Snowballs chance???

kitt · Nov 19, 2006

I'm new in the scriptwriting world( hi everyone

. I know the odds are not even close to being on my side. I just need to hear someone tell me that even though the odds swallow me whole and I know absolutely no one in the biz, that if I do actually write a great high concept script I may have a chance.

-Don't settle for the moon when your reaching for the stars.

clockwork · Nov 19, 2006

Hi kitt. Welcome to AW. :hi:

The odds are against you. The success rate is low.

But everybody here is working on the belief that there is a chance, however small, of making it. The good news is that small shred of hope we so desperately cling to has a ridculously long half-life.

If you look after it.

Write_At_1st_Light · Nov 19, 2006

Hi Kitt! And welcome!

Clock's right - chances are slim of seeing your work on the big screen. Simple mathematics - too much material being produced, too few venues. Too much money to make a film today. Too many wooden-headed decision makers in Hollywood - they want safe stuff only. And as we writers know, writing is an art. Safe don't make it. But they've got quarterly profit reports and bean counters to please and action dolls to promote and sell. So: We get remakes, sequels and comic-book flicks. Pukingly disgusting.

Having said all that, fortunately I am a hard-headed stubborn anti-authority type who is going ahead with this venture anyway. I'll flood 'em with scripts, and kick a few butts if I have to. In other words, I'm just enough of a damn fool to think they'll eventually make one of my "gems".

So: HAVE AT IT! Write from passion. Write because you HAVE TO write, because it's THE way of expressing what you need to tell the world. And who knows?

No matter what - writing will make you a more interesting person. Pretty good deal, that.

clockwork · Nov 19, 2006

Write_At_1st_Light said:
No matter what - writing will make you a more interesting person. Pretty good deal, that.

True dat, double true!

kitt · Nov 19, 2006

Thanks so much, a lot of times I read through these forums to avoid writing..lol. The problem comes when keep reading over and over how impossible it is, it starts digging into my eternal optimism. I have to believe that hard work and talent will get me somewhere...someday.

-Don't settle for the moon when your reaching for the stars

Write_At_1st_Light · Nov 19, 2006

kitt said:
Thanks so much, a lot of times I read through these forums to avoid writing..lol. The problem comes when keep reading over and over how impossible it is, it starts digging into my eternal optimism. I have to believe that hard work and talent will get me somewhere...someday.

Correct.

Hard work and talent will get you somewhere. In fact last Tuesday I was just mentioning that in the soup line while waiting for my ladle of chicken corn chowder and my hardtack biscuit and a tin mug of that tepid stuff the social workers affectionately refer to as "tea". Told that to the guy behind me and he said: Whaddya know! ANOTHER writer!

No I'm joking. What actually happens is: For writing, hard work and talent can set you up for the biggest factor for success: LUCK. It increases your chances so that when that one time in your life comes along where you just happen to be in the right place at the right time - you've got the goods. You can deliver.

Even so: Writing is going to make you a more interesting person. There's no way around that one. And hey - I'll see ya on line. No cutting in! ;-)

Celia Cyanide · Nov 19, 2006

If you write an excellent script, you have a chance, yes. Screenwriters generally aren't famous, so they don't care that you're not.

RainbowDragon · Nov 20, 2006

If you want to increase your chances of a small, most likely unpaid success, try writing a short (1-50 page) script and list it on Inktip (for free). You'll get people requesting to read it (much more and quicker than for features) and if it gets chosen to produce you'll get a copy and can enter it in festivals (which may or may not ignore it, but still, you'll be produced!) It's a smaller writing investment and likely to be a quicker return to keep your hopes up while waiting on Hollywood to take your feature seriously. . .

Good luck!

razormoney · Nov 20, 2006

Write...

Write_At_1st_Light said:
Correct.

Hard work and talent will get you somewhere. In fact last Tuesday I was just mentioning that in the soup line while waiting for my ladle of chicken corn chowder and my hardtack biscuit and a tin mug of that tepid stuff the social workers affectionately refer to as "tea". Told that to the guy behind me and he said: Whaddya know! ANOTHER writer!

No I'm joking. What actually happens is: For writing, hard work and talent can set you up for the biggest factor for success: LUCK. It increases your chances so that when that one time in your life comes along where you just happen to be in the right place at the right time - you've got the goods. You can deliver.

Even so: Writing is going to make you a more interesting person. There's no way around that one. And hey - I'll see ya on line. No cutting in! ;-)

This is is some funny stuff. Thanks for the laugh!

