On April 27th, 2011, I got the chance to sit in on professor Evan Smith’s Script Development class. It was a collection of grad students, juniors and seniors, and today was an extra interesting day because they were going to be Skyping with Michael Weber, aka, the Newhouse graduate and co writer for (500) Days of Summer. As of right now, he is very successful and is in high demand as one of the most desired young writers in Hollywood. But this did not come easily.
As Michael Weber discussed his times here at SU, one thing was for sure: he was not exactly the most motivated or studious student. Eventually, after realizing his niche was in writing, he began to write everyday. After interning during one summer with Tribeca Productions, he took on a series of jobs (including being Robert De Niro’s personal assistant) that left him with very little time to write. He was even asked to work for Saturday Night Live, but not as a writer, and he was told flat out that if he took the job, there would be no opportunities for him to advance as a writer on the show. A few dream jobs for anyone, except Michael, because he knew he wanted to write. So he turned these jobs down, stuck to his true passion, and wrote every single day. A routine that he continues to follow to this day.
Eventually, after teaming up with fellow writer Scott Neustadter, the two collaborated and wrote many scripts, but none were picked up. After pitching a few ideas to movie execs, one random pitch was picked up. About the same time, several of their other scripts were bought, and Michael Weber’s life was never the same. His big break had come and continues to thrive today (even as we Skyped, he had to leave a few times to answer calls to pitch ideas and to talk money with potential clients).
From this class and talking with Michael, some things became very clear to me. One of which is that this business takes an incredible amount of self-motivation and determination, which I already realized but it became more real hearing it from someone who had been sitting in the SU classroom only a few years before. I also realized that becoming a writer demands an incredible amount of passion for writing (obviously). When Michael talked about the other so called “dream jobs” such as SNL, I can honestly say that I may have been just fine working there. And not just fine, but extremely happy. This could be because my passion for script writing/writing in general isn’t in full bloom yet, but it could also be because I’m not sure that I see myself as a writer for the rest of my life. It’s not the drive that’s missing, it’s the lack of extreme passion for one single aspect of the entertainment business.
I think (and hope) that in time, I will be able to hone in on one specific area that I can see myself doing. I had thought that it would be writing, but I can see myself in other areas as well. I guess only time will tell and I’m glad I had the opportunity to hear Michael’s story because it really got me thinking about making sure that I find my true passion so that I don’t end up unhappy or regretful. I also realized that one day I may be given opportunities that sound great but are just not right for me, and in the end, finding happiness within a career is 100% in my hands as long as I have a true passion for what I’m doing; no matter what it is.
P.S. If you haven’t seen (500) Days of Summer, I definitely suggest watching it. :)
