I never met Bob but from everything that I've read, the one thing that I will take with me about him is that he was an actor's director. That's why name talent would work for less than their going rate to take part in his projects. The actor was king in his book... and as he said about his film Gosford Park with such a star studded cast, "I'm just there to turn the lights on".

Well said. RIP Mr. Altman.

So I popped the question last Friday night and then told Stephanie that she had 20 minutes to get ready for a two night vacation... needless to say, after being completely taken aback and surprised by my proposal (she said yes, by the way), she had a hard time packing in that short of time... we ended up going up to Cromwell, north of NYC by about an hour and fifteen minutes, and stay at the Cromwell Manor Inn. The next day we went to Storm King... anyway, a great, memoriable weekend.

As for "Produced By Jimmy Wade", I've continued to get great feedback on the script and have a meeting coming up in October that, if all goes well, will give me some other news to pass on... but good things come to those who wait.

Lastly, I've started my next script... very daunting to think that I'm going to be diving into another story, about politics no less, but I think I've cracked a way to tell this tale. One of those stories that I really don't have a choice about... I have to tell it. I do think there is a market out there for this but a deadline of the '08 presidential election is hanging over my head. Nothing like a little pressure to get the creative juices flowing...

Thanks for reading and I'll post soon... I promise KT. EB

BUT... this is one of the few contests that gives feedback on each script that is entered. So I waited to get my feedback to see what they really thought... the deadline to get the feedback was 7/15... by 7/18, since I didn't have any feedback yet, I sent them an email... Their response, "Let us get back to you and check into it."

So today I finally get an email back saying that on 2/28 (the day I entered) they had a problem with their email... after the problem was resolved, they went through their Paypal statement to make sure they had all of the scripts... the one they misplaced?... wait for it... MINE! So I guess I can't lose a contest that I was never in...

Anyway, they said they feel really bad, are going to re-fund my money and that I can enter next year free of charge. I wrote back with a copy of my script attached to ask that they not re-fund my money but just give me coverage on the script... We'll see what they say.

It is a disappointing story but at least not as disappointing not making the semi-final list when I know I have the goods... EB.

So for the past two weeks, I've been dusting the rust off and picking up the guitar at least once a day... tomorrow is the big day!

Now, on the title of this post... "Flicking the switch"... this is a phrase that I use for myself when getting ready to perform. Hopefully, when performing (either on stage acting, singing, dancing or out on the field playing a sport) there comes a moment when you can "flick the switch"... now, what I mean by that is if you've prepared yourself, flicking the switch is taking all of that preperation, throwing it out the window and performing. The performance (whatever that may be) could turn out great, OK or burn in flames but at least when I, personally, flick the switch, I know that I leave everything out on that stage no matter what. It's taking a leap of faith that you will perform when needed.

Athletes call this being in the "zone"... and I think that's a good way to put it. So I'll be flicking the switch tomorrow evening... wish me luck! EB

But, when that script is ready, a many pronged attack at getting the project read and hopefully made, is the way to go. By this I mean, entering the top level screenplay compitions, writing a business plan to be used to actually raise the money and make the film, milking all of your contacts and their contacts to get read, pestering casting directors and other indie producers to give it a read... you get the picture.

The thing about this approach is that if you methodically plan your process for making this "attack", it could take 8 months to a year before you even know if all of your options have been exhausted. And you thought writing the script was the hard part... so did I.

All this leads to the game of hurry up and wait... and wait... and wait. As the "passes" roll in, then it's time to further your efforts and work the plan to get the script into the next person's hands... as long as you know that this is THE script to push open those doors with. EB

The big question is how long does it need to be and how much do I need to explain about the project for a potential investor to have enough information to make a decision as to whether or not this project is right for them. Since ballooning to 19 pages of single spaced text, I've cut the page count down to twelve and a half pages and finally, I think it flows the way I want it and explains the project with the right amount of detail... but we'll see what the attorney says tonight after reading the latest draft.

I've primed my potential investors (read friends and family) with the screenplay to read and now I'm about to start sending out the investment prospectus and budget looking for letters of intent to invest to then use to drum up more business. If anyone out there in cyberspace is interested in this project, please click ont he "$" link above and send and email to investors@createabullfilms.com stating your interest.

I'll keep you posted on the response as they come in... thanks for stopping by. EB

The reaction from these people has been really good. They all say that it's a "page turner" and that it reads very quickly and smoothly. They also say they like the story and can picture it up on the screen. Very nice. However it's hard to read these people who are close to me and take their comments for face value so...

...I've had a couple of other people read it from the industry. One is a Unit Production Manager (UPM) that I hired to make up a budget for the project so I can then couple that with an investment perspectus and start raising captial. His comments were, "very well written and a commercial story". He also said that I seemed to write it in mind of keeping the costs down so I could make this independently... which I did so hearing him say that was a good thing. I have gotten the budget from him and am working on the business plan (takes just as much work to make that flow as the script) but more information about that part of the process will follow later.

The second person I had read the script is a casting director. Eve Battaglia has worked on numerous films, most recently casting "Transamerica" with Felicity Huffman and the upcoming "Sorry, Haters" with Robin Wright Penn. I wanted to get a casting director to read the script who might, if they took a liking to the project, be able to attach a "name" actor to the lead role that would help finance the project. Funny enough, when I called her, I got her on the phone... it's great when someone actually answers their own phone.

