Key Takeaways
1. You Must Be in Los Angeles to Succeed.
YES—you need to be in Hollywood, California, if you’re going to make even TINY piles of money writing movies.
Physical Presence: Hollywood is the world headquarters of the movie industry (outside of India), making a physical presence in Los Angeles non-negotiable for aspiring screenwriters. This ensures constant access to studios and decision-makers, allowing you to stay on their radar and attend crucial face-to-face meetings. Your ability to be present for immediate script adjustments and creative discussions is paramount.
Availability is Key: Movies take years to develop, with stars attaching and detaching, and scripts constantly evolving. Studios need writers who can be on call for "punch-ups," "round tables," and extensive rewrites, sometimes even overhauling entire acts after a table read. Your availability to be a "hero" by generating new scenes, dialogue, and gags, and figuring out a way to make their ideas work, is an invaluable asset.
Executive's Goal: The primary goal of any studio executive is "to not get fired." By being present and responsive, you become the person who helps them achieve this. Your constant availability and willingness to adapt make you an invaluable asset, significantly increasing your chances of securing and maintaining work in a highly competitive industry.
2. Always Be Writing (and Outlining).
The single most important ingredient in your success and the thing that will separate you from amateur screenwriters (pronounced: everyone in the world) will be your work habits.
Compulsive Creation: To succeed, you must write compulsively, every single day. This relentless output is crucial because a significant portion of your work will inevitably be discarded or drastically altered during the development process. Embrace the mindset of a contractor, not an artiste, and be prepared to throw away weeks of writing without letting it break your heart.
Outline is Your Map: Writing a screenplay without a detailed outline is a recipe for failure and writer's block. A comprehensive outline, often 20 pages long, forces you to work out all story problems in advance, making the actual screenwriting process fun and efficient. This approach ensures you always know where your story is going, allowing you to focus on dialogue, action, and gags.
Continuous Improvement: You only get better by doing it repeatedly and maniacally. Your first script won't be great, and your style will evolve through constant practice. Always be working on a new script; if one doesn't sell, you have another, and if it does, studios will immediately ask, "So what's next?" Deadlines, whether self-imposed or contractual, are essential for maintaining momentum and professionalism.
3. Master the Art of the Pitch.
Knowing how to pitch your movie is the only thing standing between you and piles of money up to your armpits.
Concise and Star-Focused: A perfect pitch requires two key elements: a new idea easily described by referencing other successful films, and a flawed-but-amazing main character a movie star would eagerly play. Studios want entertaining, marketable concepts, not reinventions of the wheel. Aim for a character that appeals to the limited pool of 15-20 movie stars who can greenlight a film.
Performance and Practice: Your pitch should be a short, engaging performance, ideally under 15 minutes. Don't be afraid to act out characters and moments to bring your story to life. Practice your pitch aloud repeatedly until you can deliver it relaxed and confidently, even on a Tilt-A-Whirl. Rehearsal helps refine timing and identify awkward sections.
Graciousness Wins: Most pitches won't sell, often for reasons beyond your control, like a competing project or a star's prior engagement. Regardless of the outcome, remain gracious, charming, and easy to work with. Even if your specific idea isn't bought, leaving a positive impression can lead to future opportunities, like being hired to rewrite another project.
4. Understand the Studio System's Realities (and Incompetence).
Why Does Almost Every Studio Movie SUCK Donkey Balls? Short answer: development.
Development Hell: The journey from script to screen is fraught with peril, primarily due to the "development" process. Between you and the studio president, there are often 4-20 executives, some of whom are "dumb as paint" and will inflict "bad notes" that waste time or actively harm the script. These notes can stem from misunderstanding, personal agendas, or a desire to take credit.
Executive Turnover: Studio executives have a fast turnover rate, and their immediate goal is "to not get fired." This often leads to risk-averse decisions and a constant desire to "fix" scripts, even if they're already good, to justify their involvement. Many executives won't last the length of a movie's production, further complicating consistent creative direction.
