Well, I don't think it's quite like that. I definitely think you should have a day job locked down before you move out here (or have an AWESOME resume so you can lock one down fairly quickly) so you have income and can write (under a roof perhaps not on skid row) when you're not at your day job. I think the big thing is to make sure you have funds to last you a while before you move. Meaning, several months rent/food.
Once you have all of these things in place: network, network, network.
Some say it is 100% needed for networking etc. But I have also heard an Australian writer say he was told by a producer not to move. Flights are cheap, the internet is a makes meetings easy and moving would change him. They said stay and stay unique, rather than move and become a LA Writer.
No you don't have to live in LA, unless you want to write for tv. But you do have to be willing to go there at least a few times a year once you start making connections
Tons of talented Writers in LA not working, non WGA pay scales.
How important? Everything. Accountability is key. Out of mind, out of sight and job.
As for surviving as a Screenwriter, besides knowing the craft, you gotta be around working Industry folks. Where else but LA? Maybe NY. Peeps gonna give wannabes a chance just because you are accountable- right place , right time. i dont know how much non- WGA assignments pay. Writers are freelancers, bounce gig to gig.
Don't know your finances, family or social status. Don't know how much you need to survive. It is Big City expensive like NY, CHI, SF, MIA.
Another misconception about the Industry-- people are not lazy or just hanging out at the beaches. Industry Folks put in long hours, 50-70hours a week. Lots of competition for the shittiest Assistant, low level jobs.
So yes, move to LA. Can't talk Hollywood if you never been to Hollywood, eyeball the Players, Actors, Filmmakers, Agents, Executives, Writers. It s more Networking than craft... cause everybody in LA knows how to write.
If I were to get offered a job on a tv show, I might consider moving or at least splitting my time between there and where I am now. In fact, I would love to! We talk about it a lot and have been trying to figure out a way to make it happen. But I'm not quitting my (very good) dayjob unless there is something equally lucrative on the horizon. And so far it hasn't been an issue. I've emailed, Skype'd and spoken on the phone with execs, and I've had several general meetings with them when I go to LA. Whenever I plan a trip, I hit up any connections I've made, let them know I'm going to be in town and see if they're free for coffee, etc.
This topic pops up every month or so. The truth is, if you are young, hungry, dont have a family (kids) and have the money to live for a few months (about 5-8K), then you definitely should move here. Get a job in the industry. Work your way in from the inside. If you want to be a TV writer, then you need to. And heres why LA is different than all other places... Its not just quality of networking, its quantity. 10 Days ago, i was at a free panel with Every 2017 Oscar nomd screenwriter giving advice & telling their story. Last thursday i went to a free screening of Fences with a Q&A with Denzel and Viola. This Wednesday im headed to a film premiere and after party, and Thursday im at the Final Draft Awards Ceremony at Paramount. And thats just 2 weeks here. You can do that shit all the time here and you cant do it anywhere else. Period. Can you write scripts from anywhere? of course you can! Can you do online pitches from anywhere? Of course you can! Should you have scripts already written before moving here? Yes, probably. But if you want to get in the thick of it all and build your network and get face time instead of message board time, then you should be here in LA.
I totally agree with Danny, except for the money part. I'd want to have at least six months of money - probably more like 12 months - so that I could focus on writing, marketing/networking, and continuing education.
There is no better environment to be in for a screenwriter - aspiring or working - than L.A. Even though films are made everywhere now....to be in the thick of the L.A. cinema industry is not only a great vibe, but a great opportunity to meet people; to be able to go to meetings; and to be able to attend all of the events on a nightly basis that Danny mentioned. And you will undoubtedly eventually run into a group of aspiring filmmakers with access to equipment, locations and actors and with whom you would have the opportunity to make short films with as well, which is also a great way to get your foot in the door.
If I were to do it, I would try to time my arrival within a couple weeks before the FadeIn PitchFest. That is a great event, and you can instantly make a lot of connections in just two days.
key word: young. It's a young person's game. 20's is networking & grinding. 30's make as much $$ as possible. 40's- escape out of Hollywood. High divorce career, addictions, sanity. Or you can cut the line, have a successful career as a Novelist, playwright, Journalist, Soldier, Cop. Then move to Hollywood/LA. They get writing jobs immediately.
