Do I have to move to Los Angeles to be a screenwriter?
Screenwriting is one the greatest professions if you can make money at it. You can be on a tropical island with a laptop and still be a successful screenwriter. But what are the chances of this happening?
Well, I’ll break this into two categories. Screenwriters trying to break in, and screenwriters already working in Hollywood.
The simple answer to this question is NO. You don’t have to move to Los Angeles to be a screenwriter. But it certainly HELPS.
The first question you need to ask yourself is if you can afford it? If you can continue your day job in Los Angeles, then do it. For everyone that lives here, you know that you can go to any party or restaurant and you will meet somebody who is in the business. You never know who you will meet out here, and just by being here, you have better opportunites to meet people who can help you out. I’ve actually been at parties, met an aspiring screenwriter, he bought a round of drinks and I ended up reading his screenplay the following week! I didn’t sign him, but that’s a different topic. Being in this city will motivate you and you will meet other screenwriters and screenwriting groups that can help improve your writing.
Now for screenwriters who have representation, it changes a little. If you write indies, you can get away with living on the East Coast. It does add a certain type of sexiness. But if you are writing commercial films, it definitely helps to be in town. Whenever agents/managers put you up for assignments, I hate to break it to you, but you are not the only screenwriter we are pitching. So lets say there is an open writing project that is a thriller. We pitch a couple of writers and then the exec will send material out to the writers. The screenwriters who live in town will pitch their take in a meeting, those not in town will have to do a conference call. Guess what? Those don’t usually work that great compared to physical meetings. You could be missing out on a lot of jobs by not living in Los Angeles.
But don’t worry. If you don’t live in Los Angeles, you can still be a successful screenwriter. It’s a little harder, but if you are an amazing writer, that’s the most improtant thing.
Good luck!
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I’ve just discovered your blog. It is great! Keep the good work! I had put you in my rss reader.
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M
My partner and I have a strategy for this. We are writing TV specs, and are about to start on some feature specs. If we can get an assignment, he will take his cut and move to L.A., while I stay behind in PA. I’m a single dad and can barely afford raising my son now, living with my mother, on what I make. When work gets more steady, and we have some savings from writing, I will join him. In the meantime, he will do all the social networking, and I will fly in for meetings, as necessary. Sound feasible ?
Screenwriting Compass,
Yes, you nailed it.
Attn: Aspiring Screenwriters –
The trick is to move to LA (this is a must!)
Then once you sell a couple of scripts move back home for some peaceful and productive writing.
Who wants “To Live and Die in LA” — great movie by the way.
Benjamin Ray
Screenwriter
www.hollywoodtoronto.com
Unfortunately, I have to respectfully disagree by degress. Living somewhere else isn’t just a little bit harder, it is extremely difficult(underline “extremely”). I’m really surprised this still gets debated, but in a business where breaking in alone is beating the odds, beating the odds by not being where it really happens is next to impossible. Yes, you can write a screenplay anywhere. But selling it… well, you need to be where it all takes place. Saying you’ll move once you sell a script… well, it’s unrealistic.
Having said all that, if that’s the best you can do, you might as well try. Good luck to all.
How long does it take to write a script? (I want to be a screenwriter but I am 15 right now..) Couldn’t you write your script at home and then go to LA to try and sell it? Or would that be difficult too?
Yes. You do have to move to Los Angeles.
If you believe otherwise, you’re deluding yourself.
But it’s not so bad…really, it isn’t. If you can endure the hardships and agony of writing as a career, you can certainly endure a big city.
Here’s a post on this very topic:
http://www.abuckapage.com/wordpress/?p=108
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