Some of my friends always wonder about one of my more eccentric thoughts which occur mostly when I drive somewhere in L.A. It revolves around the premise that everytime I see a homeless person I put myself into their mindset as I look around for a reasonably safe place to spend the night with my shopping cart and some cardboard box.
The thought lasts for a moment or two and then gets lost as I continue my drive.
I thought I was the only one who does this but you'd be surprised at how many of us in the film business do think of that. It can be attributed to a greater sense of empathy that writers and actors have especially, that we are fascinated with an alternative lifestyle that we don't live.
Or maybe it's the constant rejection we get for our services.
This leads back to the topic of winners and losers. You've heard actors often say they were very lucky to have the success they now enjoy. You hear less about writers but that's because they are rarely interviewed.
How can you become successful in Hollywood?
Here's my take on it.
Have a relative in the business. Same as any other job. There's Kate Hudson (Goldie's daughter), Jason Reitman (dad Ivan made Ghostbusters) Colin Hanks (Tom's kid), Jake Scott (Tony "Alien" Scott's son), Nic Cage (Coppola's nephew), Angelina Joli (John Voigt's girl),Josh Brolin (James' son), Michael Douglas (Kirk's), and so on.
They will say that they had the doors open to them, but that doesn't always get the job. Yeah, sure. Most actors don't get a chance to even see the "doors". Interestingly enough few writer's kids get into the business of writing.
So what if you have no family connections?Then you make sure that you really have some personality that is noticeable (Brad Pitt) or some good acting chops (Paul Giamatti), be strikingly beautiful always helps, but talent will usually win. Meryl Streep isn't Megan Fox in looks, but Meg won't last as long.
And making the industry connections ensures that when luck is on the horizon, it's been prepared for. Most actors with no connections get noticed in small acting classes or showcases where they do 5 minute scenes in front of casting directors and producers.
I used to attend them now and then, usually in a small storefront theater where they'd place a numbered amount of their head shots on a table in the hopes that the audience of tough talent searchers would take them. I always wondered how the actor who counts what's left of his head shots and finds that nobody took any would feel.
Well, okay, I didn't wonder... I felt sorry for them.
For writers, it's basically the same except that they rarely have family members in the business. When I taught an extension class in UCLA (and that's a whole other blog) I always recommended showing your script to anyone who'd read it. I mean even to standing on the street corner and shilling them. You never know where someone likes your writing and a break could happen.
But the one advantage writers have over directors and actors is that we don't really need to have a job in order to write.
Why don't we need a job like everyone else? Because as we wait for a job we can write spec scripts in the hope that either someone will like our writing enough to want to meet us, or we can actually sell our script to someone although if you're on the edge of the industry and your only contact is craigslist, it might not earn you much money. Most of the people on craigslist offer very little or nothing, preferring to pay actors and crew before the writer. Some of them are liars and scum. Some are just cheap. Very few are real.
For directors, family connections seem to help a lot. Many writers often graduate to directing and most of the good ones were writers. John Huston, Preston Sturges, Joe Mankiewicz, Paul Mazursky, Mel Brooks. Several actors are also good, Kevin Costner and Warren Beatty are arguably the best.
Otherwise most new directors make shorts that get noticed. Some of them even get jobs from a YouTube short.
But how do actors, writers and directors become successful?
Again, they need to make connections and that depends entirely how much they want it. Short and sweet. Nobody asked them to come into the business and nobody is going to really care if they leave.
And what's the alternative?
Well there are a large number of writers, actors and directors who, after a few gigs that were mostly unremarkable, continue to believe that they will be famous some day. Some get very bitter, understandably, when they see someone else higher up on the food chain experience the rush of success that they were supposed to get.
One writer I know had a screenplay produced 25 years ago and since then has written a dozen or more scripts but none have sold. Yet he hangs on to the dream because "you can't win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket".
The Dream.
And that's the thing of it, the dream. No matter how down you get, no matter how everyone tells you you're finished, that damn dream continues to dance in your head, creating illusions, rehearsing that Oscar speech, even if all you're doing is being an apartment manager. There are a lot of actors especially who seem to be apartment managers.
Another actor I know keeps his dream of becoming famous, and tells me of his dealings with the CIA, and how he's going to partner with an underwater scientist to find riches beneath the sea. He also changes stories around as need be, including one where I told a story about a friend of mine who looked so dangerous (even though he wasn't) that a taxi driver refused to allow him in the cab.
My actor friend not only changed the story to make him me, but on another occasion said both he and I were in the cab waiting for the dangerous friend. All of these versions right in front of me.
But I don't blame him, all he has left are his dreams and why take someone's hopes away.
Serena emailed me the next day and wanted to buy me coffee or lunch. I said ok, coffee would be fine.
I never heard from her again.
We're a bunch of crazies, both the successful ones and the failures. But I like to think nobody really fails as I recall someone once said of a down and out director: He's a has-been but look where he has been.
And if you ever need it, there's a great location to hide out when you're broke and down, between the off-ramp at Sunset and the 405. I've noticed it often.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Winners & Losers & why
All the gold in California
Is in a bank in Beverly Hills
In somebody else's name
So if you're dreaming about California
It don't matter at all where you played before
California's a brand new game
-Gatlin Brothers
It seems that most movies about Hollywood tend to show the down side of the movie business. You've got A Star Is Born (1937, 1954 & 1976) about a famous actor who mentors a rising star only to see her eclipse his fame, or Sunset Boulevard (1950 ) about a screenwriter who becomes a "companion" to a faded silent movie star and pays the ultimate price. There even was a movie called "The Oscar" and a dozen more, including the Robert Altman film, The Player, about a producer who kills a screenwriter.
Ironically, the best book and movie on the business to my liking was Nathaniel West's classic Day of the Locust (1979), a brilliant study of those who come seeking fame who end up with nothing. While the book was written in 1939 the only difference between then and 2010 is that the cars are better and we have iPhones.
My "crowd" is mixed, a few wildly successful people, some successful, some less so and some at the bottom of the ladder. Then there's those who border on complete delusion as a means to validate that they too are successful. Needless to say those categories above don't always end up at the same table. It's almost as though success fears failure in others as it might be catching like a virus.
Something else that hasn't changed is the amount of people who still come to Hollywood to become stars. While in the 20's to the 70's, it was mostly actors and singers, now it includes screenwriters and directors. And they all are still consumed by the knowledge that they have what it takes.
