Director for hire

What started out as a fantasy about working in the movies has now come to a point where I feel comfortable offering my services and charging for the as not only a writer but a director too.

It was way back in 2008 when I decided to "go for it" in terms of making screenwriting a career and while I do still love the writing element of what I do, I find myself more and more in love with directing and shooting the movies that I write. With a simple post on Facebook today I have officially announced that I am now a gun Director for hire.

What a journey it has been to get to that post. I started as a shy writer who thought he knew everything and grew into someone who continues to learn and pursue knowledge about writing and movies on a daily basis. I wrote a few shorts, directed three of them, got nominated for a fancy sounding award for one of them. I've written numerous features that people have acclaimed as such things as "the freshest voice in years", "the funniest script I've read in years"and "not very good"!

I've always loved movies and to now be working in that space, to have my name amongst the greats and the heroes I worship is an amazing thing. I'm not saying that I'm a Scorsese or a Spielberg but I'm out there doing the same work. I'm a director and so are they, some will say that that is where the similarities end but I don't care, I'm doing it!

And so it's with great pleasure today that I have officially announced that I'm available to hire. I'll direct your movie for a reasonable fee, I'll even cut it and package it if you want me to.

When I look back at the day that I decided to try screenwriting I thank my lucky stars that I did and that I'm not wondering what may have been, instead I'm dreaming about the future and the possibilities that lie ahead.

So whoever you are, whatever you are doing, don't wait. Five years ago I didn't wait and now I'm here as a writer/director/gun for hire.

Rock on

Dave

How to stop remakes and reboots getting made... easy version

Not a day goes by where I don't get asked the question "Why do Hollywood keep making rebooks and remakes, do they not have original material?" I always respond with "Do you go see these movies?" and the answer is usually "Yes."

Here's the thing, if people simply stopped going to see these movies then they would not get made anymore.

Just let that sink in... Think about it, why do studios make movies? Is it to entertain you? No. Is it to teach you something? No. Is it so that we have something to do on date night? No. Movies are about making money, at least on the studio level they are, and reboot and remakes are pretty much guaranteed to make a lot of money. Do they care that you or I post on facebook or twitter that we're sick of remakes and would like some original fare? No, because you keep giving them your money for the thing you don't want.

I'm not suggesting that everyone stops watching movies, I'm suggesting that you consider what you watch and if you want good, entertaining stories that are original and fresh and star great actors and actresses who care about it being a great movie then simply  check out the independent movie section on Netflix or iTunes, or wherever you get your movies.

The reason I'm suggesting this is that thats where all the stuff you're saying you want is, fresh, original content by people who care what  you think. Every line of dialogue is carefully considered, not mangled by too many people trying to get a residuals check.

Indie movies, true indie movies are usually made on very tight budgets, these people cannot afford to make silly choices so everything in the movie is carefully considered and thought out. The films are usually made with more passion than money, the actors are doing their own make up, the director is also the DP, the sound guy has a million other jobs, someones mom and dad made the sandwiches that were eaten on set. It's small time but the end result is almost always miles better than the trash you see coming from Hollywood.

Now don't get me wrong, Hollywood has made some great movies and given the chance I'd jump into directing a movie for the studios tomorrow if an offer came. I just feel that people should split their movie going/watching time between the big boys and the little guys.

So one week watch Fast and the Furious 310 but when you're cruising Netflix a few days later watch The Giant Mechanical Man or Nobody Walks or anything that you like the look of. You'll still find some "famous" actors, but more importantly you'll find great stories and artists, people who are really trying to entertain and impress you. People who simply give a damn and people whose day you can make by simply watching their movie.

And why not take it a step further? Check out Kickstarter or Indiegogo and help someone make a movie, you'd be surprised how much a $5 donation can mean, especially if it's the only donation that person gets that day. If everyone of my facebook fans (just an example) was to give a $5 donation to an indie movie every Friday then the movie would  get about $2,500. That's a big difference to an indie filmmaker, so even if you give $5 you are making a huge difference to someone and becoming a part of a film. How cool is that?

Obviously the more you give a project the more you get back but it is entirely possible to build a credible career as an "associate producer" by simply donating money to a film on one of the crowdfunding sites. And even better, you know that you're doing something to help people avoid another god damn remake of something from the 80s.

Personally I love indie films, I rarely actually visit the cinema anymore and instead would rather watch something small budget and fun instead of coming out of a movie disappointed and bored (I'm looking at you Broken City!!). I'm lucky in that I know a lot of indie filmmakers personally, I know actors who are making great movies, I know some really awesome writers (and a lot of bad ones!) and we are all focusing on creating awesome, fun, entertaining stories that make original, fresh and entertaining movies. All you have to do as an audience member is give indie film a chance and watch the good stuff.

It's kind of like eating at McDonalds when you have a nice piece of steak ready to eat.

So I encourage you to give indie film a chance, I can guarantee that you'll find some great movies that you'll want to share with everyone.