Parking Hierarchy: The studio's opinion of your importance is often reflected in your parking spot. A complete breakdown of parking privileges reveals a clear hierarchy, from "Gold Door" spots at Fox to the "Culver City Tower of Terror" at Sony. A bad parking spot often signals that your script has "Act III problems," a common complaint used to justify further rewrites and executive intervention.
5. Cultivate Relationships and Be Gracious (Don't Be a Dick).
Make no enemies. Ever.
Hollywood is Small: The entertainment industry is a surprisingly small town where today's assistant could be tomorrow's studio head. Being gracious, polite, and generally wonderful to be around is crucial for long-term success. Argumentative behavior or a "douchey" attitude can quickly lead to being blacklisted, even if your work is brilliant.
Notes and Ego: When receiving notes, actively write them down to keep your hands busy and prevent "rage faces." Practice subtle, steady nodding to convey agreement and respect. When notes are good, agree and improve upon them; when they're bad, express thoughtful consideration and promise to "try it," then find a way to implement a version that works without damaging your script.
Help Them Keep Their Jobs: Your ultimate role is to help studio executives keep their jobs. This means being supportive, fixing their problems, and being someone they want to keep around. If you're easy to work with, you'll get hired again and again, even if your initial pitch didn't sell or your script gets rewritten by others.
6. Your Script Needs a Specific, Proven Structure.
EVERY SINGLE HOLLYWOOD STUDIO MOVIE HAS THE SAME STRUCTURE.
Three-Act Blueprint: Every successful Hollywood studio movie, from Casablanca to The Matrix, adheres to a rigid three-act structure. Act I introduces a likable hero stuck in a tree, Act II throws rocks at him, and Act III gets him down. This universal blueprint ensures clarity and audience engagement, making your script palatable to risk-averse studios.
Page-Specific Milestones: Within this structure, key plot points occur at predictable page numbers:
- Pages 1-10: Introduce the hero and their world.
- Page 10: The "inciting incident" or "call to adventure" occurs.
- Page 25: The hero is fully launched into the story.
- Pages 45-50: Things get worse for the hero.
- Pages 65-70: Something even worse happens.
- Pages 70-80: Things reach their absolute worst point.
- Pages 80-90: Winning is shown to be incredibly difficult.
- Pages 90-100ish: The climax, where the hero wins.
- Final Pages: The hero walks off into a changed world.
Consistency is Key: Deviating from this established structure is a major red flag for studios. While "art-house" films might break these rules, commercial success demands adherence. This predictable framework allows executives to quickly assess a script's viability and ensures it meets audience expectations for narrative progression.
7. Craft Characters for Movie Stars.
The only way your movie is going to get made at a studio is if a MOVIE STAR wants to play your hero.
Star Appeal is Paramount: Your hero must be likable, cool, attractive, and ultimately, a true hero. Movie stars are vain and won't choose roles described as "fat, ugly, unlikable losers." Aim for "Han Solo likable" or "Indiana Jones likable" – characters that every kid wants to be. This star-centric approach significantly increases your odds of getting a greenlight.
Concise Characterization: Unlike novels, screenplays have limited space (around 100 pages) to define characters. Your main character must be crystal clear within the first 10 pages. Forget extensive "cradle-to-grave" biographies; focus only on elements relevant to your story. Backstory can be fleshed out later by "punch-up guys" if needed.
Write with Actors in Mind: Writing dialogue with specific actors in mind, even if they're not cast, helps define cadence and voice. This makes your dialogue more specific and helps readers visualize the movie. Using "Think [Actor's Name]" in character descriptions makes your script easier to read, easier to write, and ultimately, easier to sell.
8. Embrace Constant Rewrites and Getting Fired.
if you’re working for the studios, there’s a 99 percent chance that you will be fired off of EVERY SINGLE SCRIPT YOU EVER WORK ON.
