So long for being in a Jude Law State of Mind - Case of the Never Ending Screenplay, Part 3 #indiefilm #amwriting

What follows is the third and final installment in a series of Jude Law quotes that I’ve kept in mind while trying to find the right motivations for getting to the final draft stage of a short screenplay that has often been a pain in my rear, for several weeks. The first (Part 1) and second (Part 2) posts containing my script writing notes may be of interest those of you who missed them.

“I don't want to do anything that I'm not passionate about.” - Jude Law

All I could think when reading this is that it applies to so many aspects of life, not just filmmaking. In fact, this particular Jude Law quote reminds me of my blog post about Russian Roulette and how we gamble with our lives in some respects but avoid taking chances at all costs when it comes to other areas of our existence that really matter the most. Bottom line: Put your energy into the activities, objects, subjects, people, places, experiences, etc. that you care about and let the rest move over to the sidelines.

In the case of my script, I suppose I need to hone in on what I’m really trying to say with this particular short story -- what is the message? Why do I care about it? How can I make the characters convey this message? These are the questions that I should really have an answer to before calling “Action!” or else it will turn into another project that I look at and think “Eh! I finished it *Shrugs shoulders* so, what’s next?” -- and I surely don’t want any parts of that.

Since January, I’ve had moments where I felt like I just wanted to shoot the darn thing and get it over with so I could move on to the next project. That is NOT the best kind of motivation that should make anyone do anything, no matter if it involves making films, babysitting someone’s kid, attending a family reunion, buying a house, going to work at a job you hate or whatever the case may be. If we’re already looking for the exit door or closing performance before we enter a room, then maybe that’s a sign that we shouldn’t be there in the first place.

In the case of this short film script that I’m trying not to fling out of the window, the final draft hasn’t even been completed yet and I’ve already started hearing the fat lady sing. So, I’m hoping that this newfound enthusiasm for the third storyline that I’m embarking on remains all the way through the entire screenwriting process. Or else, it may be time for me to just put this thing on the shelf and go forward with the feature film that sparked my paranoia for the habitual film industry dream crusher that is 10-year development. 

In a Jude Law State of Mind - Case of The Never Ending Screenplay Part 1 #indiefilm #shorts #actors

 

I’m channeling the wisdom of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" star Jude Law this weekend, to get a short film script ready for what I hope will be the final draft stage. I have a feeling, however, that there's probably more work to do before reaching that point. It’s been too damn long -- I mean, I expected to have this thing done, especially now that January has come and gone.

The story was simple enough but then I altered the script outline a bit to try to make it more interesting. Afterward, I got bored and was no longer interested in making the whole darn thing. Then, I went back to square one, with plans to just make a straight-to-video flick that I could sell, regardless of whether I was interested in the movie or not.

In April, I lost enthusiasm for taking the script from first draft to final draft and these days, I’m taking the story in a whole new direction after coming up with some ideas that I actually like, to finally create a workable script that could be both simple, yet interesting. So, what does this all have to do with Jude Law, you may be wondering? Well, I recently came across three quotes from this Tony and Oscar nominated actor, that reminded me of what making movies (especially independent films, in my case) is all about -- more specifically, what needs to be the motivation for writing the script.

Since a screenplay is the very foundation for which films are based upon, if I’m not enthusiastic about creating the story on paper, how in the world am I going to find excitement in shooting it?! So, any movie for which the writer has no motivation to complete is doomed from the start. Now don’t get me wrong, producing artificial enthusiasm for a movie CAN be done, at any stage of production for that matter -- but is it worth it in the end? No way! Or, at least not according to Jude Law, where his acting is concerned.

Photo: People Magazine
“The only film I ever made for money was something called Music From Another Room, which I really didn't like.” - Jude Law

This reminds me of one of the most expensive short films I’ve made to date, which serves as a lesson to not make the same mistake twice. The irony is that I lost money on this particular film rather than making dough and also ended up with a film that brings me all sorts of frustrating and annoying memories on top of that. I thought that by making a film that I could use to raise money for the one that I really wanted to make, I didn’t have to exactly be attached to the end result.

