Random Sunday

Just for fun I thought I'd throw down the tagline for 'Meat Men':

Justin Greeves and his crew of Meat Men are the self appointed bad boys of the grocery store. These perverts and playboys really know how to deliver ‘service with a smile’, if you know what I mean. When their supermarket supremacy is challenged by a new manager with his own crew of meat-cutting ringers, The Meat Men must fight back the only way they know how: an old school meat duel. Winners take all, losers are cut out!

Also, in recent news, I've decided to expand my format and add a Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100002510292593

Check me out!

And some videos, just for fun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbsxfoj-Uxc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyJWGLeJ6t8

lol.

The Agent/ the Search for Representaion PART TWO (teaser)

Coming next week:

A little preview, the guy I spoke with here in Savannah was the agent for this movie:

The Agent / Search for Representation PART 1

Well, having created and crafted this script, I went into research mode on how to move to the next step. Evidentially you can’t just send a script to Bruce Willis and have it go into production mode.

who knew???

First, you need an agent to push the thing to a movie house or investors who will then THINK about optioning your script. If it gets optioned, that means they have the option of selling your script for production for a limited period of time. So, the writer gets like 1-2 grand for that period of time and more if the script actually gets sold.

What they don’t tell you is that finding someone to even read the damn thing is like selling dictionaries door to door. Lucky for the agencies out there, I don’t actually live in California where I could just walk into these places and push the script over the counter at them, then show up daily unstil something happened. Instead, the process for me is more of emailing blindly and sending out hundreds of submission letters with very little coming back my way.

I will say little because I did have two nibbles :

-          The first was Donald Glover’s (Community, Bro-Rape) agent, who took the script, then turned me over to his manager. The manager’s secretary told me he’s busy on tour and something like what I have (just words on paper) isn’t really in MR. Glover’s ballpark anymore. If I had something that was in production and ready to be shot, he’d be all for it, but for right now he’s touring as ‘Childish Gambino’… best of luck to him, I’m still stuck in Georgia writing scripts.

-          Secondly, I corresponded with an agent out of New York via email. Now, I have no idea what this person’s actual station is in the grand scheme of things, but I feel they were a small enough shop to listen to what I had to say, yet too small to get something actually off the ground. (remember this concept because it will come back again in ‘The search for representation Part 2’) While that guy did read my script his only real help was that I should re-format it and think about taking out some of the naughtier stuff. IF I were to re-write it as a novel he’d read it then. (Not going to happen)

Eventually, feeling that the distance between myself and these ‘agents’ was making the difference. I decided to take the process in my own hands. Instead of just going blind, I felt being able to sell this baby in person would make a difference. So, I set about to find a local agent who would listen to what I had to say.

More on that in ‘The search for representation Part 2’  Next week!

Please tune in, same Meat time, same Meat channel!

The Script

Where did this movie come from?

For anyone who doesn’t know, the work and lifestyle of a butcher is a pretty hilarious thing. Basically all of them are alcoholics at least, most of the time more; and all of them think they are lady’s men. Working around a bunch of guys who cut meat all day can be pretty jhilarious, meat men tend to have a very specific humor: Very sexual and very sarcastic. Basically working with meat is my perfect occupation. Combining all of those things together and the fact that I have a degree in English, makes the script that I developed just a natural outpouring of my years of working around these guys.

In the tradition of things like ‘Clerks’ and ‘Waiting’ I think most people have held these jobs which basically suck, yet they still find some humor in their day-to-day. Movies such as those show just what can happen when someone in those positions sits down and tells a story. I personally have always had a hilarious time working with my meat and always wanted to share that with the world. This film is basically a 90- minute dick-and-fart joke set in a meat market and I’m proud of that fact.

I started gathering ideas together with a purpose about a year ago. Whenever I’d hear something funny, I’d just write it down and then transcribe that into a loosely collective  Word document when I had the time. After awhile the document thing started getting huge and I thought ‘how am I going to fit all of this into an actual story?’ From there I brainstormed and got a basic plot of a bunch of silly guys working in a meat market, who are then threatened to loose their jobs. The whole thing about the meat market contest to save their jobs and the stuff with the Super Cutters…. Man I think I was taking Sudafed and coffee that day and just jetted through about five pages of college lined notebook paper. The end result was the plot outline as it stands.

After finishing up all of that, I took my script and had it registered with the Writer’s Guild of America, East. From what I can understand, having your creative work on file with them is like a copyright, protecting my ass from someone swiping my idea. Also, once this baby does get into the negotiation phase, having that registered will give me some leverage.

*****

While writing this film I was refining, adding things, taking things out, the whole process was pretty loose. What I’ve come up with is a pretty solid script (as I and others think) which still has the opportunity to have a few jokes added. Like all other creative works, I don’t think it will ever get to a point where every single thing I want in there is included, but it will get to a point that I can walk away and just get it on film. All my other ideas will just have to wait. (That’s where Meat Men 2 insert marketable title here comes in)

Before we film, I intend to do a read-through with the potential cast, see how the jokes play out as written and add in whatever pops up. While I don’t really want to mess with the actual story progression, if we add another ten minutes of funny ad-libbed stuff this movie’s only going to get better.

Catching up

Well, although I am several (small) steps into the production of a movie, I still have about a million to go. However, being that I didn't start this blog at the same time I finished the script, I figure I'll take an opportunity and fill whoever is reading in on where I'm at currently.

The Script: Yes, I have a finished script of a full comedic movie. It is a bit rough, I'll admit, but it's all there. I finished the first draft of the script and copywrited it with the Writer's Guild of America, East, about three months ago. Since then I've made some small changes, but visualistically it's still the same. More on that next time.

The Agent: (process of agents/representation searching) They tell me to get a movie made you must have money. Who knew? With that, I've sent out SEVERAL inquiries regarding this, and gotten very little back. A few people have accepted my emailing them the script, however none of those people really wanted to get involved. Taking the process into my own hands, I have found an agent here in Savannah, GA where I live and have given him a copy of the script. More on that in a later post.

The Talent?: With regards to the before-mentioned agent, on his advice I am going to have to play the role of executive producer with this film, at least for right now. Thinking that way has opened many doors in my head and gotten me thinking about casting, budget, marketing, merchandising, etc. I have some ideas and will also discuss those in yet another later post.

Get it in the can or die trying (what up!)

Well, as most of these blogs start out, and as trite as it is, I have to say it: This is my first ever blog. However, unlike most of the other blogs this is going to be less about me and my day to day activites and focused primarily on my making a movie and the steps which have and are taking place along that journey.

Ultimate goal- sitting in a movie theater with a bowl of popcorn (preferably with a little hole in the bottom for something to stick through) as I watch my movie roll out onto the big screen.

Best of Luck, self!