See you at the Premiere!

Dave

Pain and Suffering... how to make a movie

Nightmare shoot behind us we set out to recast the movie, which we did with actors that we were simply amazed by. Long story short, one of the new guys pulled out just TWO DAYS before the new shoot... but this time one of the other actors had a contact that was willing and able to step into the role... times are good... if only I'd get that email I'm waiting on!

I can't say too much right now but this movie we're making is going to be a hit, we have a BIG NAME band involved, we have a great cast, we even have a way that people can make money from it just by sharing it on facebook or by tweeting about it!!

The new shoot is taking place this weekend and if all goes well it'll be out in time for Halloween... You'll be the first to know!

I gotta go make history now, keep up the dreams!

Write On!

Dave The Screenwriter/Director

Nightmare shoot

I never thought it would or could happen. I really thought that no matter what happened in my life that I would always want to make movies and write movies and anything else I can do that related to movies but on Saturday 30th June 2012 I was done, finished, retired.

At that stage my movie career had included exactly 10 screeplays, three short films, one film festival, one award nomination, one trip to LA where I visited three movie studios and the final nail in the coffin, the most shattering movie shoot of all time.

Some of the story I can't tell just yet because it isn't over but here's what I can say. For six months my brother and I have been working on making a low budget movie, we've worked day and night to make sure that we had everything arranged to make our three scene movie in one night. Yes, a full movie in one night. I know that it's crazy but I knew it could be done so we worked and worked and worked. We did auditions, cast actors, got a famous band to license a song for the movie, booked a venue and arranged the shoot.

Finally after months of work Friday the 29th June arrived and we were ready to go, but then the first actor arrived.. "Dave, I don't know all of my lines." he said with a look of fear in his eye. I was still setting up the set and didn't think it would be a big deal, after all we'd only be shooting five pages at a time and then taking a break which should be long enough to get a hold of the next five... or so I thought.

Next actor arrived and said "Dave, I don't know all of my lines." I thought it was a joke, it wasn't. The third actor arrived, the most inexperienced of the five that were needed "I don't know my lines, but I'll get through it." he said. I was fuming, anger was beginning to get to me, I wished that I hadn't quit smoking all those years ago so that I could light one up and blow off some steam.

The other two actors who came along knew their lines, sadly those people only had a few lines. I love those people, they're the best.

So we struggled through the shoot, stumbling from page to page, taking (this is not a joke) ten minutes to get the line "Oh look, a lovely two of clubs." Ten minutes!!!!!

When the shoot was done, and trust me I had done everything I could to get the best performance out of these no line learning "actors, I was done, never wanted to see the footage, never wanted to shoot another second of footage and never wanted anything to do with the film world again.

My brother and I loaded up the car and drove home, not a word was spoken and the radio was off. Silence.

We unpacked the car and started to tell the story to family and friends about how bad the shoot had gone, nobody could understand why these people would turn up under prepared. As time went on and a fried breakfast was eaten I could feel myself slipping into a deep sleep. I went to bed and cried myself to sleep, emotionally I was drained, empty.

I'd waited my whole life to direct a feature, I'd worked incredibly hard and it had been ruined by people who just didn't bother to learn their lines... life wasn't fair, the movie business was stupid, I could be successful in something else by now, I'm never going to make another film again... SLEEP.

The next couple of days I couldn't bring myself to even look at the computer, but on Monday my brother and I sat down and reviewed our footage and came to the conclusion "If the actors knew their lines this could be a great movie." So we made a list of what we needed to change to reshoot, we made a list of actors to change (three names on that list!) and we felt positive.

By Wednesday I was only positive, the script is good, everyone loves it. The cameras are awesome (Canon 550D with 50mm lense) and the cinematography is very good. AND above all, I was right, we can shoot a full length movie within one day/night and at a pretty low cost... Suddenly the possibilities for this film were huge again, suddenly I was going to direct a great movie again, suddenly I was in love with film and writing and the film business again.

Today, as I reflected on the experience and the lows it made me feel I know that the worst thing I could have done would have been to quit. I have to stand up and be counted, I have to come back stronger and make a kick ass movie.

So I learned that I'll never give up on the film business, that I'm right with my approach to movie making, that you should never trust an actor, that there's always positives to take from a negative and I learned that you can work as hard as you like and someone else can ruin it for you.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY I learned that nothing could tear me away from following my dreams.. I hope you guys feel the same.

Never let a set back stop you.

Write on.

Dave

"If you're serious about the industry just move to L.A" -- A manager at a  pretty big agency told me that recently, he was about the tenth person that week to tell me a version of that very same sentence. Now I know that it makes sense, right? Just hop on a plane, land in L.A and the rest is easy. Well heres the thing, I'd love to, I can't though. It's not a case of I can't because I'd be so far away from home or I can't because I have to mow the lawn or anything stupid like that, I can't get a working visa for the USA and so my stays to the US are limited to how many days I can afford. 