Take the blonde girl, mid 20's who looked across the room at the party, it was still early and guests were just arriving. Then she spotted two older men standing near the bar talking. It took her a second to decide to move and she approached them, smiling.
"Hi, I'm Serena".
The two men were myself and my director friend Paul. It didn't take much to figure out why she selected us. The other guests were either around her age so early in the evening or were couples talking to each other. Serena was an actress, and that was not really her name.
The party was a party given by a studio owner whom I had known since my Calgary days. His Hollywood Hills home, "just a short drive from Jack Nicholson's place", overlooked the entire valley and as I stood at a glass bar the size of my kitchen, a bartender poured drinks as we watched the fires in the San Bernadino mountains 20 miles away. For a moment, I felt guilty, knowing that not far away firefighters were desperately trying to save hillsides.
"Beautiful house, isn't it," she said.
Whatever Serena didn't have, she did have confidence, the kind that always amazes me as I never really had that when I began. I probably still don't have it that much. I see that confidence so often with the young actors and writers and directors but also know that confidence in itself isn't all that important.
Actors are the biggest casualties in this city of dreams. There are more of them for one, approximately 200,000 according to SAG, and they're not counting the actors who still haven't gained admission to the powerful union. The WGA has about 8000 writers and at any given time, less than 2000 are working. DGA has around 2500 - 3000 directors, most of whom are not working.
So you can see the odds against even getting a job let alone hanging onto it.
Think of it this way, every day I look for a new job. Same for the actors and directors and crew. Those on a series have a little job security... at least until the show is cancelled. And some shows get canceled after the 2nd episode is aired. Job security is a word we've never considered.
And when we find a potential job, 90% of the time we get rejected.
Why do some people win and the majority lose? Hard question to answer. There is the talent factor, no doubt a leading contender for the big time. But as the studio exec told me, craft and discipline are more important. And then there's the main two reasons why someone doesn't work.
Either they're not very good or they're hard to work with.
Who loses? Everybody else.
But it's how you lose that counts.
A lot of them give it a good shot and if, after a few years it doesn't work out, they drop out and find a regular job and forget about it. While a steady working actor can earn up to $50,000 a year, the majority make around $8000. A year.
Higher up in the foodchain, you have the character actors who, with a hit series and maybe a movie or two a year enjoy a somewhat full career and they can even buy a home. And of course, we can't forget the stars who make as much as $20 million a picture. Like Sandra Bullock.
Sandra recently dropped her fee to $10 million to show how much she loved the script to The Blind Side. Now that's showing real bravado. And it will end up getting her an Oscar nomination and I predict, a win. Meryl Street is nominated twice and that will cancel her out. Besides she has enough Oscars.
But there are those others; the desperate ones who don't know when to give up. And they tend to be those who really aren't that good at what they do. Not that you have to be good; look at the cast of Friends, not particularly talented, except maybe for Courtney Cox, and look at them -- a hit series and they're millionaires.
But they won the lottery in the same sense that you or I would if we bought a ticket. Really. For some reason they had "chemistry" as they say, something worked, their chemistry, the world was just ready for that show, and it was well crafted by the writers and directors.
But that's lightning in a bottle, as executives like to say. It rarely happens twice.
But back to Serena. After 10 minutes of the usual party talk she looked at us in the eye and said, "so what do you do?" We told her. She moved closer. She also focused more on Paul than me; writers don't hire actors, directors do. I saw my host and excused myself as Paul listened to her story about the last movie she was in.
After all, writers don't hire actors. Writers don't hire anybody and nobody even sees them sometimes, our work is done before the crew and actors are hired. And I've learned not to bring business cards anywhere because I have the bad habit of handing them out.
And those people do call you.
After 20 years I have met many Serenas at parties or functions or even in coffee houses and once crossing a street. As I crossed a young woman was crossing beside me and when a car screeched she commented on the crazy drivers. I agreed, told her to watch all around. It took her almost at the curb when she said; "so, are you in the business"?
The thing of it is that yes, it is flattering to have a good-looking woman talk to me and sometimes it's quite sincere and I have been known to help writers who are starting out. But after many years I have learned to stick to writers whom I may be able to help or at least read their work.
But my best story about meeting on a street was when I took a bad fall on my mountain bike at an intersection and several people came to help. My wrist was totally broken, in an "S" shape. Two people helped me, the girl taking her leather jacket off so I could lay my head on it. The other person was an older man, maybe 70's and he asked my name and what I did as a job to see if I was fully conscious. I told him I was a writer. He smiled and said so was he. And the girl said she was a special effects person for the movies.
I take a spill on my bike on Ventura Boulevard and the two people who come to help me are in the film industry. Small world.
And the old guy? He was Marty Krofft, who created a ton of kid series for CBS in the 1960s and 70's. Anyone over 40 would know his name.
He gave me his card and said, "call me when you're better".
I did call him months later. He never returned the call.
Ironically, the best book and movie on the business to my liking was Nathaniel West's classic Day of the Locust (1979), a brilliant study of those who come seeking fame who end up with nothing. While the book was written in 1939 the only difference between then and 2010 is that the cars are better and we have iPhones.
My "crowd" is mixed, a few wildly successful people, some successful, some less so and some at the bottom of the ladder. Then there's those who border on complete delusion as a means to validate that they too are successful. Needless to say those categories above don't always end up at the same table. It's almost as though success fears failure in others as it might be catching like a virus.
Something else that hasn't changed is the amount of people who still come to Hollywood to become stars. While in the 20's to the 70's, it was mostly actors and singers, now it includes screenwriters and directors. And they all are still consumed by the knowledge that they have what it takes.
Take the blonde girl, mid 20's who looked across the room at the party, it was still early and guests were just arriving. Then she spotted two older men standing near the bar talking. It took her a second to decide to move and she approached them, smiling.
"Hi, I'm Serena".
The two men were myself and my director friend Paul. It didn't take much to figure out why she selected us. The other guests were either around her age so early in the evening or were couples talking to each other. Serena was an actress, and that was not really her name.
The party was a party given by a studio owner whom I had known since my Calgary days. His Hollywood Hills home, "just a short drive from Jack Nicholson's place", overlooked the entire valley and as I stood at a glass bar the size of my kitchen, a bartender poured drinks as we watched the fires in the San Bernadino mountains 20 miles away. For a moment, I felt guilty, knowing that not far away firefighters were desperately trying to save hillsides.
"Beautiful house, isn't it," she said.
