Catherine Rubey BlogApril 1st 2007My film project, from the first word written in the script to the latest telephone call and email – all of it – has been truly a miracle. I have approached every decision, every fork in the road, and made a conscious effort to say a quick prayer about pushing this project in the direction it was MEANT to go. Not necessarily the direction I wanted it to go, but offering it up as a tool to show everyone who’s connected to it – including me – how if you put the right person in charge of something (God) it can be a metaphor for the larger task of putting Him in charge of everything. That’s a tall order for any of us here, so I started small. A little story might help you all here: When I began writing Baggage, I was doing so out of the need to a) get my brain back after having twin girls; b) putting the thoughts that were running around in my head down on paper so I could actually deal with them; c) I didn’t have any other outlet really because my kids were so small and screenwriting can be done in spurts under the right circumstances. So that’s why I chose to fashion my story that way. All this, and the fact that I’d had a screenwriting course at Indiana University and it was one of two college level A’s I ever got..so I knew I liked it. Anyway, I was writing one day and I had put a frozen pizza in the oven for dinner (I know, I know, nothing spectacular), set the timer, and went back to writing (the kiddies must have been happy somewhere because I was eager to steal the few minutes I had to write). Well, it seems like maybe, 30 seconds went by and the timer for the pizza buzzed. 20 minutes passed and I didn’t even feel like it was 2 minutes. That’s never EVER happened to me before. THAT’S how I knew I was meant to be working on this project. Cut to 3 years later and here I am, in negotiations with a name lead actor, a chunk of money in the bank already to make it, GREAT people signed up and a summer/fall shoot looking even more like a reality every day. I’ve made mistakes, and am sure to make more, but I know that without some help from above, I couldn’t have gotten that first draft even finished, let alone embarked on this journey to make it myself. Catherine Rubey writes about what she knows My high school speech teacher, Mr. Marcinko, wrote on the board the first day of class “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” RW Emmerson. And, I truly believe that. I LOVE people with passion and enthusiasm for ANYTHING..okay, not anything but especially those in this crazy film biz. When I talk to people about Baggage, whether it’s a production person, a potential investor, or the lady sitting next to me at the beach, I come from a place of authentic passion and enthusiasm for what I am doing. Now, they may think I am crazy, and some do…including my husband. But, they will not have any doubt about my passion and enthusiasm. At the end of the day, when it’s just you and your project and NOBODY ELSE is beside you in the trenches, if you have passion and enthusiasm…and faith in the project, then you will be sustained through the tough times ahead. That’s a big reason, as a writer, it’s good to write about what you know. Because if you’re going to spend this kind of time with a project and have the ups and downs that go with it, then you REALLY have to love it and know it. I’ve been married to my characters for so long…I can’t remember a time I wasn’t thinking about them and how to make them sound better or whatever. I couldn’t imagine being stuck with this story for so long if I didn’t truly believe in it and ultimately love it. That’s what I know.
Catherine E. Rubey 820 Chicago Avenue Downers Grove, IL 60515 630-302-5206 Cathy@Baggagethefilm.com www.baggagethefilm.com
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