Three directors, no money for rent
I have a good problem. Three of my scripts have found directors in the last two weeks, after about 18 months of development. But! I just lost my day job and my bank account is in dire straits.
Each director has given me comprehensive notes, enough to keep me working overtime if writing was my sole moneymaker. I want to show them what a quick, clean worker I am, but I also have to pay my bills, and eat. What the hell do I do?
– Ben
NYC
Most screenwriters are broke at some point. Better it happens at the start of your career than the end.
I had a gap between my last “real” job and my first paid screenwriting assignment. I watched what little money I had dribble away. I made a spreadsheet budget and figured I could make it two months. My mom helped pay my rent, and I made it five months until the first check came. During that time, I wasn’t going out a lot.
Cut your expenses as low as you can. Don’t buy Starbucks. Cook cheap things you can eat for a week. And cancel your cable — you’ll be too busy working to watch.
Desperation can be productive. You have a lot of incentive to work your ass off.
Don’t get evicted or ruin your credit. You probably have someone in your life who can loan you some money to see you through this stretch. Maybe it’s a parent. Maybe it’s a friend. So ask. Be honest about the good things that are happening, and the bad things.
How cool are the directors/producers you’re working with? If there’s one you really click with — and who doesn’t seem to be down to his last twenty — be candid about your situation and see if he’ll advance you some money. A director can’t get your best work if you’re fighting to stay afloat.
There’s no romance in being broke, and no shame either. Be smart and work through it.
26 Responses to “Three directors, no money for rent”
Leave a Reply
RSS feed for comments on this article.
Get a Gravatar. They're free and work on lots of different sites.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:16 am
Oy. All I have to say is: good luck!
(And really, do keep your chin up! It seems like good things are happening for you. I truly believe that if you keep working hard — and follow John’s advice ;) — they will only continue to get better.)
July 20th, 2010 at 11:34 am
You should immediately go to the Actors Fund. They support anyone in the entertainment industry.
http://www.actorsfund.org/
Two years ago, I was getting over surgery, had little income, and was in danger of eviction. The Actors Fund helped me out by paying my rent (including back rent), utility bills, and some household bills for one month. It helped me get back on my feet. They also have other resources, including employment support, referrals for healthcare and mental healthcare, etc.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Hang in there, bro!
July 20th, 2010 at 11:52 am
Yes, learning to cook is key. Eating well is not expensive, it just takes more time then your everyday McD’s lover. Join a food coop, if you can. They offer fresh produce and local meats close to wholesale prices.
Cooking fresh healthy food is good for the body, mind, and soul. Your work will be better for it.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Thanks, everyone. This is all so helpful. Poverty is a great motivator like John mentioned, but man am I tired of it.
I just checked out the Actors Fund site and called them. Thanks very much for that, Scott. It looks great.
As for John’s Starbucks comment, I’d like to share a trick I’ve learned after many years of coffeehouse writing. Starbucks gives free refills on coffee (if you have a Starbucks card; if not, they’re 50 cents). So, as long as you enter the store with a cup in hand you will never have to pay for another cup of coffee again. Sorry to endorse criminality here, but a writer without coffee is like a car without gas.
Ben, NYC
July 20th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
:) This one means a lot to me.
@Ben,
In my living room, there’s a crappy roman pedestal with a dome, that contains a can of Deseret Industries Peanut Butter. – This is from the welfare organization that my mom and us, (her four kids) went onto when I was 8 years old. – Its the kind of can that you open with a can opener and there’s a compressed cube of peanut sediment floating in a pool of oil that you mash & stir up with a fork. – She cried for 3 days when the first one arrived because she thought it meant she was a bad parent. – I didn’t really know why I packed that can of peanut butter when I left home… I just knew I wasn’t supposed to forget it. – I sold my first screenplay while I was living in a 400 sq foot no-bedroom apartment, (a section of an abandoned ballet studio above a coffee shop) with nothing but a snippet of video of Will Smith talking about work ethic (see below), a treadmill in the ‘kitchen corner’ and a regimen of food that came from the farmer’s market up the street. – I had to sell my motorcycle to make the last month… and that was when the peanut butter and the pedestal became the center of my home. – But I didn’t die. – I’m completely serious. I didn’t. – My mom’s house is paid off now, and I do okay. Hopefully with a tent-pole in my future, because I absolutely still have a dream in my pocket… even if my apartment’s a little bit bigger now. Because the peanut butter’s still there. And every day I look at it and hit the play button on my iTunes at exactly 10:00 AM and say, “Come on, we’re gonna do it mom.” – Because I know, that I don’t get to throw that goddamned peanut butter and everything it represents away, until I get to set it down on top of the Oscar podium, and tell some kid where it came from. – And so it is from a place of comfort and almost WISHING I could be back in that little nook where nothing was every so perfectly clear as the need to stay on target that I say this to you… Don’t pussyfoot around in this moment. – The world is yours dude. – Grab it by the fucking throat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLN2k0b3g70
July 20th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
@Synthian – nice.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
@Synthian – very nice.
