How to Use the System if Only the Writers Look

The Counterpunch “Writers Are There if Only Studios Look” (Dec. 2) was itself myopic in the extreme. D. P. Harrison contends that “Thelma & Louise” reportedly was produced solely because an unknown screenwriter was just lucky enough to have a friend who worked for Ridley Scott, the film’s director, and only because of that fortuitous relationship was the script brought to his attention and ultimately made. What Harrison conspicuously never bothered to find out was that the screenplay had a significant history before Scott. It made the rounds, as it were. Other directors were interested, and one very prominent one was, along with two completely different actresses, at one time attached to make it.

He then accuses MGM Chairman Alan Ladd Jr. of making “unconscionable” remarks regarding the paucity of good, producible material, claiming that Ladd and his ilk would find good material if they would simply wade out among the vast number of struggling, cruelly ignored writers. Like so many others, Harrison chooses to ignore the day-to-day realities of the business and instead falls back on the tired excuse of a network of favoritism that is designed to keep the struggling outsiders down and the tenured insiders fat.

It cannot be blamed on cabal that new writers have such a difficult time of it. If one reason were singled out as predominant, it is that we, as a society, want sometimes only a pretext to enjoy a potentially enriching, sometimes justifiable, day in court. Thus, because accepting unsolicited material from newcomers is tantamount to asking for an eventual lawsuit, it is simply prudent for legitimate filmmakers to protect themselves and their companies by refusing to accept material from strangers.

Harrison should also realize that, particularly in recent years, the sometimes huge sums paid to writers have encouraged a deluge of literally tens of thousands of scripts, mostly from very inexperienced writers. What is unconscionable, therefore, is to accuse the relatively small number of existing executives of shirking their artistic responsibilities, or worse, xenophobia, if they aren’t aware of every single piece of existing material.

Yes, there are problems with the system. It is sometimes slow in response and sometimes conservative in judgment, but it does work, and occasionally it works extremely well. And, like the most Darwinistic of creatures, it is continually evolving.

As for young writers, it is admittedly difficult. But, for those equal to the task, there are ways to get good scripts into circulation, all of which demand nothing more than a bit of resourcefulness, a good amount of patience and a willingness to work with, rather than against, the system.

The best thing one can do is to get some advice, either by enrolling in one of the myriad seminars and classes offered by the local universities and school systems, or by simply calling every production company in town (there are sources that list nothing but production companies) until one finds someone who is willing to talk at length. On average, 99 out of 100 calls will end in rejection, but it only takes one, and there are some pretty nice people out there willing to get one pointed in the right direction.

The worst thing a writer can do is give it a half-hearted attempt and then give up in embittered frustration. With but very few exceptions, the vast majority of “insiders” did themselves, at one time, struggle, often for several years. One writer currently working, and arguably the hottest in town, was at it for a decade before it paid off. What allowed him and others like him to succeed was that instead of using their fingers to point, they used them to type.

JOHN LLOYD PARRY

MJJ Productions

Feature Film Dept.

Culver City