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Screenwriters figure things out. So before you ask your question, do a little research first. Try reading a book or two. Check out the FAQ's forums on the Done Deal Pro message board. If you still can't find the answer to your question, then go ahead and ask me. But please note: I do not subscribe to the view that there are no dumb questions.
by David H. Steinberg
Ask Hollywhooped! Advice:
hollywhooped@donedealpro.com
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| Date: |
2/8/2010 |
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| Question: |
Dave,
I realize you don't much like screenwriting competitions, but you should come up with a better argument about the Nicholl Fellowships than "even Nicholl winners have spotty records ever working in the industry."
Since later in the column, you offer advice of moving to LA or attending film school or making a film, shouldn't you also note that folks who move to LA with the intention of working in the film industry have spotty records as far as entering and remaining in the film industry? Or that film school grads have spotty records as well? Or that more often than not, first time feature filmmakers do not make a second feature?
For beginning writers, competitions offer much that has nothing to do with winning and the aftermath. For instance, they offer deadlines; they can serve as yardsticks; some offer written feedback; they can serve as stepping stones; those that use industry professionals as judges offer the possibility of writers connecting with those industry judges; those connected with festivals and conferences such as Austin, Nantucket and the Screenwriting Expo offer opportunities to connect with professional writers, agents and managers, producers and executives; those that provide contact information or distribute log lines or scripts to industry professional offer the possibility of making connections within the industry; etc.
Beginning screenwriters should use as many avenues available to them as they can in attempting to become better writers and then in attempting to break in professionally. The Nicholl Fellowships is simply one among those many avenues. So are a number of other competitions.
Best,
Greg Beal,
Director, Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting |
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| Answer: |
Greg,
Thanks for your email.
Clearly the Nicholl is the most prestigious competition of its kind. Winning can certainly be a great way to break in and its track record is much better than probably every other competition’s combined. But every competition costs money to enter and that fee has to be weighed against the value of winning. My primary concern in knocking on screenwriting competitions is that a whole industry has sprung up in the last 10-20 years centered around separating the aspiring screenwriter from his or her money. There are literally hundreds of competitions now and the vast majority of them are simply irrelevant to breaking in.
You’re right, of course, that there’s no full-proof way of breaking in. Being an assistant at CAA isn’t your golden ticket. At the end of the day it will boil down to talent and some luck. But my concern is the false hope and passivity of all these competitions. Sending in an application and waiting is not the best approach to breaking in to the entertainment industry. The best approach is simply to be here in person working in some other capacity while at the same time you are networking, learning, and writing.
Now that’s not to say that you can’t also apply to some of the most prestigious competitions. But that should be addition to everything else, not instead of. And aspiring writers should be leery of sending $75 to some competition no one’s ever heard of.
--Dave
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| Date: |
1/15/2010 |
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| Question: |
Dear David,
If we look at the case of a beginner screenwriter who lives too far from LA to go into pow-wow and schmoozing, and try to drum up assignments, but wants to break in, as it were, is it true that the only reliable way to break in and get scripts sold is to place/win in top screenwriting contests?
I mean, if one carries the hog in a prominent contest, one will be sure to get noticed, right?
Otherwise, it's Catch 22...
Thanks,
Faig M |
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| Answer: |
Faig,
Where are you getting your advice? The email blast from Final Draft?
Virtually every screenwriting contest is a colossal waste of time and money. They are quite simply scams, designed to deprive you of your entry fee. Absolutely no one in the industry takes them seriously. Yes, if you win the Nicholl you may get repped and get your name in Variety. But even Nicholl winners have spotty records ever working in the industry. Most contests are ones that nobody’s ever heard of. The rest no one cares about. But aspiring writers love contests because (a) it’s passive with very little effort on the writer’s part, and (b) it keeps the writer’s hope alive as they wait by their inbox for their ticket to Hollywood. And that’s what is so insidious about these contests. The false hope.
Okay, so contests aren’t the way to go. So what do you do if you can’t quit your job, can’t move to L.A., or can’t afford film school? What’s the way out of this Catch 22? Well, the standard answer is, just write something great. If you write Amadeus, people will fall over themselves trying to rep and sell you. If you get that script into the hands of just one industry person, everything will happen, and it’ll happen quickly.
On the other hand, if you write something not so great, or great but not commercial, or too big or too small, or a million other things that can go wrong, then nothing will happen and there’s simply no solution.
Bottom line, if you want to develop a career as a screenwriter, move to L.A. It’s that simple. It’s not sufficient, but it’s usually necessary. Or go to film school. Or go shoot a film. But if you just can’t make the sacrifice, then maybe you should face reality and accept your current life and job. Keep writing, but do it as a hobby for your friends and family and yourself. Because the reward of a career in Hollywood doesn’t just require tremendous talent and luck, it requires that you take a chance.
--Dave |
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| Date: |
1/5/2010 |
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| Question: |
Dave,
I'm a new writer recently signed to a boutique agency. My spec has generated interest from producers (in my writing, not the spec). I'm now working with a producer to develop a pitch based on a newspaper article. The producer has an exclusive deal with a big studio.
My question: is it really possible to sell a pitch as a unknown writer, even if working with a good producer with an exclusive studio deal? It was my understanding that this was basically impossible.
Thanks,
Matt
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| Answer: |
Matt,
Sure, it’s possible. What’s impossible is selling a pitch all by yourself. But the producer is basically vouching for you, and the article will lend some credibility to the idea. It’s still a long-shot—selling a pitch is really difficult for anyone—but it’s not impossible.
--Dave
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| Date: |
1/4/2010 |
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| Question: |
Hey David,
My friend and I are young screenwriters. It's a hobby right now, but we'd like to make that a career. We've submitted to a lot of agents and production companies with minimal responses. We know we need an agent, but they either don't accept unsolicited material, or they just never respond. Do you have any advice for first time screenwriters with nothing on their resume and nothing to refer to?
Thanks.
Chris |
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| Answer: |
Chris,
Move to L.A. and get a job in the industry and things will become clear. Or go to film school. Either way, you need to dive in, not watch from the sidelines.
--Dave |
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| Date: |
1/1/2010 |
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| Question: |
David,
Only two new sales have been posted in the past 2 weeks. Are the folks at Done Deal on vacation, or has Hollywood stopped buying scripts?
Aaron
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| Answer: |
Aaron,
Hollywood shuts down before Christmas till after New Years.
-Dave
[Editor's note: We don't ever stop posting deals or providing updates. We work every day of the year including holidays and even while traveling.] |
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