Cinespot : Charlie's corner

Charlie's corner

Updates It's been a month since we send the script to Bumpy, the production, and still no word. They probably passed on it but don't respect us enough to tell us. That's the way it goes. Jon, my writing partner on Above Paradise, entered the script into the Writer's Network Screenplay and Fiction Competition back in May. Recently, we heard the script made it to the semi-finals, 297 scripts out of 1700. The finalists will be announced at the end of November. I've been going to this stylist, for my hair, for a few months now. I would say hairdresser but she calls herself stylist, so be it. She's really good and really expensive. Never in my life would I dream of getting a 40 dollar haircut but now I do. It's the best haircut I've ever had. I swear. Anyway, she's really nice, beautiful and thoughtful... here's how. She knew I was a writer, so she spoke to a client of hers who happens to be a producer at some big studio. The stylist, lets call her K.C., pitches the producer two of my scripts. The producer wants to see Above Paradise. Different way of getting into the studio but we'll see what happens. Now a better question is---is K.C. a really nice stylist by helping me out or does she like me? What do you think? I think she digs me. Who would go to all the trouble? Another question---if I ask her out and we do go out. What if something happens and we don't hit it off, can I go back and still get a great haircut? I mean it when I say it's the best haircut I've ever had. I don't want to mess that up. On the flip side, if we do hit it off and she's crazy about me, I never have to pay for another haircut ever again! Should I ask her out? Year four Your last year of film school---you're excited and scared at the same time. This year will be full of projects, graduation parties, vacations to plan and student loans to forget about. Producers should be producing shorts and commercials, hopefully with someone else's money. Directors will be shooting on 35mm and Panavision cameras, if your school has them. Writers will be writing and polishing their spec screenplays and sitcoms. D.P.s will be shooting, shooting and shooting. You guys will have your own crew and lots of projects to work on. Some of you will be polishing up your Demo Reels. Most important thing to remember from becoming a student to a working professional is one job leads to another. Even a non-paying job leads to a paying job. You never know who will land a paying job and bring you along. Your last year is your last shot to make mistakes and not get fired for it. This is the time to make your work stand out. Accountants, lawyers, and doctors walk away from college with degrees. Film students walk away with resumes consisting of commercials, short films, screenplays, portfolios and contacts. Your work is YOU. The best thing about film school is every homework you have is working on projects---your projects---your work. Your creativity, your hands, your genius is all over it. No one can take it away, regardless if it's crap or not. What I learned in film school You can go to USC, UCLA, NYU, Florida State or Academy of Art for film. The first four are the most prestigious and very expensive. You can pay all the money in the world, but if you have no talent, they cannot make you into a good filmmaker. Every film student that wants to be a producer, director, writer, actor and D.P. have one thing in common---they love to tell stories. If you don't like telling stories, don't waste your parent's money. Go to dental school. Written by Charlie Cheng