Filmmaking / Directing : A Recent Experience With Rejection by Maurice Vaughan

Maurice Vaughan

A Recent Experience With Rejection

Michael Fitzer talks about a recent experience with rejection, takeaways from the experience, and some ways to handle rejection in today’s blog.

How do you handle rejection as a filmmaker? Post it in the comments below or the blog comments.

www.stage32.com/blog/a-recent-experience-with-rejection-4112

Billy Kwack

Hi Maurice, happy memorial day. I'm going to outback with friends later

Billy Kwack

Going to watch Thunderbolts tomorrow

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Billy Kwack. Happy Memorial Day. Hope y'all have a great time! I watched Sinners, Heart Eyes, and Fear Street: Prom Queen the weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing Thunderbolts!

Billy Kwack

Hi Maurice, thank you, that's a lot of movies. I'll probably watch them when they go onto dvd

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Billy Kwack. Cool. I'd like to get back to buying DVDs again. Did you get a chance to read the blog?

Mark Films

That is why it is the 1% game Maurice Vaughan and Billy Kwack because only 1% make it through to a sale or a writing gig.

Billy Kwack

Hi Maurice, 1 percent is true, I looked it up a long time ago. I didn't read the blog by the way

Mark Films

That is the average I heard Maurice Vaughan that only 1% get produced.

Maurice Vaughan

How do you handle rejection, Billy Kwack?

Maurice Vaughan

That might be right, Mark Films. I've heard a lot of projects don't go into production or finish pre-production, production, or post-production. I've ghostwritten and written a lot of scripts for indie producers and directors that didn't get made (yet).

Mark Films

It is a Daily Grinding Game Maurice Vaughan

Billy Kwack

Hi Maurice, I just move on. I watched thunderbolts, it was okay, i entered the 9th annual sci-fi fantasy screenplay contest before

Maurice Vaughan

I move on after rejection too, Billy Kwack. I probably won't get to see Thunderbolts until it's on streaming. Hope your script does great in the contest!

Billy Kwack

Thanks Maurice, superman is next in theaters. I might try a pitch sessions, not sure yet

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Billy Kwack. I'm looking forward to seeing Superman! What are you thinking about doing? The written Pitch Sessions or the live Pitch Sessions.

Libby Wright

I am trying to see rejection as nothing more that being protected from being connected to the wrong people/platforms/companies. Great post!

Maurice Vaughan

I like that way of looking at rejection, Libby Wright. And hope you find the right people/platforms/companies!

Billy Kwack

Hi Maurice, I'm going to get ready for both, just in case the written pitches are sold out

Maurice Vaughan

Great, Billy Kwack. Stage 32 has written pitch examples and verbal pitch beat sheet. You can get them by emailing writerhelp@stage32.com.

Billy Kwack

Thanks Maurice, by the way, yesterday's movie trailers, Tron Ares and another predator movie

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Billy Kwack. I'm looking forward to seeing both of them!

Billy Kwack

Hi Maurice, it's a good year for movies

Pat Savage

I have not had any rejection yet but can imagine it is difficult to accept. Move on I'd say.

Maurice Vaughan

It's difficult to accept sometimes, Pat Savage. I try to learn from every rejection. That's one thing that makes rejection easier for me. Then I move on to the next project or pitch.

Zee Risek

When it comes to getting my own film or show greenlit, I just figure I'm going have to fail a thousand times before I succeed, so each failure is a step towards success.

Maurice Vaughan, I used to "move on to the next project" when my pitch failed. I used to never pitch the same project twice. But during the pandemic, I realized that was not the best thing to do. Instead of moving on from those past projects, I just add them to my current projects and pitch them over and over again. I've worked at several animation studios that have been pitching the same project for ten years before it finally got greenlit. Eventually the stars will align and someone will say 'yes'. But in order for that to happen it takes more that pitching it once and then moving on, it takes persistence.

Cheers.

Maurice Vaughan

"...each failure is a step towards success." Exactly, Zee Risek! When I said "Then I move on to the next project or pitch," I meant move on from the rejection and work on another project or pitch the project (that got rejected) to other people instead of dwelling on the rejection.

Ahmad Shah Dilawari

Thank you for sharing this experience. Rejection is hard, but hearing others' stories helps us all stay strong and keep going."

Pat Savage

Maurice Vaughan Yes each failure is a step towards success.!

Zee Risek

Hey Maurice, I see, "moving on from rejection". I get it now. Cheers mate.

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Ahmad Shah Dilawari. That's one of the great things about Stage 32. Members can share stories that help others stay strong and keep going. And members can ask questions and get advice or insight any time of the day or night.

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