Artists of all sorts are recommended to draw from their own experiences to influence their work. But how far is it appropriate to go when putting your life on paper/canvas/the screen?
I recently went through a very tragic personal experience that has definitely had a profound effect on me. There were moments during it where I could see a beautiful, sad painting, and others that had more true drama than anything I've seen on television or film recently. The question I'm left with is should I let this experience influence my creative work,and if so, to what extent?
For the majority of my early years as a writer, I avoided letting any of my personal experiences appear in any form in my writing. Of course, my influences would appear, whether it was the music I was listening to, other films I had watched, or emotions I was feeling at the time. I'm sure there were characters which sounded like me, as I let my voice go through them. But I purposefully made it so when reading one of my scripts or stories, you would not see stories or people from my life that anyone would recognize.
This changed after college, with my short film WASTED ON THE YOUNG. Inspired very directly by a friendship I had with a girl who would fall from grace due to drug addiction, and eventually find her way out, it was the most personal film I had written, and when I was deciding on whether I should make it, I had to ask myself three main questions: would the girl ever see the film; if she did, what would she think of it; and should it inform my decision to make this film either way?
In the end, I made the film. I didn't think she would ever see the film, and if she did, it shouldn't matter. This was my story as much as it was hers, and nothing used in the story was information told to me in confidence (parts came directly from a blog she posted on MySpace).
The film came out okay (I am still a much better writer than I am a director), but it was something I could stand by, as even if not every detail was true to life, the emotions of the story came through and reflected reality as I saw it.
But what happens when the story you want to tell isn't just yours? My recent experience is one I share with a number of people, some who are far closer to it than I am. Part of me wants to paint an image based on a photograph I took, but I feel it would come across as exploiting a tragedy if I tried to sell that piece. And there is a truly moving film in the story, but who's story is it to tell? Do I have a right to tell this story, and if I were to try, should it be from my perspective (the one I know best)? If I go in that direction, how do I make the story not about me? How can I do justice to this very personal tale in a way that's respectful to everyone involved? How do I avoid making it sentimental, shmaltzy crap?
These are all questions creative people should ask before creating art based on their personal experiences. I don't claim to have an answer, as each experience will differ and it's up to the artist to decide how they would like to handle.
Or you can just do what I usually do - tell stories about stupid gangsters, alien wrestling leagues, music mystery hunters, and fake crack babies. Only bits of my personal life in those.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Rookie Mistakes
Getting out of college, I truly wish there had been a wise guru available to tell me what not to do as I tried to get my writing career started. If I could be that wise guru to future creatives (in this case, writers specifically), I would give them this urgent warning:
Don't blow your load on a first date.
When presented with the opportunity to meet with someone way above your station, sending them your material should not be the first thing on your mind. Ask them questions, learn what they are looking for, what the current trends are, how they identify talent, and if you want to ask one favor before leaving, see if it's okay if you stay in touch once in a while to ask questions and seek advice. Show you're thoughtful and looking to learn, and not just an excited kid desperate to get someone to tell them how great your work is.
Example 1: Shortly after I graduated, I was given the opportunity to meet with a high-level agent at Paradigm (I honestly don't remember how this came about, but I think it was a friend or acquaintance of my mom who knew him and set-up the meeting). At this point, I had 1-2 features and a few short screenplays written. Being the naive little creative that I was, I felt my scripts were good (or good enough) that they would show off my talents as a writer and my breadth of creative genius welling up in my noggin. I was eager to talk about my scripts, get the agent interested in reading them, and then of course have him instantly want to sign me.
Foolishness. Absolute foolishness. Yes, the meeting went okay - I was of course nervous and the agent could tell I was (he had to tell me to relax and get comfortable). I didn't prepare at all (rookie mistake #1), so I didn't know who is clients were, or anything about him aside from that he was an agent. Without any solid preparation, I didn't have any intelligent questions to ask. It's hard to engage with people and make them care about you if you don't show any interest in them.
At the end of the meeting, the agent offered to have me send him my scripts to read. What I should have said, "Thank you so much for that offer, and I would definitely like to take you up on that further down the line. Right now, I would love to just be able to reach out once in a while to get your thoughts and advice, until I have a screenplay I think is truly worth sending to you."
What I said (I'm guessing, as this was a decade+ ago) "Yes, that would be great! How many should I send?" I think I ended up sending the two feature to his assistant (Rookie mistake #2 - you're lucky if a person will read one of your scripts). I followed up a few times. And after a few placating responses, I never heard back from them. A silent pass. A wasted opportunity to have a great contact.
Example 2: I had spent two summers interning at the newly formed production company Strike Entertainment during college, getting my first introduction to script reading/coverage, and handling the basic duties needed by assistants. It was a great introductory experience, and I'm still in touch with their former creative executive, who now runs his own company at Sony. On occasion I was able to say hello to the head of Strike, but didn't get much 1:1 time with him.
