I love the “high performance, low maintenance" attitude. I once gave a session about pitching to an audience of newbies at a screenwriting conference in London. Above all else, I told them, "Don't be an asshole." Your work ethic is spot on because that's exactly the kind of writers producers will want to work with and will remember for a next gig.
On the "Why now" ... I just wouldn't. Yes, I get executives and their short-term minds. If I knew that this would be the only way to get a gig, I'd do my best to find something timeless. Social issues come and go and as project development usually takes a few years (and often more than a few!), those issues may have long vanished from executives' minds. Timeless is key and timeless usually can be found (and wrapped just the right way for executives during those pitch meetings we love so much).
Love your work ethic, Tony - and thanks for sharing your insights.
Super helpful info here. I've been around long enough to remember how things were before everyone started asking the "why this story, why now, why you?" questions. The cynic in me associated the rise of these questions with the rise in the numbers of female and minority writers. I wondered if only white males were allowed to get the job for simply being a talented hard working writer. But as Mr. Tost has demonstrated EVERYONE is having to answer these questions now.
Imagine asking Spielberg, why Jaws, why now? Or asking McQ. why Top Gun 2 after all this time? IMO, the reason they're asking writers to jump through all these extra hoops is because decision-makers today really don't know a good story or a talented writer when they see one, so they require writers to tie their stories in to something the decision-maker does know and understand; some social ill they learned all about in Sociology class junior year...Why now? Because it's a good 'effing story, well told and god knows NOW is a time we need more of that.
I love the “high performance, low maintenance" attitude. I once gave a session about pitching to an audience of newbies at a screenwriting conference in London. Above all else, I told them, "Don't be an asshole." Your work ethic is spot on because that's exactly the kind of writers producers will want to work with and will remember for a next gig.
On the "Why now" ... I just wouldn't. Yes, I get executives and their short-term minds. If I knew that this would be the only way to get a gig, I'd do my best to find something timeless. Social issues come and go and as project development usually takes a few years (and often more than a few!), those issues may have long vanished from executives' minds. Timeless is key and timeless usually can be found (and wrapped just the right way for executives during those pitch meetings we love so much).
Love your work ethic, Tony - and thanks for sharing your insights.
Great stuff--thanks for sharing!
Super helpful info here. I've been around long enough to remember how things were before everyone started asking the "why this story, why now, why you?" questions. The cynic in me associated the rise of these questions with the rise in the numbers of female and minority writers. I wondered if only white males were allowed to get the job for simply being a talented hard working writer. But as Mr. Tost has demonstrated EVERYONE is having to answer these questions now.
Imagine asking Spielberg, why Jaws, why now? Or asking McQ. why Top Gun 2 after all this time? IMO, the reason they're asking writers to jump through all these extra hoops is because decision-makers today really don't know a good story or a talented writer when they see one, so they require writers to tie their stories in to something the decision-maker does know and understand; some social ill they learned all about in Sociology class junior year...Why now? Because it's a good 'effing story, well told and god knows NOW is a time we need more of that.