What Selling My First Screenplay Taught Me About The Film Industry.
I was blessed to know, from a very early age what I wanted to be in life…
An Actor.
Ever since I could remember, I thoroughly enjoyed the notion that I could learn about others by bending my perspective as far as I could in order to imagine life in their shoes while being able to share their stories.
It was hence through acting where I discovered my second passion for Writing; Specifically plays and screenplays (and who knows, perhaps even a novel one day).
But it was through the sale of my first ever spec screenplay where I began to learn how to navigate the business of writing in Hollywood.
And make no mistake…
It Is A Business At The End Of The Day
And like most businesses, a reliance on supply and demand based on what’s in vague become the underlying foundation upon which the majority of major studios develop and distribute content.
Unsurprisingly, this is prioritized for maximum capital gain and in order to satisfy shareholders by meeting the quotas of each quarterly earnings report.
An example of this would be the decades long peddling of film/TV adaptations of comic book superhero movies or the myriad of spin-off TV shows and films.
No doubt there’s an audience for this content, otherwise why bother? Yet, it certainly leaves us writers stuck between writing from the heart and writing to satisfy a trend. Which sometimes can be aligned.
But with that said…
Follow The Trends
My first feature-length screenplay could be best described as a raunchy heist/thriller/dark comedy.
As I’ve stated in previous articles, I’m quite proud of that script simply as an exercise in effective formatting, detailed character development and story structure.
I’m less than thrilled with the plot/story as a whole.
The reason for this is its dark undertones, crude plot and slightly misogynistic characters (mind you this was written well before the industry’s ‘#MeToo’ movement had taken place). Never-the-less, I successfully optioned said script for a two-year term for a little over $20,000.
The point is, trends change with the times and as writers, we must be able to adapt if we are to tell relevant stories with merit that not only reflect our own thoughts and beliefs but can be bridged to those of our audience.
It was after all the Neoplatonic dictum, scribed during the 3rd Century, that art must serve a moral purpose.
Parting Thoughts
My journey navigating the film industry thus far has taught me a great many things. But what I’ve learned most can be best summed up with a well known adage from famed South Korean Writer/Director, Bong Joon-Ho:
Thoughts? Drop a comment below and Let’s chat!
Thanks for reading!
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