Managers & Agents

Spent some time at the Creative Screenwriting expo in downtown Los Angeles today.
I'm a big fan of the podcast that Creative Screenwriting puts up online so I thought I'd come check out the expo.
Other than the parties that cost 30 bucks to get in & 8 bucks for a Corona... It's been a cool event for the most part.
I really dug listening to Anthony Zuiker who created the CSI series - that show is screening every single day all around the world - outrageous!
He's written a book called "Level 26" that has a online web film that goes along with the book - you access it every 25 pages for interactive web bridges and there's a social networking site.
I haven't had a chance to check it out in much detail yet but, it sounds rad.
Then I went to the Agents & Managers panel but decided my time was better spent lying in the sun by the pool than listening to managers tell me "you're no one until someone tells me about you"...
Look I get it you are so big that you are inundated by people who want you to watch their film or read their script - I have an idea what that must be like -I was a festival film programmer for over 10 years.
With over 4000 finished film submissions every festival year - I get it.
But, I don't understand that comment or concept at all. As a Programmer, I figured I should try to watch as many films as possible since I know a good film when I see it. I know most people are somebody - whether anyone I know - knows them and I have a good head on my shoulders so I often know that - all on my own. It didn't hurt when someone I knew called to tell me about a movie, but I have honestly never thought "you're no one until someone tells me about you".
The one thing I miss and loved about film programming full time was finding an awesome little film - pulling it out of obscurity - screening it for an audience - and the audience loves it!
Then you find yourself standing at the back of the theatre with the filmmakers who are psyched and they think "I made that." and I would stand there thinking " I found that."
That's my rant in reaction to the agents and mangers panel today & on some level to that nice gent from the Village Voice who shall not be named who wrote one of my favorite Cronenberg films who swears a lot.
Speaking of things that will not be named - I'm starting a grass roots boycott of a certain nameless film festival who laid off a certain extraodinary world famous film programmer - so far it's just my husband and I who have signed on for the boycott but you have to start somewhere.

Xoxox

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone