Move to LA to become an Actor or Idiot? (Clayton: mover, school)

[wrcousert]

Why take the risk of uprooting and moving to LA when you could be discovered on YouTube? If you're good, people will notice you and you will get job offers. YouTube is the great equalizer.

[BarcelonaFan]

Originally Posted by PDF

I didn't say that writing was an easier field to break into than those, just that someone is more likely to have success selling a script than they are to make it big in acting.

All your points are spot-on, but those certainly aren't the only avenues to get your script looked at and sold. Sure it's hard, but it can be done if you have the talent and the script. And it gets into the right hands.

I agree but getting into the right hands is just as hard as having the right person view your play or movie.

You really have to know someone who can view the script and greenlight it.

And what's this about being a union screenwriter? How does one even join a union like that if no one will look at one's script if one's not a member? It just seems silly.

What is with this "who ya know" nonsense of the dynamics of Hollywood? So much talent is being wasted because of this connections junk. This doesn't weed out the bad apples, it shoves bad apples down peoples throats these days.

[PDF]

Originally Posted by bpeeps

Change the script references in your comment to acting references and you'll see how you really haven't said anything new. It is luck, it is who you know, etc. Screenwriting is no easier to break into than acting, and in a good number of cases is harder to do. There are less options to get experience in writing. With acting, you can gain experience and get a modicum of recognition doing background work, extra work, being a day player, a stand-in, and going on auditions.

The only real route to becoming a screenwriter is starting off as a writer's assistant. Those jobs are few and far in between as the starting jobs for acting. I have a friend who worked as a PA for a year on an NBC sitcom, and she got the opportunity to sit in the writer's room from the director. That's it, she still has to be a PA, she isn't getting paid to be in the writer's room. And she's still responsible for all of her PA duties before she gets to sit in the room. However its a start, she can gain some experience and knowledge of the process. She's been looking for a writer's assistant job for two years now.

There are enough people with the talent out here already. Talent isn't going to cut it anymore.

Not to be rude, but I honestly hope you don't think you're going to move to LA and sell scripts to studios. Because you're going to be in for the same rude awakening aspiring actors go through. Most scripts aren't sold as scripts, they are sold as specs or treatments that get purchased by studios. Studios then hire established scribes to realize and write the idea. Fully realized scripts that get sent to studios get tossed onto an unpaid intern to give a thumps up or thumbs down. By the time thumps up scripts reach anybody of any importance, they don't care and are chasing down that comic book sequel to whatever.

Check out this post from the "Common phrases you hear in LA." That sums up the rest of this post.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/27655606-post33.html

PA/writer's assistant is definitely a good route to go, but I think you are ignoring how many screenwriters get started. It is not so much as cut and dry as you are saying. Also, if you would have seen my earlier post, I was advising people to not move to LA with the sole purpose of getting into the business.

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

I agree but getting into the right hands is just as hard as having the right person view your play or movie.

You really have to know someone who can view the script and greenlight it.

And what's this about being a union screenwriter? How does one even join a union like that if no one will look at one's script if one's not a member? It just seems silly.

What is with this "who ya know" nonsense of the dynamics of Hollywood? So much talent is being wasted because of this connections junk. This doesn't weed out the bad apples, it shoves bad apples down peoples throats these days.

You mean the WGA? You have to have a writing credit to join. In other words, you have to have sold a script that got made to the big screen in order to join.

However, that's only one of a million ways to get your script noticed. And I would never even try to send my scripts to production companies as someone who's never sold a script.

Screenwriting is not really a "who you know", although some people like to claim that.

[bpeeps]

Originally Posted by PDF

PA/writer's assistant is definitely a good route to go, but I think you are ignoring how many screenwriters get started. It is not so much as cut and dry as you are saying. Also, if you would have seen my earlier post, I was advising people to not move to LA with the sole purpose of getting into the business.



You mean the WGA? You have to have a writing credit to join. In other words, you have to have sold a script that got made to the big screen in order to join.

However, that's only one of a million ways to get your script noticed. And I would never even try to send my scripts to production companies as someone who's never sold a script.

Screenwriting is not really a "who you know", although some people like to claim that.

Instead of just stating a difference in opinion, do you have any information on how many screenwriters get started?

[BarcelonaFan]

Originally Posted by PDF

PA/writer's assistant is definitely a good route to go, but I think you are ignoring how many screenwriters get started. It is not so much as cut and dry as you are saying. Also, if you would have seen my earlier post, I was advising people to not move to LA with the sole purpose of getting into the business.



You mean the WGA? You have to have a writing credit to join. In other words, you have to have sold a script that got made to the big screen in order to join.

However, that's only one of a million ways to get your script noticed. And I would never even try to send my scripts to production companies as someone who's never sold a script.

Screenwriting is not really a "who you know", although some people like to claim that.