Once again after college, in my haste to get my written work out to as many people as I could, I had my connection to Strike (a family friend at Universal who knew the company head), arrange for me to submit some of my writing to the company's head. This time I went all out: two features, my award-winning short (Rookie mistake #3 - don't waste executives' time with short scripts, unless they are the greatest things ever written), and a couple bottles of wine to sweeten the deal (cause maybe he'd like the scripts more if he were drunk while reading them).
Once again, my response on the script was silence.
Rookie Mistake #4 - do not send scripts that are not ready to be read. If you're just out of college and you think your scripts are awesome and you have had a friend or two read them and agree, guess what? The scripts aren't awesome. They are likely not even good. You'll likely need to cut them down by 15 pages, improve all your characters, make the emotional arcs stronger, and overall spend the next year revising them. Until you've done this, do not send the scripts to anyone who isn't a close friend. 99% of the time, you will get one shot at getting someone big to read your screenplay, and if they don't like it, they won't read another one.
Don't blow your load on a first date. Establish a relationship. Get to know the person. Get them to see you as more than just another wanna-be writer trying for the big score. Develop your craft, gain some loyalty, and when the time is right, and you're confident you've put the work in, then submit away.
Don't blow your load on a first date.
When presented with the opportunity to meet with someone way above your station, sending them your material should not be the first thing on your mind. Ask them questions, learn what they are looking for, what the current trends are, how they identify talent, and if you want to ask one favor before leaving, see if it's okay if you stay in touch once in a while to ask questions and seek advice. Show you're thoughtful and looking to learn, and not just an excited kid desperate to get someone to tell them how great your work is.
Example 1: Shortly after I graduated, I was given the opportunity to meet with a high-level agent at Paradigm (I honestly don't remember how this came about, but I think it was a friend or acquaintance of my mom who knew him and set-up the meeting). At this point, I had 1-2 features and a few short screenplays written. Being the naive little creative that I was, I felt my scripts were good (or good enough) that they would show off my talents as a writer and my breadth of creative genius welling up in my noggin. I was eager to talk about my scripts, get the agent interested in reading them, and then of course have him instantly want to sign me.
Foolishness. Absolute foolishness. Yes, the meeting went okay - I was of course nervous and the agent could tell I was (he had to tell me to relax and get comfortable). I didn't prepare at all (rookie mistake #1), so I didn't know who is clients were, or anything about him aside from that he was an agent. Without any solid preparation, I didn't have any intelligent questions to ask. It's hard to engage with people and make them care about you if you don't show any interest in them.
At the end of the meeting, the agent offered to have me send him my scripts to read. What I should have said, "Thank you so much for that offer, and I would definitely like to take you up on that further down the line. Right now, I would love to just be able to reach out once in a while to get your thoughts and advice, until I have a screenplay I think is truly worth sending to you."
What I said (I'm guessing, as this was a decade+ ago) "Yes, that would be great! How many should I send?" I think I ended up sending the two feature to his assistant (Rookie mistake #2 - you're lucky if a person will read one of your scripts). I followed up a few times. And after a few placating responses, I never heard back from them. A silent pass. A wasted opportunity to have a great contact.
Example 2: I had spent two summers interning at the newly formed production company Strike Entertainment during college, getting my first introduction to script reading/coverage, and handling the basic duties needed by assistants. It was a great introductory experience, and I'm still in touch with their former creative executive, who now runs his own company at Sony. On occasion I was able to say hello to the head of Strike, but didn't get much 1:1 time with him.
Once again after college, in my haste to get my written work out to as many people as I could, I had my connection to Strike (a family friend at Universal who knew the company head), arrange for me to submit some of my writing to the company's head. This time I went all out: two features, my award-winning short (Rookie mistake #3 - don't waste executives' time with short scripts, unless they are the greatest things ever written), and a couple bottles of wine to sweeten the deal (cause maybe he'd like the scripts more if he were drunk while reading them).
Once again, my response on the script was silence.
Rookie Mistake #4 - do not send scripts that are not ready to be read. If you're just out of college and you think your scripts are awesome and you have had a friend or two read them and agree, guess what? The scripts aren't awesome. They are likely not even good. You'll likely need to cut them down by 15 pages, improve all your characters, make the emotional arcs stronger, and overall spend the next year revising them. Until you've done this, do not send the scripts to anyone who isn't a close friend. 99% of the time, you will get one shot at getting someone big to read your screenplay, and if they don't like it, they won't read another one.
Don't blow your load on a first date. Establish a relationship. Get to know the person. Get them to see you as more than just another wanna-be writer trying for the big score. Develop your craft, gain some loyalty, and when the time is right, and you're confident you've put the work in, then submit away.
Monday, June 19, 2017
A Creative's Journey
Trying to make a career our of creative pursuits is hard. It's boxing Mike Tyson hard. It's asking a super model out on a date hard. It's climbing Mount Everest in gym shorts and sandals hard.
No matter how hard you train for it, no matter who confident you are in your abilities, you will still find you are ill-equipped and under-prepared to face the daunting task of trying to earn a living with a creative pursuit, whatever it may be.
