I had an early lunch meeting with the director of Hostile Delivery today that was pretty awesome. Ian is an awesome guy, and a great mind. He’s got a vision and a passion that is hard to find. I’m always impressed with his approach, and he’s the kind of filmmaker who will enhance any project he is a part of.
When we weren’t talking about movies, actors, etc., we talked about the few revisions the script needed and how the shoot was going to play out. This whole experience has given me such clarity of vision when it comes to the collaborative art of filmmaking (ah, there’s that theme!). This is something that I think a lot of screenwriters don’t grasp. What I’m about to say may rub you the wrong way. If you’re an artiste, prepare to get your fur ruffled.
Film is a collaborative art form. There is no way around it. If you are not writing, producing, directing, and editing the film yourself, guess what? Other people’s hands are gonna get all over your “baby”, and they’re going to mess with it. That’s just how it is.
Live with it.
Yeah, you. The genius with the groundbreaking serial killer script.
You know that cutting-edge vampire screenplay you’re about to write? If a production company actually bought it and it actually got green lit (and let’s be honest, those are some big fucking ifs), prepare to watch your genius be sliced, diced, and shredded. If you’re lucky (and I mean really lucky - those first two “ifs” were cake walk compared to this one), then you’ll be kept on to do the rewrites. lol. Good luck with that one… But, for sake of argument, let’s say that actually happens.
So, you sold your script and it’s green lit. Now what? Ignoring the numerous free rewrites you would have to do for the production company before it was green lit, now you get on those rewrites! Now you collaborate. You collaborate with the director. You collaborate with the producers. You collaborate with the actors. You collaborate with the caterer and the set designer and the custodian and the wall. What I mean by “collaborate” is “do what they say.”
Do I mean that 100%? No. Of course you give and take input. Just know you’re going to take about 10 suggestions for every 1 you give. I’m underestimating here. The producers give you notes, and you take them and you include them. The director gives you notes, and you take them and include them. The lead actor gives you notes, and you take them and include them or die.
Here’s what I’m saying: If you don’t play well with others, you shouldn’t be a screenwriter.
I’m serious.
You do not know what is best for the film.
Let me repeat that for you pretentious artistes out there:
YOU
DO
NOT
KNOW
WHAT
IS
BEST
FOR
THE
FILM.
You’re a writer. Anyone can do your job. Unless you’re an A-Lister, you’re a nobody. Everyone else has been doing this a whole lot longer than you.
But you know what? It’s not about you getting bullied around. You’re not the victim here. You know why?
Your ego is not the most important thing. The film is. It needs to be good, and it needs to be profitable. Hollywood is not a charity house. It is a business. Know the business you are trying to work in.
Here’s the deal: If you can get your head out of your ass and swallow your pride, the people who are making your film have some good ideas. Your script is going to mold and shape into a quality film. Sure, there is the occasional great script that gets turned into a shit film. There’s also the occasional shit screenplay that gets turned into a great film. It’s all about who you are working with. If you work on a film with a production company or a director and you feel violated by what they did with it, then you don’t work with them any more (if you can help it). If you work with a production company or a director and you love what they did with your script, then you work with them as much as you can (if you can help it).
Bottom line, collaborating with these people should be a joy. If you are going to make it as a screenwriter, you really need to enjoy getting input and criticism on your scripts. You need to enjoy tailoring those scripts to what the people you are working with (and, more importantly, for) are looking for. You need to love that process. If you don’t, this job’s going to get real old real fast.
Oh, I’m sorry. Did I just call this a “job”? Sorry. I forgot it was your “art”. Well, once you start getting paid for it, it becomes a job. You have bosses. You have deadlines. You have expectations and performance evaluations. The sooner you start looking at it like a career, the better off you will be. As long as you cling to your artistic integrity, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle against an overwhelming army.
This is a job. If your script gets purchased, you have bosses. You also have coworkers. You either need to learn how to take notes and collaborate with people who may or may not “ruin” your artistic vision (that’s a risk you just have to take), or forget about having any kind of long standing career in screenwriting.
If you leave your script to your own devices, you will always hold it back. It is sometimes only through the eyes of others that you can see what it is missing, and what doesn’t work. To bring this full circle, collaborating with Ian has been a phenomenal experience for me as a writer. Hostile Delivery would not be as good as it could be without his input. His vision coupled with mine is what has helped to shape this project into something we are both extremely excited about. I can also say that if not for the notes of my writer friend Jesus, the script would not be where it is at right now. Learn how to take criticism. Get notes. Learn how to play well with others, and remember that you aren’t the most important person in the room.
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