The Importance Of The Time Spent NOT Being Able To Make Your Movie

Time is something we must spend wisely

just my shadow self, going nowhere fast (Photo by Mark Pellington)

Before I begin, let me get started with a note. I am trying out something today. Remember my ‘ol LP&W’s, what I call Links Ponders & Wonders? The sort of news of the day that I used to post once or twice a week? I’ve heard some of you miss them even though they haven’t been away for very long. I’m going to try posting one, two, or three such things at the end of these essay posts as an alternative to the old way. Which usually might mean, four. Ha! Let me know what you think. And now, on with the show…

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It’s frustrating, I know.

You push and you push, and the rocks just roll back down over you. You know they would recognize how what you have is f’n awesome, if they would just open their eyes. You’ve proven yourself time and time again, but they still don’t seem to believe in you. Don’t they know all you are capable of? Wasn’t this industry supposed to be about talent, vision, and know how? You’ve got those and then some, so why isn’t this happening faster?

They don’t really need you until you no longer need them. If you want the actor, you need the money, but if you want the money, you need the actor. No one wants anything but what the others want, and no one is ever going to be the first one in either. They told you they aren’t making period dramas, but they just announced they bought one. There are so many Catch-22’s a filmmaker must escape from. They say one thing and do the other. Don’t relationships matter? Don’t get me started…

Look… there’s always going to be another reason why they aren’t going to make your movie, but I want to tell you that you don’t want to waste the time waiting while this inevitable rejection happens either. It is a gift. Seriously.

It’s more than just a mind game to keep you out of the pit of total despair; you’ve got to use your rejection wisely.  The last thing you want to accept is that their constant refrain of “no” means they or others won’t make your film.  They won’t. I know you know that you didn’t yet do all the things that will make this film or make it inevitable. Now you have a bit of time, and you know you will need even more later when it is no longer available. So let’s learn to use our time wisely while we have it. We are not going to wait. We are going to drive and drive hard, and we are not going to put on the breaks even when they are constructing numerous walls in front of us. This is about how we burst through their friggin’ walls!