R

seanie blue · Nov 20, 2006

Every month, Hollywood buys between 15 and 30 ideas. Maybe as little as six of these are scripts. This includes bestselling novels, pitches, scripts, and articles.

Between 15 and 30. That's it. Just keep that in mind when submitting one of the 20,000 scripts that sail into Hollywood every month.

English Dave · Nov 20, 2006

seanie blue said:
Every month, Hollywood buys between 15 and 30 ideas. Maybe as little as six of these are scripts. This includes bestselling novels, pitches, scripts, and articles.

Between 15 and 30. That's it. Just keep that in mind when submitting one of the 20,000 scripts that sail into Hollywood every month.

Yes but 95% plus of that 20,000 is crap, unsaleble or unfilmable. Make sure yours is in the top 5% and you reduce your odds considerably.

Don't believe me? Ask any pro reader out of the last hundred scripts they read how many they actually gave a recommend.

Mike The Mover · Nov 20, 2006

Your odds are 1 in 1333, every month according to 15/20000.

It almost makes you wonder if it's even worth it.

JohnDoe79 · Nov 20, 2006

First of all, you should write because you like writing, not because you hope to be loaded.

Assuming you have quality work, just work on getting out there and living your life. If it's meant to be, it will be.

English Dave · Nov 20, 2006

JohnDoe79 said:
First of all, you should write because you like writing, not because you hope to be loaded.

Assuming you have quality work, just work on getting out there and living your life. If it's meant to be, it will be.

Wise words. Quality is the key and the definition of quality as far as success is concerned is someone with juice reads your story and says 'WOW'.

No matter how much time, effort and emotion you put in to writing your script nobody cares but you. Unless it makes them go WOW.

WOW isn't so much about 'that really moved me' but 'that really moved me and I can sell it'

kitt · Nov 20, 2006

JohnDoe79 said:
First of all, you should write because you like writing, not because you hope to be loaded.

Assuming you have quality work, just work on getting out there and living your life. If it's meant to be, it will be.

I write because I HAVE to, seriously it's all I'm a good at. That and being a mom, that's #1. I love writing though, so I'll keep doing it against all odds.

English Dave · Nov 20, 2006

kitt said:
I write because I HAVE to, seriously it's all I'm a good at. That and being a mom, that's #1. I love writing though, so I'll keep doing it against all odds.

Concentrate on making the odds better while retaining your voice. A bit like bringing up a kid.

whistlelock · Nov 21, 2006

My advise on this is to get involved in your local film scene. Help make movies, be an extra when one comes to town. See if you like the work.

Celia Cyanide · Nov 21, 2006

whistlelock said:
My advise on this is to get involved in your local film scene. Help make movies, be an extra when one comes to town. See if you like the work.

This is good advice. I don't know what it's like where you live, but there is a big local film scene in my town. You can get involved in that, and chances are good that you might find an independent filmmaker who would be interested in your script. They may not be able to pay you for it the first time, but it's a good place to start.

kitt · Nov 21, 2006

not going to happen here

not going to happen for me, I live in Elizabethtown Ky. They made one movie here, you know it "Elizabethtown" and it sucked, other then that nothing of the sort. Oh there's a small community theatre but it's not worth mentioning.

whistlelock · Nov 21, 2006

So move. If it's important to you- do it.

Celia Cyanide · Nov 21, 2006

She's a mom, so that's probably something she would have to consider regarding a move. Still, Kitt, it is very true that some cities are rich with film culture, and you have a much better chance of connecting with people who can help you.

kitt · Nov 21, 2006

It's definetly something I've given thought to- a lot of thought. I was a military brat and sort of got stuck here. Now this is where my family is rooted and some days it drives me crazy. My husband has a good job making decent money which allows me to follow my not yet financially rewarding dream. One day, I hope to be able to move us all out of this place.

whistlelock · Nov 21, 2006

No film scene, huh?

Well, start one. Start small. write and produce shorts. find someone with a camera.

I just realized that I've been to Elizabethtown. In fact, I..uh..dated a young woman who lived there. For a very brief and very intense amount of time. I was stationed at Knox with the 10th Cav.

But yeah, start something. I promise you there are other people just like you waiting for someone to stand up and say "Hey, let's film something."

RainbowDragon · Nov 22, 2006

You don't have to move to "make it". The internet provides tons of networking opportunities. Yes, it's not as convenient as going to school with people who know people who know people, but it can be done, and you don't need to make as much to pay off that mortgage if you don't have a 90210 address

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