Thinking About Giving Up?
Thinking About Giving Up?
People are struggling. Here's my plea to those of you that are thinking about giving up.
Hey!
Before we get into it, check out the Development Accelerator I announced last week. I am taking on a limited number of screenwriters for 6 weeks of intensive development on scripts already in progress or at the packaging stage. Join the waitlist today. First class is November 1st.
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming…
A few months ago, when I started this Substack, I felt a buoyed sense of optimism. The industry was changing and though difficult, there was a lot of opportunity for change… for growth. And as other producers (Like Ted Hope and Patrick Calgiuri) echoed the pains and sentiments I was feeling, I felt a sense of camaraderie.
We were going to air it all out and start again. There was even talk about starting our own distribution channels and disrupting the streamers.
It was a going-away party of sorts - a farewell to how things used to be - ushering in new things to come.
But now, as the summer fades in our rear views and we face the long winter ahead, I have a bit of a sinking feeling.
Many of us are thinking about giving up.
Giving up on making films. Giving up on getting them seen. Giving up on the craft and art form that so many of us sacrificed so much to chase.
And I don’t blame anyone. People have families to feed and bills to pay. While the industry is figuring itself out, people have got to get on with the business of living. I do believe there will come a time in the not-so-far future when things will settle down and this business will find its feet again. According to former Sony CEO Tony Vinciquerra, this adjustment might take around 2 years.
So if you are thinking about giving up (for now) and trading in your scriptwriting for more sustainable and reliable forms of work…. or shelving that script you have been working on I would give one word of advice:
Don’t. stop. creating.
What I mean is, finish those scripts. Flesh out the characters further in your free time. Start the passion script that you have wanted to write for years. Put together a pitch deck and a strong presentation.
Join a Development Accelerator like the one I announced last week.
But whatever you do…
Don’t. stop. creating.
Yes, it is going to look a little different for a bit. You won’t be actively selling your project or seeking out producers. You won’t be writing for a studio or even on spec. You might be working a 9-5 or a 5-9. Clocking in to a desk job or picking up shifts at the local bar.
You will be taking care of family, making memories and living your life.
But for the love of (insert deity you believe in)….
Don’t. stop. creating.
Keep writing.
Keep brainstorming.
Keep the creative fire alive.
Because when things settle down, I want you to be ready for the next Hollywood.
I want you to stay sane and happy.
And the world wants your stories.
So please…
Don’t. stop. creating.
Be like this tree:
Fresh and new from the destruction of the old.
If trees and phoenixes can do it… so can we.
If I had giving up when I was making my first film, some 30 odd years ago, or when I was making my most recent, during the pandemic, we would not have 2 films now streaming around the world or 2 more to be shot in the near future. The idea is to never give up and to keep as much momentum going as you possibly can. I have had people put me down almost every single day. Maybe it is because I am a dreamer. I am also a doer, and that is why I am still in the business and still kicking up a storm. I know what I want to say, and I am always surrounding myself with people who also have a mission, a mission to make movies that matter.