Manimal Crackers

My Big Brothers

He spends his nights in California

Watching the stars on the big screen

And then he lies awake and he wonders

Why can't that be me?

Croon the words of 3 Doors Down on the Y2K era radio station. This song was a hit around 9/11, when I was preparing for kindergarten, and the world was a beautiful place despite- or, in a really weird way, somewhat because of- the horrendous incident that happened. After seeing so many innocent lives lost, we became closer as a nation, and nobody felt alone. I couldn't help but think of my older cousin, Brian, who was in high school when this song was a hit. He overcame a lot in his life to graduate college and get work as an entertainment lawyer- as a kid growing up in the 90s, he lived in a trailer park off of welfare. And he was always there for me, like a big brother.

I've always wanted a "big brother" figure. I know this sounds weird, because big brothers typically have a negative rep. One of my favorite shows, Arthur, had a little sister who drove him absolutely bonkers.

But this was different. You see, when I was a little girl, I didn't have any close friends of my own, but both sides of my family gave me really cool, supportive older cousins. Brian, who's about a decade older than I am, was really nice with me even when I did weird shit, and believe me, I did that an awful lot. Like, when I was about seven I flushed the toilet on him in the shower. Cue Dad reacting at me with a rage that would make Liam Neeson proud.

Realizing that I would have to reach out to him if I wanted information on copyright for film, I decided to do just that.

Dear Brian,

I know we haven't talked much lately, but I do have something to share with you. You see, ever since I was little I've always wanted to write for pre-established (albeit obscure) franchises, and this in turn led to a dream of screenwriting as well as acting- I currently have a script for the film version of the notorious 80's show "Manimal." (If you're wondering what script I was talking about for Benedict Cumberbatch last year, it was definitely that- Mom says he looks like a horse.) While I do want to write for the franchises (okay, I know Manimal can only charitably be called a "franchise," with nine episodes including a crossover one in the 90s, but still) I know I need to get copyright permission first. How can I receive permission to get my dreams off the ground?

Thank you for your time,

Jessica

PS I can send you the script if you'd like to take a look at them.

He then wrote back with a really lengthy email. No, I'm not putting it here- it's way too long to be put here; I'm honestly amazed I could write it in one sitting! Basically, he said, "If you want to write for a series, you'll need to write a spec script for it first. It's like, If I drew a picture of a horse, and then someone wanted to use said drawing of a horse in some work he wanted to do. That person would have to talk with the person who drew the horse to get their permission before using it in their work."

Okay, so I didn't quite have a script finished quite yet. Quite frankly, it hadn't even started it yet, unless writing the cover page (including a credit from Glen A Larson himself) counts. Needless to say, I was grateful for his support. I mean, I flushed the toilet on him when I was a wee little kid, and he was still willing to help me. Now I owe this guy a gig on the next Ninja Turtles film.

Another one of my big brother mentor figures is Scott, one of my Twitter followers. He's a screenwriter who gives fantastic advice on how to write for movies & television. He's in his forties, but looks and acts like he's in his 30's, if not 20's. I mean, he has this long hair that makes him look more like a guy frontlining a heavy metal band than any middle-aged guy should look like. I swear he has made a pact with a wizard to not age. He's also written a few cool books and even a movie for Marvel. And of course, he's always one to support me when I feel stressed.