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Writers Learn a Lesson of Good Will: A Recap of the Contest
In 1992, an English major at Harvard began writing a one-act play as an acting vehicle for him. It was the story of a socially rebellious janitor working in the hallowed halls of M.I.T. with an I.Q. that equaled or exceeded those who were there to learn. The idea percolated in the student's brain for some time, and he eventually penned a forty-page treatment, in hopes to convert that into a full-length screenplay. Soon, he enlisted the help of a childhood friend to adapt the screenplay, someone who shared an ear for Southie, an authentic, blue-collar suburb outside of Boston, and the setting of the piece.
The two Boston-born friends were aspiring actors, but beleaguered by the apparent dearth of quality material that circulated Hollywood. Penning their own script, with parts written in for them, was nothing short of an attempt to jumpstart their careers. A first pass at the script produced a thriller, where the main character is obtained by the CIA, and is sent undercover to crack intelligence codes. But advice from friends and other writers yielded a smaller, character-driven story, one that centered on a misunderstood genius that must come to terms with his life and his gift.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had already acted in films by this point in the early 1990's, all supporting roles. But their faces were hardly recognizable to anyone but a few savvy casting directors and their agent.
In early 1994, Ben was shooting a movie called "Glory Daze" for a young producer named Chris Moore. In 1990, Moore was a senior at Harvard when Damon was a freshman, and the two became acquaintances. After Chris left to pursue a career in entertainment in Los Angeles, the two kept in touch, and Moore sent Damon the script for "Glory Daze." Damon passed the script on to his best friend Ben Affleck, who auditioned and won the part. It was on the set of "Glory Daze" when Affleck handed "Good Will Hunting" to Chris Moore.
Moore loved the script, and Damon and Affleck immediately attached Chris as Producer. After weighing their options, the threesome decided to shop their script to the town.
Quickly, the script gained some traction, and Castle Rock bought the script for $500,000 in 1994. But Castle Rock arrived at creative differences with Damon, Affleck, and Moore. So they appealed to director Kevin Smith to bring their script into Miramax. Affleck had starred for Smith in "Mallrats" and "Chasing Amy." Smith pitched the project to Miramax, who bought the project from Castle Rock.
The script made its way to director Gus Van Sant, via Ben's younger brother Casey, who had worked with Van Sant on "To Die For." Immediately, Van Sant agreed to do the film, using Damon and Affleck, as well as Boston as the story's backdrop. Quickly, Robin Williams was added to the cast to play Will Hunting's psychiatrist.
In mid-1995, Good Will Hunting received the studio's greenlight. Matt Damon would star as Will Hunting, and Ben Affleck would play his best friend Chuckie. Chris Moore would co-produce. The film was to be shot in Boston, for a $20 million budget.
The story of how Good Will Hunting went from a small idea to a blockbuster movie has fast become the stuff of independent film legend. But it did not happen overnight, nor was it the result of sheer luck, but rather, perseverance, conviction, and passion for the material. To be sure, Affleck and Damon were not complete strangers to the culture of Hollywood. They did have some inroads, an agent, and an inkling of how to play the Hollywood waiting game. But their greatest asset was their script: a good story with honest dialogue.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, with the help of a trusted friend in Chris Moore, defied the odds, and became an inspiration for numerous would-be screenwriters who dream of putting their stories onto the big screen.
The Contest
It was no surprise when these three men decided to found LivePlanet with their friend Sean Bailey and teamed up with Miramax Films to give someone else the opportunity to tell their story. The premise was simple: An online screenwriting competition. The winner would be given a $1,000,000 budget to direct his or her script, with a guarantee by Miramax to distribute the film domestically. HBO would create an 11-part series, documenting the winner's journey from being selected to the film's release.
The experiment was to be called Project Greenlight.
Miramax, HBO and LivePlanet announced their plans to the public in September of 2000. During a four-week submission period, Project Greenlight electronically received more than 10,000 original script entries through its website. Anyone who entered the contest was required to review three other scripts. By October 22, 2000, 7,000 became 250.
Sell Yourself...
The Top 250 were asked to shoot a three-minute home video to demonstrate their directorial abilities, as well as to sell themselves as filmmakers, artists, and story tellers.
Nearly 13 hours of video viewing later, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris Moore, and executives from LivePlanet and Miramax narrowed the field from 250 to 30 contestants.
And Then There Were 10
In early 2001, the Top 30 screenplays were read and evaluated by Miramax and LivePlanet executives. After hours of deliberations, this small committee chose 10 Finalists.
Each Top 10 finalist received an Independent Filmmaker's prize package worth more than $8,000 dollars, provided by Avid Technology, Inc. The prize included Avid Xpress DV 1.5 software for digital video editing, DVD delivery and web streaming with 12 months of Avid Xpress DV telephone support, a Sony TRV 20 DV camera, and a Dell Precision Workstation 220.
Using only the tools provided, each finalist was to shoot one scene from their script.
HBO Rolls Tape
March of 2001 marked the beginning of a journey for 10 talented artists, as HBO turned on their cameras to capture the moment. For nine hopeful people, this journey would culminate with a Sam Adams beer and a conciliatory handshake. For one, it would be the beginning of something extraordinary.
Project Greenlight flew the Top 10 contestants to Los Angeles to see their scenes premiered at the Project Greenlight Top Ten Event, and to hear Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris Moore announce the Top 3 Finalists.
Days later, the winner would be chosen in a stale hotel room deep into the night, and then introduced to the country with all the pomp and circumstance of a glittery Hollywood screening.
The Prize: Direct your film for Miramax.
The catch: Your every move will be captured on tape.
Welcome to Hollywood, kid.
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