Quoted from Death Monkey So why do I write? Because I've got no choice.

Me too.

Everything else?  You know how it goes. ...

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This thread appears to have come full circle, with everyone now agreeing that you should just write what you like.

Before this thread dies its death, I'd like to comment on a few things.

Firstly I think Mike is spot on when he says that you should be aware of what you yourself are trying to do. That is the most important step in defining yourself as a writer and also lays out the steps you have to take to become "successful".

This also fits in with what Sandra is saying about branding.

What is your own definition of success? What is it that you are trying to accomplish?

Is it money? Fame? Is there one particular film that you have dreamt about since you were a kid that absolutely has to be shown worldwide?

There are two ways of becoming a successful screenwriter, if you break it down. Even these aren't mutually exclusive.

1.Selling to The studio system

2. Selling to Independents.

(There is a third, indirect way which may be beneficial to some: Writing a Novel, then selling the film rights. That is one of the best way, if you can do it. No issues of Copyright, you get to have more control and you get more money. This route is probably essential if you write truly epic work that requires vast sums to make.).

A quick trawl through wiki pages will show you that there are only 5 or 6 studios in the whole world. Disney, Sony, Fox etc These companies are all huge media and electronic companies who have vertical integration throughout TV, publishing, music, interent etc They own phone companies,newspapers, News Channels.

In short they control everything that you read and see every single day. All the old independent companies like Miramax are now studio owned (by Disney in that case). Fox have Searchlight as their "independent" arm.

These companies are controlled by Accountants and Lawyers. They need money more than anything else. The films that they desire have broad appeal.

They want a film that can be used as an advert for the DVD (cinema takings are so low they now view Theatrical release as an advertising campaign for the DVD sales) they use the film to sell the Original Soundtrack. They have the actors come on TV to fill the air, to fill newspapers. The trailers come out on your mobile phones.

They want films that become franchises. They want to sell merchandise. Films now become progressively more popular, the old law of diminishing returns was turned on its head by DVD sales.

In short if you want to sell to a studio, write films that allow for all of these things. And move to L.A. 95% of business deals are secured over cocktails, between friends. It's the same in every single business in the world.

The overriding concern for these types of film is genre. I think this is the point Sandra is making. Genre is the thing that sells films. If you have a comedy, you know where to advertise it and who to. Same with horror or romances etc. Studios hate unconventional films because they simply do not know how to market them effectively. Films that mess with genre like Bladerunner and Intolerable Cruelty are very hard to market.

Lionsgate has effectively driven the bottom out of the independent horror market at the moment, by buying absolutely everything being made in the search for the new Saw. Trouble is they only want gore and what they call "T&A" (Tits and ass) because that is what sells to the 16 year old-30 year old demographic that watches those films.
If there is no gore or titties by page 2, it's in the bin.

The problem is, as we have seen on here, is that as writers you very often want to get away from "generic" writing. If you want to write something that isn't generic, then you have a very limited audience. I'm not sure if it is limited in terms of numbers, but certainly in terms of availability. It is hard to get the word out to like minded-people.

There are only four cinemas in the entire UK that now show independent films. One where i live, one in Bristol, two in London. I'm sure the situation is as dire in the US.

As Sandra rightly points out, without branding and without genre, how do you get people to watch the films? Independent films don't have billboard marketing, newspaper and prime-time coverage and so no-one knows they even exist.

I went to see Andrea Arnold's Red Road (the first British feature made under the Dogma rules). Andrea herslef was at the Cinema doing a Q and A. The only reason I knew it was coming out was that I saw a tiny aside on a web-page talking about Lars Von Trier! At a distribution seminar I went to, full of independent filmmakers, the question was asked who had seen it ( the lecturer was making the point that no-one supports independent cinema, even those who are involved in the scene). I was the only one out of 120 to have seen it.

In short then I understand where Sandra is coming from, I think where Sandra went wrong was to correlate broad appeal to critical merit.

The problem with all this of course is that it is turning filmmaking and writing into an entirely commercial force.

