2017 Year In Review - A Set Up For More

Here we go! It's that time of the year again. I was once excited about my yearly reviews. Thinking deep and attempting to conjure up fancy vocabulary words for my annual self-evaluation. I'm a veteran in this business now. Seven years plus and the reviews aren't fun anymore. Nonetheless, I will respect the system I started. 2017 was a fun year. 2016 marked the conclusion of my independent projects. I entered 2017 with a have fun mentality. As a result, I played a lot of tennis and basketball. I even got a Nintendo Switch in May and that added lots of joy into my journey. The fun part of 2017 was accomplished and there's no question about that. I'm also really proud of my tennis progress. I plan to keep all the fun I had with sports and video games throughout my duration on this planet.

Don't be mistaken, I had adversity. One week of homelessness in July to be exact. I overcame it and it doesn't matter anymore. The situation led me to some new headshots and a YMCA membership in which I still have. I love that place. Great full court basketball any time I want.

One month before my homeless experience I acquired a new agent. I wasn't even seeking one and they found me. It's a unique story and I'm thankful for that gift. My original agent has started to dissipate. I'm assuming that relationship will officially come to a conclusion soon. They're not getting me out anymore. My new agent represents a breath of fresh air my journeys needed and I'm exhaling well.

I had a little money in my pocket most of the year. I also embraced different revenue options. From figure modeling, photography assistance, production assisting and a brand ambassador. Background work is still a viable option.

I had a nice hand full of small bookings. That's because my new agent isn't against submitting me to smaller roles. I appreciate that. Big money projects still don't want to book me so I'll take as many small roles as I can.

A few of my favorite highlights from 2017 were directly booked. I didn't even have to audition.
I was booked from my photos and reel. One short film and a web commercial with no audition needed. Also, a few people that I worked with before reached out with me specifically in mind. It's always great to know when someone remembers and/or thinks of you.

Ther trailer release of Snake Outta Compton was also a treat. Patience will guide us to its release summer 2018.

It's been easy for me to say all year long that I retired from independent productions in 2017 but that's not entirely true. I spent 6 months planning the Wide aWoke Wednesday's Reunion and there's the time I spent with my screenplay. Earlier in the year, I got a bright idea to develop a pitch package to support my script. I was later informed it's called a pitch deck. I sent my script and the deck to a few people. Nothing came out of that but one lunch meeting in December gave me the spark I didn't know I was waiting for. That meeting led to me rereading, reediting and rewriting my screenplay. Most importantly, that meeting inspired the proper ended my script always needed. Basically, I've been on break the entire year until this one meeting.

This is the part where I write detailed predictions for 2018. I'm not doing that anymore. I just want more of what I had in 2017. More fun, more basketball, more tennis, more Nintendo Switch, more competition, more bookings and more money. Bigger roles, bigger opportunities and all the notoriety I deserve. With that being said, something dawned on me as I was talking to something over the phone recently. I still have no intentions of planning any events. I still have no independent project ideas in mind. The only thing I have close to my heart is my screenplay which is a heavy undertaking by itself. I don't know how to get a film made but some way I'm going to find out. My script needs all my attention and all my attention it will get in 2018. I was pretty much on break in 2017. I believe my spirit was resting up in 2017 for whatever it is that's about to happen in 2018.

Essentially, I had two strong periods with my screenplay in 2017. I don't even recall picking it up once in 2016. I know the road to making a screenplay is long and I'm ready to make love to the process in 2018. Whatever it takes. I'll be researching and creating everything I need to get my story made. I want my film released in 2020.

In conclusion, the more that I didn't get in 2017, I'll get that more, plus more in 2018.

As the quest continues...

The future of Late Night

Motown Maurice