A writer’s tale of persistence and resolve A couple of writer’s have contacted me this week to speak about their frustration in trying to get a break in Hollywood. I’m reminded of the old Timex watch commercials where they demonstrated they could beat the shit out of their timepieces; and that they could take a licking and still keep functioning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_fKppH8B0g. To me, this commercial is how I feel about trying to sell scripts. You must be able to take multiple beatings and continue to have the desire to continue to: 1. Keep working because something deep in your soul won’t let you give up. 2. Continue to take rejection and try to learn from your mistakes during the process. My Tale A few years ago, a famous producer’s assistant was advertising for a biopic about an obscure subject. So, I wrote a logline and a two paragraph pitch for my story idea and emailed the assistant. A few hours later, the assistant emailed me and said “please send me the script.” As the honest man I am, I told the assistant I didn’t have one but promised her I could write a first draft in a few weeks. The assistant promptly responded with I’m only considering completed scripts. Afterwards, I decided I had made a big error in judgment. About seven months later, another producer was looking for another obscure subject. For that one, I wrote a logline and a two page story synopsis and emailed it to the producer via Inktip. The following day, the producer sent me a message saying “please send me your script.” This time, I told the producer I would email him a script in a few days. A few days later, Inktip contacted me and said, “hey, this producer’s really interested in reading your work. I told Inktip to please tell the guy I was polishing the draft and needed until the end of the week. After 6 days, I delivered the producer an 87 page first draft; one that he liked very much. He optioned it and we eventually added another 23 pages to the screenplay. He went on to pitch the script to William Morris, Icon Films and several other companies. We also worked on two other scripts that also were pitched to several companies. For the first six months of this year, this same producer and I did very little work together. During the summer, he contacted me looking for historical material and pitched Four Negro Girls in a Church to them to a famous studio. The executive VP of this studio liked the script and my writing but passed on this script. In September, we sent him another script that he liked very much. He passed this one on to the president of the studio. On Friday, I finally got word back that though the President liked my writing, he wasn’t excited enough about the story to move forward. My tenacious producer got word back today from the aforementioned studio VP that “I’m definitely a fan of your colleague’s writing and would very much like to take a look at his next script if possible. This will now be the third script that this well-known executive has taken his valuable time to read. This more recent script is also under review by another major agency. Finally, though I was a bit down on Friday about the pass on my second script, to hear that the president of a company that’s made many famous films likes my writing was still a pretty good boost. Also on Friday, another LA producer who I’m now good friends with called me and told me my Bukowski biopic script is “fantastic writing and the best thing I’ve done” And he added, “this is not the kind of praise I offer lightly.” The Moral Though I’ve had five scripts optioned, my next major goal is getting a big budget film made. I’m well aware this isn’t going to transpire if I fold up the tent every time I get an email or phone call saying “this one isn’t exactly what we’re looking for.” I know it’s not going to transpire unless I continue to produce high quality work and use every means available to get it in front of people that can get films made. It’s also not going to happen without continuing to put lots of positive energy out into the ether. This means cultivating relationships that may not reap rewards for several years. It also means I might have to promise the impossible… and then deliver it.
Screenwriting : A screenwriter’s tale of persistence and resolve by Phillip E. Hardy, "The Pro From Dover"
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4 people like this
inspirational, Phillip! and great advice as well!
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This is so relevant to me right now! I'm soooooooo close on a couple of my projects, and the hurry up and wait is the hardest part, especially since I have no guarantee that the waiting will result in a payoff, financially or otherwise. Lately I've been throwing internal little writer tantrums (OK some not so internal, at least when I'm explaining my frustration to my ever-supportive husband!), shaking my fist at the Universe, kicking my crowd-sourcing campaign, all of us know the deal. But the reality is I'll happily keep going because I don't know how NOT to; I love what we do, I love storytelling, I love the solitude of writing and the companionship and collaboration of being on set, and I believe in my ability to make my life and goals happen. Reading your post just confirms that for me! Thanks for sharing it!
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Completely agree. Inspirational and motivational!
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@ Shari: Thanks very much and your friendship and support is greatly appreciated. @Terri: I'm so glad this post resonated with you and wish you the continued resolve and energy on the road to your goals. @ Richard B: Thank you and sorry I missed you Friday but the rain kicked our bootys.
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@Terri: And to quote Tom Petty: "The waiting is the hardest part."
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Thanks for posting that Phillip. I read it while I took a short break from the script I'm working on, and I found it both encouraging and inspiring, along with the post Terri wrote. So thank you to both of you really. Back at it now. :)
Brian: Thank you for taking a break and glad to hear you're hard at work. Next week, I'll begin writing my final script for 2015, a year that will be my most productive, creatively speaking. However, I have high hopes my best work is yet to be written.
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This post has made my day. Great personal inspiration followed by the old Timex watch tv ads. Your right......As writers we need to keep our inner spring strong........take a licking and keep on ticking.......no matter what obstacles/trials. LOL First time ever I've considered myself to be a watch.
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Debbie: It's okay to compare ourselves to watches as long as we're not wound too tight eh? :)
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Great advice and thanks for sharing your experiences Phillip, inspirational as always!
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Anthony: Thanks for your friendship and generous support.
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Thanks for sharing! Good pep talk. I found your examples interesting. Were you referring to the often overly-specific calls for submissions in the Inktip Preferred Newsletters? Things like: "Seeking feature length, spiritually uplifting scripts set in southern Timbuktu featuring an expat Asian unicorn hunter dying of a rare blood disease. Only completed screenplays, please!" ...Oh, lookie here, I happen to have one of those....FINALLY a match!
Great attitude and message Phillip! Resilience!
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@TK: I love your Timbuktu request example. Funny stuff. But you're exactly correct. There are tons of producers who think up ridiculous ideas and then want someone to have a spec script laying around. Last week's ridiculous ad was for a Peruvian based action thriller. I checked the Peruvian Craigslist writer's section and they had only two ads placed. However, I've actually used the obscurity factor to my advantage. Nearly three years ago, an LA Producer was looking for an Angela Davis script, so I wrote a logline and synopsis for my movie idea. When he asked if I had a script, I said yeah, it's sitting on the shelf with my scripts about Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton. Fortunately, he got the joke and had me write the AD script. The producer and I are good friends and speak to each other several times a week. I've had two producers that wanted to make the AD film a reality but have been unable to interest Angela in supporting the idea. However, this producer and I continue to work on other things together. @Stephen: Thank you sir!
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Very helpful advice, Phillip. I'm sure I will need to refer back to this post often. Thank you for sharing! And, T.K., I want to read that script. : )
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Thanks for taking the time to explain your experiences and eventual success.
Hans: You're welcome.
Yep, I still haven't forgotten this ad from last week. There is a specialist shop Brighton that used to order Retro posters, I'm going to see if they can get a Timex. It's hard even getting "a wind up watch" now, something gadget free, yet will last eternity.
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This is incredibly helpful from a number of angles. Thanks for sharing, viva la produced credit! The next step in your journey.
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Michelle: Thank you for your kind words.
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Greatly encouraging advice! Thanks.