7 YEARS AND SIX MONTHS

[dougdigitalpro]

Journal Entry #5: 6/07/06

Went out today and checked stores for sales. Did a few more here and there. Some T-shirt sales. Nothing major. I actually pulled the DVD from two stores because I didn't feel they were down. Why take on the movie and then sit it somewhere where no one can see it? Are you even trying to make money? Just playing games basically. I've built a pretty thick skin with these kinds of people now so I don't even trip anymore. You're just gonna have that covert hateration sometimes. It happens.

The good thing that's starting up this week is that the muse has paid me a visit and is in full effect again and I'm working on a new script. This story concept has been floating around in my head for TOO long. It's been very weird with this story because for the life of me, I could not get the details of the plot together for nothing! I'm talking a LOOOONG time walking around with this idea. I had the vision, had the concept and certain key archetype characters I wanted there, but just couldn't figure out exactly what I wanted to say and how I was going to say it.
So, for some reason last week...it happened! Everything just came flowing out. I've been just writing notes and jotting down plot points everyday now. Like, now I got all the information I need to tell the story I want to tell. Like, I've finally done enough living now to understand the issues I'm dealing with. The same thing happened on "7 Years". It just hit and I hammeered the whole thing out in two weeks! After almost 8 years of gestation.
I go to bed, I get ideas and I'm up writing. I go to work, I'm running to the bathroom to jot down notes. It's crazy how it happens. Writing is a funny animal to deal with fo sho. It's the most exciting part of the process though.
I think i'll have a full draft of this one done by the end of summer and I'm tellin y'all right now...I'm throwing down the gauntlet...this one is the Mt. Everest of my screenwritng skill. This script is gonna trump anything else I've ever written. it's that deep! And it's gonna be a TRULY great story! It deals with race, power, greed, loss, redemption. I'm excitied right now even talking about it. It's just...THE ONE! I got one I'm gonna be shopping soon I just tweeked for the last time and maybe that's why this one is finally flowing out now. It's TIME.
I think timing is everything in writing. You get that idea, that seed. But then you have to let it marainate and bake inside you for awhile. The great screenplays all went through this. That's why it's so much junk out there now. No one takes the time to let it marinate anymore. Well, this one has TRULY marinated and IT WILL BE GREAT!!! You got it here on RP.com first.May be a few more years before you actually SEE it, but you'll think back to reading this post and say to yourself, "Damn, the brotha was right!"

TITLE: NEWS 2 NIKKI

...Stay Tuned.

[dougdigitalpro]

Journal Entry #6:

There's a gas station the movie is selling at that has sold out of the movie for the second time! And what's weird is it's right across the street from the site of the next film project I plan to pursue...my old high school. That's a good sign that the next movie WILL happen. Someway, somehow.
The story deals with teens in their freshman year in 1984 and it's a coming of age tale in the inner city at the dawn of the crack game in Detroit. Sorta like "Cooley High" and "House Party" but defintely not that recent garbage "ATL". What a whack storyline. I'm not hating either. Trust me, I went in wanting to like it and tried but it never got better as it went along. I can come MUCH better than that and I WILL! Anyway, the movie is selling out of this place really good. I just put some more in there two weeks ago. I'm really happy people are responding to it. Means I did my job. Just gotta grow and expand. The next move is to make it into a retail store.
That would be a pinnacle.

Another pinnacle would be to get rich and take care of my baby, but that's a whole 'nother bowl of grits! ;p

[dougdigitalpro]

deepseas,
Right. Thanks for that. I want the new movie to have some laughs, but it goes kinda dark in the middle and then there's a resolution at the end and it's pretty light again. It definitely has that moral message going through it and it's targeted specifically at these innner city teens and Lord KNOWS they could use it today. I don't bang em over the head with it, it's sublime like "7 Years" was. I always try to keep my focus on the story and whether it's all adding up or not and making sure the characters are engaging.
When it gets made, I want it to be that high school flick that defines that generation. The 70's had "Cooley", the 80's had "School Daze", the 90's had "House Party".
What are we supposed to have this decade? "ATL"? I don't think so. Be on the lookout though...it's coming!

[tis2flyyy]

dougdigitalpro,
I know you have been real busy getting your next script together.

