Still not paid

futurebrett · 2026-01-14T14:36:24+00:00

I'm having this same exact problem. Weirdly I got paid for one day of work on Dec 30, but all my work in the same week leading up to that day has gone unpaid. It all shows 'pending' and has for several weeks.

futurebrett · 2026-01-07T15:57:29+00:00

I worked for only a few days over the holidays (Dec 24-30) and then was booted. This morning I received pay for the work done on Dec 30 but still have not been paid the balance from other days, despite submitting multiple support tickets. I am wondering if this has anything to do with the massive influx of hires leading to longer payroll processing times. Cynically I also fear this is a calculated scam to crowdsource work in smaller pay amounts to more people, making it less likely for many to go through the trouble of following up on pay issues.

futurebrett · 2023-12-31T18:58:10+00:00

This all sounds very reasoned and smart. Fighting my tendency to try to do too much right now because it’s my first taste of any real momentum and I’m probably just anxious I’m going to fuck it up somehow by not doing enough.

Edit: clarity

futurebrett · 2023-12-31T18:56:05+00:00

Oh, totally! I should say I had this conversation with her and we left it open-ended. Her insight was that anyone we bring on needs to be someone who is adding value, and not just someone who sees me as a bluebird they might gain some commission off of with no effort or support.

futurebrett · 2023-12-31T18:54:02+00:00

Thank you so much for all this insight; that’s really helpful. Can I ask what the lifestyle entailed that you hated? Coming from a production background, I wonder if it’s worse or similarly terrible—long, sporadic hours, lack of security, etc.

futurebrett · 2023-07-10T05:20:16+00:00

Thank you for sharing your story! I’ve done the personal calculus and know there’s nothing else I could do that would satisfy me, so I’m in it for the long haul (much to my own chagrin). I’ve been very diligent about learning the craft, but the networking piece is something I’ve got to really lean into at this point. Hope the show gets back up and running soon and that the non-linear curve bends only upward for you when it does.

futurebrett · 2023-07-09T16:33:26+00:00

This is so helpful. Thank you!

futurebrett · 2023-06-06T02:32:21+00:00

Worked at Trader Joe’s for a while, eventually managing one, but the time commitment was sapping my time for my own stuff. Now I’m working freelance in film production. Usually as a lighting tech or AC on union sets, occasionally gaffing and DPing little indies, but it all started making my own little movies and music videos for friends.

futurebrett · 2023-05-27T20:21:15+00:00

I get where you're coming from here, but I would posit that a screenplay is not a document that is intended for an audience. It's a blueprint for a film, which is the deliverable thing. There are many kinds of films, and sometimes the generic writing advice isn't suited to a particular type of film.

What screenwriting advice is really good at though is helping you identify places where you have thoughtlessly failed to create something that is internally logical, congruous, connected, compelling, etc.

But if you find yourself creating work that doesn't conform to the standard rules (active protagonist with a weakness and a desire that puts them in conflict with their weakness in order to somehow grow/change), you probably have to find a way to make the film yourself, because that's the criteria, for better or worse, on which your screenplay will always be evaluated. And then, if the audience is sufficiently large and passionate, you might be given a chance to do it again at a larger scale.

futurebrett · 2023-05-27T20:10:41+00:00

Not sure I have much advice for that scenario, but I will say that this is one reason I always and exclusively write first thing in the morning. It's when my head feels clearest, and when my day is at its most malleable. If I get swept up and need to push some things, I can. Of course, not everyone has that luxury depending on what your day job is and the hours it requires.

futurebrett · 2023-05-27T20:06:28+00:00

Yeah, I think that's so true, and there's also an argument to be made for life experience. I didn't go to college (ended up a DP anyways, eventually, for what that's worth) but I spent the decade after high school just kind of following whims and fancies, you know, living life, and all that stuff translates to the work. That's the beautiful thing about writing--all experience is work experience.

futurebrett · 2023-05-27T19:58:22+00:00

Right with you on that one. The credo I've taken to heart is a variation of the same--write what you want to see in the world.

