It's unavoidable. You're going to give a script away to an enthusiastic producer who promises the world and then takes it all from you. Or you're going to be a camera operator for four months on the promise of a deferred payment that never comes because it wasn't on paper. Or you'll pay some charlatan from Craigslist a year's wages because of some scheme he's running that you think will make you successful.
You think you're wise, but you're not. Because everyone has this story. We're so hungry for success, that we dive in and trust people. But this industry always has and always will attract people who betray that trust. And when we begin we begin naively, and we do things because we think we'll get the credits, and we think there are shortcuts.
But you'll accidentally sign a bad script deal that you should've got a lawyer to look at. And you'll spend your money on some bullshit course that you should've got your parent's wisdom-like advice on first.
Your instincts as an individual are the key to being an artist. But artists are also dumb and naive. We sign bullshit deals. We give our rights over, we work too hard, and we let someone else pick up the rewards.
First time it happens you wanna vomit. The second time it happens you wanna quit. Eventually you just become wise, and you know how to handle yourself, and your art, and your value. You stop making the bad deal.
Everyone has this story.
It felt good to hear this, the whole not being alone thing.
ReplyDeleteWeird. I am in week 11 in "The Artist's Way," and was challenged to come up with 10 examples of recent synchronicity. I was like, '10, whatever, crazy lady. I have barely had one incidence in the entire previous 10 weeks."
ReplyDeleteThen I came to this site and saw 'Last Film Watched' was 'Easy A,' and I just watched that this afternoon. Followed by 'High Fidelity' - best soundtrack to a movie ever - and then I read an article posted here in December about 'Serendipity,' and started thinking about John Cusack and 'Love in the Time of Cholera.'
I hardly ever watch movies but have been on a binge this weekend and had an unexplainable craving for 'Easy A.' Maybe this isn't synchronicity. The whole concept still confuses me. But I liked what you said about 'Serendipity' - about needing to do the work for such amazing things to happen. Or something like that.
P.S. I have never actually read "Love in the Time of Cholera," and have no idea what it is about, but get a kick out of the fact that it is referenced in multiple John Cusack movies by John Cusack's character.
ReplyDeleteBergie - Sounds like synchronicity to me :)
ReplyDeleteTold like someone who has most definitely stopped making a bad deal. ;)
ReplyDelete