Today's encore selection -- from Hello, He Lied by Lynda Obst.
Lynda Obst, producer of such movies as Sleepless in Seattle, Contact and The Fisher King, discusses the essential Hollywood quality of "nerve":
"Nerve most commonly comes from having nothing to lose. ... That means you're either so low it looks like up to you, so rich you can sustain a loss, or believe in something so strongly you don't care what anyone thinks. It's easy to be nervy when your livelihood is not at stake. This has, sadly, never been an option for me, but it is how the game is most effectively played. As in all high-stakes gambling, you should never roll the dice with dinner money. You must play baccarat as if you were an aristocrat so you are not devastated by any likely subversion. Always remember the famous adage about the movie business: You can't make a living, you can only get rich. So I have to play like I am a high roller whether I have the cushion or not. When Monday morning comes and I've rightly walked away from a bad deal, it only feels good when I have money in the bank. Low overhead can be a great protection, one that I've never afforded myself....MORE
