The Karate Kid - An Exercise in Nepotism

I am sure that everyone who has ever worked hard for something and didn't get it let out a collective gasp as they were kicked in the stomach by the new The Karate Kid trailer. The movie stars Jaden Smith, produced by his mom and dad. If there had been an international search for the new "karate kid" would Jaden have been chosen?

I imagine the conversation went something like this, " Daddy, I want to be in a movie and be a movie star too." " Okay, son, let's remake a popular movie and make you the star."

I see something like this movie and compare it to my own journey. I have no connections or ways to get my foot in any door because I don't even know where the door is. I've written and written and struggled and when (need to think positive) I finally get an agent, it will be because I worked hard and never gave up, so it is a slap in the face to see someone glide into the movie industry on his mom and dad's coat tails while I'm still here typing at my laptop and waiting for responses from the numerous query letters I sent out.

I can imagine spending 35 million (the budget for The Karate Kid according to Wikipedia) on a film that is unique, that is unpredictable and thrilling but to spend 35 million on a remake of a film just so your kid can be in a movie is a waste of money.

Introduction

My name is Jennifer Wilson. After high school graduation, I went straight to college with the thought of becoming a counselor, inspired by Deanna Troi on Star Trek, but switched my major to Computer Graphic Arts with a minor in Psychology. I then obtained a Masters in Business Administration.

As a child, I was interested in writing. I wrote little stories, did skits in front of our home video camera and imagined myself writing a book. I remember seeing the TriStar Logo before films, the winged horse, and becoming excited because I knew the movie was about to begin.

I figured I would express myself in book form, but when Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Rings came out, I turned my focus on screenwriting. No film, not even the other LOTR films that followed affected me like the first LOTR film because I had never seen anything like that before, everything was different for me including the camera angles. I have read that James Cameron and Ridley Scott were both affected by the Star Wars films and I imagined that what they felt seeing Star Wars is how I felt seeing Fellowship of the Ring.

I have seen how film has inspired and excited people. When a film I want to see is coming out, I want to learn all about the movie and production before the film comes out and when it is on dvd, I throughly enjoy looking at the special features and listening to the commentary. All this I feel is a good way to gain insight into filmmaking. My goal is to create stories that will excite people and for the time they are watching my story, they forget about bills, work, problems and become part of the experience.

There are many people in the world who talk about writing, but to me there is a division between the people who WANT to write and those that NEED to write and I NEED to write. I could never be 100 percent happy if I never suceeded in becoming a screenwriter.

The obstacles are these:

1) In order to sell a screenplay, an agent is needed, which means numerous query letters sent, months are spent waiting for a reply, then the screenplay is requested, and months are spent waiting for a reply.

It is very frustrating to spend months sometimes years on one story and not even be able to try and sale it because of the difficulty in getting an agent. It's is doubly frustrating to sit in a theater and watch a preview for yet another movie that is so low and uninspired that I cannot believe it got made.

I received my M.B.A on Friday and during the graduation I thought of the end of my school career and saw my life beginning anew and that it was time to make my dream of being a screenwriter come true. I saw that I had acomplished a lot education wise, so if I could get an M.B.A then why couldn't I accomplish my goal of becoming a screenwriter.

The Challenge: To see if I can get an agent this year.

All I need is one yes to start a career......