Film and theater writer Neil LeBute told The Wrap that stupidity was the cause of his breakthrough into films.
He said, "I started hearing all these stories about these guys who had done these sorts of outlandish things to get money to make movies. You know, Robert Townsend with his credit cards, and Kevin Smith, who was working in the convenience store at night; and Robert Rodriguez doing some kind of chemical testing on himself, you know, medical experiments, and some other guy taking his money and putting it on red in Atlantic City -- crazy ways that they raised 25,000 bucks.m The reason I’m that here today is complete stupidity, which was that I believed wholeheartedly those stories.
"So I thought, Oh, I can raise $25,000 to make the movie, and I did, in the same sort of crazy way. I asked two friends who’d gotten in a car accident if I could have their settlement because I wanted to make a movie. I said, I’ll get you that money back and I’ll try to double it -- and ultimately did."[ The film was "In the Company of Men."]
But he hadn't realized that he'd also need money for post-production, so actually the price was closer to $125,000. He says, "But had I known it would be a hundred and twenty-five, I don’t think I ever would have set out to do it. I just never would have thought I could raise that kind of money."
I've said the same thing about my move to Hollywood, years ago, to break into TV writing. Thank goodness I didn't know how bad the odds were or else I probably never would have undertaken it.
That one worked out OK.
On the other hand, my agent just told me that we're down to one last publisher to try (at least for now) with my novel. He says publishers have either stopped or cut way back on publishing first-timers in fiction.
Thank goodness I'm ignorant enough not to give up hope. First we have that one more publisher to hear from. If she turns it down...then we improvise!
He said, "I started hearing all these stories about these guys who had done these sorts of outlandish things to get money to make movies. You know, Robert Townsend with his credit cards, and Kevin Smith, who was working in the convenience store at night; and Robert Rodriguez doing some kind of chemical testing on himself, you know, medical experiments, and some other guy taking his money and putting it on red in Atlantic City -- crazy ways that they raised 25,000 bucks.m The reason I’m that here today is complete stupidity, which was that I believed wholeheartedly those stories.
"So I thought, Oh, I can raise $25,000 to make the movie, and I did, in the same sort of crazy way. I asked two friends who’d gotten in a car accident if I could have their settlement because I wanted to make a movie. I said, I’ll get you that money back and I’ll try to double it -- and ultimately did."[ The film was "In the Company of Men."]
But he hadn't realized that he'd also need money for post-production, so actually the price was closer to $125,000. He says, "But had I known it would be a hundred and twenty-five, I don’t think I ever would have set out to do it. I just never would have thought I could raise that kind of money."
I've said the same thing about my move to Hollywood, years ago, to break into TV writing. Thank goodness I didn't know how bad the odds were or else I probably never would have undertaken it.
That one worked out OK.
On the other hand, my agent just told me that we're down to one last publisher to try (at least for now) with my novel. He says publishers have either stopped or cut way back on publishing first-timers in fiction.
Thank goodness I'm ignorant enough not to give up hope. First we have that one more publisher to hear from. If she turns it down...then we improvise!
