In a blue funk

S

scottfs

Well-known member
Here's my take of woe:

My script was picked in a local contest. You get to make the film, and it's a guaranteed showing on the big screen and local cable.


I'm the writer-producer. That's how it is set up, writer has complete control.

So I hire a director whom I had worked with on six films. I like him, he's a good director. But he lives an hour and a half away. And he's temperamental.

In the first month, he quit four times. I had to stroke his ego each time to get him back. Then he blows up at me for sending the script to the actors before the table read. Three times, calls me an idiot. That was the last straw, so I fired him.

Next problem. I have this new friend, she wants to help, but wants to direct and co-produce. I'm nice, so I say fine, but I have a director already. Well they don't get along, this co-producer interferes with my role, the director, etc. She's extremely aggressive, and wants to run everything. And, she's erratic, changes her mind frequently, sends out contradictory emails, leaves everyone confused.

So, I can't work with this woman, she's driving everyone crazy. My cast is starting to look for other projects, I have zero crew, the only thing I have left is a confused cast and a nice script that everyone says is sweet and touching.

I'm rapidly running out of time. I could direct it myself, but I don't have a camera, I have zero crew, etc.

It's a very small community here, I'm sure my former director and thus producer are bad-mouthing me, because people I thought I had as crew are suddenly 'busy'.

I wanted to make a very good film and for the co-producer, the director and me to collaborate. I've run into a buzzsaw if egos, cliques, and unbalanced people.

What to do?
 
scottfs said:
My script was picked in a local contest. You get to make the film, and it's a guaranteed showing on the big screen and local cable.
Click to expand...

I guess I don't understand?.

"You get to make the film"

Are they then giving you funds to produce this film, or does the money come out of your pocket, and then they are getting content to air for free which they normally would have to pay for?
 
It's a zero budget. It's designed to get the local film community a chance to have their little 10 min film shown on the big screen. I've talked to other people I respect, and the consensus is that I'm not crazy, they are. Everyone has had problems with these two. I am interviewing directors and other crew, so I'm feeling less funky. Such egos at the bottom tier. Can't imagine what it's like in Hollywood.
 
I can tell you don't have a camera. The first thing I do when I'm in a blue funk is adjust the white balance. Let me suggest 5600 kelvin ;)

in in all seriousness, I'm sorry for your dilemma. Collaborating is an art that is easily overlooked in stressful environments when ego is involved.

I hope it all works out. I agree with astigmatic. If in a pinch, direct it yourself and just collaborate with a talented DP. Even a college senior that comes well recommended.

Of course, there are many other solutions to this problem, and directing is also an art so it's hard to really give advice from a distance. Just follow your gut and try to stay logical. All is well that ends well
 
Last edited:
scottfs said:
Such egos at the bottom tier. Can't imagine what it's like in Hollywood.
Click to expand...

Most of the bad behavior is more passive-agressive than agressive-agressive like you experienced! And there are a lot of good people behaving pretty well too. I have found that at the no/low budg/indie level, a lot of the bad stuff there comes out of insecurity trying to cover inexperience. In most instances, the crew in particular tries to get along, get it shot and go home without a lot of fuss.
 
I'm playing devil's advocate here...

As the leader, this is your fault. You recruited a team of people who didn't get along and who didn't understand their roles.

Why should anybody want to work on your film? You say that you have complete control because you are the writer, but I think you're overestimating what kind of power this gives you. Other people still have the power of quitting, and it sounds like that's what they're doing.

Everybody has to be incentivized to work on your film for some reason. If you aren't paying anybody, they have to get something out of the experience. Do you know what everybody wants, and are you giving it to them?
 
Drew: no, in this situation, I have complete control. This is a film festival that is really a scriptwriting contest. If you are one of the winners, the local public access channel helps you get your film done. So I am the writer-producer.

No one questions that. The powers-that-be make sure of that.

My actors are all committed to the film. The problem is crew. I want to collaborate with the director. Apparently that is a problem.

