- OR HOW MUCH MILEAGE DOES THIS RELATIONSHIP HAVE
When I’m assessing when to take on a new project or not, there are a number of things to consider. The majority, naturally, concern the script. Is it any good? Can the writer write? Does the writer have the necessary skills to take the project all the way to production? How’s the structure, characters, etc, etc. The list is long.
One of the other things to consider concerns that of the writer as a person. Regardless of whether the development process takes months or even years, the writer is someone that I will be spending a lot of time with.
I have to ask myself a key question – am I going to be able to work with this person?
After the first couple of ‘getting to know you’ meetings I pose myself a simple scenario.
“How would I cope if I was alone in a car with this person on a 500 mile drive? Would the relationship flourish or crumble?”
I’m not saying that I try to be best friends with every writer that I work with, but there has to be some sort of personal connection for me to realize that the development process will be a collaborative and productive one. If a writer is simply not a nice person and refuses to respect those that they are working with, then it means that the level of collaboration necessary to turn a script into a film just won’t be there.
There have been 2 occasions in the last 10 years where the development process stalled simply because a writer was not pleasant to be around. Cantankerous and being argumentative about absolutely every little detail are not good qualities when it comes to teamwork.
The majority of producers and production companies have several projects in development and if the writer/producer relationship isn’t working and there is a certain amount of animosity, then 9 times out of 10 the producer will call time on the project if it is becoming too much of an issue, regardless of how good the project is.
I love working with good writers, but when push comes to shove and they are people that aren’t enjoyable to work with, I get the feeling that life is too short, and I will look for good writer who is nice instead.
Happy writing!
Great looking blog Zeitgeist. I'm just wondering where in the world are you going to find a writer who is good AND nice?
SvarSletKevin Head
I like to think of working on a film together as a kind of marriage. The difference being that in a romance you can choose to live together for a couple of years before booking the church, whereas in film you have to commit after an accelerated dating process. Sometimes you wake up in the morning with a nasty hangover, and discover the person next to you in the bed is very different from the charming seducer in the night club. It goes both ways as well - as writers, we discover producers we end up divorcing, and those with whom we make beautiful babies!
SvarSletDan Wicksman
kiven, you'd be surprised! there are more around than you'd think. but seriously though it is important that the respect is there. in an ideal world everyone becomes friends, there is soft violin music and we bring bouquets of flowers to every meeting, but people don't have to be best friends to enjoy working with each other - either in a fun or a challenging sense. if you enjoy the work and those you work with, get job satisfaction, and hey, even a paycheck, then you can't ask for a whole lot more. p
SvarSlethi dan - your use of metaphor exposes you as a writer, sir! having said that, i agree with you completely. i've heard it said many times that relationships in this business are key, but for me its a 'chicken/egg' thing with talent. what good is a relationship without talent and what good is talent without relationships? you need both parts to that equation to be truly successful i think. that is why, when searching for projects for zeitgeist, we make it a requirement to ourselves to meet with and/or converse with a writer as often as possible before 'booking the church'. p
SvarSletI agree: producing, directing, writing -- the majority of the work is about finding common ground, figuring out how to collaborate, and pushing something forward as a unified front. If you’re not up for close contact over the long term you’re lost from the start.
SvarSletcouldn't agree more, marc, but as a production company it is of the utmost importance that we make sure that the respect is a two-way thing. there are so many stories of writers having problems with producers that it is our aim to make our relationship with the writer as strong and as collaborative as possible. we even like the writers we work with to be a part of the editing process and to see as many cuts of the film as they can stand! p
SvarSletJust a little self deprecating humor. If we can't make fun of ourselves, what good are we? Right?
SvarSletKevin
hee hee! good point! i guess i was on a bit of a rampage at that particular moment in time! ;-)
SvarSlet