I WILL READ YOUR FUCKING SCRIPT (with a few conditions)

This morning I open my email and what do I see: The now infamous Josh Olsen "I won't read your script" rant. You can find it here--http://bit.ly/1WVbMX. Of course, I already read it the night before, posted it on my Twitter, passed it through my lower intestines and digested it. But a few industry friends felt obligated to send it to me, as a way for excusing their douchy behavior. I have a bone to pick with Josh Olsen. Back to the email. It was from a very dear friend who is about to direct a feature film. In the email he professes in 3 short words his feelings about the Josh Olsen Rant (heretofore known as the JOR): I LOVE IT. I feel Olsen's rant/article--ranticle, is a bit disingenuous. I think people are missing that the article was written with tongue in cheek. But it does ring of truth. Although, I strongly believe when you reach a certain level of fame/success/accolades I feel it's your God-damned duty to give something back. And in JORs specific case, he wasn't even asked to read a whole script--IT WAS A TWO PAGE SYNOPSIS. Two minutes of his life. Let's get right to it. Josh's article should be titled: I don't work for free. I get it. No one likes to do free work. NO. ONE. Hell, some people don't even like to work when they are handsomely renumerated. I have some great famous actor stories but that's another blog. My policy (and I'm nowhere near Josh Olsen's fame/success, so don't accuse me of comparing myself to him. I'm just starting out. But I also didn't compare myself to Picasso) is I don't accept complete strangers scripts. But I will read friends screenplays. I read the first 10 pages. If it sucks I stop. Simple. I use my common sense before I accept to read a script. I query the writers on the themes of the story and what it's really about (is there layers? etc). If it sounds good, I read. If not, I say I'm too busy. Josh Olsen says in the article: "would you go up to a doctor and ask him to explain a complex medical procedure?"... well, if I was just entering medical school, then yes, yes I would. Moxie gets you in the door... talent keeps you in the room. Skill, structure, character, storytelling and luck (never under-estimate luck, but the better of us make our own) gets your movie made. Another trick I now use with people who are acquaintances and want me to read their material is-- I ask them to do the following 3 Things:  1) Write a LOGLINE-- Two lines describing the story. 2) Write a 2-3 Page SYNOPSIS. 3) Write a HALF PAGE on why you want to tell this story. If they complete the above task, I will read their script. So far, no one has come back to me with the aforementioned task. NO ONE. Not even one person. Because for the casual writer, it's too much work. It reveals that all they really want is for you to do all the heavy-lifting. It's a good process that weeds out the wannabe's from the real deal writers.  Back to my friend's email, artists shouldn't forget where they came from because many people helped them along the way and the Karma Police have a habit of showing up at the most inappropriate times. Your Friend, D.