I came across a video on YouTube Why is every movie flopping? which made me think. Now, that an executive asked to see my screenplay I am supposed to be excited, hopeful that my story will go somewhere. That it would become a film of sorts. Actually, that was Meg’s dream all along, not mine. And the reason she wants the movie is to make money with it — for us to survive, to find home somewhere on this planet. My reasons for it were different. I wrote the screenplay because I thought it was a great challenge, because Meg encouraged me and because I love telling my story.
Now, with somebody other than us two reading my screenplay I wonder what may come out of it and what it is I might end up dealing with. If there will be no interest, fine, we go on as usual. But what if there will be interest? I love telling my story but it is a totally different matter when somebody else tells it. The book was great — I wrote it, Meg edited it, we share it with the world. Now, I might end up giving things away, like rights. This is what comes with signing all those nasty contracts. I simply don’t know if I want any of it. Meg and I need to survive, but I wonder what it is we will be loosing. Somehow I feel it may be something valuable to us.
Also, movies, the ones that reach the audience, suck. The last movie Meg and I saw in theater that actually stayed with us was Arrival back in 2016. All those robots, super heroes and monsters we don’t give a time of day to. In fact, I find them revolting, not just uninteresting. So, this is the film-making industry that I am supposed to surrender my story to?
I can’t imagine myself participating in turning my story into other forms of storytelling unless I believe in it . Unless I know that people who do this with me feel like me and want to change people lives like me. So far this was not the case, judging by the experience with filmmakers Meg and I already had.
The video I mention made me feel more empowered, however. It reminds me of what I have always known, that people want human stories. Stories that make them feel alive, make them laugh and cry, make them see the possibilities. The fact that our lives have been hijacked and violated by social media and Internet in general doesn’t change our human nature.
People need people and people need people’s stories.
So, I am going to stick to my guns, take it easy and with a leveled head. To me, participating in creation of a total junk that will vanish into the abyss of other useless entertainment content isn’t worth it. More than anything, if the film/series was made, I would expect to see the spark in the eyes of those who speak to me. They have to want to tell my story or no deal. Not because it is mine, but because like me, they can’t help not to share it.
As to everybody having their price, likely, this will never become an issue. I don’t think anybody in the movie industry will be compelled to offer me and Meg any significant sum of money for the rights to our story/screenplay for us to raise the eyebrow over.