I have a friend...

Rainy Night · Feb 8, 2007

I have a friend who has a pending deal with a producer. There is a star attached, financing and a distribution deal with a cable channel. My friend just has to meet with the star and if they click, which the producer thinks they will, it’s a done deal.

Here’s the problem… the star is an a-list adult film star who wants to crossover to mainstream. The producer wrote the treatment for the script and while he says he wants an R rating, after reading the treatment I can’t see how it’s not going to be at least softcore. Besides that there’s really not a story to be found in the treatment, there’s three basic storylines and neither are developed or come to any conclusion and neither relate to the other or any central theme.

I’m confident my friend could find a story in there somewhere and write a good script, but I don’t think the star could pull it off, she doesn’t have that much acting talent, and the producer wouldn’t be satisfied with my friend's script because it would depart from the treatment so dramatically, plus there’s some other minor details/stipulations that the producer has that make it even more complicated.

It’s a mess and my friend thinks she should bail on the project. On the other hand, it pays.

icerose · Feb 8, 2007

So what are you asking? Sounds like a pure judgement call on her part.

dclary · Feb 8, 2007

There's a huge market for Skinemax and Showtime After Hours. Write it. Write a good one.

Rainy Night · Feb 8, 2007

icerose said:
So what are you asking? Sounds like a pure judgement call on her part.

She's worried about her reputation; she's done well in a couple of contests and doesn't want to be known as a porn writer. She thought about writing under another name, but doesn't think that will help advance her career, so wants to focus on her spec scripts.

icerose · Feb 8, 2007

It seems it all comes down to a judgement call. If she needs the money and is comfortable writing a piece like this, write it under her name.

If she wants the above but not the association write it under a different name.

If she doesn't want anything to do with it, why did she start in the first place? Cut and run.

Hillgate · Feb 8, 2007

There are an awful lot of threads about sex suddenly. I wonder why?

Rainy Night · Feb 8, 2007

icerose said:
If she doesn't want anything to do with it, why did she start in the first place? Cut and run.

She didn't know until she got the treatment from the producer which wasn't until after the meeting with him where she found out the name of the star that's attached. She's wondering if she should continue and asking for advice. Will it damage her potential career to have this on her resume? Would you want your first professional credit to be adult oriented? She’s asking for advice and this is out of my realm of experience.

icerose · Feb 8, 2007

That's a tough one. Out of mine too. On one hand the credit and money sounds nice, but association not so much so. I hope someone here knows the answer because I sure don't. I know what I would personally do.

And Hillgate, must be the month.

tourdeforce · Feb 8, 2007

Rainy Night said:
… the star is an a-list adult film star...

When a porn producer asks for the a-list performers, I think he is looking for those that specialize in... well, lets just say he is looking for the more sexually adventurous and willing type.

scripter1 · Feb 8, 2007

Showing my naivity.

Is there a way she can discuss her concerns with the producer?
Maybe say, "there are many elements of the treatment I like. Here are some of my ideas."

This producer knows her, hired her because of her past scripts, and so she should/could stand on what kind of writer she is. Maybe she needs to have a sit down with him and discuss her story concerns.

Um, can that actually be done?

If she's really feeling her warning bells go off then she should back away from it. If she takes it out of guilt or pressure or what ever she will always be looking over her shoulder waiting for it to bite her in the butt.

This seems to me like a morality call.
If she's afraid or leery of being type casted as "that kind of writer" then she should cut and run. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of her, it's whether she can face HERSELF.

odocoileus · Feb 8, 2007

How much cash, ballpark?

Doesn't sound like this is guild signatory stuff.

Off the cuff, I'd say write it under another name. If it turns into a series, she can continue writing under the pseudonym and develop a rep in the softcore world.

I wouldn't advise writing it under her own name b/c the credit can follow her for years.

Billy Mernit, the romcom guru, has blogged about making some decent cash writing romance novels under a female pseudonym, Leigh Ann Michaels, or something like that.

http://livingromcom.typepad.com/

Silver King · Feb 8, 2007

Rainy Night;1112306[COLOR=black said:
Would you want your first professional credit to be adult oriented?[/color]

My least favorite film, Pink Flamingos, was directed by John Waters.

He made out all right.

scripter1 · Feb 9, 2007

I think Rainy made it

clear that his friend the writer doesn't really want to do softcore or be involved with the adult industry.

Correct me if I'm wrong Rainy, but she agreed to this project with the belief that it would be a mainstream R? She gets the treatment and it's sexed up more then she expected?

Doesn't seem intentional to me at all BUT if this were me I would go back and say, "This isn't what I signed on for. I'm uncomfortable with the adult content, I don't think this will be able to go mainstream which contermands the goal of our star, and it has story issues. We need to rework it and tone it down."

THEN she makes her decision based on their response.
If they go ballistic she knows she couldn't work with them ANYWAY and the whole experience would likely have been sour.

If they listen then she can work with them and maybe it would turn out all right.

Is there a reason she can't come here herself so we get her side first hand? I'm always a little uncomfortable with the "I have this friend -"
game.

Rainy Night · Feb 9, 2007

scripter1 said:
Is there a way she can discuss her concerns with the producer?
Maybe say, "there are many elements of the treatment I like. Here are some of my ideas."

