Bluegrass & firing screenwriters

I'm off to Colorado at the end of this week where I'll be filming video on a documentary that's based on a small Rocky Mountain town that was flooded last year. It's also the site of a blue-grass festival each year.

The doc is mostly about how the people rebuilt much of their town and especially the one

thing that brings extra money to them - namely the RockyGrass Music Festival. For those of you who in other countries, "blue grass" is a type of country music as opposed to rock and roll or hip-hop or even opera. 

It's based on farmers and ranchers and came from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England way back a few hundred years. The instruments are mostly guitars and banjos, mandolins and bass guitars and is a bit of a cousin to folk music. 

I'll be filming some of the concert and anything I can find that will look good on camera. It's been a while since I did some camerawork but once I get the camera in my hands, it all comes back from my time as a TV news soundman and cameraman.

The rest of this week will be taken up by the screenplay I'm writing for "actor" but am running into some logistic problems, which requires some thought. Very often, writers get notes from producers or directors mostly, that make no sense or can't really be done. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

So I have to work it out for myself and then approach the other parties to try and find a solution that works for everyone. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Someone asked me if writers have to write everything someone tells them. The answer is simple; NO.

Can a writer get fired if they refuse to write what the producer or director or actor want?

Simple; YES.

But more often, it's worked out to everyone's suitability and we all go merrily along. Although enemies can be made in these circumstances, one only has one thing to remember in those instances;

Writers last longer than executives.

So, I'll be running around this week trying to find a solution to the screenplay and to get stuff ready to head to Lyons, Colorado. 

BTW you can see the music as it's going to be streamed on the internet July 25-27 , just go to:

http://www.bluegrass.com/rockygrass/