[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: How do you generate work for yourself?
Blayne Weaver, Filmmaker/Actor: That’s the big question isn’t it, right? We’re always scrambling, always hustling trying to get stuff going. If I’m not writing something for someone else, then I’m usually trying to write a spec that I could hopefully sell or get set up somewhere.
I have a couple of companies that I’ll sometimes just be like What do you want? What are you looking for? Then I’ll see if I can create a need for my skills. Okay, we want a dog movie. I’m like All right, well let me come up with a pitch. I’ll pitch them to see if I could write this in a short amount of time for you and you have it, wouldn’t that be better than not having it just having some weird idea about a dog movie right? I try to look where there’s a void right, something that they need and that I can provide.
I am a big believer in (I’m not in acting class right now) but I support people being in acting class all the time. I think that’s a great way to not necessarily get work but to make contacts in the business.
Everybody hates the idea of networking. I don’t think about it like that. I’m not going to cocktail parties and walking across the room and introducing myself Blayne Weaver. Writer, director, actor. But it’s like being out and being in people’s faces and being like Oh, you know who’s great at this is “Weave” [a.k.a. Blayne] and I just saw him the other night at this thing. I think being social in this world is important. Going to see theater is important. For instance, I have this amazing cast for this movie Miss Valentine and Marilu Henner is in it and she’s doing a play in LA. I’m going to go see that and the other actress has an idea for a movie so we’re going to collaborate on that and it’s all about surrounding yourself with people that are doing the thing that you want to do and seeing if…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
About:
Actor/Writer/Filmmaker Blayne Weaver most recently directed the romantic comedy MISS VALENTINE and wrote the partier comedy PRETTY STONED for MTV. Other recent works include directing the holiday romance CUPID FOR CHRISTMAS for Hulu, writing & directing the horror GetAWAY and co-writing the raucous comedy AMERICAN PIE: GIRLS’ RULES for Netflix. He previously wrote, directed and starred in the Southern Noir Thriller CUT TO THE CHASE and the acclaimed romantic comedy 6 MONTH RULE (alongside Martin Starr, Natalie Morales and John Michael Higgins). Previous films he’s written and directed include WEATHER GIRL (with Tricia O’Kelley, Mark Harmon, Jon Cryer and Jane Lynch) and OUTSIDE SALES. He also co-wrote and acted in MANIC (Don Cheadle, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel), directed by Jordan Melamed, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He starred in writer/director Paul Osborne’s psychological thriller FAVOR and has appeared in such films as JUNK, DEEP DARK CANYON, OFFICIAL REJECTION and THE GOOD OLD BOYS opposite Tommy Lee Jones. His numerous episodic television credits include ER, NCIS, and THE MIDDLEMAN. He also provided the voice of Peter Pan in the Disney animated feature RETURN TO NEVER LAND. A native of Bossier City, Louisiana, Blayne has studied acting in New York, Los Angeles, Oxford University and graduated from UCLA with a degree in English Literature. He currently runs the West Coast office of Secret Identity Pictures.
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