PAUL WEBSTER "Rejected? 3 Industry Pros Tell You: Don't Give Up!" Interview

"Buddha's Hands" by Huang Yong Ping, 53rd Venice Biennale

MY CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU: 2nd in a series of special posts giving extended versions of the interviews for "Rejected? 3 Industry Pros Tell You: Don't Give Up!"


Can you think of any other reasons why a producer may reject an otherwise well-written, *good* script?

I might turn down a good script for a variety of reasons; too much on my plate being the most common one. The other reason is that I don't find it fits in with the kind of thing I want to do, my 'brand' if you like. Yet another reason is that, despite a scripts evident qualities, I believe that it will be very difficult to finance and that the risk / reward ratio is too firmly in the 'risk' category. I'm also not very interested in micro-budget work; if the script is good I'll be more likely to want to work with the writer on a larger scale idea than take on the original project.

Do you have any advice for writers regarding rejection? 

Rejection is an unenviable but essential part of the life of a creative person. There are simply too many ideas for too few outlets for it to be any other way. A writer should always look for the positive in a rejection. Any producer or executive worth their salt will always find something good to say about a script and that's food to a writer, something to feed their ego and strengthen for the next round of submissions.

Don't give up, don't ever give up BUT also make sure that your belief has some basis in reality. Make sure your friends and supporters tell you the truth and that your persistence is justified. 

Is there something positive you've learned from rejection you yourself may have experienced as a producer that you'd be willing to share?

The first lesson a producer needs to learn is that when he or she is told 'No' they pay absolutely no attention and keep on going. Rejection should feed your rage, your sense of self-righteousness. It should also make you grown up and pragmatic; always have the next project on the boil. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Always have an alternative and don't let your belief in an idea become an obsession unless of course you are from the Werner Herzog school of self-belief in which case your absolute single-minded belief and desire will move mountains (or haul ferry boats up them) and you'll get it done or die trying.