Why ROUGH CUT? Theres a musician I absolutely love named Todd Snider. Hes a singer-songwriter guy; funny and tragic and sharp. A little like young weed-smoking hippie John Prine. He does a lot of talking before songs (and after) and he says something brilliant about how hes just trying to throw some words together and then how hes got opinions but that he isnt onstage to change your mind about anything. Hes onstage, he says, to ease his own mind about everything. Thats why Rough Cut. When I wrote the pilot episode of this series, I was in a bit of a dark place. Feeling hopeless and maybe a little pointless (I know I have a beautiful wife and two amazing children; this isnt about that or them). Dying from a day job and drowning from the dream chasing. Getting too old to be young. We had spent years working on The Unusual (Calling of) Charlie Christmas and we - Outsiders Productions - had put everything we had in. And it was years. Years of working too late and sleeping too little, straining family ties and losing friends. Nickel and dime-ing a story that I wrote straight from my heart and gut. All for the chase. All for the work that wasnt paying anything back except for some kind of feeling that you end up chasing more than touching and hurting yourself to get. Thats how dreams can be. Suddenly, it was over. We premiered at the deadCENTER Film Festival two years ago and we had a sold out crowd and then we played in California and New York and Austin and a bunch of other places (were even going to Miami in a couple of weeks for ol Charlie) and we snagged some awards. We were honored. We were excited. We felt heard. And then it was over, you know? But the truth, the ugly truth, is that it was over for me the second we screened the very first time. I was ready for what was next. It was time to move on. The moment had passed; thats the way it is for me, I guess. Its why my friends deserve medals and my wife deserves diamonds. I am drunk with the chase. I am starving to death. So how do you follow up - after having written a screenplay about so many of the things you hold dear? Charlie dealt with fathers and sons, quiet pure and true tragic love, the teachings of Jesus, Superman, standing up when you get kicked down, fighting bullies, comic books. Man, I put my heart into that thing. Moving on felt impossible. And at some point, I realized, Im not gonna make it. Whatever it is. Im too old. Im too dumb. Im too poor. Im too Oklahoman. Im too self-injurying. And that led me to Rough Cut. The first lines of dialogue written were from Shane Joseph Joseph, the antagonist of the episode. But they werent his, initially. They were mine. I started off by telling myself to quit and letting my inner pessimist fly and letting my words be as brutal as they could be. I was writing a break-up letter with my dreams. And after I read it back, I realized that I didnt like that voice. The same way Kristofferson stole the devils song (To Beat the Devil - check it out), I was gonna use that hopelessness to keep going. I find fewer things more beautiful than underdogs who keep going, who keep fighting, Theres a beauty in the way they go down swinging, in how they dont give up. Winning is for suckers. Rough Cut is about some gritty occasionally goofy people and it has rough language (seriously, dont come if profanity / vulgarity is a problem because these characters specialize in four letter words and genital humor) and some sadness. But, you know, trying to reach out is sad. Failing can be sad. Its also funny - I think so, anyway - largely because of our amazing cast. And it feels good to be writing again. Directing again. Acting again. Like I said, Im addicted. So, yeah, I wrote it for myself. To ease my own mind, just like Todd. To find myself some kind of peace. And Im hoping, really hoping, that theres somebody out there watching and listening that might get a little bit of the same. Rough Cut is gonna be a twelve episode web series. This is how it all gets started. I hope you dig it and I hope to see you at deadCENTER this weekend. Adam
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 03:40:59 +0000
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