Advice — ron suppa

~~ Question by Melana: 'I've read a lot of articles in the trades about battles between screenwriters and directors and/or producers (and sometimes actors) about changes in the script. Can you tell me how much control can a writer expect to have once a script has been submitted? And what about rewrites? Does a writer always have to go along with the changes requested? Can you ever say 'No?' If you disagree with the changes, do you have any recourse?' Melana, Montclair, NJ ~~ Ron Suppa responds: The long and the short of it is this: the author of a...

Much is made about the value of toiling for years in the Hollywood trenches before 'making it.' Those at the top call it 'paying your dues.' Baloney. Directors become directors by directing, producers by producing. They don't work their way up the food chain. There is no glory or career edge gained by laboring in obscurity while honing your craft. Hone it right out there in the limelight, and let those at the top pay for every comma splice and run-on sentence along the way. After all, you're already a damned good writer. You know it and your family and...