I think this is what she's planning right now.

Rainy Night · Feb 9, 2007

odocoileus said:
How much cash, ballpark?

Doesn't sound like this is guild signatory stuff.

The budget is roughly 10x that of standard adult films, they agreed to WGA minimums for the project.

Rainy Night · Feb 9, 2007

scripter1 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong Rainy, but she agreed to this project with the belief that it would be a mainstream R? She gets the treatment and it's sexed up more then she expected?

Doesn't seem intentional to me at all BUT if this were me I would go back and say, "This isn't what I signed on for. I'm uncomfortable with the adult content, I don't think this will be able to go mainstream which contermands the goal of our star, and it has story issues. We need to rework it and tone it down."

Right, the star has one goal and the producer another, and if she writes the producer's treatment without changes the star won't be happy, but if she writes what she understands that the star wants the producer won't be happy. She doesn't know if she wants to be in the middle of that.

Rainy Night · Feb 9, 2007

scripter1 said:
Is there a reason she can't come here herself so we get her side first hand? I'm always a little uncomfortable with the "I have this friend -"
game.

She'd kill me if she even knew I was posting anything about this.

icerose · Feb 9, 2007

I would suggest like the others have to try and negotiate with the producer. Take the ideas to the table and if he is unreasonable then she really doesn't want to be there.

Rainy Night · Feb 9, 2007

icerose said:
I would suggest like the others have to try and negotiate with the producer. Take the ideas to the table and if he is unreasonable then she really doesn't want to be there.

I think that's her best bet - rewrite the treatment and pitch it while expressing her concerns with the project.

icerose · Feb 9, 2007

Yeah that way she isn't burning bridges before even testing out the waters. It's always worth a shot.

xhouseboy · Feb 9, 2007

Rainy Night said:
Right, the star has one goal and the producer another, and if she writes the producer's treatment without changes the star won't be happy, but if she writes what she understands that the star wants the producer won't be happy. She doesn't know if she wants to be in the middle of that.

You mentioned in your first post that the writer had to meet with the actor, and if they both clicked then it was on.

IMO, the producer should also be present at this meeting. There's nothing worse than acting as a sounding board between those with opposing views as to how a project should proceed. This just leads to further conflict and confusion down the line.

If all three are at the meeting, any differences can then be aired and settled, or not as the case might be.

Rainy Night · Feb 9, 2007

xhouseboy said:
You mentioned in your first post that the writer had to meet with the actor, and if they both clicked then it was on.

IMO, the producer should also be present at this meeting. There's nothing worse than acting as a sounding board between those with opposing views as to how a project should proceed. This just leads to further conflict and confusion down the line.

If all three are at the meeting, any differences can then be aired and settled, or not as the case might be.

Yes, the meeting will be with all three, that was always the plan.

Celia Cyanide · Feb 9, 2007

tourdeforce said:
When a porn producer asks for the a-list performers, I think he is looking for those that specialize in... well, lets just say he is looking for the more sexually adventurous and willing type.

I don't really think so. The a-list adult film stars have a recognizable name, and their videos will sell no matter what they do. As a result, they don't have to do much. It's the ones who aren't as famous or attractive who have to be willing to do the more difficult stuff, or people won't pay to see it. Now that Jenna Jameson is famous, she pretty much does the same thing in every one of her movies. A porn producer who wants an a-list actor wants them for their name.

I think your friend should go ahead and meet with the actor. Who knows? Maybe she will really like this person, and she'll decide she won't mind having her name attached to it. But I agree with houseboy, the producer should be there, too.

MrJayVee · Feb 9, 2007

What she should do??

So, a soft-core porn movie with a questionable story-line gets made with a former adult film star. I’d be willing to bet the resultant movie is not very good at all and only plays on Showtime. No DVD release. So now your friend has a lousy movie that could be considered soft-core…but it pays. I bet it won’t pay much. Question is, will it pay enough for her to put a black mark on her career? (And to be honest, this one movie won’t mean much of anything on a resume.) If your friend wants to get a real career as a screenwriter going, I suggest she wrote more “acceptable” fare. Remember: When you’re starting out, it’s not about the money-- it's about building a resume you can have a modicum of pride in. I think she needs to listen to her instinct and “bail” on this one.

Joe Calabrese · Feb 9, 2007

Everyone has a lemon, a bad mark or an ugly skeleton in their closet listed on their resume. Look at Cameron and Jackson, who both made really bad, low budget horror films and have since made some of the most successful films in history and oscars too. Writers too. The Guy that wrote Heaven's Gate still works.

Those of you who has checked me out, may notice that I cowrote Winterbeast (I've tried to get that dammed credit off years ago, but IMdb.com still lists me on it) a ultra low budget horror film that many consider to be worse then Plan 9 From Outer Space. I blame the director and I'm sure he blames me. It's all par for the course in Hollywood.

I don't think producers or agents care (none of them ever, never asked me about it) while they read my current stuff or give me an assignment.

So to answer your question. A gig is a gig. If your friend thinks they can do it and will find it a rewarding experience -- then go for it. A credit is a credit, and a check is a check.

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