Dan: I somewhat agree with you. Many of the assistants to producers that I've met are young, and would probably be more receptive to people more like themselves. I would imagine that for people wanting to break into television....young people have a better chance to break in than older people, too, for various reasons.
At the end of the day, though....I think the key words are " brilliant scripts." If I were trying to break into the film industry, I'd rather be a 50-year old older guy with three brilliant scripts than a 25 year-old younger guy with 10 mediocre scripts.
Yes, you need to be in LA if you want the best odds of having a career in screenwriting. But accept going in that your odds of making money in screenwriting are worse than making money as a professional gambler in Vegas, and you are lower on the totem pole of Hollywood Society as an unsold screenwriter than you are as a drug dealer or prostitute, because Producers are still willing to give them money for what they do. Actually there is one class lower than unemployed screenwriters - unemployed actors. But at least they have the option of turning to prostitution. Here are the things I wish I had known going into this business: Find a mentor in the job you want to have, become an assistant to that person and learn that job, do it well and be loyal. But when the opportunity comes to move up, take it. If you are an assistant and they won't move you up because they say "You're too valuable" in the job you're in, they're right. You're too valuable. Take your skills to the competition, sell yourself and move up. Beware of the Golden Trap. The Golden Trap is taking a supporting career in the business that can be incredibly lucrative but as you get older becomes impossible to leave because of how much your fabulous LA lifestyle costs. Do not get suckered in by "producers" with no money who want you to work for free. If they don't have money now THEY NEVER WILL. Beware of any contest, individual, group or website that promises to evaluate your work and bring you to the attention of people who can make your movie. There are only a handful of reputable contests, and even winning one of them will only bring your script to the attention of a few people who happen to be looking for that sort of script. What can get your script read are solid referrals from people actually working in the business who recommend your script to people with access to money. But 99% of the time even they won't buy that script. They'll ask you to write a script on a subject they already have an idea for, a poster for or an actor already interested in but are too lazy to write themselves and can't afford an A list writer to generate a first pass. And the number one secret I wish I'd known before I started in this business: PARKING LOTS. Land, pavement, a lawnchair, an umbrella and a bucket for an all cash business.
:) Thanks Danny. Just call me Mr. Happy. I agree, it's not always a drop into the abyss for everyone. And there are plenty of working writers out there (especially with the AMC, Amazon, Netflix bubble still expanding to the bursting point). But like you, I've just seen so many people come out here and wind up wrecking themselves on the rocky shores of La La Land because they weren't ready or didn't have a plan or were just part of the sheer statistics of failure that is part of the math of the place, that I at least wanted to give a map to the most frequently stepped on landmines. I know you're one of the ones out there who always offers very sound advice and tells it to new writers like it is. I just have seen so many people waste the best years of their lives when they should have been raising families and buying houses and building careers instead of waiting tables and paying oppressive rent for a chance at the brass ring. And even after my polemic on the evils of Hollywood I'd still say, if you have that dream and passion, then come. But if you want to be a writer, come only after you've written several really strong scripts, objectively evaluated by readers who read scripts for a living and who say they're ready . Because unless you hit the lottery (like having a studio mogul's son as your college roommate) there is no substitute for having put in the work.
Dan G: Other cities and states might occasionally surpass L.A. for annual film production...but no other city in the world has as many film studios/executives; production companies/executives; and agencies/managers. And when it comes to television....no city is even close to L.A. when it comes to television studios/production companies/agencies/managers/executives.
@David Yes, I totally agree with that post! Definitely need a job, a plan, and finished scripts before you come here because its too easy to fall into the LA party trap or the trap of THINKING youre advancing your career here just by being here. You do have to put the work in.
A powerful WME exec once said, "come out when you're invited," meaning wait until you have heat (a major contest win that leads to representation, a sale, an earnest money option AND meetings, etc.). Unless you're in your twenties and have time to burn :) But even then, I wouldn't recommend it until you had several scripts ready to go. It's expensive, and too many distractions.
If you're young, don't let money stop you from going to LA. There's audience work and temp services and a hard working creative person can not only get by but jump on the ladder. Honestly, it's the rich kids who generally don't make it. It takes Heart-- you can't buy that.
Personally, I came out here at 48, tied to a wheelchair, living on disability and sleeping in my truck as needed. It's been awesome!
