Monday, February 11, 2008

Dabblers, Committees and Bean-Counters


Major Segway Alert

I must confess. I've become a horrible blog junkie.

Somehow I stumbled on a blog written by a free-lance comedy writer located in London in which he chronicles his travail pitching sketches and short stop-action animation film scripts to producers of same. In my naivete, I had assumed such things happened like this: Garret-housed writer dreams up a funny script, scribbles it down, puts it in a binder, takes a cab to a garret across town, walks up several fights of Very Ornate Victorian Circular Iron stairs to the window-walled attic studio of animator, hands it over and says something like, "Hi, Trevor, Take a look at this idea."

Not so. Instead, my poor writer is bemoaning the fact that he wrote the proposal for a script idea some months ago, sent it off to the MONOLITH GIGANTIC ANIMATION STUDIOS BEHOMETH, (meanwhile living on tap water and wafers) and after much consideration, they responded through their representatives that they might consider his idea, however, given the fact that, since they had already produced one of his scripts for another animation short, it would have to be purchased at a lower fee than they had paid him previously. (Whaaaaa?)

Of course, this only spurred our funnyman to think of even funnier things to write (! Irony meter goes into overload spin) so, he creates a short film script in a few weeks of creative fervor. He arranges an appointment and presents a script (I would assume in a supine posture) to the said Monolith. A few weeks later, Contact! The Monolith has spoken!

With something like:

"We think the script has merit and possibilities, however we DO question the idea of putting the flock of sheep in Ninja costumes."

insert extreme eyebrow krinkle HERE



And so, I say to Potters of the World Everywhere who Make and Sell their Own creations:


Be glad;

Be VERY glad that YOU are the only committee that has to pass on the merits of your creative work before it leaves your hands.

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