Whatever Serena didn't have, she did have confidence, the kind that always amazes me as I never really had that when I began. I probably still don't have it that much. I see that confidence so often with the young actors and writers and directors but also know that confidence in itself isn't all that important.
Actors are the biggest casualties in this city of dreams. There are more of them for one, approximately 200,000 according to SAG, and they're not counting the actors who still haven't gained admission to the powerful union. The WGA has about 8000 writers and at any given time, less than 2000 are working. DGA has around 2500 - 3000 directors, most of whom are not working.
So you can see the odds against even getting a job let alone hanging onto it.
Think of it this way, every day I look for a new job. Same for the actors and directors and crew. Those on a series have a little job security... at least until the show is cancelled. And some shows get canceled after the 2nd episode is aired. Job security is a word we've never considered.
And when we find a potential job, 90% of the time we get rejected.
Why do some people win and the majority lose? Hard question to answer. There is the talent factor, no doubt a leading contender for the big time. But as the studio exec told me, craft and discipline are more important. And then there's the main two reasons why someone doesn't work.
Either they're not very good or they're hard to work with.
Who loses? Everybody else.
But it's how you lose that counts.
A lot of them give it a good shot and if, after a few years it doesn't work out, they drop out and find a regular job and forget about it. While a steady working actor can earn up to $50,000 a year, the majority make around $8000. A year.
Higher up in the foodchain, you have the character actors who, with a hit series and maybe a movie or two a year enjoy a somewhat full career and they can even buy a home. And of course, we can't forget the stars who make as much as $20 million a picture. Like Sandra Bullock.
Sandra recently dropped her fee to $10 million to show how much she loved the script to The Blind Side. Now that's showing real bravado. And it will end up getting her an Oscar nomination and I predict, a win. Meryl Street is nominated twice and that will cancel her out. Besides she has enough Oscars.
But there are those others; the desperate ones who don't know when to give up. And they tend to be those who really aren't that good at what they do. Not that you have to be good; look at the cast of Friends, not particularly talented, except maybe for Courtney Cox, and look at them -- a hit series and they're millionaires.
But they won the lottery in the same sense that you or I would if we bought a ticket. Really. For some reason they had "chemistry" as they say, something worked, their chemistry, the world was just ready for that show, and it was well crafted by the writers and directors.
But that's lightning in a bottle, as executives like to say. It rarely happens twice.
But back to Serena. After 10 minutes of the usual party talk she looked at us in the eye and said, "so what do you do?" We told her. She moved closer. She also focused more on Paul than me; writers don't hire actors, directors do. I saw my host and excused myself as Paul listened to her story about the last movie she was in.
After all, writers don't hire actors. Writers don't hire anybody and nobody even sees them sometimes, our work is done before the crew and actors are hired. And I've learned not to bring business cards anywhere because I have the bad habit of handing them out.
And those people do call you.
After 20 years I have met many Serenas at parties or functions or even in coffee houses and once crossing a street. As I crossed a young woman was crossing beside me and when a car screeched she commented on the crazy drivers. I agreed, told her to watch all around. It took her almost at the curb when she said; "so, are you in the business"?
The thing of it is that yes, it is flattering to have a good-looking woman talk to me and sometimes it's quite sincere and I have been known to help writers who are starting out. But after many years I have learned to stick to writers whom I may be able to help or at least read their work.
But my best story about meeting on a street was when I took a bad fall on my mountain bike at an intersection and several people came to help. My wrist was totally broken, in an "S" shape. Two people helped me, the girl taking her leather jacket off so I could lay my head on it. The other person was an older man, maybe 70's and he asked my name and what I did as a job to see if I was fully conscious. I told him I was a writer. He smiled and said so was he. And the girl said she was a special effects person for the movies.
I take a spill on my bike on Ventura Boulevard and the two people who come to help me are in the film industry. Small world.
And the old guy? He was Marty Krofft, who created a ton of kid series for CBS in the 1960s and 70's. Anyone over 40 would know his name.
He gave me his card and said, "call me when you're better".
I did call him months later. He never returned the call.
(Coming Friday : Part 2 of winners and losers)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Celebrating Princess Diana in Atlanta
The much anticipated exhibit… Diana: A Celebration comes to Atlanta bringing both beauty and elegance. I had the pleasure of attending a private showing last week with local media. I found it to be extremely personal and very inspiring. The exhibit highlights the life and humanitarian work of one of the most remarkable women in history. It features some of her personal possessions including family heirlooms, in nine galleries, offering visitors a glimpse into the life of the woman who captured the world’s attention for her compassion and sense of duty.The exhibit features more than 150 objects including her famous wedding dress with the memorable 25-foot train, diamond tiara, formal gowns and family jewels estimated to be worth millions. Perhaps one of the most personal items on display is a little prayer book given to Princess Diana from Mother Theresa. As I browsed the galleries, other items catching my attention were her vintage Louis Vuitton luggage collection and passport. I was also touched by little things like her pink ballet slippers from childhood and tuck box from 1969 with her name engraved on it. I was also surprised to learn that some items on display, like the diamond jewels, belong to her family (The Spencer Family) and not Britain’s royals. It appears that Diana came from a family with authentic “blue blood.” In fact, her family tree may be more impressive than her former husband’s, Charles, Prince of Whales.
You’ll also find the sheet music to “Candle in the Wind,” signed by Sir Elton John, extremely touching along with hundreds of condolence books signed by admirers all over the world following her sudden death, in a car crash, in Paris, August 1997. As you exit the last gallery there is a lovely photo of Princess Diana taken by legendary fashion photographer Mario Testino. The photo really captures the beauty of Diana—the “people’s princess.”
If you have the opportunity to come to Atlanta… you must see Diana: A Celebration. The award-winning, critically-acclaimed exhibit runs through June 13 at the Atlanta Civic Center afterwards the items will be returned to the Althrop Estate, the 500-year-old ancestral home of the Spencer family in England. It is also the place where Princess Diana is buried.
Little-Know Fact About Princess Diana’s Family: The Spencers were at Althorp before Columbus landed in the Americas.