July 21st, 2010 at 3:52 am
@Ben,
Really enjoyed your post in that I have been there, Bro. The good times will come, if you continue to work hard and perservere. By the way, I LOVED your STARBUCK’S tip – and I wouldn’t call it criminality. To me, Criminality is charging $5 for a cup of coffee – ;)
@ John,
I have to say, coming off writing, directing and producing an Oscar-qualifying short film, and directing and producing a Hollywood feature, with several offers on the table for my next project, as we finish editing on said feature, made it A LOT easier to read your post, which was an excellent one. Like you John, I remember well those “romantic” times (and I can only now look back on them with such romanticism) of taking cold showers, because the heat was off (that was several years back, but I STILL remember it well), struggling to pay bills, and even the loss of a $12.5 million project with an Oscar-Winner attached. In some ways very painful times, but then, years later, very empowering, as well. Also, in all due honesty, I thought your advice was spot on, and again, I felt like I was reliving all those things – the good, the bad and the ugly. Just when I think you have nothing left to offer – you keep rolling along with these wonderful posts. I truly hope A LOT of people heard this one – because I believe if a writer can get through those tough times, he can reach the promised land.
As always John, continued success in your career – and again, Ben, keep perservering, as your day will come ….
July 21st, 2010 at 9:01 am
Hi Ben,
I wonder.. According to your financial situation, I do assume that you re working for 3 directors that are ready to PAY for your work (if you re short of rent money , it doesnt seem you can afford to work for nothing as of now.)
Arent they supposed to pay for developpement work? Even cheap money could do depending on the scale of the intended productions …and it s a verif that they are serious about making the movies..
July 21st, 2010 at 11:29 am
Inspiring stuff, folks. Inspiring stuff!
July 21st, 2010 at 3:30 pm
@Synthian:
Heartfelt, great story. Thanks for sharing.
@Ben:
Dating older or extremely overweight women is also a great source of income. They can be found on numerous dating websites or alone at a Starbucks. You have to invest in a separate phone line but it’s well worth it.
As for timing, usually around the middle of the 2nd date is fine for hitting them up for money. Make sure you broach the subject in casual conversation. Something like, “I really like you. Too bad I’m being evicted tomorrow” works like a charm.
Good luck.
July 21st, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Writer’s are entrepreneurs. Many people don’t make it as writer’s or business owners due to the uncertainty in business (show biz and other biz). It is a rite of passage to truly commit to your art / ambition. Dry times are a grace and a curse. It will pass – and you will be transformed. As John has well advised, work your ass off and ask for help. Writing and entrepreneurship can be lonely paths, albeit worth it.
July 21st, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Thanks guys. :)
Excellent plan as always Kevin.
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:33 am
Curses! Someone else knows my Starbucks secret! BTW, it’s not criminality. You’re complying with the rules to the letter. Show up with an empty cup and you get a free refill. Is that so wrong?
Ben, you are blessed. Working with three directors on three different scripts at the same time says to me you’ve got a bright future ahead of you. There’s no disgrace in losing your job, there’s no disgrace in being poor — God knows it’s happening to a lot of people right now. Hang in there and soon enough, your financial situation will catch up with your career situation.
Another BTW. John’s advice about canceling cable is something we ALL should think about. There’s a tremendous amount of great stuff being shown on TV, too much to even mention, but it all can be seen online (Hulu anyone?) and it all can be Netflixed if you’re willing to wait a few months. So cancel cable and put the extra money into food and movie tickets.
Synthian, I love you. You rock!
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:16 am
Thanks again, everyone. I can’t tell you how much this all helps.
@Synthian:
That was beautiful, inspiring. Thank you.
@Scott:
Unfortunately the Actors Fund only gives assistance if you’ve been in the industry for five years and have been paid for three. I don’t qualify. But thanks for the thought! If anyone knows of any other artists’ grant funds, I’d really appreciate leads.
@Laurent:
The directors and I are in the same boat. My goal, with my managers, has been to package the scripts with directors and stars and then sell them to a studio to get made. So no one gets paid until a studio comes through.
@Kevin:
(Un)fortunately, I’m with the woman of my dreams right now, and she’s quite fit. But, I appreciate the advice!
@John & Joe:
I haven’t had cable for a year, and I love it. There was a tough withdrawal period, but for me a DVD player and netflix account are more than enough.
Thanks again for all the kind words, everybody.
Ben, NYC
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Ben,
Exciting time! Happy for you. Wishing you much success.
@ Laurent,
Often, to get to a place where you can get paid, you have to work on spec. Attaching a producer or director who is not be in a position to pay you, but who can help advance the project, is often the way to get to that paid-writer place. Nutty, I know, but it’s how it works, even if you’re working inside the Hollywood system.
July 23rd, 2010 at 2:37 pm
@Ben,
Do you have Paypal? I’d be happy to give a little if it helps.
