Co-sold Gone Girl. Etc…
Los Angeles, CA
Joined June 2019
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HOLLYWOOD: With all my “negative talk” I’m merely referring to the blunt realities of the business.
From a purely artistic perspective I believe one only need justify it to themselves.
Wrote this to act as my pinned Tweet since I’m so misunderstood... And so BLOCKED. 😂
It’s amazing how many writers don’t play hard to get.
Do you think writing is different than dating? It’s not.
No one chases people who are always available.
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I’m having a soft moment, pardon me.
There’s several people on Twitter that I look forward to having a beer with at some point.
Cheers, you already know who you are. 🍻
I’ve thrown some big parties. Not having one at my house. You guys fuck shit up. But I may hold a meet and great sooner than later. Come if you want. Don’t come if you’re too good for us. Someone’s gotta host it. 👊🏾😂😎
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Seconded: don’t do this.
You’re going to put your name on something sight unseen with someone you’ve never met?
Studio level folks don’t care about your sea of credits they’ve never heard of. Not putting them down (congrats!), but as far as leverage in Hollywood they don’t mean anything. If you stack (intentional credit stacking) too many credits you begin to look like someone who can’t break out of micro (If your aim is studio). They begin to trust you less.
***To break in as a writer, you need exactly ZERO credits.
An aside: Believe it or not, invisible cred can and does mean more than a rando credit on a short. Say, your agent tells X company “writer wrote for ___.” Someone they’ve heard of and is verifiable. Doesn’t need to be on IMDb to be relevant in studio world. Obviously, a badass studio/prestige credit is the most valuable.
But never this.👇🏾(if you’re gonna play this game, do it behind closed doors.)
Sidebar: I don’t trust BIOs like “studio reader, development executive, research analyst on feature films.”
Name it, or I highly suspect bullshit. Never seen a real BIO that doesn’t list the companies etc.
*Disclaimer: I believe Hollywood Script reader, and Hollywood Gadfly. You can tell by the way people speak. I also get why they prefer to remain anonymous, so they can be honest. I used to be anonymous on Done Deal and Wordplayer because I didn’t want my brutally honest opinions nor inside baseball coming back at me or Shari. Now that I’m not anonymous I name names.
That said, if you use your real name, use your real BIO. I would not recommend paying for reads from people who use their real name yet refuse to name names. Highly sus…
But ya’ll do you. 😘
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Always fascinating learning you’ve been blocked by people you’ve never heard of, never spoken to, and never gave a fuck about.
Zero offense taken.
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Rip the bandaid off. Nos are closer to a yes than the first no.👇🏾
I feel like this is kinda Guy’s approach as well.
A contest amounts to “we think this writer should hit the bricks and try to make it.” Not “we’ll save you from Nos”
Btw getting signed also means, from your agent “Good luck, buddy! 90/10”
One of the ways I like to think about trying to sell is collecting rejections. It sets a low psychological baseline, which makes the disappointment land less meaningfully. That way, if something good happens, it actually feels good.
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Country livin’ y’all. I’m part country boy now. I see you Gwen Stefani. 🫵🏾🤠
You too Taylor Sheridan. lol
You think I’m joking… nah
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When AI is FREE that makes REAL art that much more valuable.
That’s the “gotcha, fuck off” moment.
It’s the reason I enjoy making one-of-one. There’s only one of these, broski.
There’s no prestige with AI, no scarcity, when everyone could have it.
*Good news FRIDAY. 😘
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My mom text me this the other day. And some people think my ex introduced me to Hollywood.
Nah bro… lol. My own family did. They also knew John Wayne. Etc. Hollywood shit since I was a baby via my entire family.
Kevin is my uncle. Eisenhower’s best friend/chief speech writer.
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Explain this phenomenon:
Screenwriter taking classes, courses, and devouring writing tips and tricks through books, Tweets etc.
Same screenwriter also looking for an agent and a script deal?
What is that called?
When you become rich and famous, and become an “insider.” Whats some of the first shit you’ll do?
Also what will you change long term?
The “I’ll be the exact same person” rhetoric never sticks. 😂
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For once I agree with Franky.
I never said he was dumb. 😂
Franklin Leonard: "Hobbyists write one script, rewrite it for five years, and expect greatness. That doesn’t work. What does work is: here’s a great script, well executed. Here’s what I’m doing next. And after that. The constant flow of stories — that’s what this is about."
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LA WINS THE VOTE! 🗳️
“Rattiest city in America!!!” 🐀
At least we’re number 1 at something.
🤣🤣🤣
youtube.com/shorts/vFhv-1DS-…
WOOD 🪵
That’s my only job today. Find beautiful black walnut for a dining table build.
I may have to buy online, Cali isn’t known for rad wood. Several thousand dollar gamble. Same budget as your short.
Sounds low stress. But trees are lived creatures, unpredictable.
It’s a bit scary. Knock on wood. 🤜🏾🪵
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SOME people take the wrong lesson from this. IMO. Led by the money aspect.
Desperately asking themselves “How do I copy his path?”
You can’t copy someone’s stars aligning. You gotta align your own stars.
The irony is that he could sell a course that would likely gross more than his next budget. The success stories arising from it would likely be zero. Despite following every step religiously.
You can’t account for luck. Which is literally second by second decisions.
That said, good for him. Earned it. I should watch it. 😂
One guy’s opinion… 😘
26 years old. A YouTuber who wrote a horror script at his coffee shop job.
He shot it for $750,000. It made $522 million.
Then he reportedly turned down $2 million to change the ending.
Curry Barker started out making horror shorts for YouTube. His first feature, he put online for free.
His second, Obsession, sold at the Toronto film festival for $16.2 million. A24, Neon and Netflix wanted it too.
It became the highest-grossing movie ever made for under $1 million. This Halloween, its main character was one of the most-searched costumes in America. Now A24 has him directing a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
What he says got him there:
1. Make the idea that won't leave you alone. "I have ideas all the time and I write them in my notes. But when you have an idea that you just can't stop thinking about, that's when you should make it."
2. Read the comments. "YouTube taught me through the comments that people are really smart."
3. Keep it small. His budget: "seven hundred and fifty thousand, max."
4. Don't sell the part that makes it yours. He reportedly passed on $2 million to make the villain a hero.
In the video below, he explains the idea behind the movie. Listen for what he says you have to earn.
Try this: pick the one idea you keep coming back to, and put a rough version in front of people this month.
Here's the lesson. You don't need permission anymore. You need proof people want it.
Would you have taken the $2 million?
I post one money story like this every day.
