Looking for a short script...

Jeff,

I can't begin to imagine how you would put something together so quickly. It seems like you are setting yourself up for a real nightmare shoot. Why did your buddy change his mind at the last minute?

Chris
 
I'll echo Chris's sentiments. It would be best to reschedule your shoot, find a writer nearby or hire someone to write another short and then schedule around that. I too am wondering why the writer dropped out last minute.
 
Yes, the idea of finding a script, doing a new production sked and shot list at this point in the game is pretty unrealistic. If for some reason your shoot MUST go forward as scheduled, your best bet is to reason with the guy who decided he doesn't like the script.

If this is a team effort, can't you take a vote and overrule the guy with objections? But, before taking that step, I would appeal to him on both a business and creative level. First, have a frank discussion to determine his specific objections. Maybe working together you could make some adjustments or tweaks to the script to secure his buy-in again.

If the creative approach doesn't work, spell it out for him from a business perspective: the time and money already invested in scheduling this shoot; your long-term credibility with cast and crew members if the shoot is jeopardized by his last-minute decision; and the fact that while your long-term careers will likely NOT be jeopardized by moving forward with a weak script, they most likely WILL be by canceling at the last minute.

I wonder if maybe he has just gotten last minute jitters, brought on either by fear of success or fear of failure. Either way, you just have to get over those and close your eyes and plunge in.

I really think your time and energy would be best spent right now not by trying to come up with a new script in the eleventh hour but by trying to determine his underlying motives, fears, desires, etc., and then, with an understanding of what's going on, trying to bring him back on board. If that proves impossible, I say go with the team vote and replace him rather than replacing your script.

Good luck and let us know what happens.
 
Re-schedule your shoot. This project will be in your demo-reel. You want to put your best foot forward. Don't rush things. Take some time, and shoot when you get a story you like.
 
What about revision? It sounds like you and some others really liked the script. Is he completely against it the whole idea? or does he just not really like what's written?

Also, being a beginner myself, I was VERY apprehensive on my first few shoots -- and even now at times -- I was constantly second guessing, and then taking it to the next level and even just about convincing myself that whatever we had invested in was going to be crap -- but in those first shoots I was pleasantly surprised. And I had the other guys -- my brother mainly -- saying "Evan it is Good." And then "Evan, calm down, it's good." and finally, "Evan, shut the #(@* UP! It is FINE."

So maybe you need to help this guy out?
 
I appreciate all of your efforts and suggestions. I would very much like to convince him to use the script - though it's a stupid and complicated situation. I'm pretty sure it just wouldn't work unfortunately. I know it's an absolutely ridiculous. This is in no way a "business" thing for me at this point. We have absolutely no money "invested" in the script. This is a "0" budget film that I plan on probobly not ever showing people. I really don't think It would turn out good enough to put on any demo-reel. Who knows, but I'm not very confident that my first shoot would turn out well irrelevant if I had a prepared script. Haha. I'm going to keep trying to convince him, though like I said it's a stupid and complicated situation.

So anyway, I'm still looking for... a script.. I guess. *sigh* I'm starting to doubt this will work out. Anyway thanks for your help everyone. I appreciate it :)

-Jeff
 
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