Are you planning to see the exhibit?Photo Courtesy: Mario Testino
Monday, January 25, 2010
Mémoire Liquide Reserve Edition Books®
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Bespoke Perfumery presents its first ready-to-wear fragrance collection for the girl who dreams of a scented library. Sisters and beauty pioneers Robin Coe-Hutshing and Jennifer Coe-Bakewell have created a scent library by launching five unique Mémoire Liquide Reserve Edition Books. Each Mémoire Liquide Reserve fragrance is housed within the pages of a unique keepsake box disguised as a book. Each tells the story of a sweet memory preserved forever… like dew soaked flowers at dawn, a vacation on an idyllic tropical beach, warm sunshine on a summer day and a gentle wafting ceremonial incense in Japan. The sisters were inspired by combining the nature of scent and memory and the powers of the connection. This collection “embodies the story and inspiration that’s gone into Mémoire Liquide Reserve Edition Books® for years to come.” Fragrances have the power to evoke a memory or thought from the heart for me so the sisters are right on with this one. I found the Armour Liquide selection engaging with notes of Madagascar Vanilla and Tonka Bean with Incense. This selection plays to romantic love that soothes the soul and makes you indeed pause to catch your breath.
Mémoire Liquide Reserve Edition Books® retails for $95 at Studio BeautyMix at Fred Segal, Studio BeautyMix at Korres in New York and Bloomingdales stores.
Disclaimer: This was a complimentary sample sent to me for review.
Limbo & something new.
Sitting here in Limbo
Waiting for the dice to roll.
Yeah, now, sitting here in Limbo,
Still got some time to search my soul.
Waiting for the dice to roll.
Yeah, now, sitting here in Limbo,
Still got some time to search my soul.
- Jimmy Cliff
That's just the feeling I'm getting this week. Last week none of my calls or emails were returned and with time working against us, it's not the easiest way to wake up Monday morning. There are some mornings I wake up and wish it would all just go away, the calls, the budgets, the waiting.
"You go from 200 calls to 10 and mostly if I didn't initiate a call, there wouldn't be one coming back to me."
- Dawn Steel
I take comfort from Dawn. After all when she was at Paramount as chief she okayed movies like Flashdance, Top Gun, Fatal Attraction, the Untouchables and later When Harry Met Sally. How's that for a record.
And once she was gone, as most executives have a shelf life of several years at best, nobody called her unless she called them first.
So I'm sitting here in L.A, the rains have subsided for the moment and the sun is shining again although it's still cool, I can't help but feel optimistic.
But maybe that's just the sun.
One has to get used to waiting in this game, or at least knowing when to "remind" the decision-makers that you are still here, eager and ready to give them any information you know. Some people are of the "hey, where's our money" school, in which they call the studio head or investors and simply lay it out in front of them; "give us the money." NOW.
Well, needless to say that doesn't work. Because they know you don't have your half yet and until they feel absolutley sure your side has dipped their feet in the water first, they sure the hell aren't gonna dip theirs.
That's why it's a game of who's first.
How does it work for us?
I am waiting for the Manitoba partners to come up with their LOI's, Letters of Interest from both the producer, the tax credit appraisal and the bank who will discount the tax credit in the form of a loan.
The private investors, mostly in the U.S. are waiting to see these papers because it's some solid proof from someone else besides me, someone who's showing some confidence that Shirley and I can pull this off.
Is it a guarantee that the private investors will invest.
No.
But with those papers, and more calls, it sure will get me interest from others. There's just one other element that nobody is talking about.
What about the story?
You know, the screenplay, what got 2 Academy award nominees interest and what brought Shirley into the project as director and what got the attention of Rachael at Eh Channel, which led to the Canadian producer Dane.
Doesn't story count to investors?
What do you think?
The answer is like everything else in this business. Maybe, maybe not. There are definitely investors who are taken with the story, but more than likely they just want to be involved in a movie. And some are interested in only making money.
So who are those guys in the middle who just want to get involved?
They are usually nice people who have done well in their lives, doctors, dentists, shopping mall owners, oilmen, enough to want to "spend" a little money on being part of a movie. Really. I know this for a fact with some of the investors of past films I've done.
Why? It's kind of cool, it's being part of Hollywood for a moment, it's something to tell their friends and maybe get their daughter in for a small part (sometimes a big part), and a hundred other reasons.
They are considered good investors. They don't really care about the details, they just want to show up, have a picture taken with the stars and watch the process until they realize that watching a movie being made is boring as hell.
So here we are.
(Coming next: Something new)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Things I shouldn't have done
In response to a comment on relationships in the film business, someone asked about my burning bridges with good companies, rather than the less respectable parties I mention in that blog.
Generally I try to not burn bridges with companies who are fair and treat me well, but sometimes my ego can get in the way, as with these examples.
I did 2 movies for Granada, a major British production company, the second of which I supplied the story and screenplay, while the first was only for the screenplay. I was owed payment for the story and they refused to pay, so I sent the WGA on them. With pressure on them, they paid and then turned around and hired another writer to rewrite the screenplay.
They never used me again, but I was owed the money, so this example is a conflicted one; should I have not asked for what I was owed and maybe get a job, or should I get paid for what I did.
Writers are always asked to write or rewrite for free, always. They'll pay for the script but then discretely ask for polishes and rewrites, all of which have to be paid for as per their being signatory to WGA guidelines. But that doesn't stop them from asking. And if you refuse to work for free, they just might hire another writer, probably a friend of the producer, to do the rewrites for money. And you lose the money and probably more work up the road.
Who said producers had to be fair?
Then there was a Universal TV series I was up for, it was a "re-imagination" of the Three Musketeers. I love that term re-imagination, obviously created by a board meeting of executives. I arrived at the studio, having read the script, which was, to my feeling, not very good
But a job is a job.
I met the 2 writers and it was almost immediate dislike on both sides. They weren't very good writers and I wondered how they got this series. They began by saying they didn't really like my writing sample, Emperor of Mars, which got me more work than any other script I wrote.
Okay, I can deal with that. They don't have to like one particular script of mine, I have 20 others on the shelf. But the meeting was going downhill, whatever I tried to come up with, they didn't like and I knew then that even if I got the job, it would be hell because we were simply not on the same level. I learned long ago that if you work with people not as good as you, you will be sorry.
Then one of the pair asked if I liked the rapping.
The rapping?
He then went on to explain how one of the Musketeers "rapped" his dialog rather than speak normally. Like P-Diddy and 50 Cent and all those other guys. These 17th Century Musketeers were hip and cool apparently.
I was speechless. It was at that moment I realized this was going nowhere for me and them. I just stood up, thanked them for the meeting and walked out. I wasn't hired and they did 7 episodes and it went off the air in 2 episodes. And I never got a call from that department of Universal again. I lost out on money but also the stress and frustration.