For myself, I entered the entertainment industry with my heart set on becoming a storyteller for the screen. I wanted to write movies, and eventually direct some. I had a couple of feature scripts written in college, as well as some short films under my belt, and a whole list of script ideas I was hungry to tackle. All of which added up to squat once I was out of school. My features weren't good (or at least, good enough). Nor did anyone care to watch my shorts.
After a couple years of employment, I used my next period of unemployment to refocus myself. I joined the Writers Boot Camp program, and worked on improving my craft and making connections. I wrote five new features (and revamped a sixth), all of which I felt very proud of. I also used my free time to return to my artistic roots (leading eventually to the Boriginality site) and even had enough time to practice my guitar playing and write a handful of songs. My creative energies were renewed and I was able to keep up that traction even once I found gainful employment again.
As I am back in a period of unemployment, I am going to use this time to:
1) Refocus myself again creatively, promoting my art and writing skills as I search for my next position
2) Use this blog to look back at some of my early struggles and failures as I tried to pursue a creative career, in hopefully a way that can educate others who come across this site.
3) Look at methods and tools that creative people can use to grow themselves and their brand as they fight the upward battle to make it in their chosen industry.
Thanks for reading!
Bo
No matter how hard you train for it, no matter who confident you are in your abilities, you will still find you are ill-equipped and under-prepared to face the daunting task of trying to earn a living with a creative pursuit, whatever it may be.
For myself, I entered the entertainment industry with my heart set on becoming a storyteller for the screen. I wanted to write movies, and eventually direct some. I had a couple of feature scripts written in college, as well as some short films under my belt, and a whole list of script ideas I was hungry to tackle. All of which added up to squat once I was out of school. My features weren't good (or at least, good enough). Nor did anyone care to watch my shorts.
After a couple years of employment, I used my next period of unemployment to refocus myself. I joined the Writers Boot Camp program, and worked on improving my craft and making connections. I wrote five new features (and revamped a sixth), all of which I felt very proud of. I also used my free time to return to my artistic roots (leading eventually to the Boriginality site) and even had enough time to practice my guitar playing and write a handful of songs. My creative energies were renewed and I was able to keep up that traction even once I found gainful employment again.
As I am back in a period of unemployment, I am going to use this time to:
1) Refocus myself again creatively, promoting my art and writing skills as I search for my next position
2) Use this blog to look back at some of my early struggles and failures as I tried to pursue a creative career, in hopefully a way that can educate others who come across this site.
3) Look at methods and tools that creative people can use to grow themselves and their brand as they fight the upward battle to make it in their chosen industry.
Thanks for reading!
Bo
Thursday, June 15, 2017
New Art, New Film Festivals, New Creative Drive
Hello Interested Art and Film Fans,
I am making it my goal for the month of June to become more active in the social media landscape (in a way that hopefully won't drive my friends bonkers). I've created Facebook pages for my art (Boriginality) as well as for my latest short, (A)UTOMATED (I)RRITATION.
In regards to the former, I've just completed my first piece of new art since my art show in January, "The Great Plains, 2231". Acrylic paint on paper, 12 x 18. The image highlights some of my strengths as an artist (animals, water), with a quiet social commentary regarding our changing climate and possible future. Hoping to find a nice home for this piece!
I've continued to get good news on (A)UTOMATED; we have now been accepted into six film festivals, and recently won the Best Future Tech award at the Sci-On! Festival in Reno, NV. As the response to the film has been so positive, I've taken the leap and entered the film into some higher profile fests (including ones that are Academy-qualifying).
On the writing front, I have been editing my short THE END WALKS, as I have a couple people interested in directing it. I'm also working on another short story, as I hope to one day have enough to release another collection like The Jester and Other Myths.
Thank you to all my friends, family, and hopefully new followers for your support!
Best,
Bo
I am making it my goal for the month of June to become more active in the social media landscape (in a way that hopefully won't drive my friends bonkers). I've created Facebook pages for my art (Boriginality) as well as for my latest short, (A)UTOMATED (I)RRITATION.
In regards to the former, I've just completed my first piece of new art since my art show in January, "The Great Plains, 2231". Acrylic paint on paper, 12 x 18. The image highlights some of my strengths as an artist (animals, water), with a quiet social commentary regarding our changing climate and possible future. Hoping to find a nice home for this piece!
I've continued to get good news on (A)UTOMATED; we have now been accepted into six film festivals, and recently won the Best Future Tech award at the Sci-On! Festival in Reno, NV. As the response to the film has been so positive, I've taken the leap and entered the film into some higher profile fests (including ones that are Academy-qualifying).
On the writing front, I have been editing my short THE END WALKS, as I have a couple people interested in directing it. I'm also working on another short story, as I hope to one day have enough to release another collection like The Jester and Other Myths.
Thank you to all my friends, family, and hopefully new followers for your support!
Best,
Bo
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