Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Today, I had a negotation and a poker game. Both went well. I won $17.50 at poker! I won't tell you what I got in the negotiation, but everyone went away happy, I think.

Kids, anyone working in show business ought to learn poker. Nothing will better prepare you for the bluffs and stakes-raisings of negotiation than a few thousand hands of poker. Seriously. Consider it part of your education.

And, poker with drunken writers is hi-larious. Just ask Adam Barken, or as he is now known, "Man-Boobs."

Labels: contracts, this writing life

12:06 AM

3 Comments:

You betcha, "Pot Belly."

Man-Boobs and Pot Belly -- a rollicking heist caper about two out-of-shape old timey thieves trying to recapture some glory before their angioplasty surgery puts them out to pasture for good -- it writes itself, don't it?

By  Adam in Whitby, at 12:39 PM  

Couldn't agree more about the analogy to poker.

I think, in a way, producers aren't all that different from poker players. They will go all in when they have Pocket Aces.

The trick is to give them pocket aces, or at least make them believe they have pocket aces or a very, very strong starting hand.

Your script is their starting hand.

Now, pocket aces can lose. They can lose to a 2, 7 offsuit. It doesn't happen that often. But it does happen.

Also, the more people playing with crappier cards the more often pocket aces or a stronger hand loses.

There are some people out there that are amazing at making their 2, 7 offsuit appear to be pocket aces.

It may be a skill that has resulted in some pure pieces of crap being put on screen ... BUT ...

It is a still not to be scoffed at. It gets scipts made into movies.

By  James, at 5:35 PM  

Who knew that I wasn't only making $80 at poker last night, but was also further developing my film biz skills? Does that mean that any time I lose at poker it is tax deductible?

Interesting observation.

By  Fun Joel, at 5:53 PM  

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