But the biggest one was one I truly regretted. It was with Amblin' Entertainment. You might know it's boss -- Steven Spielberg.
I had written a screenplay called Rage, about road rage when it was in the news every other day and featured a male cop and a female traffic helicopter reporter. My agent Frank set up the meeting saying they liked it. Amblin' then was on the lot at Universal and was a rambling Spanish-style hacienda on a chunk of land near the studios. I always liked going there, it had a good feeling, the people seemed reasonably happy and it reflected the informal ambience of it's boss.
I met with two people, can't remember their names but we sat down and they talked about how they liked the script. I felt pretty good, already seeing the movie being made and meeting Steven himself maybe.
Then they asked about one of the characters and suggested he be dropped.
I said he should stay there, he was vital to the story. They didn't think so. I was quite adamant about it. Then they said they'd like more of a Men In Black feel to the story and wondered if I'd like to rework it.
I still can't believe what I said.
I said I didn't really like Men In Black, and that my story was very different and couldn't imagine how I could possibly change it.
Once again, they suggested I might want to try.
I said I wasn't sure. We chatted a little more, exchanged some jokes, I finished my coffee and they looked at each other, the meeting was over. I left thinking this deal would be already happening with my agent. When I got home I called Frank, ready to hear the great things they had to say about my work.
Frank said they decided to pass. Because they thought it would be too difficult to work with me on the script. I didn't believe it, how could I have misunderstood them. Then I replayed the meeting by stepping outside of myself.
And I realized how I must have sounded. Contrary, argumentative and difficult. Much of that arrogance came from the response to Emperor of Mars, the screenplay that every exec in town had at one time, and the complements heaped on it, Steve Tisch, producer of Forest Gump, said it was one of his favorite scripts. I got meetings with Paramount, Universal, Warner's, with Ridley Scott's company, Dustin Hoffman's, and virtually every name that was anybody. No wonder I felt so good about myself.
And then I remembered that saying; there are two reasons people don't work in this town... either they aren't very good (I was reasonably good, they did like the script) or they are difficult to work with.
Difficult to work with. That was me.
I learned the lesson that day, and still haven't had a meeting at Amblin or Dreamworks yet. But ultimately it really doesn't matter if you burn bridges as most development executives one meets usually are gone with 2 years and replaced by new ones who don't know you.
That's the great strength for writers and directors; you last longer than the d-girls and boys who turn you down. Of course the ones who buy your scripts are gone too.
Generally I try to not burn bridges with companies who are fair and treat me well, but sometimes my ego can get in the way, as with these examples.
I did 2 movies for Granada, a major British production company, the second of which I supplied the story and screenplay, while the first was only for the screenplay. I was owed payment for the story and they refused to pay, so I sent the WGA on them. With pressure on them, they paid and then turned around and hired another writer to rewrite the screenplay.
They never used me again, but I was owed the money, so this example is a conflicted one; should I have not asked for what I was owed and maybe get a job, or should I get paid for what I did.
Writers are always asked to write or rewrite for free, always. They'll pay for the script but then discretely ask for polishes and rewrites, all of which have to be paid for as per their being signatory to WGA guidelines. But that doesn't stop them from asking. And if you refuse to work for free, they just might hire another writer, probably a friend of the producer, to do the rewrites for money. And you lose the money and probably more work up the road.
Who said producers had to be fair?
Then there was a Universal TV series I was up for, it was a "re-imagination" of the Three Musketeers. I love that term re-imagination, obviously created by a board meeting of executives. I arrived at the studio, having read the script, which was, to my feeling, not very good
But a job is a job.
I met the 2 writers and it was almost immediate dislike on both sides. They weren't very good writers and I wondered how they got this series. They began by saying they didn't really like my writing sample, Emperor of Mars, which got me more work than any other script I wrote.
Okay, I can deal with that. They don't have to like one particular script of mine, I have 20 others on the shelf. But the meeting was going downhill, whatever I tried to come up with, they didn't like and I knew then that even if I got the job, it would be hell because we were simply not on the same level. I learned long ago that if you work with people not as good as you, you will be sorry.
Then one of the pair asked if I liked the rapping.
The rapping?
He then went on to explain how one of the Musketeers "rapped" his dialog rather than speak normally. Like P-Diddy and 50 Cent and all those other guys. These 17th Century Musketeers were hip and cool apparently.
I was speechless. It was at that moment I realized this was going nowhere for me and them. I just stood up, thanked them for the meeting and walked out. I wasn't hired and they did 7 episodes and it went off the air in 2 episodes. And I never got a call from that department of Universal again. I lost out on money but also the stress and frustration.
But the biggest one was one I truly regretted. It was with Amblin' Entertainment. You might know it's boss -- Steven Spielberg.
I had written a screenplay called Rage, about road rage when it was in the news every other day and featured a male cop and a female traffic helicopter reporter. My agent Frank set up the meeting saying they liked it. Amblin' then was on the lot at Universal and was a rambling Spanish-style hacienda on a chunk of land near the studios. I always liked going there, it had a good feeling, the people seemed reasonably happy and it reflected the informal ambience of it's boss.
I met with two people, can't remember their names but we sat down and they talked about how they liked the script. I felt pretty good, already seeing the movie being made and meeting Steven himself maybe.
Then they asked about one of the characters and suggested he be dropped.
I said he should stay there, he was vital to the story. They didn't think so. I was quite adamant about it. Then they said they'd like more of a Men In Black feel to the story and wondered if I'd like to rework it.
I still can't believe what I said.
I said I didn't really like Men In Black, and that my story was very different and couldn't imagine how I could possibly change it.
Once again, they suggested I might want to try.
I said I wasn't sure. We chatted a little more, exchanged some jokes, I finished my coffee and they looked at each other, the meeting was over. I left thinking this deal would be already happening with my agent. When I got home I called Frank, ready to hear the great things they had to say about my work.
Frank said they decided to pass. Because they thought it would be too difficult to work with me on the script. I didn't believe it, how could I have misunderstood them. Then I replayed the meeting by stepping outside of myself.
And I realized how I must have sounded. Contrary, argumentative and difficult. Much of that arrogance came from the response to Emperor of Mars, the screenplay that every exec in town had at one time, and the complements heaped on it, Steve Tisch, producer of Forest Gump, said it was one of his favorite scripts. I got meetings with Paramount, Universal, Warner's, with Ridley Scott's company, Dustin Hoffman's, and virtually every name that was anybody. No wonder I felt so good about myself.