You are doing it baby! Keep moving full steam ahead!
& By the way, you do not have to be rich to take care of your baby. You are doing a FINE job of it, right now.

[dougdigitalpro]

tis2flyyy,

Journal 7: 6-17-06

Did some collecting today and rounded up around a bill fifty. I was thinking as the movie has settled into these stores it's in now, there's a nice little constant flux of dollars coming in. Not a lot, but enough to start putting up and saving. This has proved to be the most effective way to get the movie sold without a lot rigamoro (i hope I spelled that right). If I could get it in just a hundred of these stores across Detroit, I should have nice flow of dollars coming back on a regular. The trip up of all this is the driving and gas it costs to do it. The store and gas station circuit is very effective though. So it seems to be the natural way to go for me. You put em in there, they get a small pecentage and you let the thing sell itself while you out living your life. MY kind of work! And you're not dealing with a bunch of red tape. Total underground!
The gas station owner that's selling out the movie is named Fred, and we had a at length converstion about the dynamics of him running his business and being effective and me running mine and being effective. The reason it's selling out is because he's pushing it! He's trying to make a dollar, even it's a little bit and he likes helping out people who are trying to do something. He says because of the high gas prices, he's losing about $500 a month in earnings. So, he has to try to make up for it in his grocery section and "entertainment" section, which includes me. He's been totally cool and supportive of not just my thing but just in how he deals with the community he works in. I watched him and his wife work for a bit and he was doing it like ol school back in the day when "outside" owners had respect for the people and area they served. The customers ALL knew him by his first name and no one was giving him grief, like you see so often in these stores and stations today. All "we" want from these store owners is respect for us and the area they serve and make their money in. That's what so many folks have forgotten today. Could Aretha have said da shit any better?
Also, another thing I want to address real quick is what i think is a huge problem I'm having with black business owners and their attitude towards me. When are we going to get out of that follower mentality and start taking the lead? If they ain't heard of yo ass or if you ain't major, they don't want to touch you. It's some sad shit and a VERY limited way of thinking. Through all of this, that is the one thing that has disappointed and disgusted me the most.
WE HAVE GOT TO WAKE DA FUCK UP!!!
I'm not saying my shit is just the greatest, but it ain't garbage either and they want to take you through hoola hoops and kiss their ass all day to get a little play. One little store even said she didn't want to sell it because she can't have DVD's on the shelf because she would have to worry about certain "types" of people would try to grab it and run off with it out of the store. WTF! Talk about feeding me a line! You're a "black-themed and owned" bookstore AND you're located in a MALL and you're worried about a MF stealing from you? His ass'll be caught before he makes it halfway to the front door! I'd rather for her to just tell the truth and say, "Look, it's certain black product i don't carry and yours falls into that category because you have a gun on the cover." That comment would have at least sounded intelligent! It all had to do with the fact that I was an unknown. But if I was major, oh the adulation they would extend me! Like little kids who got to get permission to LIKE some shit! Again...it's just sad!
Expand your mind! Try some different shit beyond T.I., Young Jeezy and Madea for god's sake!
Turning into a culture of followers!
Anyway, one other thing that happened was I ran into this guy who is a DJ for WGPR 107.5 at this record store it's in and he was doing some ad work for the store. We talked about hookin up an ad for the movie at a cheap rate. It's not an official ad with production and all but him personally promoting it during his show coming from him which I think is actually a stronger sell if a DJ endorses it themselves. I'm gonna holla at him later today and try to hook it up.

So I continue to PUSH ON...

[bingolong]

dougdigitalpro,
DATS WASUP!!!!!!!!

[dougdigitalpro]

deepseas,
Girl, you hit the nail RIGHT on the head! That's truly it in a nutshell. In doing this, I'm learning the value of these attributes also. It is hard, but if you want it bad enough, you'll step up to the plate and get it. And as far as staying in business, I didn't tell y'all about the record store who took on three copies and then when I went back to check on sales, the damn doors were closed...FOR GOOD! No phone call saying come get your discs or nothing! You don't even want to know the anger I was feeling that day. And yeah, it was a black owned business. I guess that lack of professionalism is what closed them down and they probably made money on my discs somehow too. But that whole area of dealing with these businesses has been very enlightening and has really shown me why we as a people continue to struggle to have control over our community which contributes ultimately to so many of the other problems we have. The trickle down theory in full effect!