Professional screenwriting consultants and coaches carry the burden of being locked in just like screenwriters. You write? If you said “yes” then you know what I mean. Wonderful things can happen when you “leave the house” –
For instance:
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jada Pinkett Smith. She is charming, so lively, so passionate. She shared many things about her life:
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– who got her SAG card working at Cagney & Lacey as a single line prostitute.
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“I am a fan of comics”
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“… my grandmother was an oil painter.”
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“… my son is a poet.”
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Jada to her mom: “… we can go to Los Angeles or I can go to law school …”
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Mom to Jada: “… we’re going to Los Angeles.”
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“I walked in the door through Keenan Ivory Wayans” – she called agent Nancy Rainford after meeting Keenan and said “I am a good friend of Keenan Wayans and he told me to call …” Nancy brought her – like her – her signed. Jada has balls. You need them in this city.
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“Baltimore taught me to hurry.”
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“I auditioned for the girlfriend on Fresh Prince of Belair and the casting director said ‘you’re too short for Will.’ He said he felt like if he had gotten the part they would never have gotten married. ‘Look, things go wrong to go. Okay “). Her husband Will Smith called her when she was coming out of the audition” hey little one “, he finally chased her and won her. I enjoy what they have together and the family that brings them together.
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– regarding Taraji P. Henson in Empire “… kicked the door open for women of color.”
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“They told me because I was black and a woman that I couldn’t do metal.” He definitely did Metal. His band is Wicked Wisdom –
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She said Channing Tatum called her on Magic Mike # 2 and said “… I know it was written for a guy, but we want you to play the part.” – I thank Channing and Reid Carolin for changing the gender of that role. I bet it will be great.
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She shared that playing Fish Mooney in Gotham “helped me regain my love of acting.”
It’s good for screenwriters, no matter where in the world they live, to be surrounded by actors who love the craft. Writers should take acting classes, observe acting classes, and be a ‘people watcher and listener’ because that will help you delve into the emotional needs of your characters – “Get out of the house.”
Many writers start out as actors. Actors must get a SAG card and join the union to be taken seriously. I got mine at a non-union Pepsi commercial at 6am on a Saturday in Simi Valley at a Ralphs store. Legendary commercial director Joe Pytka kept me in front of the camera long enough, I think it’s like 2 seconds, and the editors kept it and BBDO had to send me a contract, pay me $$ and Taft-Hartley. the Union. The moral of the story is: I could have said “F-it, I won’t get up on a Saturday morning at 6 AM To be a $ 60 extra.” If you’re just starting out, say yes and keep an open mind; later, you must say “no”; you will know when is the right time to do it.
You should find love for what you do. Working with so many committed writers who are often struggling to complete their writing assignments and even new writers who just want to “get in”, I can’t wait and spend twenty years gaining experience. All writers need professional help to get to a professional level, and finding someone with the skill and level of mastery to help you create and develop a movie or television concept to a manageable level is what you should use as a guide. In addition to creative development experience, it will be helpful to find someone who can work with you on an intuitive empathy level. That kind of help, where someone can hear / perceive what is not conscious to you, will be really helpful when you find the “ah-” moments in your script. You need someone who can shorten the learning curve. Someone with more skills than just formatting and writing coaching – working on many movie sets helps the writer understand the industry and expands their network. You will have access to the full range of people who bring a movie script to life. Look at your local film commission to see what movies are being made in your area. For some writers, getting help is a luxury item, but it is worth every penny a writer invests in himself and every sacrifice he makes to pursue his passion and make his dreams come true.
Jada was charming, full of life experience, she is a successful mother, activist, and talented actress. She commented, referring to her children “… people think that because you have famous parents it is easy. It is not.”
I’ll share one last thing she said: “I’m not ambitious. If I just keep my gaze on the flag (out there), I might miss out on some important opportunity around me today.” I think that ambition plays a very important role in the daily lives of writers, and it is worth thinking about it, that if you are so fixed on a goal (the flag) “out there”, you may miss the opportunities that are introduce you. today.
Let me close this by saying “get out of the house” – take a deep breath – take a break – never give up – and don’t forget to enjoy the ride.