And then I remembered that saying; there are two reasons people don't work in this town... either they aren't very good (I was reasonably good, they did like the script) or they are difficult to work with.
Difficult to work with. That was me.
I learned the lesson that day, and still haven't had a meeting at Amblin or Dreamworks yet. But ultimately it really doesn't matter if you burn bridges as most development executives one meets usually are gone with 2 years and replaced by new ones who don't know you.
That's the great strength for writers and directors; you last longer than the d-girls and boys who turn you down. Of course the ones who buy your scripts are gone too.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Haute Travels Tests Kelly Van Gogh’s WonderLust Illuminating Tunic
Renowned hair colorist Kelly Van Gogh, known for her sophisticated hair color techniques generating a cult following of celebrity and VIP clients, creates WonderLust. It’s an Illuminating hair tonic that’s also a mult-tasking product. Key ingredients include caviar proteins, amino acids and strengthening keratins—working together to lower pH levels, correct porosity, condition and strengthen the hair. After washing my hair I applied the tunic to help add shine and protect my hair from the heat of styling tools. I love the way the product smells with notes of Jasmine and rose. This product can also be used as a detangler on wet hair. I love the tiny Mica shine particles floating in the bottle… adding instant sparkle to my dry hair reflecting light perfectly. There’s something about sparkling hair with body that makes me smile. I also like that you can use WonderLust with products that you already have at home. Plus, it appears to be one that can work on a variety of hair types which makes it haute! This is one for my travel bag.Wonderlust is available at Space NK starting February 2010 for $30.
Watch Kelly Apply WonderLust to Her Hair
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=100629972
Are you thinking about trying WonderLust?
Monday, January 18, 2010
Haute Look From Oscar Blandi
Celebrity stylist Oscar Blandi brought glam to “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara’s look at the Golden Globes Sunday night. Vergara wore a strapless Carolina Herrera gown in blue with a dash of red. Blandi created her Greek goddess hairstyle with natural waves parting the hair in two sections. Here’s how Blandi created the look:
He primed wet Vergara’s hair with Oscar Blandi Volumizing Spray then blow-dried it and pined pieces around the crown of her head and the nape of her neck. Designed to target the root area as well as the entire style, this spray adds lift, fullness, and bounce. Blandi applied his volumizing spray before blow-drying and curling Vergara’s hair. He used a medium barrel curling iron to create soft waves and finished the look with Oscar Blandi Lacca Hairspray.
He primed wet Vergara’s hair with Oscar Blandi Volumizing Spray then blow-dried it and pined pieces around the crown of her head and the nape of her neck. Designed to target the root area as well as the entire style, this spray adds lift, fullness, and bounce. Blandi applied his volumizing spray before blow-drying and curling Vergara’s hair. He used a medium barrel curling iron to create soft waves and finished the look with Oscar Blandi Lacca Hairspray.
Stila Embraces Empowerment and Technology In Beauty Kit
I’m always on the hunt for something new and exciting to add to my travel bag. So when I heard about the Stila Makeup Player, my interest was piqued. It’s a 3-in-1 train case, vanity and media player docking station! The kit comes in a chic patent leather case designed to allow consumers to store Stila products and learn how to the use them by watching FREE makeup lessons downloaded from stilabeautytube.com, iTunes or YouTube. Just download the lessons into your iPhone, iPod or digital device and you can view the lessons on the go! “I designed and created Beauty 4.0 to celebrate the inner beauty of women. Knowledge is power and beauty 4.0 will teach you how to enhance your appearance,” says Lynn Tilton, CEO, Patriarch Partners, Stila Owner.In this introductory kit… you’ll get all the products that you need for a variety of looks. The case comes with a one-step makeup foundation that’s a primer, concealer and powder all in one pump-like can. It combines the products along with pigment mineral powder, but the color choices are limited. A trio of eye shadows (rose, gold and bronze) for the base, crease and liner along with a #7 brush are also part of the kit. But one of my faves, the lip glaze in a click pen in grapefruit. It reminds me of the YSL Touché Éclat highlighter pen. You’ll also get a convertible color compact in rose adding color to your cheeks and lips. I really like all in one products because it cuts out spending money on every item… and it saves space in your makeup bag.
Once you’re all made up… you can turn up the music since the case doubles as a portable media player with speakers in the front and groove to your favorite songs like Ledisi’s In The Morning! The Stila Makeup Player is $69.90, but comes stocked with more than $100 in products. Now that’s a tune that I can sing to. The Stila Makeup Player makes my Haute List for 2010!
Enjoy 20% off your next purchase on stilacosmetics.com. Just enter code BEAUTY40 at checkout for one time use on new purchases!
What do you think about the Stila Makeup Player?
Disclaimer: This was a complimentary sample sent to me for review.
Nobody knows anything redux
As we wait for the Canadian producer produce his letters of commitment, I toss in my 5 cents (Cdn) on the Leno/O'Brien mess. And again, screenwriter William Goldman's now famous slogan above, says it all.
Jeff Zucker is coming off as the bad boy in this comedy of errors, he's the head of NBC/Universal and has been considered "teflon" through the 10 years he's been top dog, in the sense that nothing bad sticks to him. It's argued that most of his successes were from shows that were on TV already and all he did was renew them. Okay, he was also responsible for the "re-imagining" of that great classic Knightrider. The new show lasted a few episodes.
But somewhere in time, he decided that Jay Leno should "retire" at some point to let Conan take over the Tonight show, as Leno was getting older and his audience would want a hipper and cooler host like Conan. Even then I said it was a mistake. Most people in Hollywood said it was a mistake.
Why? Because they chose to dump Leno at the height of Leno's popularity, his show was #1 in late night. Conan took over and guess what -- they lost half the audience. 50% went to Kimmel and Letterman.
So where are we now?
Conan's out, possibly with a $40 million severance check (NBC says $25 million but other estimates by industry people are higher). And Zucker is mad as hell, mostly because almost everyone is blaming him. And they should. Even Leno is getting negative attention following the theory that when someone wins (Leno) and someone loses (Conan) and sympathy falls to the loser, the winner is seen in a bad light, greedy and selfish. Right now that's where it is.
Now let's go to Sandra Bullock. And a great article in today's LA Times. Her movie, The Blind Side is a hit movie, grossing $220 million and oscar nomination possibilities. It's the big hit she's needed for few years of flops. But it almost wasn't made.
