Everybody Has a Dream
To quote one of my favorite lyricists, Mr. William Joel, Everybody Has a Dream! (If you haven’t heard the song, look it up. There was a lot of great music created before the year 2000.) In my heart of hearts, I believe dreams are what keep us going. Without a dream and a purpose for our lives, we have no hope, and without hope, we are lost.
Throughout our lifetime, our dreams may change, but I have found that most of them generally have a similar strand running through them. I have always been a writer. For a while, the dream was to be good enough at my craft to get into a good university. Check. Then the dream was to be capable enough as a writer to make a solid living. Check Then the dream was to be a published writer. Check. The dream now is to see my written work appear on film. Sometimes the dream comes easy. Other times, seeing a dream through to fruition can be the ultimate test of character.
In 2015 a wonderful film producer expressed interest in producing one or more of my scripts. Our first chat was in May, and he had an investor who was ready to get him the money in October of that year. We would start as soon as the funding was secured. I was over the moon, but fortunately, I was also cautious. Not that I didn’t trust the person, but I was raised not to count my chickens before they hatch, so I didn’t go off on a big spending spree or even buy a new car. Waiting for the dream from May to October didn’t seem that tough. I could wait until the check had been cashed to celebrate. I told a few close friends, and we all waited with excitement. October came and went. The winter passed. Then the summer. Then another year and many more…
Fortunately, the producer remained always in contact with me and kept me apprised of developments along the way. I could tell you all the other times that we were “this close” to having the funding, but you would grow weary of the tales, and you might be tempted to believe this dream will never happen. Fast forward to February 2023, we are once again “this close” to securing funding and starting on an exciting slate of socially conscious, fun, and entertaining films, and our relationship has grown stronger for overcoming the many obstacles we have faced together in the eight years since we first met. I am convinced that seeing how we both react to adversity has made us a stronger producing team, but there have been times, I’m not gonna lie, when the dream seemed out of reach, and I lost hope.
And the funding isn’t certain yet. I haven’t signed a contract or seen a check, but I believe. I believe in the dream, and I have hope, and that’s why I’m writing this today. I wanted to tell any young writer out there that there will be bleak days when you are sure no one wants to read your work and no one believes in your story. At those dark times, you have to remind yourself why you dream and trust in your purpose. Investors are quirky beings, and money is illusive. Trust that if you are in the right place at the right time, the dream will happen. Most importantly, don’t give up! Never give up, because if you do the dream dies, hope is gone, and what do you do with your days when there is no hope?
I have friends who think I’m a fool for continuing to believe in this producer, but I have also spoken with many other film professionals. There is a synergy amongst creatives that is necessary for success, and with the first producer, we have it. We seem to go together like peas and carrots. I don’t always feel that sameness of purpose with some of the others I’ve encountered along the way. I’m not saying you should ever put all your eggs in one basket, but don’t give up on something when it feels “right”. Listen to your instincts when it comes to people. You’ve made it this far in life by trusting yourself. Don’t stop now. And when your dream comes to fruition, be sure to reach back and help someone else coming up behind you. Don’t just revel in your own dreams, use your success to fan the flames for many other dreams, because times are tough, and dreams are hard to come by today. Do your best to keep someone else’s dream alive too!
