Some years ago Mary Lou, who runs the ReelshowInt sites, and myself submitted a number of script story lines to a well known USA Production company, we went to their very luxurious offices in London and talked with a Producer.
To our wild excitement the company liked three of the stories and wanted to go with one of them immediately…amazing.
We subsequently worked our way through a deal, they would develop the story and we would receive a big fat cheque for that, then they offered a “Back end deal” this meant we would get a percentage payment from the producers should the completed movie go into profit…again, fantastic.
It was all going swimmingly until the contract arrived, not from the office in London or LA, but from the new lawyers representing the company, the lawyers were based in NY.
Beware NY Lawyers
Their revamped offer took out the “back end deal” completely, reduced the cheque size and would ask us to pay for all development work, including producers expenses including 1st class airfares across the Atlantic or elsewhere, if the movie was not made.
Not so fantastic.
We took a good look at the new deal, along with an industry adviser, and pulled out.
The Production company returned the synopsis and promised not to make a movie that was remotely near to our story line, believe that if you will..
The story now sits in a file with a number of other projects and we are considering putting it and others out into the market place again.
Why?..
Good question, the usual answer is…. Money, then Kudos, Prestige, Fame, Champagne, Yachts, Private Jets to Premieres, Oscars….whoops… got carried away for a moment.
The real reason, along side those already mentioned is this..
During our negotiations with the LA Company they asked me a very intriguing question…”Did I want to direct the movie?”
They opined that as a D.O.P I would be interested in moving into the director’s chair.
It happens.
Have you ever had one of those moments when you look back at something you have done in life and just want to kick your own butt for being stupid..
I said..”No thank you..the movie needs the best talent to give it a good chance”
What a fool…This was my butt kicking moment..I should have grabbed the baton and run for the line.
What will I do if I am offered the opportunity again, and I will certainly push for it..I will say YES.
In my career I have worked with literally hundreds of directors, some were OK..some were amazingly bad, some were inept, some I just refused to work with after a couple of days. But one or two were quite good.
What they all had in common was an approach to a script that meant the written word could be conveyed convincingly to the screen using the best skills available to them.
This usually means The Designer and D.O.P, principally, everyone else associated with the production, but mainly the actors…
So many Directors fail because they actually think they can tell an actor how to portray a character, how to use body language, timing, looks, spaces in dialogue…Those Directors always produce a crap movie.
Actors at a certain level are paid a lot of dosh, its because they do exactly what you pay them to do. .Act.
When I am directing I will employ the best talent available and let the actors act..
No more self butt kicking for me, I will make so much money I will pay someone else to do it.
In my arrogance I cannot wait..
Now where shall I build the cabinet to take all of those Oscars..
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