Last updated on April 8th, 2012 at 08:07 pm
You’ve probably asked yourself, what more can I do to make my dream come true?
As a screenwriter, I’ve:
- Co-written a screenplay
- Entered screenwriting contests
- Pitched a screenplay
- Sought representation
- Attended three Screenwriting Expos (two in LA and one in Napa, CA)
- Became a member of NCS http://www.norcalscreenwriters.com
- Enrolled in an “Introduction to Screenwriting” class
- Got an A-list star to read your script: How Goldie Hawn Helped Birth A Bitch And Inspire A Screenwriter and We Seem To Be In A Bit Of A Screenwriter Pickle Dick
The screenplay hasn’t sold and I have no agent.
Now what?
You have to get inventive and think of other ways to achieve your dreams. I decided to take a page from a child’s playbook.
Children are a great source of inspiration for those who are pursuing their dreams. They show us the beauty of believing in dreams. A child’s imagination knows no limits, it soars skywards and beyond. They are free to dream, not yet held back by the constraints from society.
“There are no 7 wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are 7 million.” Walt Streightiff
They wholeheartedly believe in their dreams; therefore, they must be real. Their little brain tells them that anything is possible.
They write letters to: Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy or their Grandpa expecting their wishes to be granted. What if you wrote a letter to someone who had the power to make your dreams come true? Let’s call it a Dream Letter.
This is mine:
Dear Mr. Movie Producer-
I’ve been an avid cinema goer my entire life. Growing up, I’ve seen so many moves that have filled me with wonderment and have captured my imagination.
As the years have gone by, I noticed the amount of movies geared towards my age bracket [55] quickly diminishing.
In 2009, I took an Introduction to Screenwriting class. Our instructor, Anne Jordan, taught us to be successful in the business, you will need to write a screenplay for 18-24 males. I’m thinking, you got to be kidding!
I thought back to some very successful movies: “Star Wars”, “Batman”, “Terminator”, “Conan the Barbarian”, “Spiderman”, “Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Scream”.
What do these movies have in common?
- Beautiful young people
- Hot bodies
- Special effects
- Blaring music
- Violence
- Gore
- Horror
- Films that can be SERIALIZED
The makers of these movies count on the fact that these young men will see the movie more than once. Their girlfriends/wives will often accompany them. On the flip side, a small number of men will join their counterparts in seeing a “chick flick”.
Have you considered making movies for Baby Boomers? Did you know that Baby Boomers make up 28% of the US population?
My dream is that Hollywood will start making movies for older people. Not everyone wants to see people getting blown up or gory movies that will leave you with nightmares.
We want to see not only visually appealing movies, but ones that touch the heart and soul in a meaningful way. The ones that stick with you for a long time after seeing it.
Hollywood is missing out on an untapped source of creativity.
Due to our life experiences we’ve:
- Endured
- Loved
- Parented
- Sacrificed
- Mourned
- Preserved
- Achieved
We have so many stories from these life experiences that will make rich memorable movies.
Don’t be afraid! You will have a loyal audience of moviegoers who want to see movies they can relate to. Baby Boomers have the money and time to patronize them. As you know, word of mouth is the best form of advertising.
If they like the movie, they will be telling their friends and their friends will be telling their friends. Just think of the box office gross receipts!
I’ve co written a screenplay that I believe Baby Boomers will find to be to their liking. This screenplay is about a group of ancient goddesses who work with a mortal woman to fulfill an ancient prophecy. A trio of middle-aged women are also called to help Intuition on her quest. A vengeful demon and angel round out the cast.
If you’re interested, call me! We’ll do lunch.
Toni Schram
Do you want Hollywood to make a different type of movie? What do you feel Hollywood is missing?
Toni
Toni left 8 Women Dream November of 2010 to work full-time on her screenplay and Club B.
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