The most wonderful thing for a writer is when someone reads your words on a page or a screen and relates to them. When they enter the verbal world you've created and jump on the story ride. Of course once they've read your story and they tell you they love it, or that they couldn't put it down, or that it is unique and brilliant, that totally rocks. It's the ultimate connection. But what it doesn't do, is pay the bills. You may have written a great film, or a great play, even a box office gem or an award winner. But all the compliments, all the pats on the back, don't appease your landlord, the gas company, or Trader Joe's.
I tried it. I had a basket full of goodies at the Trader Joe's in Silverlake. When it came time to pay, I said, I'm a brilliant writer - thank you, and picked up my bags. When I turned to leave the pseudo-shocked cashier reminded me of the balance. I reiterated my brilliance. She reiterated my $27.72 grocery total. The others waiting in line enjoyed the humor. Maybe even concurred that I was brilliant.
But I still had to pay.
WATCH OUR TV PILOT PITCH - EAST OF THE 405!
Speaking of brilliance, brilliant writer/director CARY TUSAN and brilliant writer/director me, LAURA BUTLER, are working on our new TV project EAST OF THE 405. We shot the pilot pitch, helped by a generous group of actors - JOSHUA EVANS, CHYNA CHUU, JOSH HELLER, CORY GLUCK, and ERIN HOLT. GIVE IT A WATCH!
THE MOMS AND POPS JOURNEY: SUNDANCE
Some go to Sundance for the movies, others for the parties ( I'm talking about you James "Come-out-of-the-closet" Franco), and others like me, for the creative submersion that the Sundance experience is. The parties this year were ones where the people sitting next to you actually made films, shot films, and directed films. Cards were exchanged, lunches have already taken place back in LA, and the possibility of getting MOMS AND POPS made seems more real and brighter than ever. And for me, that's why it is worth the ten-plus hour car drive and the minus-eight degree temperature. It's the hope. The hope and the movies. And the thermal shirt and flannel pajama bottom swag I got too.
Cary likes the good food, or in some cases, not so good food, the movies, and the cute girls, as well he should (he's single and a wonderful man, so listen up ladies). He is so connected even Harvey Weinstein asks him who people are when they are at the same party. People love Cary, so it's so much fun to go to events with him and see how others connect with him and respect him the way I do. But he's been in the industry longer than me, seen so much, sometimes when I get pumped up and full of that YES WE CAN fervor upon our return, he's like yeah, uhum. We'll see.
And I'm sure that comes from his years as a writer and former development executive and going through the "please read our script thing." That's where we are at now, the read it and will you please give us money thing. The read it thing always, always, always, comes with notes. For me the writer, that means it's rewrite time - try this, punch up that, are you sure about that ending? Just when you think you're going to get to the next step, you have to cement your butt to an uncomfortable chair again and ---gulp--REWRITE.
My goal now is to "tighten it up a bit" (translation - loose ten pages to get it under 100), make it grittier, and a bit less commercial. Now personally, I am happy with these current set of notes, the ones that came with a comment that it has the potential to be a great film. The funny part is and always, always is, is that these newest set of notes are 360 degrees different than the first set of notes we got, in other words, it was grittier, it was a bit less commercial, it was under a hundred pages, lolo, a few drafts back.
And that is what writing and getting a feature made is - it is the luck of landing at that exact moment, with that exact reader, with that exact draft, and getting that exactly perfect answer, that - YES. Let's go with this. Until that day, a writer's work is never, never, ne-verrrrr, done. Period.
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