Fame is a Drug.

I’ve always been fascinated with the concept of fame. Even on reality shows, hearing contestants on hot mics fantasizing about what magazine covers their young, chiseled faces will grace. I remember one cast member raving about how he was most definitely on the cover of Vanity Fair (no cap! -as the youth would say), The whole scenario was a cocktail mix of delusion and self-deception sophistry -its a great sociological insight and a therapists’ wet dream.

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We’ve often equated the idea fame with success, whether that notoriety is good or bad. If you ever took a marketing class, they'd tell you "There's no such thing as bad publicity." The Kardashians are the best example of this: their brand was ‘famous for being famous.’ And their monetization of that adage has brought them millions. thanK you aIMee.

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Although there's the other side of that coin. Fame also comes with a price. A line producer also once said to me, ‘people would be shocked to know how many celebrities are only one paycheck away from homelessness.’ Just because you're well known, doesn't always mean you're well paid. There’s a hint of truth to this. Some actors made headlines last year for putting their own houses on the market amidst the strikes.

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A report from Morning Consult says that 57% of Gen Z said they would like to become an influencer, if given the chance. As someone with a slight online following myself, I’d be the first to tell you that the lifestyle is not all “likes” and “duck lips.” Sometimes making stuff for “the internet” is fun, other times it feels like a chore. There is, however, an overall addictiveness to it all. And in those rare instances you take a week off from posting content, the itch begins to start. It’s as if your own existence will dissolve into oblivion if you don’t 'feed the feed.'

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But still, fame is a commodity. If you find it and capitalize on it, there are rewards to be reaped -asked any YouTuber or someone who’s started a podcast. And it’s within this realm of the desire for fame and its seducing addiction that two ideas popped into my head.

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One was the allure of a life online vs. the mediocrity of every day. The 'grass is always greener' syndrome. The second idea has hovered around the question, what if fame was taken away in an instant?

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It’s not without irony that I wrote a script called “The Influencer,” which follows a young woman in Washington State who is dying to get herself online.

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The setting was inspired by an article I read about Point Roberts, Washington. It’s a small enclave that’s attached to the Canadian border, yet cut off from the rest of the United States. The only way to travel there by car is to drive through British Columbia. The history is fascinating. When the Oregon Treaty made the 49th parallel the border between the U.S. and Canada, this one strip of land slithered through. Canada basically said, “it would be a lot easier if this was just part of Canada.” Of course, The United States did the most 'American' thing ever and retorted to the effect, “Shut up, that land is ours.”

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Needless to say, this area struggled during the pandemic, as it was isolated from everyone and everything. What was more intriguing was how the article went on to say this location is said to be prime location for those in witness protection.

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That’s when the lightbulb went off. What if someone who is so dependent on fame was forced to go into witness protection? ?It didn’t take long to punch out a script to a short film… and after a few tweaks, I had a movie ready to go. But the only difference was, I wanted to make it. After being a TV producer for 20 years, it can't be that hard to make a 15 minute film? Of course, I would need to raise the funds to do this… but it was a project I felt was worth the investment.

Many in the short-film community warned me about financing the project. “People just don’t invest in short films because they don’t make money,” was the message recited on repeat. But as our industry endures the growing pains of new media, there's still one thing social media offers that television doesn’t. Social media is a two-way street, meanwhile television remains a one-way medium.

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On TikTok, fans can talk to influencers, and, those people can talk back. Its fully interactive, which is part of its allure. So what if you could raise funds by bringing the audience with you through the entire process? What if making a movie was a two-way street? Instead of fundraising the traditional way, this new method would use the Netflix subscriber model to raise capital for the film. That means if you "donate" to the subscription, you get to come on the film-making journey.

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Subscribers will be part of the behind-the-scenes for every step of the way, from the script, to table reads, to auditions, locations, production and more! Not only that, the production will become interactive and open to feedback. Its trying something new in a changing market… I mean, if fame is a drug, might as well pass it around.

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Want to subscribe to the movie? Link Below:

?"The Influencer" Substack Subscription