First actor to read it was Julia Roberts, the Golden Girl, who turned it down. Executives then said if Julia turns it down, then we change the story to a man mentoring a football player. Otherwise nobody will go see it.
John Lee Hancock, the director, insisted that since the true story was with a woman mentor, it wouldn't be a good idea to cast a man instead. But since the studio guys can only focus on 16-year old boys going to their movies, they all passed.
And that's when a small practically unknown company thought they could finance it. And they did. And it has made $220 million dollars.
When Clint Eastwood wanted to make a movie about a trucker and an orangutan, the studio heads rejected it totally, as Clint's audience wants him to be the mysterious stranger who comes to town to kill the bad guys. In spite of their rejection Clint made it, Every Which Way But Loose, and it and the sequel were two of his highest grossing films ever.
So, getting back to nobody knows anything, how is it that studio execs are wrong more times than you'd think so?
What I think is this, the greatest movies in America were made in the 1930's to the mid 1970's and that was when studios were run on gut instincts by the guys who started and ran the companies. No research -- just instinct. You'd go into Jack Warner, say you got Bogart and Bacall, a good story and a budget and Jack would look at them and say "OK".
When they died off, college boys with business degrees took over. And they all came with the benefits of an MBA: research, studies, grosses, patterns and a whole busload of words and expressions. You know, like the banks and stock market guys.
And as a result we get sequels and remakes, movies that are made for $200 million but which draw a huge audience. What worked the first time will work again. No risk. And many times that's true.
Spiderman was a good movie, as was Ironman and a few others. And of course, Avatar is a huge success, but that was due to James Cameron, who had to show Fox a short demo of his effects before they committed. And this is the guy who made Titanic. He still had to show them a promotional short film.
Are there still good studio executives? Well, logistics suggest there has to be, and I'm sure they are there, but big business has taken over the movie business like almost everything else and there is less and less risk and quality.
Same thing goes for TV. One of the guys who developed the "100-Channel package" for cable and satellite said that when they started, they figured it would be great, that there would be special interest channels for everyone as well as popular ones, that everyone would produce new and exciting programming.
But he now realizes that all that was accomplished was mediocrity, reruns show up on every channel rather than "new and innovative programming". They'd rather run Friends and Seinfeld and MASH, not that they're bad shows, but on 20 channels? Sometimes at the same time.
Sometimes I wonder how I grew up on first 1 channel and as a teen in Windsor/Detroit, 5 channels. Researchers say the average person watches about 17 channels of the 110 to 200 channels available on cable or satellite.
And ironically, with all those channels, it's harder to get a dramatic series on then it ever was. Why take a risk when Mash and Seinfeld is guaranteed an audience and costs way less.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Who do you love?
I lived long enough and I ain't scared of dying.
Who do you love...
- Bo Diddley
Relationships. What we all fall into at one time or another. It's what makes us and what breaks us. And in the film industry it's as essential as water is to earth.
Simply put, you won't get anywhere in the film business without relationships, it just don't work that way. I have accumulated dozens of relationships, some of which last the duration of a movie shoot ("we must stay in touch"), some that lasted 40 years and some that dissipate when my services are no longer required. Meaning that either they've got a shooting script or I've been replaced by another writer eager to show how much better he or she is than I was.
I've been lucky, I've only been rewritten once by another writer. But on the other hand I've rewritten a half dozen or more scripts, called in by producers to polish or fix up or change a script that was written by someone else. Sometimes I got credit, sometimes I didn't. But it was always about a relationship.
In 1998 I wrote two screenplays that were produced by Paramount and rewritten 4 others, in most cases from Page 1, which essentially means a whole new script while keeping the story. If that sounds contradictory, it really isn't, keeping the story but changing 70% of the dialog or action is still possible.
And it all came about through relationships. It started with Steve White, a producer who read one screenplay of mine and wanted to do a movie with me. We got along well, he was accomplished enough that he didn't have any insecurities nor fears, and we got along just great. I pitched an idea, a remake of a movie I did in Canada years ago but different enough that it didn't conflict and he gave me the go-ahead.
Then he and John Levoff weren't satisfied with a screenplay written by someone else on Roswell, the New Mexico town where aliens supposedly crashed in 1947. Well, it happened that I had been to Roswell with my brother and examined the alien mythology quite well. So Steve asked me to write a completely new screenplay.
Relationships.
This led to meeting with Levoff, then head of drama for UPN network, a network arm of Paramount. That led to me going to Luxembourg to rewrite two screenplays of other writers in the dubious capacity of "creative consultant". But I was there for more than just writing. I've laid out this story in a previous blog but will repeat the basics; Levoff wanted me to be his eyes and ears to an extent as he was an ocean and continent away and knew he could trust me.
Once I finished the job, I returned to L.A. to find that Steve now had set up my two movies and another one in Winnipeg and I immediately went there to rewrite my own scripts and the other one.
Again, relationships. One thing leads to another. No stranger has ever hired me, only people who were introduced to me or knew me. Relationships lead to referrals and possible jobs. And on that note, relationships won't necessarily get you a job if for some reason nobody wants to hire you.
And there's usually two reasons for a writer, actor or director not getting work.
Either they're not very good or they're hard to work with.
Publicists come up with a lot of reasons when an actor or writer or director suddenly leaves the project, often before it starts. They will usually say "creative differences" which means that the two parties differ on some aspect of the movie, script, actor, etc. How do they decide who leaves?
Simple, the one who has the best relationship with the studio or producer. They also call it clout, but it remains the same thing.
On a movie I rewrote called Lost in the Bermuda Triangle which was filmed in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, I had a falling out with the director. To be honest, I do not suffer fools easily, I know what I can do and what I can't, or won't do.
The director, Mario from NYC told me to make some changes in the script that the producer and network had signed off on. The script was ready to shoot. I I asked "what kind of changes"? His answer; "you know, changes". No I didn't know, and I asked him to be more specific. His answer; "you're the writer, write anything". To which I answered that he was the director and if he wanted a change, he had to tell me what to change and why and to clear it with the producer.
It led to a shouting match and I left to go to the bar and find the dirtiest tequila they had. The director called the producer requesting I be fired, the producer said no. Jim stays.
Was that just because I was being bratty or high maintenance? No, the script was ready to go, sure there were minor dialog changes as he filmed, but otherwise, unless he came up with specific ideas, I wasn't going to do anything. But that's not why I wasn't fired.
