There was this one project.
Early on when I was directing, the producer who gave me my first directing break asked me to look at a script and see if I was interested in directing it. It was one of those "This is my story, I want to tell" I read it and passed on the project and wished her welll. It was a drama and I didn't want to work on another drama and especially not one like this.
About 9 months later, she's still hunting for a director and calls me again. I went through the script again and talked with her on the issues I had with the script and why I wasn't interested in directing the project in its current form (drama on the depressing topis of breast cancer) and suggested some other directors to try. They all pass.
She calls me again. I explained there was no way I was going to direct that script. We get into what I didn't like about the script and whether she's open to a big rewrite and change more towards a feel good comedy/drama with strong interesting characters. We discussed whether it was more important to tell her story or to make a good film. She agreed to a good story. I came on board and we went to rewrite the script. It took a few months to get the script to a point where I was happy with it.
Pre-production: It wasn't going to be an easy shoot as a lot of it involved hospitals, so location scouting (an area which I really suck at) was going to make it a real challenge. I used a lot of my connections and we built the team (when I say we, it was mostly my connections). Prepro had it challenges, but we were getting through it. There were delays with the producer not being as dedicated to the film as I would like.
The shooting date was coming up fast and most of the people the producer had picked were blowing the deadlines. We were about 2 weeks away from shooting and we were still fighting on casting choices. On the meeting we agreed was where we were going to finalise the cast, the producers dropped a bombshell. "We've decided we're going back to the original script.".. "Oh, ok. No worries. I think I've been clear I'm not directing that script so I guess we're parting ways."
Her primary concern seemed to be more whether I'd sabotage the production. "What about the other crew? Are they still in?" I had convinced a lot of people to get involved partially on the strength of the new script and partially on my local reputation. "Look, I'm going to email everyone and let them know I've left the production and you can call them and ask if they're still want to be involved."
I think only one cast member stayed.