July 24th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
@Synthian
I loved your story. It looks like we come from that same background. The Deseret Industries peanut butter always did have that oily layer on the top, but I found it quite tasty after it was mixed. No one but us church welfare kids really have a childhood fondness for that bologna though. I can’t eat it now, but I loved it back then. I appreciate your story, as I’m striving with all I have to make something of my own life. Thank you for sharing those raw feelings and experiences with us. It helps re-inspire me to be a more successful person and achieve my writing goals.
@Ben
It’s great to know that I’m not the only one struggling right now. I have been so beset by debt the last several years that I can hardly focus on my writing. It’s funny how the despair of nothing can ignite that creative fire within us, and months later it can be the icy cold water that extinguishes it.
One thing I do know, is the harder I work the harder times get. Here’s something my high school wrestling coach told me once that has helped me get through those hard times: “Every once in a while, Life will throw up a wall. Most men try to walk around it. A few try to go over it, great men keep hitting it until they break through it.”
Keep fighting, keep working, remember all those great men and women who have fought for what you want and you will get there. I know that, because I know by working hard I will get there too. Good luck!
July 24th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Good advice… be HONEST. Everyone knows that the arts rarely support themselves (especially at first). So let the directors know what happened – so they understand you’re not ’slacking’; amazingly the more people you inform of your situation the more people you have helping you change your current dilemma!
Good luck with it all.
July 25th, 2010 at 8:34 am
@ Andrew,
I’ve struggled the past couple of days with your incredible offer. I’m so touched by it, I find it difficult to express, especially here. I want so badly to say no, absolutely not — but, I think it would be irresponsible to turn down your generosity. Anything you could give would of help, even just a bit for food. I promise to make it right when my checks come in, and (if the directors are cool with it) a Thank You in the film credits!
My email is borradan@gmail.com if you’d still like to coordinate something. Again, thank you so much.
Ben
July 26th, 2010 at 12:01 am
“There’s no romance in being broke, and no shame either. Be smart and work through it
very sage advice.
July 27th, 2010 at 9:07 am
@ Synthian–inspiring stuff. Thanks for sharing.
July 27th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
THANK YOU SO MUCH, everybody, for these unbelievably generous donations/loans. I’m so touched by the gestures I can’t really express it. I know I’m not the only one who needs this kind of help right now, which makes me feel lucky, guilty, hopeful, and above all — THANKFUL.
I can’t express how much it means. I promise to return the favors one day.
Ben, NYC
And, thanks of course to John for providing this amazing forum.
August 6th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Barley and lentils are better for ya, is cheaper than rice and lasts longer, oatmeal for breakfast, move to central Europe there is always work, cheap rent, get a cat it cheaper than going out or having friends, sell your books two at a time, you get more money, have a gay landlord they dont mind if you are late and look ok, get a chick with a job (think law) , dont call people, send sms’s if ya must, tell people you are going on vacation when you just stay home and write and they will leave you alone. Ask the Director for a little cash to translate your work, Boil coffee on the stove it lasts longer, you must exercise, dont go to the gym do push-ups… thats all I know, everything, just make sure ya get a cat
Power 10 Rob
August 23rd, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Just to add something else as, hopefully, a bit of encouragement. One of the hopes/curses of this business is that it can all change overnight. The hope has allowed people to hang on long enough for the new day to begin. But that same hope is a curse as it allows us to rationalize things with the idea that tomorrow is that day. The truth depends a lot on how much you are doing to keep an eye on your real world while working toward that world where you are being paid for your creativity.
All writers/directors/actors would be well reminded that this is a fickle business; underline business. Yes, when you work you make a lot of money, but unemployment is the norm, no matter how many friends tell you “you’ll always work” (and they will). Learn how to live well but put that money away for the dark days. Same thing goes for those who are working a day job in order to break in. If that day job disappears, you have to have a plan.
But it can all change….
Example from my life. I had been working quite a while as a writer. However I had just gone through a costly divorce and I didn’t have a job at the moment. But I knew that some residuals were due and, with those, I’d have enough to make it five or six more months.
The resids didn’t come in. I called the WGA to find out what was going on. I discovered that the production company had filed an arbitration on the amount owed to its writers. This meant that I would be paid something, but it would most likely take a year or more to figure it out.
I was screwed. I went from a six month buffer to less than a month. I called my real estate agent and told her I needed to see her in a week (the next Friday) to discuss putting my house on the market. That was on Monday.
Tuesday, I got a call from a production company asking if I’d be interested in coming on board a show and producing.
Wednesday, I got a call from a studio telling me I had sold a pilot to ABC.
Thursday, I got another call from the same studio telling me that I had sold ANOTHER pilot to CBS.
I had gone from having to sell my house to a six figure income in three days. In fact, I was on the phone with my agent figuring out details of the contracts when my agent showed up (I had forgotten to call her).
It can happen just like that. Or it might not. That’s the hope. And the curse.
I wish you well with this. It sounds as if you are taking realistic steps toward your situation and, considering your dedication, I’m sure something positive will come out of it. Even if the road is rough right now.
(oh, as a final note, when the arbitration was finally settled, I not only got the larger amount I was due, but a huge penalty interest payment from the company)