Just in case there's someone reading this that hasn't figured it out yet, I'm European, I come from the little island to the west of Europe, the one with the leprechauns. Sure I can get a 90 day visa waiver type deal where I can visit the US, can't work though. Can't technically take meetings or pitch a script or movie idea, can't go busking for a few hours to make some pocket money. Sadly I'm one of those people who needs to work so that he gets paid and can use that pay to buy food, pay rent and generally exist in other ways like socially. 

So when people say "Why don't you just move to L.A?" It angers me. It angers  me because if I could I would, I'd mow lawns, clean pools, sweep roads, polish toilet bowls, cook food, walk dogs, wash windows, clean cars, take part in medical trials or any other low paid job that I could get just to live in L.A and really chase my dream, like everyone thinks is so easy.

I've wanted to work in Hollywood my entire grown up life, I've now got a handle on what it is I want to do when I get there (write and direct please) and I only have one obstacle in the way of achieving that goal... red tape.

There have been many proposals for new Irish only visas that would enable someone like me to visit the US for 12 months and work during that time, they have all failed. A new one is being held up again right now and all the people like me can do is sigh and hope that someone in a prod co picks up our script, loves it and manages to persuade the decision makers in their company to part with at least $70,000 for the script, that way we'd be people of special talent and we'd get in no problem.

But for now, all we can do is keep working and working and hoping that today will be the day that I connect with the person who can make it all come true for me, safe in the knowledge that if I lived in Hollywood I would make my dreams come true... but I live in Wexford and dreams remain dreams, for now.

Write On!

Keep up the good work

Today is, just like everyday that has ever been and everyday that will follow a day that someone had their dreams come true. Someday it'll be my day and that's the whole reason I continue to work and work and work.

I woke up this morning with a great idea "Go to www.fiverr.com and offer to write a script on assignment for just $5 with complete obedience guaranteed and satisfaction assured. I worked on wording for my add, thought about how I'd spread the word and get my fellow writers and non writers interested in my offer, then I remembered that I was giving away free copies of my ebook on amazon all this past weekend and all I got was 150 downloads. Now don't get me wrong, 150 people reading my book is awesome (and scary) but it falls a little short of the 5 million I had imagined as I wrote the book!

So my plan was made and by the end of the day I would send a ripple of awe through Hollywood and the film world but I would be noticed, I'd be semi famous, I'd be hired as a screenwriter and paid for the work. I was all ready to sell out for $5 when I thought to myself "Why is nobody else doing it? Why hasn't it been done before? What am I missing?" I was driving into my local town when it hit me, Screenwriters dream of millions, at very least 100's of 1000's so why would they offer to work for such a small fee? Why would I work for such a fee?

The answer is this, the film world is hard to break into, very hard. You have to do whatever it takes to stand out, even if you're the best of the best. With my new knowledge I resolved to think about it some more and to wait before I post my ad, I bet someone beats me to it!

This afternoon though, completely by chance I found an opportunity for my webshow to expand into real show, we're going to work on it and then cross our fingers, I'll let you know what happens but until then I'll make you this promise: I'll write anything for $5

Write On!

Dave The Screenwriter!

fakers and phonies

One of the things that really angers me about the screenwriting world is the number of people who pretend to be somebody. I come across them nearly everyday, people who present themselves as an expert, people who will tell you what you need to do with your script, people who will argue that they are right and you are wrong even though they don't really know. Most importantly the people I'm talking about are con artists who disgust me to my core.

Now, I'm all for someone making a quick buck, go ahead and resell someone elses book on how to win at gambling or something but don't present yourself as an expert in a field that you know relatively nothing about. The problem as I see it comes from people dreaming about THE RICHES you get when you become a screenwriter but they don't want to work as hard as they need to so they give up and throw out useless advice instead.

I've seen people who give out the kind of advice that any decent writer would laugh at try to sell a "training program" for screenwriting for upwards of $50. What makes me angry is that they sell a few copies. I've seen people pose as someone connected to various actors and or directors and sell "web classes" or "video tutorials" that simply make no sense and make thousands of Dollars doing so.

Don't get me wrong there are plenty of reputable people selling classes and programs and those people are worth investing your money with, but do some research first, make sure that they have a good background in what they are trying to teach. There's no point in buying a book about selling your script to a major studio from a guy who never finished writing his own script.

The sad truth is that 90% of screenwriters are only in it for the money (or what they think the money is!), of the 10% left about half of those couldn't tell a good story if they were in one and the top 5% have to struggle to be seen for all the shit clogging the way.

To round out this post I want to say that some classes I've taken have truly changed my screenwriting career and I've attended seminars that have made me a better filmmaker. I'm not against classes or seminars or webinars or in being an entrepreneur, what I am against is scammers stealing money from hard working writers who deserve better than that.

My book and online video course on how to build your own rocketship and fly to the moon is available now priced just $3.5 Million, get it now!

Write On!

Dave The Screenwriter