She agreed to read my script after she got back from the Oscars. Three days after the Oscars, we spoke and she told me that she "loved my script" and would want to "sign on to the project today if the financing was in place". She also went on to say that she felt given the strength of the material and what I am planning on offering the lead actor (top secrect information:) that I would be able to attract "name" talent. Awesome... this is coming from somone who has never met me before or read anything else that I've written. Needless to say, I was very pleased... however...

...there is always a "however" in there... she went on to say that she didn't want to try and get a lead actor attached because the role calls for someone in their early twenties and anyone who is a name and in their early twenties is extremely busy and they usually won't consider let alone attach their name to a project until is it financed. They (the "name" talent) also usually won't let their name be used to seek out financing. One of those "cart before the horse" situations.

Anyway, she said that with letters of intent from investors, she would be able to use those letters to entice actors to read the script and give it consideration.

So, where does that leave me? I've got the script and the budget and am working on smoothing out the investment perspectus so I can then try and get letters of intent from investors to use as stepping stone to get talent attached... a long road ahead but I feel like I've come so far that it's not as scary. Plus, being a new stage of the process is re-juvinating. I'll keep you posted... EB

Patience helps when you get that knee jerk reaction to send out a script before it's ready (been there, done that, never again), it also helps when after the final polish (at least until pre-production) you're waiting to get back a budget from your UPM (Unit Production Manager), waiting to have your attorney read the project, waiting on the casting director to return your calls... as you can see, this is a team effort that requires a lot from others as well as the one driving the train.

The process for "Produced By Jimmy Wade" for the next couple of months is as follows... fine tune and tweek the budget, write the business plan, get an attorney to sign on to the project, get a casting director to sign on to the project, think about lead casting, start speaking to accredited investors about investing in the project... a long list that's just going to grow as the time passes. But this is fun, the hard part (getting the script in fighting form) is done.

When I handed off my script to the UPM here in New York for budgeting, he asked, "Why now? You've been working in advertising for the past four years, why are you ready now?"... I pointed to the script, "It wasn't me that needed to be ready, it was my script." Man, it felt good to say that. What I see too often here in the indie film world in New York is that people are hustling projects that clearly aren't ready in the script that's presented. Although there will be changes made to Jimmy Wade, it's where it needs to be in my honest to god judgement to move forward.

Now let's hope my UPM doesn't come back with, "You're going to need at least 5 million..."... in the meantime, check out Josh Friedman's blog, one of the best out there... and he updates about just as much as I do. EB

For those of you who are new here, I'm talkink about my feature film script, "Produced By Jimmy Wade".

So, what's the plan now?... well, I've got to finish the polish (2 weeks), get the script budgeted (not cheap), convince a casting director to work with me on the project, find a lead actor (preferably a name), write the business plan for investors, find the money to make the movie and then proceed to pre-production... needless to say, I'm going to have a lot to blog about moving forward.

With all that said though, I'm very pleased with my script and am really glad that I didn't start sending this out in the world until both my reader and I were happy with the results. Been there, done that, never again. My friendly advice to fellow writers out there... I thought it was ready after the second draft, it wasn't. I thought I brought it to the next level after my third draft, I didn't... but then after this last pass (fourth draft) I felt in my own heart of hearts that it was really close... and it is... and it's not just me or my mom saying that (see my readers link above). Now just a little bit more and it's there. FYI... that first page one re-write, was about 8 months ago. Keep writing and thanks for checking in.... EB.

Recently I've gone back and read some pages from earlier scripts, stories written over the past five years, and I cringe at a lot of what I read... it screams amateur, hack, pack up and go home... but then I think about the 3rd draft that I'm going through now and I can actually see the shedding that's taken place. Why, you may ask?... well, if you've read anything about screen writing, you've probably come across the saying, "kill you babies"... which means that as a writer, you can't be affraid to delete that favorite line of dialogue, that character that has no point or even a scene altogether if it doean't push the story forward or deepen the understanding of a character. I've come to look at "killing your babies" as a type or form of "shedding".

Living in New York City, I come across many artists all wanting success but what I've seen is that they want it NOW... they're not willing to put in the time to shed and grow as an artist till it's the RIGHT time... at least that's what I keep telling myself.

Hopefully the posts will pick up when I put this script to bed and begin work on packaging and financing... but again, I make no promises. Thanks for reading... EB.

P.S.- Script comes first though... still writing.

I'm taking this Friday night and am going to finish the last 10 or so pages so I can then go through it with a fine tooth comb, send it back to my reader and then wait to get slashed and burned again into more changes. I've been stuck on these last 10 pages for about two weeks. There are any nubmer of ways to end the thing but what I've been doing is waiting for my gut to speak to me about which way to go... and now, I think I've got it.

It is all very frustrating but the reason for being slow and taking my time is to do it right... I know in my gut of guts what is and is not working and I have a feeling most writers do. The problem is that making changes to one little itty bitty thing leads to any number of changes throughout the entire piece... that's what scares us away from listening to those nagging gut instincts. This time, I'm not going to shy away from them... taking them straight on.

I'll let you know how it turns out... keep your fingers crossed. EB