What are your first steps in getting a career.
Not so much milestones, like getting an agent.
Actions you would suggest people take to get as much success as they can. Mine are:
1. Read scripts (never stop)
2. Write a short film
3. shoot a short film
4. write more (shorts or feature)
5. when they are good, post them on-line.
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The first steps in getting a career? Figure out who you really are, figure out what you really like doing - then strive to become the world's best at it.
Awesome stuff, my friend. I hope things can get back to normal. I haven't done any writing in a while because of this pandemic. But hopefully, when things get back to normal, I will resume writing. And then, I can share with everyone my projects. If it's success, then who knows. I will create another project.
Cool! To be honest, I have been wanted to be a very good writer.
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I think effective ploting and outlining are very important facters to learn.
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Roy Caple I always write. It is like music is for other people. I can shut out the world for a few minutes.
Doug Nelson that’s life. I have a friend she is 40 and regularly says “I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up”.
Maurice Vaughan My favour and worse thing, Loglines. I can help others but struggle with my own. I even wrote a book about them. I still suck.
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It depends on what you want. Screenwriting?
1) Read a bunch of screenplays - until you think in screenplay.
2) Come up with a bunch of script ideas - just focus on training your brain to come up with story ideas. Aim for amazing ideas that won't cost much money to make. This is a "learn from my mistakes" thing - I always came up with expensive ideas. Hard to get anyone to read those scripts.
3) When you have a bunch of good ideas, pick the best one and write it. When I worked full time at the warehouse, I wrote a minimum of 1 page a day every day. Before work I had the most energy. Weekends at least 1 page, but I also did rewriting and other stuff. 1 page a day is 3 screenplays a year.
4) The reason why step 2 is important is that once you train your brain to spot ideas, you will never run out.
In my Ideas Blue Book I tell the story of teaching and ideas class at Raindance Film Fest and racing across London because I was running late to my own class - and almost getting run over by a bus! And that gave me an idea, that I pitched to the class and asked them if they wanted to see the movie.
So once you realize that you will never run out of ideas, you can throw a bunch of ideas away that are just good, and only script the great ones. Too many people script bland ideas because they are afraid that they won't have a better one.
So keep writing scripts. There's a learning curve.
5) Learn about the business side. Read the trades every day. They are free online. I used to have to drive to the county central library once a week to read Variety. Now I can do it while having my morning coffee. You want to know what is going on in the business, who the buyers are, etc. My friend knew everything about filming incentives and targeted countries with new incentives where there would be a filming boom. I made made "film producer flash cards" with their picture on the front and information on the back - if I bumped into one I would recognize them. But I also kept track of who was making the kinds of films I was writing. If there was a script sale, I wrote down all the information - agent, manager, etc.
6) I also paid attention to films made by Companies that I thought might take a chance on me. The Hungry Market. Back then it was Made For Cable Movies - new channels were springing up, and they all had original movies. I studied the films - counted the locations and speaking roles and everything else until I could write something that would work for them. Lots of scripts. Sold a bunch. Got hired to write a bunch more, because they could call me and say "We need a script for star X that features helicopters or stealth fighter planes and can be shot in 18 days, can you come by and pitch 3 or 4 of each tomorrow at 2?" and I pitched ideas that excited them. So look for the Hungry Market - places that NEED a bunch of movies... that will be making a bunch of movies. If they only make 1 movie a year, that's 1 job. If they make 36 movies a year, that's 36 jobs, 36 scripts they need to buy. Better odds for you!
7) Go to film festivals and events and meet people. Not just the people on stage, the people sitting next to you.
8) Always be learning and improving.
9) There is no #9.
10) Work on a local film shoot to see how a script translates to making the film. That's probably going to be when all of this COVID-19 stuff is over - like the festival and events.
Have Fun.
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Outstanding advice William Martell.
All of the above except deluding myself I could ever get a film career. I am far from a good enough writer for that. I make films just for fun.
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1- move to a large film & TV community,
2- start young, like in your 20s
3- don't have big bills or family commitments you can't walk away from.
4- get a job in the industry
5- meet people who do the thing you want to do.
6- have skin in the game. some financial risks like making your own movies or jobs.
7- read a lot
8- write a lot
9 - embrace failure.
10- pray for a miracle covid19 vaccine in 2021
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Just three from me...
1) Keep your dayjob for now...most of us do so :)))
2) Write that one contained thriller with smart twist your gut tell's it's gonna get you through.
3) Rutger Oosterhoff don't ever do that...at least not in public :)
Dan MaxXx I’ll start at 5, too old for the rest. I’ll duplicate 10 out to 100.
I am closer to Kiril Maksimoski and Rutger Oosterhoff
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1) Read two books about screenwriting.
2) Read quite a few screenplays.
3) Wrote a lot of screenplays.
4) Used my spec screenplays to make connections.
5) Attached a couple of well-known directors to some of my screenplays.
6) Worked at a production company as a script consultant and did a few rewrites..
7) Employed as a staff writer but quit after a year.
If I take Dan MaxXx advice I'd just call it quits, delete everything and forget my dreams. Perhaps I'll just ignore it go with Craig's advice. It's worked for me so far.