Ted Spencer
Veteran
Well OldCorpse, it's already been well-established in previous threads/posts that we see eye to eye on almost nothing where all of this is concerned, but how you can take a 'just do it' stance on shooting a film in general at the same time as what amounts to a 'just give up' stance on collaborating with a screenwriter (especially with writing being roel z's self-admitted shortcoming) is completely beyond me. It's as though you're saying that young, talented writers (that are as yet 'off the radar' in terms of larger success) simply don't exist. Nothing could be further from the truth. After all, every single successful screenwriter started out as a complete nobody. Aspiring, and yes even highly talented screenwriters are surprisingly easily found at places like...well...here, as well as other sites like zoetrope.com, triggerstreet.com and lots of other places. And the notion that one shouldn't try to collaborate with them because they all "want to direct their own stuff" or are "already professionals making $$$ in Hollywood" is utter hogwash.
In addition to many lively discussions right here on screenwriting, I participate regularly on zoetrope.com. The way it works is that for me to get reviews of one of my scripts, I must read and submit reviews of four others among a list of a dozen or so the site creates for me. I've submitted four scripts so far, which means that I've been required to read and review 16 (and I've read a number of others that weren't required). A significant number of these were very well written IMHO (especially shorts, which attract fewer starry-eyed delusional types). Quite a few have won signifcant screenwriting competitions. And having looked up the profiles of these folks, it's clear that like screenwriters everywhere, many of them have next to no aspirations as director/shooters. In very substantial part they're *just writers*; that's what they *do*. And it's not a requirement on zoe, if one isn't looking for reviews on their own writing, to review any scripts at all. You can simply sign up and read any script that's posted there. You can easily communicate with the writers by internal "Z-Mail" (like a PM here), to engage in a discussion of their interest in having you make one of their scripts into a film. Like most writers, they tend to have more scripts than they could ever possibly film, *even if they wanted to do so*. And like many writers, they'd be thrilled to have *someone else* do it.
Right here on DVXuser there are numereous good writers winning "Scriptfests" in addition to posting in forums, and most have back-catalogs of other scripts. Alex Whitmer, a very talented guy who's posted here extensively and won at least one Scriptfest (maybe more), has literally dozens, if not hundreds of completed scripts. I've read a few of 'em. He's very good. And he's *completely* open to writing for other fillmmakers, or having them produce one of his existing scripts. That's just *one* example of someone I know of personally. There are *many* others.
Any smart team-player seeks out others to do what he's less suited for, and filmmaking is the very definition of a team effort. Does every great actor insist on writing and directing his own films? Of course not, although a few do. Same thing with writers. They need shooters, directors, producers, etc. just as much as actors do...
To actively dissuade a self-described 'highly writing-challenged' filmmaker from seeking others who specialize in that very thing, when such individuals (at least at a similar skill level to the individual in question's ability as a filmmaker, if not higher) are out there waiting to help, is perhaps the worst piece of advice I've ever seen put forth on this or any other forum. To do so in the same breath as saying said filmmaker should go ahead and make a film anyway (and "learn to write better" - yikes - the guy *admits* he stinks at it), given the cost to make a film in blood, sweat, and cash, elevates an irresponsible position to the metaphoric equivalent of "Don't worry - just jump out of the plane - you'll have plenty of time to figure out all that parachute business on the way down."
Shame on you.
In addition to many lively discussions right here on screenwriting, I participate regularly on zoetrope.com. The way it works is that for me to get reviews of one of my scripts, I must read and submit reviews of four others among a list of a dozen or so the site creates for me. I've submitted four scripts so far, which means that I've been required to read and review 16 (and I've read a number of others that weren't required). A significant number of these were very well written IMHO (especially shorts, which attract fewer starry-eyed delusional types). Quite a few have won signifcant screenwriting competitions. And having looked up the profiles of these folks, it's clear that like screenwriters everywhere, many of them have next to no aspirations as director/shooters. In very substantial part they're *just writers*; that's what they *do*. And it's not a requirement on zoe, if one isn't looking for reviews on their own writing, to review any scripts at all. You can simply sign up and read any script that's posted there. You can easily communicate with the writers by internal "Z-Mail" (like a PM here), to engage in a discussion of their interest in having you make one of their scripts into a film. Like most writers, they tend to have more scripts than they could ever possibly film, *even if they wanted to do so*. And like many writers, they'd be thrilled to have *someone else* do it.
Right here on DVXuser there are numereous good writers winning "Scriptfests" in addition to posting in forums, and most have back-catalogs of other scripts. Alex Whitmer, a very talented guy who's posted here extensively and won at least one Scriptfest (maybe more), has literally dozens, if not hundreds of completed scripts. I've read a few of 'em. He's very good. And he's *completely* open to writing for other fillmmakers, or having them produce one of his existing scripts. That's just *one* example of someone I know of personally. There are *many* others.
Any smart team-player seeks out others to do what he's less suited for, and filmmaking is the very definition of a team effort. Does every great actor insist on writing and directing his own films? Of course not, although a few do. Same thing with writers. They need shooters, directors, producers, etc. just as much as actors do...
To actively dissuade a self-described 'highly writing-challenged' filmmaker from seeking others who specialize in that very thing, when such individuals (at least at a similar skill level to the individual in question's ability as a filmmaker, if not higher) are out there waiting to help, is perhaps the worst piece of advice I've ever seen put forth on this or any other forum. To do so in the same breath as saying said filmmaker should go ahead and make a film anyway (and "learn to write better" - yikes - the guy *admits* he stinks at it), given the cost to make a film in blood, sweat, and cash, elevates an irresponsible position to the metaphoric equivalent of "Don't worry - just jump out of the plane - you'll have plenty of time to figure out all that parachute business on the way down."
Shame on you.
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