Question....

Honestly, it matters and at the same time it doesn't.

If you're in Los Angeles (if you're thinking about pursuing screenwriting, specifically, then there's almost...I stress, almost no reason to go to NY), then you're in a much better position to make connections and meet people. Hollywood is, essentially, a people business. Who knows somebody who knows somebody who slept with somebody who knows you. Ya know?

So, making connections and getting referrals is the easiest (I use that term very loosely) way to get your script read. However, your writing still has to hold up, or all the connections in the world won't make a difference.

However, if you suck then making all those connections could be your detriment, as everyone will spread word that you suck.

If you live outside of Los Angeles, then your writing has to REALLY stand out. You're not around to take meetings. You can't just hop into your car and drive across town to shmooze or pitch, etc. So, you probably need to focus more on honing your craft than someone who's in LA. Your story must rock. Your script must rock. Your query letter must totally kick arse.

And, if you do get "that call," you need to be willing to plop your butt in a plane and fly to LA at a moment's notice.

Many people will tell you that you have no chance of selling if you're not in LA. The majority of these people are unsold, so take that kind of advice for what it's worth.

I've been read by quite a few big names in LA and I was in podunk Tennessee and Florida at those times (granted, I sent them a crappy script...which further emphasizes my point about honing your skills).

So, it's quite possible to sell or get recognized and NOT live in Los Angeles, though it's also more difficult.

Just remember that the most important factor is your writing. No matter where you live, if your writing sucks, you'll still be nowhere.

I don't think it's so much that one would be percieved as ignorant about the business versus it being an issue of *whom* you know. Living in/near L.A. or NY would provide much better opportunities to network. Also, I think it depends on how involved you want to be in the movie making process. A writer can write from anywhere, but you still need to contact the folks who will turn your script into a film. If you want a more hands on experience then you'd need to be where the film is being shot (or within reasonable driving distance). Some of these folks may live in Ohio. If they don't, you have the query letter, phone, and email to try and make connections.

As an example, my husband, who writes screenplays and novels, is from NC. About 12 years agao, he went to a dilapadated film school in downtown Hollywood for a year. There he met Kumar, and they remained friends, hoping to work together someday. Several years later, we move out to CA because the jobs were here at the time. Kumar was also a significant reason for the move since he was trying to break into film as a director.

Kumar shopped around a script of his which was optioned but never produced. He meets a number of actors and industry people including Efran, a guy with a lot of film distributor contacts. In the meantime, my husband worked 9-5 jobs, but was laid off, so we moved from northern CA to southern CA. We house sit for Kumar for 5 months and during that time meet an aspiring Canadian-Italian actor, Antonio, who crashed at the house for a while. We then move to a nearby county where I found a job in my field.

Last year, my husband convinced Kumar to set his sights smaller and work on a low budget film. They co-wrote a script, and because of Kumar's incredible business savvy, landed funding (a half mil) and the film is now in post production. Efran contributed two hundred thousand and mortgaged his house to do it because a) he loved the project and knew he could get it distributed and b) he knew Kumar had the ability from their acquaintence that began when Kumar shopped around his first script.

Rewind to two years ago. My husband and I attend a party held at the house of Kumar's producing partner, also aspiring to break in. At the party, Antonio introduces us to an Italian director who is just finishing shooting his second film in which Antonio is starring. Fabio and my husband hit it off big time and exchange emails with promises to keep and touch and maybe work together.

Fast forward one year. Fabio calls my husband up out of the blue (they had exchanged a couple of emails ,and then there was no contact for almost a year as Fabio was doing post-production stuff). He proposes to hire my husband to write a script based on his treatment. My husband accepts and Fabio emails him the contract. Fabion flies to the States from Italy and they finish the script together.

Before Fabio returns to Italy, he introduces my husband to a well-known (behind the scenes, anyway) concept illustrator, Mauro, who has done art for major Hollywood productions (Sleepy Hollow, Pirates of the Caribbean II, Lemony Snicket). This introduction was won because of my husband's hard work and talent, and Fabio made that very clear when they were at Mauro's house (in essence, saying that he wouldn't have introduced him otherwise).

Mauro tells my husband about some projects he wants to direct and produce and is always looking for good writers. Several months and two more visits later, Mauro offers my husband a contract to write a script for him, 1K against 15,000 if he gets funding. The catch is that Mauro wanted to generate the story and my husband is simply a writer for hire. However, Mauro is trusting him to flesh out the entire script. This is probably a rare arrangement. It wasn't the easiest script to write but who's complaining?! Yesterday Mauro told my husband he wanted to submit the completed script to New Line. We knew he had major connections but still, like, wow!

Remember Antonio? He is in Italy having been cast as one of the leads for a major Italian soap opera. He asked my husband for one of his scripts to try and interest some German producers he knows. No word yet, but it was nice that he tried.

Currently, the line producer of Kumar's film expressed interest in my husband's work as well, and so he sent her a script to read.

