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How NOT To Get Your Screenplay Read (For Smart Screenwriters)

How Not To Get Your Screenplay Read

A few years back I had the first draft of my first screenplay ever. Like a lot of folks who dream of Hollywood success, I was eager to share my work with the world. Problem was, I had no idea what I was doing. Through a friend of a friend, I was put in contact with an “entertainment attorney.”

Warning: Lazy People In Hollywood Can Hurt Your Career

lazy people in Hollywood

The other night a friend of a friend of a friend kept telling me how upset he was that someone stole his movie idea. The story had something to do with space and time travel and a villain… I don’t remember. I asked him if he actually wrote a script, or if it was just an idea. He told me it was just an idea. Said he thinks someone overheard him at the local coffee shop.

The First Time I Got Fired (In The Movie Biz)

i got fired

And although everyone was happy to teach me the inner workings of production, off set, it was my responsibility to scrub toilets and mop the floors. I didn’t mind the crap work. In fact, scrubbing toilets taught me a valuable lesson. I realized if I can keep my dreams bigger than the crap, I can get through pretty much anything. I had no choice but to become the most successful janitor this company ever had. And I never complained. Someone had to do it, and at the very least, I ate lunch with a group of talented film and video professionals.

Use This Secret Filmmaking Strategy So You Can Get Your Film Made

get your film made

Have you ever known a filmmaker who sent their demo reel into the Hollywood abyss? Maybe they sent it to an agency or a production company in hopes someone would discover their talent and hire them. Similarly, many screenwriters and aspiring actors have been known to employ this strategy too.

The Most Important Filmmaking Skill

filmmaking skill

As a filmmaker, you probably spend most of your time watching movies, discussing movies and thinking of ideas for your next movie. If you’re new to filmmaking, you probably dream of Hollywood fame. And if you’re a veteran filmmaker, you probably dream of making enough movie money to pay your mortgage. But regardless of how you define success in your own filmmaking life, I can tell you there is one trait that is essential…

How I Got Started In Filmmaking

How I Got Started In Filmmaking

In the morning, I would wake up with cupcakes mashed in my hair, stare at my fat face in the bathroom mirror, and leave for my appliance sales job. When sales were slow at the store, I would order cheeseburgers, and start eating. One day, when I really felt bad about my sad existence, I decided to do something. I went into my cubicle and started writing a screenplay. Since I never wrote a screenplay, I had no idea what I was doing. But I was so frustrated, and fat, and hating my life, that it didn’t take long until I had a first draft…

You Ain’t Nobody In Hollywood Until…

You are thinking about making a movie because you want to be rich, famous and powerful, right? If this isn’t your goal, please let me be the first to call you out on your BS. There are plenty of ways to make money in the world. There are faster ways to produce a product. Easier ways to rush to market. Less stressful ways to make money. But none of that stuff matters to you because…

The Movie Man

I know a guy who came to Hollywood. He was a pretty good director. To achieve his goal, he convinced a bunch of people to work with him. Promises were made. Agreements were signed. He did or said anything it took to achieve his goal – And as a result, he directed his first feature. But he…

LinkedIn For Filmmakers

It would seem strange to utilize Facebook in an attempt to get a lunch meetings with prospective Hollywood Heavyweights whom you never met.But in the world of LinkedIn, as long as you’re not a jerk, it is appropriate to seek out and connect with prospects.