Because I'm a nice guy, and wanting to be inclusive, I let a woman few in the local area know. I just met her a month or do before she asked to help on my film. So I agreed she could associate produce. Well, it ended up she wanted to completely take over the film, re-writingcscript, directing, location scouting, wardrobe, everything. Everything except...craft services. She doesn't like 'flipping burgers'.

So I fired her as well. I'd rather not make a film than have her hijack the entire project.
 
Can you raise some money to pay at least 50 bucks a day and promise good meals and working conditions? When you're not paying something you're project doesn't get much respect. If I had a winning script and promise of screening and cable I would find some money somewhere. Even if you lose money it sounds like a good jump off for your next project. I assume we're talking about a short?
 
Sounds like an odd contest if they "help" you make your film and give you a screening and a cable timeslot, but they give you no money or equipment or producing help to actually make the movie. Sounds like the contest is setting you up to fail if they don't provide you with a producer or any equipment or money. It would probably be in their best interest to have whatever they air be watchable and made on time, neither of which are things guaranteed by a good script.

What I don't really understand is you say you have complete control. Do you just mean the festival doesn't dictate how anything is done? If you aren't the director, you are going to have to get comfortable with giving up a lot of control.

Normally what you are talking about making (short film with $0 budget) is really only possible if you have a lot of favors you can call in or some really innovative no-budget techniques and a lot of vision... otherwise you're stuck asking favors of people who have no reason to do you a favor who you may not know if they are worth getting the favor from and you'll probably end up hating the whole process and end up with an unwatchable film.

Frankly the idea of firing anyone who is working for you for free seems strange if you don't have a replacement lined up.

If you are expecting to find someone who is a good director and easy to work with and willing to let you maintain a lot of control and will work for free you may be expecting too much.
 
Last edited:
I used to do short films just for fun, looking to get back into maybe sorta kinda. I wrote/produced/directed/edite/etc. everything myself. Actors were friends from college or that I met other places who were willing to work on this kind of stuff. At the zero money level friendships/relationships can hold this stuff together, otherwise folks tend to flake out. I guess what I mean is try to find people you can trust/get along with and THEN put the project together.

I once won a contest of sorts too. I don't even remember the company that put it together. . .one of the many "internet TV channels" that popped up in the mid 2000s. I got the "opportunity" to make a series of 5-7 minute animated short films (my contest winner was an animated short) for the grand budget of . . .$200 each, each to be completed in a six week period. Seriously. So I put out ads on CL and a few other places telling them I was looking for an animator (I had no desire to do it myself, did the original movie/winner myself and hated the process), and that budget sucked but I had no control over it. Finally chose a guy after about a month of looking at respondents, we collaborated a little, he showed some promising early work. Way longer than 6 weeks went by, I would check in with him and get a little bit of new progress. One day he tells me should stop wasting my time and that he can't continue 'cause his life is falling apart and he needs to try to fix it and doesn't have the time to work on this. I don't think anyone including the company that hosted the contest really cared at that point. Nothing ever came of it (years later I finished a few episodes on my own).

I think that's how these things tend to go, when no money is involved. With a core group of people who like each other/work well together you can make it happen on no budget. When you talk about egomaniacal directors and associate producers, on NO BUDGET projects, it sounds like lunacy. Literally anyone can make a short film and spend no money on it. There is no reason to get a big head about something like this. Find cool people to work with, let it be fun. Maybe the guaranteed screening/time slot isn't worth it?
 
Nah, it's worth it! Sacramento has a thriving, but small, community. We're so close to LA that it's an hour away by plane and 6 hours by car, do a fair number get gigs there, and many others have it in their sights. That makes for an interesting mix, when they come back, temporarily or for good. I think my co-producer was my problem, there are still egos, but it's manageable. I think documentaries are where I'm going next, smaller crew, more interesting, no actors. Although to be honest, the actors were the least trouble!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top