At my age, I would only move there if I could live in the way I've become accustomed. I don't want to downgrade my life and start over. My days of living with 7 roommates in a crappy walk up apartment are long over. I can afford to fly down there pretty much whenever I need to, so unless some tv writing gig came up that required me to be there daily, I have a hard time justifying moving there full time.
Bill: Good to see your avatar! Hope you're doing great as well. Thanks for asking about the film. The shoot went very well. Extremely low budget. The house was serial-killer creepy to work in. We have DVD and streaming distributors in the US and a bunch of territories. I hate the US DVD box art. I like what the British did. Here's a link to the trailer on the UK distributors YouTube page: https://youtu.be/TIBT30gdDxE
Where else but in LA, at Urth Caffe in West Hollywood, you're standing in the line and Director Ridley Scott is in front and Producer Roy Lee is behind and Emma Watson is eating at the patio?
Move. Live the LA experience. Walk the movie lots. There are plenty of Industry careers besides Rock Star Writers.
Dan: I lived in West L.A., the SFV, and the SGV.....I love the entire SoCal area (and NorCal, and the San Diego area), but my favorite place to live is in the canyons between Laurel and Coldwater. It's just amazing to be sitting in your backyard at 2:00 a.m.....just a few miles from Universal Studio and Hollywood.....and to watch a mountain lion creep over your fence....nonchalantly stroll through your yard....make eye contact with you....and saunter away.
If you're looking to make a sale it couldn't hurt. There's a lot of luck involved though and a lot of screenwriters spend a great deal of time submitting to various screenwriting/film festivals. You can do that from anywhere.
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Well, I don't think it's quite like that. I definitely think you should have a day job locked down before you move out here (or have an AWESOME resume so you can lock one down fairly quickly) so you have income and can write (under a roof perhaps not on skid row) when you're not at your day job. I think the big thing is to make sure you have funds to last you a while before you move. Meaning, several months rent/food.
Once you have all of these things in place: network, network, network.
3 people like this
Some say it is 100% needed for networking etc. But I have also heard an Australian writer say he was told by a producer not to move. Flights are cheap, the internet is a makes meetings easy and moving would change him. They said stay and stay unique, rather than move and become a LA Writer.
4 people like this
No you don't have to live in LA, unless you want to write for tv. But you do have to be willing to go there at least a few times a year once you start making connections
2 people like this
Tons of talented Writers in LA not working, non WGA pay scales.
How important? Everything. Accountability is key. Out of mind, out of sight and job.
As for surviving as a Screenwriter, besides knowing the craft, you gotta be around working Industry folks. Where else but LA? Maybe NY. Peeps gonna give wannabes a chance just because you are accountable- right place , right time. i dont know how much non- WGA assignments pay. Writers are freelancers, bounce gig to gig.
Don't know your finances, family or social status. Don't know how much you need to survive. It is Big City expensive like NY, CHI, SF, MIA.
Another misconception about the Industry-- people are not lazy or just hanging out at the beaches. Industry Folks put in long hours, 50-70hours a week. Lots of competition for the shittiest Assistant, low level jobs.
So yes, move to LA. Can't talk Hollywood if you never been to Hollywood, eyeball the Players, Actors, Filmmakers, Agents, Executives, Writers. It s more Networking than craft... cause everybody in LA knows how to write.
1 person likes this
If I were to get offered a job on a tv show, I might consider moving or at least splitting my time between there and where I am now. In fact, I would love to! We talk about it a lot and have been trying to figure out a way to make it happen. But I'm not quitting my (very good) dayjob unless there is something equally lucrative on the horizon. And so far it hasn't been an issue. I've emailed, Skype'd and spoken on the phone with execs, and I've had several general meetings with them when I go to LA. Whenever I plan a trip, I hit up any connections I've made, let them know I'm going to be in town and see if they're free for coffee, etc.
1 person likes this
9
1 person likes this
It depends on what kind of screenwriting career you're seeking.