Independent companies are forced to act like mini-majors. George Lucas leaves the Studio system because they are editing his films to make them more commercialll acceptable, 20 or so years later he is justifying the inclusion of Jar Jar Binks saying and I paraphrase " 12 year olds like the charcater and when you are an independent company, every penny counts".

He becomes everything that he was trying to get away from.

This is happening to Cinema in every country in the world. It has become a consumer product, without anything of value to add.

This is a problem on a huge cultural scale, because film and Art in general is losing its power to influence the thinking of the ordinary person. Films are no longer a window on the world, a medium for shared experience and learning. They are just entertainment and are put out of mind as soon as they are watched.

It is a monumental problem and one that every writer, filmmaker and film fan needs to address.

Well, I have a question for everyone: Do you write in the hopes that the script will get produced or do you write for the sake of writing?

Personally, I write cos' I need to get a story out of my system. For me it's a great way (and basically the only way) to tunnel those creative genes into something positive. It's almost cathartic in a way. Once an idea forms in my brain this is the only way to get it out. But I don't write scripts wishing and hoping that it'll get produced. I'm fortunate enough to have a job that earns me a lot of money so I'm not doing this for the almighty green either.

Sure, getting a script produced would be nice. If Fox would wanna throw a million dollars at me I'll take it, but I don't really think about it. Plus, all of my scripts have already been produced once - in my head (and Steven Spielberg can kiss my brain's ass cos' it'll kick his any day of the week).

But I can certainly understand if someone who earns a living writing scripts would "sell out" (for a lack of a better word). Hey, we all gotta eat, right? Like TJ said, money's the mean not the end.

All this talk about art and shit, that's such BS. Working for a studio IMO would be no different than working at a McDonald's - you do what you're told or pack your bags and if anyone has a problem with that then they should start their own business and see how far they'll get.

Quoted from Blakkwolfe Not to offend you, DM, but I suggest you do this. Get yourself a job flipping burgers for a while. Call it research. Get to know those people under the paper hats and then see what drives them to "stoop to that level." Maybe thier Mummy and Daddy couldn't afford to send them to college. Maybe they are a single parent trying to pay the rent to support thier family, cuz the boy said he loved her and bolted as soon as she got pregnant. Maybe he's a dad trying to save some extra cash for a better guitar for his son. Or maybe they just need the health insurance. All these people might be "stooping to that level", cause that's what people DO. People have to WORK. You can write all this art house drivel til your brain explodes, but ain't nobody gonna care if you can't appreciate, relate to and respect that girl who just handed you your burger and fries.

I've worked my share of shit jobs, so I know what I'm talking about. I also come from a single parent home, and I paid rent to live there after I turned 18.

Also I don't eat fast food of any kind whatsoever so I actually think I've got my moral bases covered.

And here's a quote you must've missed in your thorough reading.

"the clerks who serve me, may have extraordinary talents, but their job does not warrant my respect."

But thanks for that presumptious dissection of my character. How well you must feel you know me.

...

The fact that you COMPLETELY missed the point of my post is impressive in itself but then you go on to attack my writing, accusing me of being unable to write relatable characters. Look, if you have any specific feedback please leave it in the thread of my scripts, otherwise feel free to send me a PM.

I'm not quite sure how to address last paragraph since I don't recognize myself in there. however, I will say that if writing the stories I love, the things I live and breathe for constitues "art-house" drivel, then I shudder at the alternative.

I wonder why some people say stuff like "no offense" before they go on vitriolic rant. It's like those girls in high-school who would say "No offense, but you look like a whore!" to each other. I don't get it.

Well, I digress.

Quoted from Death Monkey But thanks for that presumptious dissection of my character. How well you must feel you know me.

You are correct, sir, and I offer my apologies. I was out of line and slightly ticked off at the comment, however, the rules of "think first, post later", certianly to me. Sorry.

Well then, apology accepted.

I'm dying, dying, dying...

Quoted from Father Aaron, at Cielo's "Enta Via."

Ah, but death is such a sweet disciple of secrets.

Jessica Euringer, with the holy man, drinks much wine and says,

And to think that I've been searching for the meaning of my life.

10/16/07

And the thread vanishes.

Sandra