The Inevitable Firing: Getting fired, or being replaced by "fresh eyes," is a standard part of the studio process. It's not personal; it often means the movie is moving forward, and the studio is investing more money. Your reaction is key: be awesome, gracious, and avoid pouting, as there's a 55% chance you'll be rehired later to fix what others messed up.
Rewrites are the Job: Studios frequently buy a script, then "develop" it until they hate it, necessitating rewrites. These gigs are a common entry point for new writers, offering a chance to prove competence and save the studio money. Rewrites are well-paid, often $10,000 a week, and can quickly build your reputation as a "closer" who can fix a script in a pinch.
Production Rewrites are Hell (and Lucrative): These occur when a film is greenlit but the script is still hated. You're writing scenes while others are shooting, often rewriting the entire movie multiple times in a month. It's stressful, demanding 24/7 availability, and involves navigating conflicting demands from directors, producers, and stars. While you rarely get screen credit, the money is substantial, and it builds invaluable trust with studios.
9. Fight for Your Credits (They Equal Money).
Because your royalties on a film are based on the credit you as a writer receive on it.
Credit = Royalties: Screen credit is the "Cadillac" of screenwriting achievements, directly translating into royalties and passive income from box office profits, TV airings, DVD sales, and novelizations. Without credit, you get "zilch," regardless of your contribution. Understanding the nuances of credits is crucial for securing your financial future.
Arbitration is War: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) determines credit through an "arbitration" process, where three randomly selected writers judge who deserves credit based on script contributions. To win, you must scientifically prove your work constitutes over 33% (or 50% for original screenplays) of the final script, and that others' contributions are insubstantial. This is a ruthless battle, often against writers the studio prefers to work with.
Know Your Credits: Different credits carry different weight and financial implications:
- "Written by": You get both "Story by" and "Screenplay by" credit, earning about 1.5% of profits.
- "Story by": You created the basic narrative, idea, theme, characters, and action.
- "Screenplay by": You wrote the scenes and dialogue.
- "&" vs. "AND": "&" means writers worked as a team; "AND" means they worked separately.
Separated Rights are invaluable, granting you copyright-style rights to characters or material, ensuring you get paid and involved in sequels or spin-offs.
10. Promote Your Movie Relentlessly.
THE MARKETING OF YOUR MOVIE IS ONE BILLION TIMES MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SCRIPT.
Marketing Trumps Script: A movie can succeed with a terrible script but never with terrible marketing. If you're lucky enough to be involved in your film's promotion, do everything you can. This includes writing banter for award shows, creating Funny or Die videos with the cast, developing presentations for trade shows like ShoWest, and crafting site-specific ads.
Adapt to New Media: The world of movie promotion is constantly evolving, shifting from TV to the internet. Your movie will need a strong presence on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Offer to write content for these platforms, as effective digital content can be more impactful and cost-effective than traditional TV spots.
Embrace Product Placement: Product placement and tie-in promotions are a reality of modern filmmaking. Instead of resisting, get involved and try to integrate them as organically as possible. If a main character holding a specific brand of soda makes the movie less expensive, find a way to make it work. Your goal is to help the studio make money, and marketing is a crucial part of that.
11. Work Harder Than Anyone Else.
The one thing you can control is this: You can always work harder than the next guy. So DO.
Control What You Can: In Hollywood, many factors are beyond a writer's control, from executive decisions made behind closed doors to the influence of more connected writers. Dwelling on these uncontrollable elements is futile and counterproductive. Instead, channel your energy into the aspects you can influence.
Relentless Effort: Your work ethic is your most powerful asset. Consistently outworking your peers is the surest path to standing out and building a successful career. This means writing every day, meticulously outlining, mastering the art of the pitch, and being relentlessly available and adaptable for rewrites.
Embrace the Grind: The journey to becoming a professional screenwriter is long and arduous, filled with rejection, frustration, and constant challenges. However, by focusing on continuous improvement, maintaining a positive attitude, and committing to an unparalleled level of effort, you can navigate the "Dream Factory" and achieve your goals.
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