It's official. Writing partner Mike Gallagher and I signed an option with the RIo Grande Media Group today for our feature film script "Dead By Thursday." Can't tell you how exciting this is.
We got paid for the option and we get to work with a cool group of people to get a totally homegrown New Mexico movie made.
And when the movie actually goes into production, we get paid a nice amount. Being screenwriters in New Mexico, we know how rare it is for us to actually get paid for our work.
As many of you know, I've been crusading for local filmmakers for years. I've always thought that if the indigenous community, that is, New Mexicans, don't start getting in on the incentive program and start taking advantage of everything we have in place for film, the whole effort will have been a wasted.
Not that I don't support the invasion by Hollywood -- in part, that's why we're able to do what we're doing. But we cannot live by the generosity of outsiders alone. Hollywood could pick up and leave any time. We want to make sure there is something to take its place.
We hope this step will open up opportunities for other New Mexicans who want to work above the line. I know so many talented writers, producers and directors who live here, but who rarely get the chance to do what they want to do and get paid for it. Thanks to RGMG for honoring the creative process and opening the way for those of us who want to live and work and make movies and TV here.
By the way, we are in negotiations for a second option on "Duke City," a feature film that we hope to parlay into a TV series, starting Steven Michael Quezada, Dean Norris of "Breaking Bad" and Wes Studi.
We know we may have to bow to the reality of the business and bring in folks from outside our borders to get a TV series off the ground, but the intent is to use as much above-the-line and below-the-line talent from New Mexico as possible, including the writing team.
We got paid for the option and we get to work with a cool group of people to get a totally homegrown New Mexico movie made.
And when the movie actually goes into production, we get paid a nice amount. Being screenwriters in New Mexico, we know how rare it is for us to actually get paid for our work.
As many of you know, I've been crusading for local filmmakers for years. I've always thought that if the indigenous community, that is, New Mexicans, don't start getting in on the incentive program and start taking advantage of everything we have in place for film, the whole effort will have been a wasted.
Not that I don't support the invasion by Hollywood -- in part, that's why we're able to do what we're doing. But we cannot live by the generosity of outsiders alone. Hollywood could pick up and leave any time. We want to make sure there is something to take its place.
We hope this step will open up opportunities for other New Mexicans who want to work above the line. I know so many talented writers, producers and directors who live here, but who rarely get the chance to do what they want to do and get paid for it. Thanks to RGMG for honoring the creative process and opening the way for those of us who want to live and work and make movies and TV here.
By the way, we are in negotiations for a second option on "Duke City," a feature film that we hope to parlay into a TV series, starting Steven Michael Quezada, Dean Norris of "Breaking Bad" and Wes Studi.
We know we may have to bow to the reality of the business and bring in folks from outside our borders to get a TV series off the ground, but the intent is to use as much above-the-line and below-the-line talent from New Mexico as possible, including the writing team.
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