Screenwriting 101

Hollywood: Confessions of a Personal Assistant

Written by David Willis Monday, April 29, 2013, 11:28 AM

Upon arrival in Hollywood many future writers will find themselves in the role of the personal assistant. This type of job can help you build a foundation in Los Angeles as you aspire to become a working writer. The important thing is to maintain perspective and use this time as a learning experience that will help you down the road. For more on this experience, I interviewed Jeffrey Kent, personal assistant for an A-list producer recently nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Like many writers, Jeff gives his days to one of the thousands of behind the scenes positions that keep this town moving. His experience can shed some light on how being an assistant interfaces with the craft of writing day-to-day, and some of the ways it doesn’t.

Read more: Hollywood: Confessions of a Personal Assistant

Internships: A Cautionary Tale

Written by David Willis Tuesday, April 16, 2013, 8:32 PM

If you are in film school, it’s likely you will make it to LA as part of an internship program. If used properly, this can be a great opportunity to transition to Los Angeles and maybe even emerge on the other side with an entry-level position. Once a more observational entry into the inner workings of the city, in recent years the film industry has called upon its interns to perform more duties than ever, even some formerly reserved for entry-level employees. In this way some internships can be exploitative, as seen in the recent class actionlawsuit against Fox. You will have many choices and it is imperative that you make the right one. I for one passed up an internship at Fox, which in my opinion would have been the better choice. They surely ask a lot of their interns, but make up for it with real industry experience, which is something most colleges never provide outside of the internship setting. Weighing all these options can be daunting for anyone soon to be jettisoned into a shrinking film industry. Here are some things to consider.

Read more: Internships: A Cautionary Tale

Hit the Ground Running: A Writer’s LA Survival Guide

Written by David Willis Tuesday, April 02, 2013, 3:11 PM

Congratulations. You’ve made it to Hollywood. If you’ve just arrived, you may be overflowing with excitement to have all of your dreams just on the other side of that famed studio wall. If you’re like me, you are also horrified by how great Hollywood looks on television versus what it looks like in reality. The moves you make in the days to come are going to have a great effect on the next few years of your life. I’m going to assume that like me, when you came to LA, you were dead broke and starting from zero. My parents weren’t going to be kicking in any funds. Needless to say, it can be a rough landing, so here are some recommendations, from one transplant to another, that can help you keep working and keep writing.

Read more: Hit the Ground Running: A Writer’s LA Survival Guide

Character + Goal + Opposition = Your Movie

Written by Scott Hotaling Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 9:06 PM

"What's your movie about?” John asked.

"It's Godfather meets Top Gun." boasted Rick.

John replied, "I've never seen it, what's it about?"

"It’s about a flight school."

Making sure he understood, John quipped, "Oh, you mean it was about someone taking flying lessons?"

"No, he already knew how to fly." Rick said.

"I get it! It was about an instructor at the school, and how he taught people how to fly!" said John, emphatically.  He felt like he just aced his final exam. 

Visibly frustrated, Rick replied, "No, some of that's in the movie, but that's not what it's about.”

Read more: Character + Goal + Opposition = Your Movie

Performing Your Script: Notes From the Table

Written by David Willis Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 8:48 PM

You’ve labored long and hard to get here. Finally, you’ve reached the point where you feel as though your intentions have been realized and your script has come to life. You’ve done your rewrite, maybe even the polish. You think you’re done, but don’t start shipping off copies just yet. There is one more thing that you can do to make sure you are putting your best foot forward and that your brain isn’t filling in the gaps of your own document. You should organize a table read and hear the words read aloud by actors. The following steps will ensure that you and your actors walk away from the reading feeling satisfied.

Read more: Performing Your Script: Notes From the Table