6 people like this
This topic pops up every month or so. The truth is, if you are young, hungry, dont have a family (kids) and have the money to live for a few months (about 5-8K), then you definitely should move here. Get a job in the industry. Work your way in from the inside. If you want to be a TV writer, then you need to. And heres why LA is different than all other places... Its not just quality of networking, its quantity. 10 Days ago, i was at a free panel with Every 2017 Oscar nomd screenwriter giving advice & telling their story. Last thursday i went to a free screening of Fences with a Q&A with Denzel and Viola. This Wednesday im headed to a film premiere and after party, and Thursday im at the Final Draft Awards Ceremony at Paramount. And thats just 2 weeks here. You can do that shit all the time here and you cant do it anywhere else. Period. Can you write scripts from anywhere? of course you can! Can you do online pitches from anywhere? Of course you can! Should you have scripts already written before moving here? Yes, probably. But if you want to get in the thick of it all and build your network and get face time instead of message board time, then you should be here in LA.
2 people like this
I totally agree with Danny, except for the money part. I'd want to have at least six months of money - probably more like 12 months - so that I could focus on writing, marketing/networking, and continuing education.
There is no better environment to be in for a screenwriter - aspiring or working - than L.A. Even though films are made everywhere now....to be in the thick of the L.A. cinema industry is not only a great vibe, but a great opportunity to meet people; to be able to go to meetings; and to be able to attend all of the events on a nightly basis that Danny mentioned. And you will undoubtedly eventually run into a group of aspiring filmmakers with access to equipment, locations and actors and with whom you would have the opportunity to make short films with as well, which is also a great way to get your foot in the door.
If I were to do it, I would try to time my arrival within a couple weeks before the FadeIn PitchFest. That is a great event, and you can instantly make a lot of connections in just two days.
1 person likes this
key word: young. It's a young person's game. 20's is networking & grinding. 30's make as much $$ as possible. 40's- escape out of Hollywood. High divorce career, addictions, sanity. Or you can cut the line, have a successful career as a Novelist, playwright, Journalist, Soldier, Cop. Then move to Hollywood/LA. They get writing jobs immediately.
2 people like this
Dan: I somewhat agree with you. Many of the assistants to producers that I've met are young, and would probably be more receptive to people more like themselves. I would imagine that for people wanting to break into television....young people have a better chance to break in than older people, too, for various reasons.
At the end of the day, though....I think the key words are " brilliant scripts." If I were trying to break into the film industry, I'd rather be a 50-year old older guy with three brilliant scripts than a 25 year-old younger guy with 10 mediocre scripts.
3 people like this
Yes, you need to be in LA if you want the best odds of having a career in screenwriting. But accept going in that your odds of making money in screenwriting are worse than making money as a professional gambler in Vegas, and you are lower on the totem pole of Hollywood Society as an unsold screenwriter than you are as a drug dealer or prostitute, because Producers are still willing to give them money for what they do. Actually there is one class lower than unemployed screenwriters - unemployed actors. But at least they have the option of turning to prostitution. Here are the things I wish I had known going into this business: Find a mentor in the job you want to have, become an assistant to that person and learn that job, do it well and be loyal. But when the opportunity comes to move up, take it. If you are an assistant and they won't move you up because they say "You're too valuable" in the job you're in, they're right. You're too valuable. Take your skills to the competition, sell yourself and move up. Beware of the Golden Trap. The Golden Trap is taking a supporting career in the business that can be incredibly lucrative but as you get older becomes impossible to leave because of how much your fabulous LA lifestyle costs. Do not get suckered in by "producers" with no money who want you to work for free. If they don't have money now THEY NEVER WILL. Beware of any contest, individual, group or website that promises to evaluate your work and bring you to the attention of people who can make your movie. There are only a handful of reputable contests, and even winning one of them will only bring your script to the attention of a few people who happen to be looking for that sort of script. What can get your script read are solid referrals from people actually working in the business who recommend your script to people with access to money. But 99% of the time even they won't buy that script. They'll ask you to write a script on a subject they already have an idea for, a poster for or an actor already interested in but are too lazy to write themselves and can't afford an A list writer to generate a first pass. And the number one secret I wish I'd known before I started in this business: PARKING LOTS. Land, pavement, a lawnchair, an umbrella and a bucket for an all cash business.
7 people like this
Jesus, David. Im pretty cynical and jaded and you made me look like a friggin rainbow of love and light.
