Just recently I watched 8 Mile—the Eminem bio film. The film is about rapper Eminem struggling to become a successful recording artist in Detroit by winning rap battles. It follows the exact same format that most “outsider young person struggles to find himself in a strange world” films (Step Up, Stomp the Yard, Drumline, Bring It) follow.

In the DVD extras, there is a section about filming the rap battles themselves.  Particularly, there is a story about how the film’s director and producers decided they wanted to have local rappers actually battle Eminem in order to get a more gritty realism.

The call goes out among the hundred or so extras who made up the crowd during the club and rap battle scenes. Three rappers, the ones who possessed the skills to top a real rap battle in the room, would then be put in the film as star actors featured battling Eminem. This was a chance of a lifetime for these actors who’d only been booked in very low paying extra jobs where their faces would likely never even be seen (see article on being an extra here). Here was a chance to be credited in a major motion picture, to have the camera right in your face and to be able to launch a career in acting.

Dozens of the extras tried out for the roles. Most were rejected out of hand, but quite a few showed promise. Eventually the contestants were whittled down and three lucky and talented ones were chosen. They were very talented too.

One by one, the rapper/actors/contest winners took their positions before Eminem to battle him. Although initially told to save his voice for the dialogue scenes and only to lip sync his comebacks against these rappers, Eminem couldn’t let the taunts in front of the packed room go unanswered. Impressively, true to his character in the film, he improvised clever responses to each rapper—clearly putting them in their place.

So what did we learn from this DVD extra? That Eminem is actually a very good rap battler? Yes. That’s what the film director wanted us to learn. But here’s what we learned that he didn’t want us to learn: After all of the contest—all of the hopes and dreams of each rapper in that room being placed before them—the promise of a starring role in a major motion picture. After winning the contest and being chosen as one of the three actors to battle the star; after filming the battle against Eminem and rejoicing, celebrating and telling all their friends and family about it; after the movie comes out six to nine months later, after all of the anticipation, after buying the popcorn and taking your seat in the theater….

Not a single one of those actors’ battles appeared in the film.  Every single one was cut. Every one. Those actors are not featured anywhere except in the DVD rap battle extras section. But at least they were featured there. Many actors find their roles, in fact, whole characters cut from movies. Where they expected a reel to show agents, managers, casting directors, or at least a credit for their resume, they may get nothing.

Some executive didn’t think the scene was necessary—one battle too many. Or it didn’t work—the lighting was bad, etc. For whatever reason, the film you starred in you no longer star in. The film goes on to be number one at the box-office—oh well, t least it got released. Hundreds of movies get filmed that never even get released.

Welcome to Hollywood. Such things happen here. They don’t always happen, but they do happen. The point is not to discourage you. The point is to make you aware so that, if it does happen, you don’t give up.

Good luck.

TRL

You are desperate. You have looked for a job for months and found nothing. You called all your friends and family, searched job sites, applied at the unemployment office and still…nothing. You pray. You pray hard. “God please.” The baby suddenly cries and you realize you are out of milk. At the grocery store, you run into an old friend you have not seen in years. You chat about old times and life and mention your job situation and he tells you that he recently just spoke to someone who told him of a job that is perfect for you. It is exactly what you love to do. It is in your field and you are qualified. Furthermore, it pays more than you have ever earned and has benefits twice as good as your previous job. You can hardly believe it. If the baby had not cried right then, you would have missed this connection. Wow.

You are overjoyed. You call the contact. It turns out to be a guy you know from school. You shoot the breeze and he invites you in for an interview. The interview goes swell. The second interview happens to be with a woman you met the previous year at a convention. The coincidence is mind boggling. She loves you. “You’ll be great in this position. I’ll call you in three days.”

Three days pass. Nothing. You call. They decided to eliminate the position to save money. Or worse, they decided to hire someone else. You are in the exact same situation as you were before, but now there is a tinge of pain.

“Serendipity,” noun-a chance meeting that leads to something good. “Errendipity,” noun-a chance meeting, occurrence or coincidence, thought to be something good, positive or lucky, that leads… to nothing.” Serendipity is based on an old Persian word for Sri Lanka: Sarendip. Perhaps its slight antithesis should be some unreal or imaginary place-like a mirage. Maybe the word should be “Mirageny” or “Miragenous”-when something you want appears suddenly and unexpectedly in your hand, then vanishes.

