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Old 08-18-2009, 10:51 PM
 
6 posts, read 27,731 times
Reputation: 11

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Yeah i know there are so many people who move out to LA to work in the Film industry. Well i am just about to start my first year of college ( i do not live in cali). But next year i plan to transfer out to a school in California. But while I am out there I also want to try and make it as a screenwriter. There are so many screenwriters/producers that never even went to college and are some of the best today for example judd apatow. I was just wonder if to transfer out there would be a dumb move. And what my chances of making it as a screenwriter in LA would be. And where to go in LA to try and break into the movie industry. Hope you can help.

thanks.
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Old 08-19-2009, 12:21 AM
 
10,629 posts, read 26,643,397 times
Reputation: 6776
Your chances of becoming a successful screenwriter are low. I can't find the reference now, but vaguely remember reading about four years ago about someone who stood outside the Ralph's on Sunset and asked everyone who walked out how their screenplays were going. A typical answer was "how did you know?" The point of the execise was to show that practially every other person in LA is working on a screenplay, which certainly seems true sometimes. That doesn't mean you won't make it, but it does mean that you'll be up against some stiff competition. If you're serious about it then I think a transfer to school in LA would be a good move, assuming it won't break the bank financially. If it will leave you with massive amounts of debt you may want to carefully consider all of your options before you make that decision.
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Old 08-19-2009, 06:33 PM
 
23 posts, read 62,512 times
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Since you're a student with nothing to lose, it may be worth moving here if you're serious. Don't loose touch with your support network at home! The air is brown and nothing looks like the movies. Traffic is terrible, so rent near your school and job. Google distances are not accurate, as our traffic is truly horrible. Trust me on this. It is not a myth. Luckily, I positioned myself so that the majority of traffic goes opposite my direction while commuting. The funny thing is, in the middle of the night, it takes me 15 min to get to work. During the day, it takes 35 min and I don't even have to battle traffic. Going with the flow of traffic can take up to 1 hour. 15min to 1hr is quite a difference. Taxes are high and rising.
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Old 08-19-2009, 06:44 PM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,338 posts, read 93,480,540 times
Reputation: 17827
Quote:
Originally Posted by CB3009 View Post
Yeah i know there are so many people who move out to LA to work in the Film industry. Well i am just about to start my first year of college ( i do not live in cali). But next year i plan to transfer out to a school in California. But while I am out there I also want to try and make it as a screenwriter. There are so many screenwriters/producers that never even went to college and are some of the best today for example judd apatow. I was just wonder if to transfer out there would be a dumb move. And what my chances of making it as a screenwriter in LA would be. And where to go in LA to try and break into the movie industry. Hope you can help.

thanks.
What are you going to study?
What is your "Plan B" career path?
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Old 08-19-2009, 07:19 PM
 
6 posts, read 27,731 times
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I am going to my school now for film studies, but I am also taking creative writing classes as well. I have hopes of screenwriting, but if that doesn't work out right away i was thinking of doing so behind the scenes work on a talk show and hopefully working my way up to a writer for the show and build my career from there. I also just wanted to know if it matters that I wont have a car if I go to school out there. Because I highly doubt my parents will let me take my car, because its under their name.
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Old 08-19-2009, 07:43 PM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,338 posts, read 93,480,540 times
Reputation: 17827
Quote:
Originally Posted by CB3009 View Post
I am going to my school now for film studies, but I am also taking creative writing classes as well. I have hopes of screenwriting, but if that doesn't work out right away i was thinking of doing so behind the scenes work on a talk show and hopefully working my way up to a writer for the show and build my career from there. I also just wanted to know if it matters that I wont have a car if I go to school out there. Because I highly doubt my parents will let me take my car, because its under their name.

What do your parents think of your idea of moving to LA to become a screenwriter?
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Old 08-19-2009, 07:48 PM
 
10,629 posts, read 26,643,397 times
Reputation: 6776
Many students don't have cars. It will be tougher when you are working, in that industry, anyway. It depends, of course, on the school and where you choose to live. LA has decent public transportation, so if you live on or near campus or on a convenient bus/train route you should be fine.
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Old 08-19-2009, 07:49 PM
 
6 posts, read 27,731 times
Reputation: 11
They think that it is a waste of time and that i will never get anywhere. They are not really supportive at all when it comes to my writing. They dont really understand that this is what I want to do. So i dont really know how to make them see it from my point of view. My mom wants me to stay on the east coast just because she will miss me.
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Old 08-19-2009, 07:53 PM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,338 posts, read 93,480,540 times
Reputation: 17827
Quote:
Originally Posted by CB3009 View Post
I also want to try and make it as a screenwriter.
Have you ever published a screenplay?
Have has a theater group ever used a screenplay you have written?

What tangible experience do you have?
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Old 08-19-2009, 08:19 PM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,218,944 times
Reputation: 49245
Quote:
Originally Posted by CB3009 View Post
Yeah i know there are so many people who move out to LA to work in the Film industry. Well i am just about to start my first year of college ( i do not live in cali). But next year i plan to transfer out to a school in California. But while I am out there I also want to try and make it as a screenwriter. There are so many screenwriters/producers that never even went to college and are some of the best today for example judd apatow. I was just wonder if to transfer out there would be a dumb move. And what my chances of making it as a screenwriter in LA would be. And where to go in LA to try and break into the movie industry. Hope you can help.

thanks.
you are among the thousands that want this yearly, going to college has little to do with being a successful screne writer, it may have a lot to do with other fields, but not screne writing.

Can you survive without a car? That depends on where you go to school, and by the way, who is paying for your education? Do you have any clue what out of state tuition will amount to? There probably is no one place to go to break into the industry.

I have to agree with your family, this isn't the easiest field to get into and many young people have dreams that will die eventually. Of course if no one even follows their dreams that would be sad as well.

Just be prepared: 1-the cost of school for out of state students is something for you and your family to consider seriously.
2-you need to get accepted into one of the universities that have a good film school.
3-without a lot of friends and a core group it can get pretty lonely in a place like Los Angeles
4-yes, mom will miss you, but I think more than that, she is thinking about what is best for you.

IF you are bound and determined to go through with this and have great financual support, go for it, if not think of another dream.

Nita
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