Similar thoughts crossed my mind while hitting mental roadblocks on the first draft of my current script -- “I don’t need great ideas for this, so long as I cast at least one actor who can attract sales based on who he or she is -- hell, this person doesn’t even have to have acting experience. The guys from The Skorpion Show on YouTube has a huge audience. Problem solved!” Thank goodness I knew that this was a destructive path to follow and thus, started trying to find a story angle that I at least find attractive enough to hold my attention while I work on the remaining scenes.

Therefore, being focused on a straight-to-video ending is not going to improve the script that I have right now nor will it suddenly make me fall in love with a story that I dislike. What good is earning money on a film that you wouldn’t champion at every chance you get or even defend against critics?! -- which brings me back to the basic point that focusing on an end result only serves as a distraction while I put together a screenplay that I don’t even care about. Solution: Make sure you like the script before moving on to the next stage.

Read part two, which includes another Jude Law quote and more scriptwriting observations!

Did YOU know that Jude Law was injured on the set of “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” leaving him with a broken rib?

If someone paid YOU $1 million to make a film based on a script that YOU loathed, would YOU do it?

On Directing Commercials, Opportunities in Entertainment and Maintaining Relationships: An interview with Filmmaker Nick Santana – Part 3 #indiefilm #kickstarter

As the short film “Elvis” continues to raise over 100% of its production funds through a Kickstarter project that ends in under 24 hours from now, it is clear that crowd funding is not only alive and well but also here to stay in 2012. After discussing how immigration challenges affect more people than we know and realizing ways that second tier film festivals may reach targeted audiences better, “Elvis” director Nick Santana also shares some insight into navigating the landscape of opportunities for filmmakers who want to direct commercials and/or motion pictures.

Madlab Post: In what ways did your work at William Morris Agency help to build your filmmaking reel?

Nick Santana: I built my filmmaking reel while I was there. It was great but very difficult because when you are an assistant to an agent, you don’t have a life – you’re constantly chasing new deals, trying to stay up on everything -- but the person who I worked for was a very cool mentor and very helpful. More importantly, I got to read a lot of good scripts and then I got to see a lot of good short films that came across our desks. So, it was great to see – I think it’s important to see other good work.

I don’t understand when people – like writers or novelists say “Oh, I don’t want to read certain books because I don’t want that to influence me.” I really think you’re cutting yourself short because you need to see good work and read good material. I mean, that’s the only way you’re going to ever get better.

I can assure you that the way you interpret something is so different than the way someone else is going to do it. You can direct the same movie and it will be completely different. So, I don’t think you should worry or let that get in the way – you should see some really good films and you should see some really bad films so you can go “wow, ok. This is bad!”

I think you need to allow yourself to see good work and bad work and then go out there and try it yourself and fail and not be afraid to fall short – to constantly keep doing stuff so you can improve.

How do you maintain a work/life balance or does film take up your entire existence?

You have to treat it like a full-time job. Sometimes, I get up at 6a.m. just to write and you kind of also have to make that a priority – you have to balance your social life, of course. I now only go out when I’m invited to dinners with friends or if it’s something where it’s like “I must do this,” then I’ll go out. Now, I’m so focused on doing this (“Elvis”) and I have some side projects in the tech space, there’s no time -- I want to come home immediately so I can work on all of these side projects and then, obviously, get some sleep as well. It’s hard but you just have to put in the time and do it.

Does indie film kill all relationships, as Heidi Van Lier says?

I don’t know Heidi, so I’m not speaking for her but speaking on my own terms and personal life with my wife – you have to have a balance in any relationship and you have to be supportive. My wife runs her own business and I’m supportive of her – I want to see my wife succeed, and everyone says “I support my spouse” but you really have to stand behind them and vice versa – My wife stands behind me, so, we just allocate time – Friday nights is date night, no matter what. It also helps that we don’t have children, but, we make it a point to do the date nights and going to bed early helps because I get up early.

