Are you a good listener? When someone is talking to you, are you really listening to what they're saying, OR are you more focused on what you have to say?
Being a good listener takes practice. And from what I witnessed during my Sherwood Oaks Experimental College outing, where I got to meet many Hollywood profession working in the movie-making industry, Hollywood is staffed with people who are good listeners.
I really got that sense from the Sherwood Oaks panels I attended that was in the company of a diverse range of people, almost all of whom were good listeners.
So is yours truly a good listener? No. No, I'm not -- BUT I'm resolved to work on that skill I lack, and I hope to do so next Sunday when I attend Gary Shusett's memorial. I'm going to fly down to L.A. next Saturday, then fly back to Seattle on Monday. Had to take Monday off work to do so.
Why am I doing this? Flying down for a memorial of a man I don't really know? Well-p, for starters, I like Gary Shusett. In the brief time I got to know him, he left an impression on my heart. It's like every time I was around him, he was working on toughening up writers so they could deal with Hollywood executives who didn't treat with the respect the deserve.
I want to hear from people who knew Gary intimately, and find out what kind of man he was, and what made him tick. Gary chose to run a place that gave wannabees a chance to get in the studios and meet some of Hollywood's players. I want to know if this service was legit, a.k.a. was Sherwood Oaks serious about breaking in new talent, or was it just a cash grab, a way of getting money out of people; a false hope of sorts.
The odd thing about me going down to L.A. for Gary's memorial is that in my personal life I have a habit of skipping out on communal events. Like a guy from my mom's prayer meeting who died from multiple sclerosis, Peter. Peter was a true saint after he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and his situation deteriorated quite rapidly, Peter always kept his eyes on Jesus, even to the end. YET, 'ol E.C. didn't go to his funeral. Why? Because I kinda feel like a big failure in life: I'm 44 years old, still single, still living at home with my parents -- not exactly the stuff that breeds healhy conversations with people who have families. Then there's the case of my brother's wife's mother who recently tied the knot with her long-time partner, who's now become a very good friend of dad; just go golfing with my dad and he'll love ya for life. Skipped out on that one too, for the same reason, uncomfortable conversations and the likelyhood that I'd end up in the corner all by myself with no one to talk to.
Ah, yes. The painting of one's self into a self imposed corner. But how do break the cycle? Guess you just hafta bite the bullet and actually attend events like funerals of friends of the family, and wedding events. Guts. You gotta have the guts to put yourself out there.
There's a great probability that when I attend Garry's memorial service I'm going to be in a kind of no man's land. YES, I attended several of Garry's Sherwood Oaks functions, but I was hardly a close, intimate friend of his. Still, respect the man and what he stood for. "The Gifted Persuader"; Garry Shusett. Can't wait to find out more about what made this man tick. And to do so I'm going to have to learn to be a gutty listener.
No agendas. Can't see all these Hollywood types and start salivating like one of Pavlov's dogs. I wouldn't feel right about trying to advance my career at the expense of some one's funeral. Do you see the cunundrum I face? You see every pre-pro screewriter wants to break in. They want to make that key connection that unlocks the city, and helps facilitate them making their first script sale. And I'm no different. Back when I attended the Sherwood Oaks functions there would be times in my hotel room where I'd be shaking, frazzled wondering if I was about to meet that key connection, OR after an event if I'd missed my opportunity with someone.
So, this trip to L.A. does have some internal drama in the heart of yours truly. BUT I am resolved to put aside my own agenda and be there as a show of love -- if nothing else, for a man and what his school stands for; which is an opportunity for those out of the system to meet meet people in Hollywood who are in the movie-making industry. That's an ideal that's worth supporting. Worth a trip down to L.A. Worth the check I sent in the mail to Christine Owen, Gary's right hand woman.
So I'm off on another adventure down to L.A. No great expectations. Just an open heart, and ears that are willing to listen.
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
P.S. The workload at work, and a cold I'm suffering with has made it difficult to post more regularly. Sorry about that. The goal remains as it always has: one content post over the weekend, one smaller post sometime during the week.
P.S.S. The 2nd draft editing of my latest spec. script, "The Commune II" is going smashingly well. The scripts not ready to show yet. But I'm finding that 2nd draft edit is the real key to knocking down you finished product. I now know what my theme is, and the editing down of the villains I have is proving to be easier than I thought it would be. I have a soundtrack for this script which is helping too. I listen to in the car, and sometime late at night at work. Hoping to have "The Commune II" ready to show sometime around Halloween. I've got a real cool image for this movie too, going to star working on that soon. It will grace the cover of "The Commune II: Spec. Script Soundtrack."
E.C. Henry. All over the place. What do you make out of that cat? Definitely has some paradoxes at play in his life that give him severe consternation. E.C. Henry is not your average, everyday Joe. Just sayin'...
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