I'm worried. And frustrated.
It sounds great, I have some interest in another Christmas screenplay, potentially for Hallmark again. Interest in that the producers are ready to look at an idea.
And Ghostkeeper interest is growing; besides the distribution deal which I am signing this week and the potential of a Ghostkeeper 2 sequel that I would write and direct. Already a producer friend of mine pitched the sequel to a well known studio and they like it.
And then there's Casualties of Love, which I still am hesitant to rewrite.
You might think it's the start of a great year for me.
But I've been there before. Many times. And mostly by the time April comes around, every project seems to have gone away. History is always there to remind you of the failures. I have worked on projects for money or on spec many times, I think maybe around 30 or 40 screenplays. And they were never made.
But that's not unusual, ask any writer who has been in the business for years, they'll tell you the same thing. And on top of those 3 projects above I have a few others:
A pilot for a series about a 40-ish faded former child star who is raising a teenager daughter who herself is becoming a star.
A pilot about a family rock and roll band that is getting interest from record labels.
Another Christmas movie set on a train.
So my next moves have to be thought-out and not random. It all comes down to one major consideration;
Which project has the best chance of getting made.
By that criteria, it would seem that Ghostkeeper is at the top of the list. Distributing the original film is a no-brainer. The distributor who wants to re-release it has sent me the contract. It's not talk or promises, it's a done deal.
And the idea of a sequel, even though it's quite funny if I think about it being that the original was not a great film, although we got some good reviews recently and a minor cult following. Add to that it's a 30-year old movie. Interestingly enough, there's nothing in the movie that dates it, 3 people in ski outfits and ski-doos, all of which looks the same as today.
And if someone wants to finance the sequel, why shouldn't I be the one who makes it?
Right?
After that is the Christmas story, yet to be determined, seems to be solid too. The producers of last year's Town that Christmas Forgot want to see my ideas. But, at this point I haven't come up with a plot, I know it is about the same family, in fact a sequel to the original.
But the catch here is that there's no guarantee that they'll like it, so this deal isn't quite as solid. And I do have a back-up Christmas story that isn't a sequel to Town That Christmas Forgot.
But the odds are still better than the Casualties of Love script.
Casualties is something I figured I could make for very little money and as an experiment of sorts. But all I have right now is a script that the actors liked and no interest in making it from anyone besides me and the actors.
And I have been bouncing all of these ideas for the past 2 days. A month ago I was totally involved in Casualties, but now, I have two far more lucrative projects with interest from parties that could make them.
And what about the integrity of the projects? Is it better to go for the money rather than the project. Casualties is an art-house film idea while the other two are sure winners in terms of getting made, getting shown and making some money.
Money or art?
Well, with money I can make art. Meaning that doing the money jobs would offer me the freedom to do Casualties later.
All I know for sure right now is that I have to be writing something Monday morning. In this business, interest isn't worth the time it takes to describe it.
(Mon: Write!!)