Originally Posted by PDF

PA/writer's assistant is definitely a good route to go, but I think you are ignoring how many screenwriters get started. It is not so much as cut and dry as you are saying. Also, if you would have seen my earlier post, I was advising people to not move to LA with the sole purpose of getting into the business.



You mean the WGA? You have to have a writing credit to join. In other words, you have to have sold a script that got made to the big screen in order to join.

However, that's only one of a million ways to get your script noticed. And I would never even try to send my scripts to production companies as someone who's never sold a script.

Screenwriting is not really a "who you know", although some people like to claim that.

Then what special knowledge do you have to unravel the same web of negativity to making it as a screenwriter in Hollywood?

I mean to be honest again I have to say it's not the talent thing because from what I know most of the writers I've met have some seriously bad ideas. I am talking really bad. The ones I know that have had meetings with execs or sold stuff or even won writers competitions had ideas that resembled this and I am NOT KIDDING:

1.) Guy finds cell phone. Cell phone is haunted with the ghost of the previous owner who's been murdered and wants to unravel the mystery behind his death.

2.) Samurai wanders the desert with his faithful companion battling robots trying to find his path in life.

3.) Faux indie rom com dramedy about a failed relationship and the emotional turmoil it takes.

Half the time I don't know if these writers are really this dumb, out of ideas or just really really know what studios want. They seem to be really trendy and up to speed on what's hot but if what's hot is literally just **** in bag then why bother?

Movies like Killing Them Softly are arthouse, indie films now? That movie was just a straight gangster pic with political undertones. Can't even find these straight good movies in the mainstream theaters anymore, they've been placed in the "arthouse" section. I remember looking everywhere for a theater playing Arbitrage and I found it at two cinemas. There was nothing experimental about that movie, it was a straight drama.

So did Hollywood kick out all the artists and replace them with geeks? I mean I really hate this reboot, comic, super sci-fi era we're in.

[Seekingcreativity]

Follow your dreams. But I would caution you not to leave a wonderful lady just because you're curious to see what else is out there. You could get burned.

[BarcelonaFan]

Originally Posted by bpeeps

Instead of just stating a difference in opinion, do you have any information on how many screenwriters get started?

No kidding. What is that you know about the industry that counters the prevailing wisdom?

[PDF]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

Then what special knowledge do you have to unravel the same web of negativity to making it as a screenwriter in Hollywood?

I mean to be honest again I have to say it's not the talent thing because from what I know most of the writers I've met have some seriously bad ideas. I am talking really bad. The ones I know that have had meetings with execs or sold stuff or even won writers competitions had ideas that resembled this and I am NOT KIDDING:

1.) Guy finds cell phone. Cell phone is haunted with the ghost of the previous owner who's been murdered and wants to unravel the mystery behind his death.

2.) Samurai wanders the desert with his faithful companion battling robots trying to find his path in life.

3.) Faux indie rom com dramedy about a failed relationship and the emotional turmoil it takes.

Half the time I don't know if these writers are really this dumb, out of ideas or just really really know what studios want. They seem to be really trendy and up to speed on what's hot but if what's hot is literally just **** in bag then why bother?

Movies like Killing Them Softly are arthouse, indie films now? That movie was just a straight gangster pic with political undertones. Can't even find these straight good movies in the mainstream theaters anymore, they've been placed in the "arthouse" section. I remember looking everywhere for a theater playing Arbitrage and I found it at two cinemas. There was nothing experimental about that movie, it was a straight drama.

So did Hollywood kick out all the artists and replace them with geeks? I mean I really hate this reboot, comic, super sci-fi era we're in.

There are so many resources out there. Contests, places to get your script covered, etc. If someone trying to break into writing can't get their script looked at, then they just aren't trying. Of course actually selling it is the hard part, but please. It's not as hard as people like bpeeps claim it is.

Most of the movies out now are crap, you're right. I haven't seen Killing Them Softly, but Silver Linings Playbook is a small movie that kind of got thrown the same way.

I guess some people don't like to actually see good movies, and thus they label them as artsy.

[PDF]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

No kidding. What is that you know about the industry that counters the prevailing wisdom?

I am just someone trying to break into screenwriting, and thus I am familiar with what is out there. Where as someone who isn't, negativity might be their only resource.

Spend a few minutes on Google.

[bpeeps]

Originally Posted by PDF

I am just someone trying to break into screenwriting, and thus I am familiar with what is out there. Where as someone who isn't, negativity might be their only resource.

Spend a few minutes on Google.

My intentions aren't to be negative or rude as I clearly stated above. They are based in real world experience working in production. I live in LA. I'm a television editor, I spend all day talking with writers, directors, and producers. I have half the units I need to join the WGA West because of my editing work. NOT from selling scripts; there are very few people who earn units that way. Most people earn units from writing employment.

I don't need to spend a few minutes on Google because I LIVE IT.