Looks like I have a job.
I even get paid.
So what is it?
A former agent of mine sent an action screenplay I wrote two years ago called The President's Heart. It was enough for a producer and director to hire me to write a screenplay for them.
It's not a big movie, actually probably under $1 million. The idea came from them and is to be "A family in jeopardy."And it will probably go to netflix or someone else as well as international sales which will earn more than domestic.
So it means some money. But it also means something that's even better.
A credit on imdb.com
I'm sure most of you know imdb, or imdb.com. or IMDb.com
This is the most important thing to have if you want a career in the movie business.
Why?
Because that's where everyone goes to to see just who you are and/or who you say you are. Imdb started somewhere around 1990 by collecting names of film people, mainly actors, writers and directors. Then it began inserting everyone else who was on a movie.
Today it has over 3 million titles (movies) and over 6 million personalities.
And yes, I'm one of them.
But so are everyone on the movie from producer to writer to actor to grip and so on.
And why is it important?
Because if your name isn't there, you're nothing. And I don't mean that personally, it's just a fact that shows that either you're in the business or not.
And if you're not, or if you haven't worked lately, it also shows that. And that's not good. For example, my last movie produced was 2010. This new movie I'm writing will be made in summer and thus my name will be pushed ahead five years to 2015.
Which means I'm not dead.
Or unemployed.
Or both.
But there is a bad part to IMDb.com also. Your age. I made a big mistake writing my age on other websites and now it appears on IMDb.com.
So what does it matter?
Ever hear of "it's a young man's business."
But needless to say, all that matters is that you have a recent credit. If I'm lucky I might get two or three credits this year. My French connection movie looks like it might film in late summer in France.
And yes, I'm going to France to hang out and eat real croissants. And vin rouge. Oui?
Here's what it sort of looks like... the first line is all the jobs I did besides writing.
