Four hundred years ago — okay, more like 12 — I attended a writing conference at Craigsville Beach on Cape Cod.
One of our assignments was to come up with a new scenario for a movie using only the items found in our hotel room as inspiration.
Now, my hotel was rather rustic (translation: cheap). The wallpaper had tiny geese flying in vee’s across a yellow, late evening sky. It was ugly, but I used it.
My idea: What if two birdwatchers — one a noted expert, the other a novice — accidentally kill a rare bird that they are admiring? Horrified, they try to cover up the accident in a variety of ways, all of which go terribly awry.
Hilarity ensues.
I pictured Dudley Moore as the lead. (It was 12 years ago.) I thought it was a pretty funny idea, but maybe too niche-y for Hollywood.
I mean, who would do a movie about birdwatching?
Fast-forward to 2011. Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson are starring in the new movie The Big Year. Take a look at the trailer:
What you can’t really tell from this clip is that these three men are avid birdwatchers…competing at a prestigious birdwatching event!
See? Someone actually made a film about birdwatching, and even they think it’s too niche-y to use in the marketing.
Birds part deux
Four hundred years ago — okay, more like 12 — I attended a writing conference at Craigsville Beach on Cape Cod.
One of our assignments was to come up with a new scenario for a movie using only the items found in our hotel room as inspiration.
My idea: What if two birdwatchers — one a noted expert, the other a novice — accidentally kill a rare bird that they are admiring? Horrified, they try to cover up the accident in a variety of ways, all of which go terribly awry.
Hilarity ensues.
I pictured Dudley Moore as the lead. (It was 12 years ago.) I thought it was a pretty funny idea, but maybe too niche-y for Hollywood.
I mean, who would do a movie about birdwatching?
Fast-forward to 2011. Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson are starring in the new movie The Big Year. Take a look at the trailer:
What you can’t really tell from this clip is that these three men are avid birdwatchers…competing at a prestigious birdwatching event!
See? Someone actually made a film about birdwatching, and even they think it’s too niche-y to use in the marketing.
I was so ahead of my time.
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