**HAVEN FOR SCREENWRITERS CATERS TO DEEPEST POCKETS**
The other day, an editorial plea was made on behalf of the owners of a self-proclaimed “inspirational” and “distraction-free” working environment for screenwriters called “theOffice” concerning the company’s struggle to pay rent and stay afloat financially. If you’ve never actually heard of the Santa Monica-based company, your initial reaction to this news might be one of genuine sympathy for the owner. And Lord knows it can be hard for writers to find that perfect place for inspirational writing.
But when you learn how much the owner is charging people to simply sit and write in the comfort of its zen-like environment then you’d be hard-pressed to find a better reason not to join this money-sucking machine. Members of this pretentious excuse for a business essentially pay good money to feel as if they are working in the peaceful equivalent to living inside of one of Mr. Miyagi’s bonzai trees. They are afforded the convenience of (dare I say!) wireless internet, dictionaries and thesauruses (GREAT SCOTT!), comfortable couches and even parking! But at what price, you ask?
A glimpse into theOffice, a working environment in Santa Monica designed to meet the inspirational needs of screenwriters.
I’ve been told by the owner himself that membership rates range from $189-$409 per month. This means that at most some members (if there are still any) are paying nearly $5,000 per year for a workspace that gives them nothing more than what they can get at a local Starbucks!
Some Hollywood writers can’t even afford to dish out that much money a year on rent. Now how can this even be taken seriously? Is it any wonder that this is a failing business? Sure theOffice has “alumnis” like J.J. Abrams and Paul Haggis who used to write in their facility. Writers who I’m sure could afford the experience.
Now I gotta say that the philosophy behind theOffice is very reasonable. It’s extremely difficult for many writers to try and get their work done at home. That being said, if the owner wants to capitalize on running this facility as a business then he should be smarter about membership fees. You can’t simply just expect starving artists to flock to your facility when there are dozens of other options for peaceful working environments in Los Angeles. Writers do after all already write their way out of infinite sticky situations. Additionally, if theOffice seeks to stay somewhat relevant, it should actually offer its members competitive incentives to maintain their membership to offer an experience that can never be duplicated by a coffee shop. 24-karat writing pads of gold? That just might do it for your members considering the amount of money their paying.
Otherwise, quit whining about your rent for chrissakes. Your target market isn’t six-figure salary executives. It’s no-figure, no-salary, no-steady-paycheck, no-nonsense writers who can easily eliminate the expense of overpaying for WiFi and space.
Charlie Wachtel is a Senior Writer for The Film Crusade and Founder of www.filmcrusade.com.
