The Only Way Through Is Through.
I’m getting pretty exhausted by the death of Hollywood narrative that’s permeating social media, the trades, and the news. Not because things aren’t bad right now. They are.
Let’s take a second to talk about the state of our industry and why I still have hope things will get better.
As an industry, we’re still recovering from COVID. From the (necessary but painful) double strikes. From the recent tragic fires. From the bursting of the streaming bubble. From productions leaving Los Angeles for cheaper pastures. From the efforts to replace film and television workers of all kinds with AI. From accessible reading services and contests shutting down. Writers are struggling, but it’s not just writers. It’s actors, directors, crew members, and businesses directly and peripherally connected to the entertainment industry.
Anecdotally, at least, it’s harder than ever to survive as a writer. To get a movie made at the studio level. To get paid to write. Studios are risk-averse and don’t take time or spend money to develop projects anymore. If you don’t have an exciting, complete package (some combination of script, producer, movie star, and/or director), the nicest thing you’re likely to hear is “come back when you do.”
But, even with the best producers, and I’ve been lucky enough to work with a few, it takes a long time to get that package together. So unless you come from generational wealth (and hey good for you if you do), it’s damned near impossible to survive as long enough to actually get paid for your work. I mean, there’s a reason I spend half my time writing and the other half applying for jobs or reading scripts for this website.
So why am I writing this blog post? Is it just to lament my own struggles in the industry I’ve chosen to devote my life to? Is to scare you away from doing the same?
No, I’m writing this post because if you’re feeling hopeless, you’re not crazy. It’s so fucking hard right now.
But, I do have a counter to that. It’s not the cheeriest, most optimistic counter, but it’s what I have to offer. It’s always been hard. The odds of “making it” as a screenwriter or an actor or a filmmaker have always been long. We didn’t go into this industry because it’s a get-rich-quick scheme.
We do it because we have to. It’s what burns inside of us. We can get discouraged, but if this is what we have to do with our lives, we don’t quit. No matter how hard it is. No matter what side jobs we have to do. No matter how many scripts it takes to get our foot in the door. No matter how many times we hear no.
Yes, it’s bad. But I believe it will get better. The box office is rebounding. This Memorial Day weekend is breaking records. Movies aren’t going anywhere, and despite how they make us feel sometimes, they can’t make movies without us. Hollywood isn’t dying because we won’t let it. We’re not going anywhere.
The path has always been hard, it’s maybe never been harder, but the only way through is through.
And, at times like this, when it’s harder than ever to get a movie made, to get in the door at all, the only thing we can do is follow the great Steve Martin’s advice. “Be so good, they can’t ignore you.”
Be undeniable.
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