Phew! I describe this saga in the hopes that it aids you in your decision. Networking is vital, but it also depends on whom you meet, and when, and what those people's abilities are. We could never have raised funding for a movie and probably never will. But my husband can write well, write fast, and tailor to the individual needs of the directors he's worked with so far. My suggestion to you would be to network with folks who can really get the job done, and beware of those who talk a good game. I'm not sure if you can find them from Ohio, but you might find your own group of talent in your own backyard and build from there.

Remember, too, that all of this was years and years in the making. My husband has only made $6,000 thus far, with another $33,000 promised once the various projects get funded/start making money. Reality check!

hope this helps--
cb

Opti is exactly right. You can write anywhere and producers are looking at your work, not your address when they are considering buying your script.

On the other hand this is a business of who you know, and the majority of people you need to know are in LA (or NY). It's much easier to network if you're here and even if you have representation, you still need to be able to make connections on your own.

Also this is not a spec only business. Many, many projects are writer for hire situations - either original projects developed by producers, adaptations or rewrite work. Many, many meetings through all phases of development are required.

But as Opti also pointed out, if you're not a good enough writer - you could live next to Speilberg (if you could afford to live next to him) and it wouldn't make a bit of difference.

Unless you're passionate about living in LA - I'd stay put for now. The cost of living's a lot hire in LA than Ohio. Entry level positions in the business that will allow you to learn the business and network pay crap. Get a couple solid specs under your belt, start querying and see what happens.

Yeah, I was really just talking about specs and the initial spec sale. But, to build off of what IWrite is saying, once you do sell a spec from Ohio, you need to get your butt to LA if you plan on continuing a career.

Rewrite and assignment work will probably be your bread and butter unless you're great at churning out the fresh spec ideas. And, you'll look a lot more attractive for getting rewrite or assignment work if you're in LA to network and meet with people.

Shake hands and kiss babies.

Los Angeles

I've been reading up on the screenwriting certificate programs, degree programs, etc of various film schools in Los Angeles.

LA is the place to be, and I'm headed back out there to study at one of these certificate programs.

Go to a good program in LA, and if you show promise your professionals (who are produced screenwriters) can make recommendations for you. Simon Kinburg, who wrote the Fantastic Four movie, and who is writing X-Men 3 among other movies said that it is how he broke into the industry.

Opti is right, if you want to be in on the studio system LA (since that's where the studios are) is almost entirely the place to be. NY is theatre and indie productions (fine if you want to do that).

For those of you who like the idea of being in Europe, lately a lot of our directors, screenwriters, etc have come over from London. In some ways London is better than New York. I think it would be more impressive having a script produced and shown on the BBC (or some other British cable network), than it would be to have a film produced in New York and only shown at festivals (or distributed by some obscure dvd company). The Cable networks there accept screenplays directly from screenwriters (even the BBC). But once you submit, your shit better be good, as the BBC says it gets like 10,000 scripts a year. I think if someone is good enough to make waves over there, you will get the attention of people in Los Angeles.

The main importance of being in LA is that if you yourself in the right place say a good film program) you can learn directly from the people who have successfully done it. It will be hard to do that from the middle of the country. And, to a lesser degree, the same could be said about NY or London.

California

Stephanie76 said:

I live in Ohio. I heard somewhere that it matters where you live. The reason being that they would assume you don't know anything about the movie business and would rather not deal with someone who may not know what they are doing. This may be a stupid question, but it has been bothering me. I figured it might be a good idea to find out for sure before I pack up all my belonging and move to N.Y. or California.

Click to expand...

If you're really serious about selling screenplays, get your butt to California as fast as possible. Preferably L.A. You may not succeed by moving out there, most don't, but the odds of succeeding while living anywhere else infinitely smaller. Almost non-existent.

It isn't a matter of what you know or don't know, it's a matter of being able to get to the right office and in front of the right people at an hour's notice. Networking and who you meet is an important part of living in LA, but it's far from the only factor.

You can certainly write screenplays no matter where you live, but if you want to sell them, you'd best be living in L.A., or at the very least somewhere in CA.

If you are serious about the movie business (all aspects of it), you should consider moving out to LA. More competition, and no guarantee of success, but boy, you'll be right in the action. Opportunities for the taking.

Stephanie, in the meantime, while you are compiling the collection of dynamite scripts you will floor LA with...what is the film-making scene in Ohio like. I will bet you that Columbus and Dayton have producers who make films.
I'll bet you could contact those people, maybe even go see some shooting, get an internship, something.
I know a girl who learned quite a bit about several industries by posing as a reporter...and then actually doing reporting on them for local and campus papers.
Just a thought.

Chech out www.mandy.com to see if they are any local producers even in Ohio. If there are any, I'd wager it's one or two and they mainly make commercials and industrial films. Still, if you want to try that out, it won't hurt to have that on your resume when you're looking for work in Los Angeles.

Otherwise, the advice others have given you is pretty much head on.