3 people like this
:) Thanks Danny. Just call me Mr. Happy. I agree, it's not always a drop into the abyss for everyone. And there are plenty of working writers out there (especially with the AMC, Amazon, Netflix bubble still expanding to the bursting point). But like you, I've just seen so many people come out here and wind up wrecking themselves on the rocky shores of La La Land because they weren't ready or didn't have a plan or were just part of the sheer statistics of failure that is part of the math of the place, that I at least wanted to give a map to the most frequently stepped on landmines. I know you're one of the ones out there who always offers very sound advice and tells it to new writers like it is. I just have seen so many people waste the best years of their lives when they should have been raising families and buying houses and building careers instead of waiting tables and paying oppressive rent for a chance at the brass ring. And even after my polemic on the evils of Hollywood I'd still say, if you have that dream and passion, then come. But if you want to be a writer, come only after you've written several really strong scripts, objectively evaluated by readers who read scripts for a living and who say they're ready . Because unless you hit the lottery (like having a studio mogul's son as your college roommate) there is no substitute for having put in the work.
2 people like this
"...no substitute for having put in the work". Well said David.
1 person likes this
David: Haven't seen you post for awhile....I hope all is well. How did your film go about the original Exorcist house?
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Dan G: Other cities and states might occasionally surpass L.A. for annual film production...but no other city in the world has as many film studios/executives; production companies/executives; and agencies/managers. And when it comes to television....no city is even close to L.A. when it comes to television studios/production companies/agencies/managers/executives.
1 person likes this
@David Yes, I totally agree with that post! Definitely need a job, a plan, and finished scripts before you come here because its too easy to fall into the LA party trap or the trap of THINKING youre advancing your career here just by being here. You do have to put the work in.
2 people like this
A powerful WME exec once said, "come out when you're invited," meaning wait until you have heat (a major contest win that leads to representation, a sale, an earnest money option AND meetings, etc.). Unless you're in your twenties and have time to burn :) But even then, I wouldn't recommend it until you had several scripts ready to go. It's expensive, and too many distractions.
2 people like this
Jim that's a great way to look at it, "come when you're invited". I'm still waiting for my invite (dang, hope it didn't get lost in the mail!)
2 people like this
If you're young, don't let money stop you from going to LA. There's audience work and temp services and a hard working creative person can not only get by but jump on the ladder. Honestly, it's the rich kids who generally don't make it. It takes Heart-- you can't buy that.
Personally, I came out here at 48, tied to a wheelchair, living on disability and sleeping in my truck as needed. It's been awesome!
2 people like this
At my age, I would only move there if I could live in the way I've become accustomed. I don't want to downgrade my life and start over. My days of living with 7 roommates in a crappy walk up apartment are long over. I can afford to fly down there pretty much whenever I need to, so unless some tv writing gig came up that required me to be there daily, I have a hard time justifying moving there full time.
1 person likes this
Bill: Good to see your avatar! Hope you're doing great as well. Thanks for asking about the film. The shoot went very well. Extremely low budget. The house was serial-killer creepy to work in. We have DVD and streaming distributors in the US and a bunch of territories. I hate the US DVD box art. I like what the British did. Here's a link to the trailer on the UK distributors YouTube page: https://youtu.be/TIBT30gdDxE
1 person likes this
I moved there and back. no need to be in LA, need to build contacts but not necessarily move
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6 1/2. don't move here until you need to do so. you can do everything via computers.
4 people like this
Where else but in LA, at Urth Caffe in West Hollywood, you're standing in the line and Director Ridley Scott is in front and Producer Roy Lee is behind and Emma Watson is eating at the patio?
Move. Live the LA experience. Walk the movie lots. There are plenty of Industry careers besides Rock Star Writers.
2 people like this
Dan: I lived in West L.A., the SFV, and the SGV.....I love the entire SoCal area (and NorCal, and the San Diego area), but my favorite place to live is in the canyons between Laurel and Coldwater. It's just amazing to be sitting in your backyard at 2:00 a.m.....just a few miles from Universal Studio and Hollywood.....and to watch a mountain lion creep over your fence....nonchalantly stroll through your yard....make eye contact with you....and saunter away.
Thank you everyone!
If you're looking to make a sale it couldn't hurt. There's a lot of luck involved though and a lot of screenwriters spend a great deal of time submitting to various screenwriting/film festivals. You can do that from anywhere.