Why? Because Bob, the producer, whom everybody on the crew hated (and I still think some of the Mexican drivers would easily have dropped him off in the jungle), liked me. And I thought he was tough, but good and knew his job. I left before the film was finished, after nearly 6 months of travel I wanted to go home and they really didn't need me anymore. Last time I spoke to Bob which was about a year ago, he said Mario messed up the movie anyways.
Relationships.
Lesson here is if you work on a film crew, on any job, writer, grip, driver, anyone, make relationships. Most will fade 20 minutes after the wrap party, but at least for the filming schedule, you can be a little more secure in your job.
When I worked on a series in Vancouver, I made friends with the teamster drivers. I usually make friends with everyone I can, you get more rumors and gossip that way if they trust you. I had let it be known that I had difficulty finding a new fender for my 1977 Camaro. One day a slightly used fender showed up in the parking lot. The driver walked by and said simply, "Hey Jim, someone left that for you." No questions asked.
Relationships.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Four Things You Can Do To Help Haiti
Thousands of people are suffering in Haiti following Tuesday’s deadly 7.0 earthquake about 10 miles west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. President Barack Obama says his team is monitoring the situation closely and stands ready to help the people of Haiti, but there is still more that needs to be done as recovery and clean up efforts get underway.
1. Join singer Wyclef Jean in his efforts to raise funds on behalf of Haitian Quake Victims
“Please text ‘Yele’ to 501501 to donate $5 to YELE HAITI,” Jean wrote on his twitter page in the hours following the quake. “Your money will help with relief efforts. They need our help… please help if you can.”
Donations go to the Yéle Haiti Foundation, an organization established by Jean using music, sports, and the media to bring awareness to projects making a difference in education, health, environment and community development in Jean’s native Haiti.
2. Hosea Feed the Hungry (HFTH), the Southeast’s largest food bank serving families and individuals in the Atlanta-area, has mobilized to support relief efforts following Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti. HFTH has partnered with Savannah-based Christian Revival Center that hosts monthly mission trips to Haiti. The two organizations are asking the Atlanta community to provide critically-needed supplies. A truck will deliver the items to Savannah for immediate distribution to the people of Haiti.
Items needed include:
• Water and non-perishable food items
• Men’s, women’s and children’s shoes of all sizes
• Blankets
• Vitamins – adult, children, prenatal
• Adult & children’s pain relievers
• Disinfecting wipes, antibiotic creams and ointments (e.g. Neosporin and triple ointment
• Financial contributions, which can be easily made at hoseafeedthehungry.com
3. Text "HAITI" to "90999" to donate $10 to the Red Cross or Take your donations to Lowe’s Stores
Lowe's Companies Inc. announced Wednesday; the company will donate $1 million to support the American Red Cross International Response Fund, helping victims of countless crises around the world, including the recent earthquake in Haiti. Further, all 1,700 Lowe’s stores will serve as donation centers for the American Red Cross.
Donations to the American Red Cross may also be made online at www.redcross.org, or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767
4. Join Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush... together they are making a difference in Haiti. "At the request of President Obama, we are partnering to help the Haitian people reclaim their country and rebuild their lives."
Click here to learn more http://www.clintonbushhaitifund.org/
Will You Help HAITI?
F.U. money
Show business is high school with money
- Martin Mull
On a recent LA talk show Avatar director and producer James Cameron was being interviewed and said that after Titanic, he finally had F.U. money. The host snickered and they exchanged a laugh. I don't know if that term applies to every type of work, but it certainly is used in the film industry.Writers and actors and directors dream of it, hope for it and work for it. But few get that dream fulfilled. Describing it in a polite way it simply means that you have enough money that you can tell the studios and the networks to... well, you know. You won the lottery, you never have to bend to their demands ever again. You can finance your own movie.
Which means I don't have it.
Why this vindictive stance; because those entities do everything they can to keep every dime they make and to take advantage of every artist in the business. Obviously, the big stars and writers and directors have their F.U. money but 90% have to always get what they can and hope for residuals.
When I taught UCLA extension classes a few years ago one of the common questions was "how much do writers get"? Their estimates were usually $250,000 - $500,000 based on websites that had recent payments to writers for screenplays.
Wouldn't that be nice?
Truth is, most writers get far less. Scale for a low budget movie under $5 million is around $45,000 and scale for higher budgets is around $80,000. That's way below half a million. And you might think it's still a lot of money. It is, if it were consistent. Most writers make one sale every few years and once you spread that out, it's barely over poverty level.
The average actor in Hollywood makes less than $8,000 a year. Try to live on that.
Director's salaries are similar to writers, a little more but not that far apart.
I never really complain about this though, because I always realize one truth that makes those of us who choose an artistic life accept the consequences of our decisions to be in that end of the business.
That truth is this; we chose this business.
I believe that most people fall into their jobs; you graduate from high school or college and hunt around for a job that will afford you as many of the luxuries this country can offer and the ability to have a family if you choose. And if you're lucky and you don't end up in a dead-end job, you manage somehow to make it through the day, maybe even enjoy it but some will wonder what they missed, what they could have been.
We chose a line of work where the odds of success are so incredibly against us that it makes Vegas slots look like easy money. And for what? To tell our little stories and hopefully earn enough to make the mortgage or rent payment and maybe manage a vacation once a year. But we have one thing most people don't - we're living our lives on our terms. We decide our fate and our lives.
So why should we complain?
I don't. The most I made on a screenplay was about $80,000 and when I realized they paid me that much to write 120 pages of screenplay, I couldn't believe it. And being Canadian I felt guilty, they were so good to me and they even said they like me. They really like me.
But my agent eased my guilt when he suggested that the companies like me less and hire me more.
My deceased friend Phil Borsos said that once you make some good money in Hollywood, you have three years to establish yourself because after that you become just another writer or director or actor sliding on their way down. And to a point he's true, I lasted longer than that for some reason, and in fact, am still in the game. Not everybody returns my calls, but enough do.
I remember a quote from Dawn Steel who was a studio head for awhile and when she left she said this; "you go from 200 calls to 10, and mostly if I didn't initiate the call there wouldn't be one coming back to me".
I have that quote under her picture on my office wall because there are days like that. Way too many days.
I was talking with a woman who had shared her life with me for several years and recently she told me that I was one of the few people she knew who was living his dream. Can't get much better than that... well, maybe the pretty blonde actress on a series I worked on when she ran up to me with the new script and said "it's so Jim".
I want that on my gravestone.
Even without F.U. money.
Coming Friday: Who Do You Love?
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