The Oscars have been given out and ‘The Hurt Locker’ brought home the gold. I didn’t watch, since the Academy Awards goes on so long and as a proud member of GenX I have the attention span…
Oh, sorry! I was distracted by a shiny object. Anyway, as a child of the information age I followed on Twitter, and as you can imagine it was a snarkfest. The snarkiest stuff was when the previously mentioned ‘Hurt Locker’ won for Best Original Screenplay. The Twittersphere lit up with nasty comments that would make Tarrantino blush. I sat there sipping my adult beverage watching in horror as folks completely dumped on the winner. Did it surprise me? No. Did it disgust me? Absolutely! But it did remind me of a similar incident a couple years back.
I was invited to a private cast/crew premier of a film out in Hollywood. I won’t mention what film, but it did go on to be nominated and win several prestigious awards. Well, to say it was amazing is just an understatement. The crowd rose to their feet at the final line of dialogue, and as the music swelled the claps and cheers drowned out all. It truly was one of the most inspirational things I have experienced over the last several years, and one of the reasons why I continue to work hard at this business every day.
But then, it happened. I walked outside the theater and overheard comments that turned my stomach. The gaffers complained about the lighting, the editors poked fun at the color correction, the cinematographers criticized camera moves, actors made fun of other actors, and the screenwriters in attendance… well, you get my point. Was it jealousy? Maybe. Arrogance? Definitely. I couldn’t come to grips with anyone being so full of themselves that after applause and hugs with the director, would step outside, light up a cigarette and start up the trash talk.
Luckily my years in corporate America taught me about the silo mentality. For those who don’t know what that is: It’s when a person is so focused on his/her specific job that he/she doesn’t understand the big picture. At the premier I looked upon the film as one complete package, and as a producer that’s my job. But the trades will look at their individual pieces and seemingly ignore how it all works together. That’s the silo mentality.
So when the snarkfest began about ‘The Hurt Locker’ winning for best screenplay, I spotted the silo right away. A film cannot win best picture unless it has a great foundation, and that building block is the screenplay. It’s the blueprint to the whole construction project. ‘The Hurt Locker’ wouldn’t have won if it’s screenplay was not worthy of winning it’s own Oscar.
Yet it’s also true, and should be stressed, that a script on it’s own is nothing without actors, grips, gaffers, a director, producers, sets, props, and all the billion little things it takes to make it into the final product. Filmmaking is a team effort and needs team players. Successful screenwriters understand this, are flexible, and work within the system, taking the good with the bad, because the ultimate compliment is to see your project up on the big screen in a room filled with smiling faces.
I guess the lesson here is that Hollywood is what it is, but just as in corporate America the formula for success is the same: Don’t be a complainer, do your job to the best of your ability, do more than is expected, be a pleasure to work with, and have the humility to work as a team member. The focus should be on the end product and on the reward of having actors speak your words up on the screen.
