A long time ago in the year 2010 somewhere in the world one
man and one woman were making love. Another man or woman was making a life
changing discovery, but one particular woman with the help of one genius came
up with WriteLikeCody (WLC), a website that mainly focused on Fempire
member Diablo Cody, and not only that; the website was also a platform for the
independent screenwriter/filmmaker to showcase their work and be heard. Before
long WLC had a baby and that baby was called FempireFandom (FF)... And btw, the “intelligent” woman is me, Naledi Mokgwathi.
FF focuses on all of the fabulous four members of The
Fempire, who are Dana Fox (What Happens
In Vegas), Diablo Cody (Juno),
Liz Meriwether (No Strings Attached)
and Lorene Scafaria (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist). It also continues to
further the mission of WLC, the mission of giving a voice to the independent
filmmaker/screenwriter.
Over time, this very intelligent young woman (ahem) who came up
with WLC (and now FF) got a chance to have a one-on-one with one of the members
of the Fempire. The very wonderful Lorene Scafaria, who was open enough to talk
about life as an aspiring screenwriter/filmmaker and what it feels like to get
“there” if there actually exists.
In her words, “Even when you think you’re “there”, you’re
never really “there”. So you may as well
enjoy the road until you get wherever… or “therever”.” Scafaria went on to tell
us about her journey from the day she decided, “I'm leaving the east to be a
successful screenwriter” to the time she handed in Nick and Norah's Infinite
Playlist screenplay.
The interview with Lorene Scafaria is very insightful and
can be very inspirational to the aspiring screenwriter/filmmaker. One aspiring
filmmaker Greg Pitts said, “The interview inspired me to work hard and see that
everything is possible. She reminds me of myself and she makes me remember that
perseverance is the name of the game.”
Yes, Scafaria does believe in perseverance. Asked what she
did to keep on going she said, “I’m afraid you never have to stop telling
yourself to keep going. You have to be
your own motivation, which can be tough.
I also have a pretty awesome mom who likes to remind me on a daily basis
that things are going to be okay in a thick Jersey accent. It’s tough to be a realist and an optimist.”
You can read the rest of the interview under the One on One page on the Fempire Fandom
website.
To my dear readers, with this article I would like to just
prove that you also can "make it" despite the odds being against you.
I did not only interview Lorene Scafaria, who I believe is a genius, but I also
gave a voice to the independent filmmaker/screenwriter. People who, like Ms.
Scafaria, have worked hard to get their work see the light of day despite
limited resources.
Jeanne V. Bowerman is a writer/screenwriter turned
filmmaker, who started showcasing her work on Twitter, and now she is working
for Script-Magazine and is the founder of the weekly screenwriting chat
commonly known as #scriptchat, which goes on every Sunday both in the UK (3pm
London time) and the USA (8pm NY time). Bowerman has some very inspiring words
that keep her going, words that she hopes will inspire the aspiring writer out
there, “I can only share the three things that have worked for me personally:
Never give up. Always believe in
yourself. Fight for your passion. The
reality is, if you can’t fight for yourself, who the hell will?"
Elana Mugdan, CEO of
Shivnath Productions, also had some
very inspiring words for the aspiring filmmakers/writers. When I spoke to her,
Mugdan had just completed her first feature film, which she directed and
co-wrote. Mugdan who had to see her film from the ground said this, “Life is
worth nothing without dreams." She went on to advise, “The best thing you
can do is to ignore the rest of the world when everyone says “You can't”, or
“You shouldn't”, and keep telling yourself “I can and I will”."
When I spoke to Ad Lane of Indywood films, he wanted to welcome my readers with open
arms. He said, “To anyone chasing a dream, just please don’t ever give up, if
you feel uninspired, come talk to me on twitter @INDYWOODFILMS; it always helps
when you have a small group of people online who are going through the same
thing."
And Travis Legge of Aegis
Studios has some very harsh words for you, my dear readers. He says, “Quit
now while you have the chance." He, however, hopes you will ignore his
advice, even though you will have to get used to hearing it from a lot of
people.
Chasing dreams is hard business. But if you keep at it, you've got a fighting chance.
Naledi Mokgwathi (@npc4eva) is an award winning journalist who won the 2007 Media Institute of Southern Africa award for productivity reporting. She currently runs a website called Fempire Fandom, which is a fansite for The Fempire and also a place where the aspiring/independent filmmaker/screenwriter can have a voice.