Technology makes it so easy now to reply to emails – I can reply to emails on my phone, I don’t have to be on a desktop, so that cuts down on a lot of time but I think it really is about organization. I have another friend who is an independent filmmaker, Brant Sersen who is working on a new movie – he got married right after he went into production on his second feature film and now he has a daughter. He has a fully functional and healthy marriage. It’s with anything in life – you can’t be selfish. That’s the bottom line.

In a relationship, it’s a team effort – not one person, it’s two people and you have to realize that you have to be considerate to your partner and that’s it. Think about, not even filmmakers, but entrepreneurs or CEOs like Steve Jobs. He was the CEO of Apple and married and had kids. He was able to do it. Think about Sheryl Sandberg, who is the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. She is married, has a high-level executive position and has children.

So when I hear “oooh, independent film ruins relationships,” they’re just being selfish artists, because when you think about someone like Sheryl Sandberg, I think the work that she is going has more of a global impact than an independent filmmaker and she’s still able to maintain a healthy relationship -- kids and all that.

How can filmmakers get jobs directing commercials for corporate brands?

That’s a hard one. The way I did it was crazy – I had a company represent me and the first company was kind of cool but then I left to get with a smaller company and that was a disaster and then I left. Now, people are doing it on their own without representation. There is a company called Tongal where assignments come on board and you can try to find work with brands to do online content. I think it’s easier moreso now than ever and you just have to have the chops and keep doing it – and networking as well.

You gotta get in there and network and constantly keep shooting because your reel can get outdated. Keep updating your work and show new stuff. A couple of years ago, I just put my reel together and go out there and get signed. I had to send my reel out – I was working at the William Morris Agency at the time and it was hard just to get anyone to notice me.

So as a favor, the agent that I was working for made some calls on my behalf and then people saw my reel. Again, you have to understand that the landscape for commercials has changed as well. Now, that’s why I feel like it’s so much easier for independent filmmakers to make things and get it online quicker, faster and cheaper whereas some of the commercial directors that were getting paid a lot of money aren’t used to doing that. They’ll still get the big accounts, but now, brands want to do consumer engagement so they’re looking for user generated content that obviously has good quality, of course, or that is clever or has a really good concept.

I don’t have representation and I’m actually working on something this Friday, so, there is no template or no one-way to get in. Some people do a commercial, enter a contest and get discovered that way. I also think about how we always hear these stories of someone posting something on YouTube and then they’re directing a commercial from that.

What are the differences between New York and California, regarding opportunities for independent filmmakers who want to direct movies?

L.A. has more production. The city of New York is a little more diverse so it’s not entirely focused on entertainment. With that said, I think it’s easier now, in general, to fund something and make a movie – Look at me, I’m using Kickstarter to fund my movie and I’m shooting it on an HDSLR camera and I’m probably going to edit this movie myself – do the first edit and then give it off to an editor, but, I remember having to pay an editor to sit there and edit my commercials for me, when I was getting my reel done.

There was just so much cost involved and now, you can kind of eliminate a lot of those costs and do it yourself – you can spend $2,000 and buy yourself a nice camera, go out and start shooting and get practice. Back when I was starting, I was shooting on film and that’s expensive! Most of the stuff that I did on my reel was shot on 35mm and we had to literally beg, borrow and steal – I can’t remember who lent me their camera, but it was an old school 35mm camera and I bought short ends.

Then, I had to haggle for the telecine, to transfer from film to video. Now, I bought myself a camera -- $2,000 and shot the trailer for my Kickstarter project myself, came home and edited it together. That cost me nothing but time. Now, I feel like it’s almost even made me a better filmmaker -- a better storyteller. The more you do, the more you practice, the better you get.

Thanks to Nick Santana for doing this interview!

If you’ve been following the happenings on Twitter or reading my recent blog posts, you’ll be happy to know that “Elvis” is now fully funded…but the campaign doesn’t stop here.

The Kickstarter project for this short film runs until tomorrow afternoon, which means that you still have time to support this movie by either sending a donation, posting on Facebook or telling your friends about “Elvis.”