The home team is down by one point. Two seconds remain in the game. The press is on. The crowd screams. Your teammate snatches the in-bound ball and passes quickly to you at mid-court. You pivot. You jump. You shoot in milliseconds. Just before the buzzer. The ball arcs in slow-motion straight for the basket. The crowd holds its breath. It looks good. Your heart wants out of your body. The ball hits the rim. Bangs the board. Then the rim again…loops around…and around… and around…and… falls… out. Yes, out, not in. You lose! It was close though. So close. But you lose.

That situation calls for another word we need to create. It is not the same as “Errendipity” or “Mirageny.” Answers to prayers are called miracles. What is the opposite of a miracle? The definition of miracle is “a wonderful occurrence oft attributed to supernatural powers.” What would be an occurrence that appears miraculous, but turns out to be nothing? How about a “Nearacle” -almost a miracle? Or maybe “Miracal”-it looks like a miracle at first glace, but is not. Nearacles produce situations in which people sigh in disappointment. “Sighful” situations. Or maybe something like the opposite of awesome…”Naahsome.”

Life, of course, is full of such Naahsome, Errendipitous, Miragenous Nearacles. When you are trying to make it in Hollywood, exponentially so-the producer that was wild over your screenplay gets fired. The exec that green-lighted your film changes her mind. The label says you cannot do your favorite song. The star you were banking on becomes unavailable. A film similar to yours does bad boxoffice. The star who turned down the role you later booked decides she will do the part after all. Test audiences go boo-no release. Your script sticks in development. Turnaround. They do not renew the option. The suits do not like your rewrite. The label promotes another artist ahead of you again. The financing falls through. It rains in Spain on the plain and the price of rice in China goes through the roof.

The motivational speaker Les Brown says this: “A dream can be nurtured over years and years and then flourish rapidly. Be patient. It will happen for you. Sooner or later, life will get weary of beating on you and holding the door shut on you, and then it will let you in and throw you a real party.”

Les is probably right. But in the meantime, why not learn to thank God for our Nearacles and accept that they too are all part of the gift of life. They are certainly fixtures on the road to your dreams-especially if those dreams include making it in Hollywood.

“Two production companies requested my screenplay two months ago.  I’ve heard you should give them around three months. I waited two months and then sent a follow up. “Thanks for reading any feedback would be appreciated.” This was last week. Is it usual for them not to write back at all? They asked for it and I know they got it, would they not take the time to send “not for us” email?”

—-Waiting

I saw this question on a screenwriting forum and knew there were many people who’ve had this experience and need to hear this answer.  So here it goes:

Been there many, many times. What happened to the Prodco? What’s worse is when they call you back, have you in for a meeting with the President of Production and talk about how much money they want to pay you… then disappear—never to be heard from again.

In my book,  I talk about this being a “gap event”. I describe gap events as times when you’re flying high following some great news and then suddenly experience major disappointment. See, if you’re walking down the street and you fall, that’s one thing. But if you’re flying through the air and you crash, that’s much worse. At least it feels much worse emotionally.

So to answer your question, this happens all the time. No, they won’t necessarily take the time to respond with a nice email. Why not? Well, the reasons are too many to name, but they range anywhere from they don’t like your script to the president of the company married Eddie Murphy and divorced him a few days later and is now no longer emotionally stable enough to oversee production, so everything has been put on hold. Really? Really. I wish I was joking. But that last event cancelled many deals in Hollywood—including one of my own.

Production companies are some of the flakiest companies around. They start up anytime someone decides they want to get into movies and they last as long as there’s money to keep the phones on. Anyone can call themselves a producer in Hollywood. There is no licensing, no rules, no oversight, no accountability. Even legitimate companies have many problems with seeing projects through. If your project does not become the pet project of one person whose going to champion it through the process, it will get lost. And yes, that’s even true if they loved it.

So what do you do? You recognize this is the way the game is played and you buckle down for the long run. What? You send your script out to other production companies, agents, managers, etc. You keep sending it and you keep calling and you don’t put your hopes all in any one basket—even if they have you in to their posh Hollywood office, serve you a cold glass bottle of Voss and tell you you’re a genius.  Until the contract is signed and the check is cashed keep selling your stuff.

And one other thing: don’t let this reality discourage you. It is what it is. Sometimes a better story comes along, or an important actor shows up with a different project. Anything can distract a producer—even a drug habit or his own money problems. I wish I was in your shoes. I wish I knew this before I moved to Hollywood.

Good Luck,

TRL