just waiting. T

by dm8 14y ago

“I sent in script after script. Most were turned down. Then there would be interest, I’d rewrite, hurry up, turn it in and wait weeks and weeks, just waiting. That was the toughest time for Jane and me. She didn’t know what a film career was like and neither did I.” Blimey me, that's some solid hustle. That too when you have young kid. Seriously inspiring. Time and again it has shown that determination can change fortunes. EDIT: I got # of kids wrong

waterlesscloud 14y ago
It's been said Hollywood is the only town where you can die of encouragement. I've known a number of people (including myself) who have had film projects with interest from some of the biggest names in town. But what counts isn't interest, or someone thinking it's great, but someone signing some checks. And that can be incredibly elusive. Even then, the results aren't always satisfying. There are some screenwriters who have sold scripts for some of the largest amount on record who refuse to watch the movies that eventually resulted. I've read the average time from start to a produced film for a screenwriter is 7 years. And during those 7 years, you don't know if you're going to be a success or if you're just delusional. Having been around the edges of the business for a good while now, I believe people who say the existence of each and every film is a miracle. It's a crazy business.
- dm8 14y ago
  Thanks, that was really helpful. How different is it from a startup then? There are edge-cases like YouTubes and Instagrams of the world. But in general it is 3-5 years at minimum where you know whether your startup is going to be successful or not.
  - waterlesscloud 14y ago
    Probably not all that different as a trial of self-belief, though the money for screenwriting is a lot lower until you finally "break in". You might make some money along the way if you option a script, but probably not more than a few thousand or so.
rdouble 14y ago
He only had 1 kid at the time, and has 2 now.
- dm8 14y ago
  My bad. Changed it.

by dm8 14y ago

waterlesscloud 14y ago

It's been said Hollywood is the only town where you can die of encouragement. I've known a number of people (including myself) who have had film projects with interest from some of the biggest names in town. But what counts isn't interest, or someone thinking it's great, but someone signing some checks. And that can be incredibly elusive. Even then, the results aren't always satisfying. There are some screenwriters who have sold scripts for some of the largest amount on record who refuse to watch the movies that eventually resulted. I've read the average time from start to a produced film for a screenwriter is 7 years. And during those 7 years, you don't know if you're going to be a success or if you're just delusional. Having been around the edges of the business for a good while now, I believe people who say the existence of each and every film is a miracle. It's a crazy business.

dm8 14y ago
Thanks, that was really helpful. How different is it from a startup then? There are edge-cases like YouTubes and Instagrams of the world. But in general it is 3-5 years at minimum where you know whether your startup is going to be successful or not.
- waterlesscloud 14y ago
  Probably not all that different as a trial of self-belief, though the money for screenwriting is a lot lower until you finally "break in". You might make some money along the way if you option a script, but probably not more than a few thousand or so.

rdouble 14y ago

He only had 1 kid at the time, and has 2 now.

dm8 14y ago
My bad. Changed it.