The New Intro

A lot has happened since we last spoke.  Mountains have moved.  Tides have turned.  Dispositions have improved.  And if it isn't obvious enough, certain work ethics have fallen by the wayside.  

As it tends to happen with writers of all lots of life, distractions come into play on a regular basis – this is something our TSL friend Randal Stevens has pontificated upon many times over, and to the most accurate T that I think I've ever been privy to.  

It may seem like I, Leroy, am doing everything in my power to rationalize my lack of content as of late.  I'll be completely honest – yes, I am, by God.  The reason is simple:

I've been "gone" because I've been immersed in a completely new world within the cinematic universe.  For the first time in my life I'm not doing any of the following:

-Conceptualizing without receiving any credit

-Tweaking someone else's work

-Being a bitch

-Being forced to do mundane tasks with no purpose

-Hating every moment of my professional existence

No matter how much I've preached against it in the past, I, Leroy, have time and again indulged the cynicism that so feverishly runs rampant within the entertainment industry.  It's certainly easy to see why, especially with the above mentioned previously regular tasks I've had to attend to since my birth within the world entertainment.  And I'll be the first to admit that everything that is mentioned above is a tried and true, totally necessary evil that one must suffer to successfully survive the "weeding out" period that seems to last into perpetuity whilst in the bowels of Hollywood.

The short version is that I was staffed to work on a film – not as a PA, runner (code for "random task gopher"), or anything like that.  It's been an "actual" position – I leave the title up to your imagination.  During the past month and change that I've worked on this film, my eyes are completely open.  I actually know how to put a movie together from start to finish with real talent, unions, the endless permit-age, the bookkeeping, the tracking and distribution of all equipment you could imagine, and more.

To keep this brief and as far as away from self-indulgent as humanly possible, I have a new mission:

I'm going to cut out the bullshit for you.  All the shitty books about how to produce a film are exactly that – shitty.  They don't tell you what you need to know about anything logistical or even close to methodical – they're get-rich-quick-scheme smut rags.

My previous blog entry was part 1 of a series that was to be dedicated to producing your own written material.  That's the direction I'm still heading, but prepare to get the actual information you'll need to know to make a "legitimate" film.  How to staff it, run the show from start to finish, everything.  This shouldn't have to be insider knowledge with lingo and jargon tailored to alienate the non-insider.  Fuck that.  We all have good ideas, so we all deserve the total know-how on how to make our dreams come to fruition.

I'm done ranting.  But consider this the new "Intro Entry."  Of course I'm still going to get into writing – the screenplay is bar-none the most important component to a film.  But the most powerful person in entertainment is the writer/producer.  Many would argue the writer/director, but that's a crock horse shit.  If you don't know how to put the movie together (which is what the producer does – admit it, a lot of you don't know what a producer does, as I didn't either until I actually started working with them)… you don't really have any power.

My goal is to instigate of movement of self-empowerment that goes beyond the blogosphere, and YouTube or viral success.  My goal is to start an "outsider takeover" of film.

Who's with me?

Coming next:  The Credits Breakdown – I.e. What the fuck is a grip?  And how can a Best Boy be a girl?