The Year of Development Hell (Part 5)...

Continued from previous post...

RnD is a creative partnership. I tend to do more of the writing. The D (of RnD) does more of the editing. But, by the time the script was (nearly) approved I had to step back. Larry D stepped up and made the tweaks that the producers, actors, director and everyone else wanted. I wanted out…

I took two days off and then he sent me his changes and the notes that we had been given and we worked them out and sent them in.

A couple days later, we were told that our agent was going to be heading to NYC in two weeks to meet with potential money people.

We had been given the list of names of actors that had been interested in the script and that were ready to sign on once the money was locked in.

We had been told that our previous deal would be a little better as the cast and crew that was expressing interest would help increase the budget and return-on-investment potential.

Previously, we were to split the WGA minimum, now we were told we would be paid double- thereby allowing each of us to make the minimum. We would continue to be on set every day. And…

I believe that I misspoke before. Initially, we were told that we would get Associate Producer credits. NOW, we were told that we would be listed as Co-Producers.

A couple of weeks later, we got the call. Financing would be in place. The paperwork had to be drawn up and signed, but there was essentially a handshake deal… (Yeah!)

Within a week, at the end of August, we got a call saying that a producer, location scout and a couple assistants were on the ground in New Orleans… (Do you see where I am going with this?)

Less than 24-hours later we received a second call, this one was to tell us that the location scouting team was being pulled out due to mandatory evacuations and that they would have to head back “in a couple of weeks.”

Less than nine hours after the last pre-production crew member got out of New Orleans…

Hurricane Katrina hit...

(and so it continues...)

to be continued, again...

Don.