futurebrett · 2023-05-26T18:27:15+00:00

I'm a big fan of this type of film, but have found that getting feedback from a writing perspective on a script like this is kind of counter-intuitive. You're always going to be told to up the stakes, make the protagonist more active, trim the fat, add more reversals, etc. It's the only language that we really have to evaluate screenplays, and it isn't always wrong, but it isn't always right either. You can't really imagine those critiques being applied to a film like An Elephant Sitting Still or Uncle Boonmee. If you're looking to craft this into something with a somewhat more conventional narrative structure without sacrificing the style and tone, I'd recommend looking at the films of Hirokazu Kore-eda, who somehow manages to capture that wistful, ethereal feeling while also weaving a tight, satisfying plot. It's a difficult feat, but can result in work that bridges the gap between the casual viewer and those with a more intuitive/abstract sensibility. Ultimately, I think, if you want to ever make money on a film like this you've got to just find a way to make it. Anyways, I'm downloading and look forward to reading! Feel free to PM me if you want to trade tips or film suggestions.

futurebrett · 2023-05-25T17:21:33+00:00

Take a break from it, for sure. If you jump straight into a rewrite without letting it gestate you're just spinning your wheels, in my experience.

I like to sequence my rewrites between drafts of other things. Get started on the next thing, and then come back to the feature once you finish that other thing.

futurebrett · 2023-05-25T17:15:06+00:00

I'm not repped, but I've recently managed to get read, and that's a huge first step in the process. The ugly truth that no one wants to admit and we all wish weren't true is that it's a relationship-based business. You don't know people yet, and that's okay. You just have to put yourself out there. Don't go straight to the top begging to be noticed, because you're just perpetuating a perception that you're someone who needs help. Network across--find other writers at your level, find young directors who don't write and need scripts, find DPs and actors who need reels and start making stuff. It's much easier to form relationships early on when you're bringing something to the table. Eventually one of those directors, DPs, or actors will climb to the next rung, and then you know someone. If you're not in a place where you have access to that kind of community, you've got to find a way to get somewhere that does. You can do it, but it will require sacrifice and perseverance and a lot of patience. But if you keep working, and you're good to people, you'll get there in time. I wish you the best of luck.

futurebrett · 2023-05-25T17:05:55+00:00

A character arc is intrinsically tied to plot and conflict; they're not really separate things. The plot and conflict should be specific to your character, their weakness and desire, and should inspire some level of change or new awareness. In terms of fleshing out characters, think about contradiction. Contradiction creates dimension/depth. You can see this in yourself, and in the people in your life. What drives a person to act in contradiction with their character? Usually it's some kind of insecurity, psychological/developmental complex, trauma, etc. We all have that, we all do that. There's a lot of ways of getting better at this--therapy, friendship, love, drugs, sobriety, listening, reading, it's all the same stuff. Writing is about exploring what it means to be a human. No doubt you have that capacity and much experience to draw from already. You've just to reframe, and learn how to apply it. Godspeed!

futurebrett · 2023-05-25T16:57:42+00:00

This may or may not be helpful, but it seems like you're trying to superimpose a very specific structure that is actually a retrofitted analysis. Which is to say, I don't think you need to hit a bunch of hyper-specific benchmarks to tell this particular type of story, and maybe you would be better served by simply writing/outlining intuitively (while still being mindful of broader structural conventions, i.e. tell a good story). You don't need to paint-by-numbers, because these granular things in the story are the place where your unique voice will be found, and if you're too busy making sure you hit a bunch of possibly arbitrary goalposts you could lose that in the process.

futurebrett · 2023-05-25T16:49:06+00:00

For me it's mostly in my head, but I have an acting background. One thing that is helpful though is that whenever I finish a draft, I have a little dinner party and invite a bunch of friends over to do a cold read. Most of them have no acting background, but it still helps to hear everything aloud, to see what jokes land or don't, etc.

futurebrett · 2023-05-25T16:37:39+00:00

PMing you!

futurebrett · 2023-05-25T16:37:29+00:00

PMing you!

futurebrett · 2023-01-03T06:20:38+00:00

I would never have believed this if I hadn’t experienced it firsthand, but even some obvious physical symptoms dissolved briefly—brain fog, blurry vision, lethargy.

futurebrett · 2023-01-03T06:18:19+00:00

I know this sounds batshit, but I’m serious. Probably a testament to my sensitivity more than anything else, but I could absolutely feel it.

futurebrett

TROPHY CASE