THE ART OF STORY, THE CRAFT OF SCREENWRITING AND MORE

Over the last several years, I’ve served as a Juror for both the Heartland Film Festival and the 168 Hour Film Project, so I’ve had a chance to screen at least a hundred original short and feature-length narrative films by new or aspiring filmmakers looking to make a big impression.

Some of those projects have been amazingly well-made films on very modest budgets, and have served as terrific calling cards for those filmmakers as they seek to get their first break in Hollywood.

But every once in a blue moon, an original short film explodes onto the scene with such creative ferocity that their young creators have their tickets immediately punched into the Hollywood big leagues.  My friend Scott Derrickson did that with his brilliant short film Love in the Ruins a dozen or so years ago as his USC Cinema School graduate project.  That film was his contemporary adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters and it immediately opened doors.  Scott has since gone on to write and direct several big studio features, including Hellraiser: Inferno, Urban Legend: Final Cut, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, a remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, and his newest “found footage” project Sinister now in pre-production.

Four years ago, South African CG Animator Neill Blomkamp created the stunning short Alive in Joburg which you can see here.  That short so impressed Lord of the Rings director-producer Peter Jackson that he used his influence and Showbiz juice to help Blomkamp turn his idea into the successful international sci-fi hit District 9.  That film went on to earn over $200 million worldwide.

And now, two years later, Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez‘ short sci-fi film Panic Attack has found the same trajectory as Blomkamp’s work.  That film so blew away horror film maven Sam Raimi that he attached Alvarez to write and direct his $14 million remake of The Evil Dead.

I talk to so many young filmmakers who are deeply frustrated because they can’t seem to break through the vast layer of cultural noise wrought on all of us by the digital revolution and by You Tube (just because you can [afford cheap digital gear] make a movie, doesn’t mean you should if you don’t have the gift).  They can’t seem to grab that bottom rung on the ladder to legitimate Hollywood opportunity.

I challenge them (and you) to watch both Alive in Joburg and Panic Attack.  This is how you break into the business. You have to storm your way in with such formidable creative prowess and energy that they can’t turn you away.  Watch these two short films and tell me I’m wrong.

My name is Brian Bird, hence the eponymous name of my blog and website. And for the last 25 years, I have been a film and television writer and producer in Hollywood.  I have written and/or produced a dozen films and nearly 250 episodes of network television. You can see my credits here.

I am also the husband of one wife (29 years) and the father of five children, which makes me sort of an oddball in Hollywood — a business which can be particularly harsh on marriage and family. I believe in God and I believe in the power of Story to affirm life, faith and the dignity of all people.

I offer all these professional and personal credentials not out of hubris, but to show you that even an average schmuck like me can rise out of obscurity and actually find success in one of the most competitive businesses in the world.  And live to talk about it.

When I began contemplating joining the online revolution, I asked myself two hard questions:

1. Am I really committed enough to keep this website fresh and meaningful?
2. Will there be anybody out there listening?

Well, to the first, I guess you’ll ultimately have to be the judge of that.  I will absolutely do my best to make this site the most helpful, hopeful journey through the screenwriting and filmmaking trade as I can.  I pledge to bring you tools, tips, training, resources, shortcuts, insider knowledge, battlefield strategies and answers to your questions. I will blog about my own creative and not-so-creative experiences, and offer my opinions about life, art, religion, politics and culture.  I will speak out of school if I have to and tweak noses when they are out of joint. And I will be generous with my praise because God loves a cheerful giver.  And I hope that all of this will encourage you if you’re floundering in the middle of this very capricious business, or open some doors for you if you’re standing on the outside with your heart on fire.

To my second question, I can only point to a recent experience that was very humbling for me.  A young writer I’ll simply call “Pete” found my number somewhere and called to ask if he could have 30 minutes of time.  It’s not something I do very often because frankly I could spend 40 hours a week meeting with new writers hungry for advice.  However, in this case I said yes.  So we met and had coffee and some nice meaningful conversation, and I could tell that this young man was going places with his talents.  I later found out that he drove all the way from Northern California for 30 minutes of my time.

So, it is for the Petes of this world that I offer this website.  I hope somehow it enlightens you, helps you hone your skills, makes you laugh once in awhile…  and blesses your socks off.

And I look forward to hearing from you often in the comment box, or at info@brianbird.net.