The Whiteman Scenario - Journey to Screen

Dateline - Hollywood:

I was in LA last week and visited with two different producers about Whiteman. While I would love to name names, the nature of a Blog is such that I can talk about what we talked about and share with you the progress of the project - but the individuals have rights of privacy that I don't want to violate. Also, the negotiations require that I keep details to a minimum while helping us all realize that this project is going to happen.

The first producer with whom I spoke was very gracious and though s/he hadn't read it yet, had looked at the jacket summary and website and found the whole thing VERY commercial. That is a good thing. The second producer had read about 100 pages and was into it and needed me to focus on what role I want to play in the production of the picture. Both asked that, actually. Hollywood would like to acquire a property and then exploit it without limitation. Sometimes that produces a better, more entertaining story without the biases and pet-notions of the author. Sometimes they gut the story AND miss the commercial opportunity. It is a tough business that is all perception driven. The point is that if the original writer is on-board it can be a big help or a royal pain in the rear.

I've produced shows with the author at my elbow twice. Once it was a nightmare. The other time it worked out very well. It is a crap shoot. That is why 97% of what I produce and direct - I write. So they were asking me this to - essentially - see if I came with the package. At that point I was not convinced one way or another. Would I take a check and walk away? Maybe. It depends somewhat on the number of zeroes on the check... I can see the story taken into very experienced hands and produced at a high level. But, I can also see it go into "turnaround" which is Hollywood jargon for a colorless, shapeless zone in which the script moves from director to director and studio to studio until it is perceived as dead. My gut said that I wanted the project DONE - not just dough.

Then, as is the case with every business - but particularly Hollywood - nothing happened for days. The spiritual discipline in which I am currently working instructs me to hold my desire in mind and keep moving. This week - A LOT has started to happen.

Producer 1 - (who had disappeared off the radar) emailed me out of the blue to apologize. A commercial blew up and deadlines were... well... s/he got busy. Now, though s/he assured me that the book would get read en route to New York. Good deal.

Producer 2 - emailed and text messaged me after finishing the book to INSIST on a teleconference that night. S/He called right on time and was... what is the right word??? EXCITED OUT OF HIS/HER MIND about the story and execution! We talked for over an hour about the story and I started back to the screenplay with the idea that we would start pitching it to production companies and talent after the holidays. The other thing we discussed was raising the money and shooting it ourselves. That is... if I wanted to co-produce/write/and maybe direct. Well. I've done THAT before! Not to this level of decimal places - but I've done it.

To know what we were facing I called my line producer from I FLUNKED SUNDAY SCHOOL and asked her about meeting to discuss budget. She was driving past my house within an hour, so she dropped in to get the book. The next morning I joined her in her office to flesh the idea out some. Good meeting. Her gut was that movies over $7mill have trouble making a sound profit, but that WHITEMAN looked more like $10mill with a couple of real NAMES and lots of powerful effects. By the same token, its power suggested it would do VERY well at the box office and in ALL markets globally.

I left with the same message from her that I'd gotten from the Hollywood Producer - GET IT IN SCREENPLAY FORMAT. She was, however, very encouraging about Texas special effects companies, NASA's eagerness to cooperate, idle sound stages - and the fact that the big production companies have bought into the recession fear and have cut production in half. But, that makes LOTS of room for a good indie to find screens.

NOTE: It will be important for readers and followers of this journal to understand that the discipline and mindset I have undertaken presumes that any desire and yearning we possess is given to us by God. Our purpose for being here is a mystery that we unravel but is only brought into the light by our dedicated, committed, confident, and faithful belief that once we ASK for something - It is sent to us. THEN. Now - we may not be ready to receive it. So it is sent to the place big enough to hold it and we are sent on a journey to grow to that size... but the fact remains - it was sent when we asked for it. So, remember that as you read.

I started layout and writing of the screenplay. Movie scripts differ from novels in many ways. I'll write on that later, but suffice it here to say that - while it helps to have all the parts, it still isn't an automatic thing. That's why they give Oscars for best adaptation from other media. So - I am writing like fury. I have three pages... Then... I get a call from my line producer.

On her way home the evening that I gave her the book she gets a call from HER lawyer to drop everything and meet him at a VERY upscale restaurant in the Galleria area of town and be prepared to pitch everything she has. She dolls up, scrounges around for some cash for valet parking, and arrives to find her lawyer and a group of doctors and lawyers who proceed to announce that they are sick of the market collapse - have pulled their money out - and now are looking for a better idea. Specifically - a good movie to back. Not knowing how serious they might be, she floats a couple of projects she's working on that have VERY small budgets. "That's interesting but we're looking for something more substantial," the lead guy responds. Now... it has been only 9 hours since I left her office. She has only read the jacket of my book...

"I do have a $10 million action/adventure/cold-war thriller. The book is in the car."

"Go get it."

Turns out some of them are ex-Air Force.

Next day, I rush more books to her (she needs to really read the darn thing before they call her back) and called Hollywood producer 2. "WHAT???" was the initial response. Then wheels started turning.

Will these lawyer/docs want to put their bucks into the movie? Very possibly. Its sitting in a money market account vaporizing right now. But, maybe not... The nugget of truth here is - there are LOTS of people with LOTS of money (less than they had 2 months ago!) who are looking for an opportunity they can UNDERSTAND. If not this group (although, I have a goooooood feeling) then we'll put the deal together for another group using the same drivers - The economy has created opportunity at the box office!

Point is - whatever it takes - The Whiteman Scenario will be onscreen at a multi-plex near you soon.

How soon? I am not ready to limit it to Hollywood's drag-butt 36 months. It could be 12. We did I FLUNKED SUNDAY SCHOOL from concept to premier in 53 weeks with NO MONEY. With a BUDGET we could FLY.

But I don't want to rush. I want to enjoy this journey - and make a spectacular motion picture that entertains at high levels and honors the men and women who have faced the indescribably horrible pressure of deciding what action they can take that will protect their homes without ending the world.

Thanksgiving dinner will be delayed a bit. This prayer of thanks may take a while.

More later.

Steve