PATRICK’S EMAIL

Hi Gary,

I accepted your Facebook friend request some time ago because I like the work you did on the Under Siege films and The Mothman Prophecies (a highly underrated thriller, in my opinion). I also admire the success that you had in regard to Pretty Woman.

Recently, I’ve received two requests from your account to become of “fan” of yours. Now, I mean no disrespect in saying this, but I declined the first as I found it a bit crass to make such a proposition to people who are already Facebook friends. I received a second fan request a short while ago and it gave me the thought to investigate a bit further into what you’ve been doing with your time since your last feature production.

I perused your website, looking over the details of your books, as well as your one-on-one mentoring and MasterMind conference call offerings. While reading through the testimonials I did some quick IMDB searches to see how well things had worked out for those who provided rather glowing critiques of your programs and was surprised to find some not listed there at all and others who had only a single writing credit from years ago.

Now, I am an aspiring screenwriter and do have decent understanding of how the Hollywood system works, but frankly I’m uncomfortable signing up for any of you’re programs given the lack of documentary evidence that I can uncover in regard to others finding fruitful benefits from doing so. I’m interested if you might share with me some concrete examples of writers you’ve aided who have reached a degree of *ongoing* success, preferably recent examples. I know you mentioned Matt Reeves in the VTTV infomercial, but I must say that I find much of his current professional prosperity to derive from his ongoing association with JJ Abrams. I mean that as no poor reflection on your clear skills as a producer, only that others’ guidance have been critical to his rise to fame.

We both know that there are lots of folks peddling mentoring assistance and concept/script feedback these days, many where to say they’ve reached a marginal degree of success in the film making business would be a bit of a stretch. I’m sure you’d agree that there’s a big difference between getting a credit on a project or two and making an actual name & career for yourself. You’ve certainly accomplished the latter, and doing the same is what interests me, but there are so many traps in attempting that tough feat, a great deal laid with nefarious & greedy intent, that I do think it only fair to be very shrewd in choosing which avenues to try, avenues such as your live assistance packages.

Again, I enjoy many of the films you’ve made and might be interested in the assistance that you have to offer in regard to a few scripts I’ve been developing. I was just hoping that you might be able to provide me with some more details about the impact that your aid has had and how to get a career off the ground as opposed to making only the briefest of splashes.

Patrick

GARY’S RESPONSE

Patrick, your skepticism is not uncommon.

Every writer I mentioned was, at the time I began working with them, unproduced – and usually hadn’t even optioned or sold anything, nor did the majority of them have previous representation.

J.F. Lawton is one example — no options, no produced films, no agent or manager, no ‘conversation’ of any kind. Yes, he went on to work with James Cameron, Joel Silver, Dick Donner, many others.

But it doesn’t begin there. It begins, as with any enterprise, by building brick by brick, relationship by relationship.

Matt Reeves absolutely did not start by associating with J.J. Abrams, he earned his way up to that relationship (with multiple produced projects paving the way, all based on a series of quality relationships). The same for every writer I mentioned.

For some reason, people look at a great success and find a reason why that “doesn’t count”. But every success is founded on smart and hard work, relationship building and consistent marketing and persistence – the little but profound choices each of us makes every day to commit to results that are not visible in the short term, but that ultimately determine our success or lack of success.

I know of few in any industry who simply catapulted in one year or less to astonishing success, myself included.  If you harbor that sort of expectation, then my mentoring would not be appropriate.  Nor would the experience of writers I’d managed years ago, or that of my mastermind group, support a decision to be mentored by me.  I do not possess a magic elixir and do not promise near-instant results.

Allison Burnett’s “Fame” is now being marketed and released, but when we met he was doing homegrown no-budget black & white films with his friends.

Every single story, every single success is based on cumulative relationship building. Not one of the people I referenced “got a credit” or “made a splash” on a project, and then had their career fizzle. Had that been the case, I would not be holding them up as proper models for an enduring successful career.

It’s not, however, about them. It’s always and only about the level of commitment any of us make to our own career and the consistent choices and behaviors we embrace – for better or for worse. I am not “peddling” anything. I make myself available and I’m delighted to work with those who choose me. For those that choose otherwise, that’s also perfect.

Taking dominion and taking action to grow a career is only about being “shrewd” in the context of how soon, with what strategies, and with whom you align to ‘make it happen’.  Choose wisely, but choose whatever you intuitively feel is right for you and that allows you to advance toward your life goals.

Mentors and masterminds are a value second-to-none for those committed to finding their path to success.  It’s up to you to find key relationships that suit your temperament and goals. I agree not every teacher or mentor is right for everyone, and vice versa.