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The (Mis)Concept(ion) of Selling out by @jwillis81

5/20/2014

 
I was on twitter today and thanks to seeing a retweet from J. Holtham (@jholtham), I ended up reading a solid twitter rant from Motion picture executive / Writer Jeff Willis about the words "sell out" in relation to screenwriters taking jobs writing (or rewriting) scripts for other people. For pay. He tackles the way that people use the words "selling out" against writers who take money to work on projects that aren't theirs, that they might not personally love every minute of, or which aren't wholly aligned with their artistic passions. Or are just  bad movies.

Does writing a bad movie (for someone else, from their idea) make you a sell out? Does writing a good movie that wasn't your idea or that doesn't satisfy you on an artistic level make you a sell out? Mike Sweeney offers his thoughts in a reply to Willis.

@jwillis81 I'd rather be a working craftsman than a starving artist.

— Mike Sweeney (@Courier12) May 20, 2014
Obviously, we all want to write the stories that burn from within our souls and see them realized. Whether their work graces the screen or the stage, most dramatic writers have their own stories to tell, but along the way, we sometimes end up telling other people's stories too. Why? We also have a powerful need to eat. Seriously, though, some people come up with ideas. And some people write. My dad's a commercial painter. Other people design buildings and hire him to paint them. He doesn't always love the paint swatches they choose, but that doesn't matter. He's hired to paint, not to design. He finishes a job, he moves on to the next. But writers are artists, right?

On the playwriting front, I have my plays that I write because they are stories I find important and meaningful and burn from within me (see Pathogenesis). To afford to write those scripts, I need money. Like everyone else. So I look for jobs. Some of those jobs I seek involve writing for hire. Writing plays for producers. Fortunately, I've stumbled into playwriting commissions that I fell in love with (see Ichabod). To be fair, writing a play on commission is very different from writing a screenplay for hire. In playwriting, we retain copyright and ownership of our scripts. Writing for the screen has a very different set of rules. Playwriting commissions usually fall into more of a partnership and my experience with screenwriting (see Separation Anxiety) was very similar to that world because I worked with friends and their independent film company.  

I've not worked in Hollywood yet. Though when that happens, I know I'll be writing scripts for the people cutting the checks. The producers. The studios. However those contracts may read, ultimately, those script won't be mine when I put them down. When I write screenplays in the future, some will be my passion projects that I will write on spec and work hard to sell; but as Willis details in his twitter rant (posted below), it's more likely that my specs will lead, not to million-dollar sales, but, to jobs executing another's vision. Paying jobs, mind you. Writing for hire. Not every job I take will warrant my artistic design (though, that is still a goal and one for which I will always strive). For some, I'll just be a contractor. A skilled craftsman doing my job. Crafting. To someone else's design.

Is that selling out? Read the rant below and know that I agree with Jeff Willis.

Had a conversation with a friend (and aspiring writer) last week about the process of working with a prodco on one of my projects.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

During the convo, I mentioned that now - a few rewrites later - I was feeling a little burned out and creatively uninspired by it.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

I said that the script was basically in the long cycle of getting notes, rewriting, repeating, and I was just waiting for the next round.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

He mentioned how it must be nice to be at the point where I can sell out for a paycheck and that he hoped to do the same soon.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

And what I took issue with is the idea that rewriting your script for money is somehow selling out. It’s not. THAT’S THE JOB.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

So the following little rant is devoted to the (mis)concept(ion) of selling out.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

A screenwriter’s job is no different than any other. People pay you for your expertise and ability to carry out the job they need done.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

For most writers, it’s not a business where we get to write whatever we want and people then beg to give us money because we’re so great.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

It’s a myth that this job is one where you sustain yourself on specs written in a vacuum that then sell for ridiculous amounts of money.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

The majority of working writers make their money by executing or accommodating the vision(s) of the people willing to pay them.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

And I hate to break it to people, but sometimes you won’t agree with what they want. Sometimes you won’t love what you’re working on.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

You have two options at that point. Write it anyway and get paid, or refuse to write it and don’t get paid.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

Not writing what they want and still getting paid is rarely one of your options.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

If you choose to write what other people want you to write in exchange for a paycheck, that’s called WORKING.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

Selling out is specifically compromising morals, integrity, or principles for money or other consideration.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

If disagreement with someone else’s creative input is a violation of your personal values, you’re in the wrong business.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

More importantly, if you can’t find a way to creatively collaborate with other people, this is DEFINITELY the wrong business for you.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

More importantly, if you can’t find a way to creatively collaborate with other people, this is DEFINITELY the wrong business for you.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

As writers, we need to stop pejoratively referring to legitimate paid writing work as “selling out.” Even if it’s a bad movie.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

It’s not selling out to accept a paycheck from someone willing to pay you for your talent and expertise.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

Accusations of selling out only encourage the myth that writers should only accept work when it’s their own creative vision being realized.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

If you want to work in this industry, you need to accept the fact that, like any job, it will involve some assignments you won’t love.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

We don’t tell carpenters they’re selling out by continuing to work on a house for which they don’t personally care for the architecture.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

We don’t tell chefs they’re selling out by choosing to work at a restaurant that pays them to execute an owner’s menu.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

Why should we tell writers they’re selling out for agreeing to do a job that earns them a living, even when there are creative differences?

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

Artists are always free to pursue their own passion projects in their spare time. Having a paying job does not make them a sell out.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

It’s not selling out to earn a living doing one thing while you do something else creatively fulfilling on your own time.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

If someone can earn that living at screenwriting, GOOD FOR THEM regardless of what those projects are.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

Don’t judge someone’s integrity as a writer by the paying jobs they’re offered and accept.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

If you’re going to judge someone’s integrity as a writer, have it be by their professional attitudes and work ethic.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

So in conclusion, please, PLEASE reserve the “sell out” label for people who truly compromise their personal values in pursuit of money.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014

And stop using the “sell out” label to refer to people who make a living doing the best job they can to implement another person’s vision.

— Jeff Willis (@jwillis81) May 20, 2014
If you're on twitter, you can obviously follow Jeff Willis at @jwillis81.
And you can follow me at @JeremyWrites.

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    Jeremy's blog

    Thoughts. From my brain. Anything to do with how we tell stories and the stories we tell each other. Literally and figuratively. 

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    Writer. Husband. Father. Effulgent dreamer. A Fightin' Irishman (@NDdotEDU '01). A playwriting Bobcat (MFA in Playwriting, @OhioU '13). I write plays. I'm a geek. I wanted to be an astronaut. I go places in my head.

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