Hollywood: Who Will Get Picked Last?

Well, when we did the Hollywood simulation in class today, I was pretty pumped to see how it would all play out. I was on a writing team(surprise!) that specialized with sci-fi and fantasy genres. We wanted to try and expand our audience to include more than just the typical sci-fi "fanboy." I was optimistic. Our script was stellar(it really was!) and our intentions were good. We set out into the world of movie making confident that our scifi/romance/horror/comedy/drama film (can you say hybrid?) was going to succeed.

But then we started pitching our idea.

"No."
"Not interested."
"We don't like sci-fi."
"We already have a script."
"We're already signed."
"Wait...I"m going to play an ALIEN?!"

and so on and so forth. It was a stream of constant rejection for the two of us, and no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't sign a deal. We even lowered our salary and offered to rewrite the script. When class was over, we left, defeated. Our script was worthless to Hollywood. I felt like we were the kids picked last in gym class(kind of ironic, yes, that we were pitching a Sci Fi script? haha)

It seems as though the sci fi genre is officially dead, at least in the Malone version of Hollywood. I wonder, will anyone mourn its premature death?

This whole simulation gave me a frightening glimpse into what my future as a writer might possibly be. Rejection letter after rejection letter. No wonder they say Hollywood isn't for the faint at heart(do they really say that, or did I just make it up? oh well.) Good thing I'm not planning on writing scripts, or worse, sci-fi scripts.

This also made me think a little bit. Now, this may be totally off track of everything, and maybe I'm just reading into things a bit too much, but bear with me. Our script idea went against the mainstream and was at least somewhat original. But no one wanted it, because they didn't think it would sell. As a writer, am I going to have to limit what I write to what the media wants to hear? That's downright scary. If writers only get paid to write what the producers want to hear/see/whatever, then how can innovations ever arise? Granted, our sci fi thriller hybrid whatever you wanna call it wasn't exactly the Script That Would Change The World, but still.

Do we really control the media, or does the media control us? That, friends, is a question for a different blog....