Screenwriting : Hello by Sam Ggg

Great to meet you Sam Ggg as for me, the writers room is the best way to get your work out there.

If I was 25 and no big bills like mortgage or family/kids expense, I would move to a major city with a large film & tv community and hustle for show biz jobs- work with ppl who actually work for a living. Maybe learn a show biz job skill that pays steady, puts you in the game. This is a freelance occupation. (Out of sight, out of mind).

As for writing, nothing special having a spec script. Grips & gaffers I worked with have scripts in their trucks with the same dream as us- a stranger with deep pockets.

Welcome to the community, Sam Ggg. I don't have much experience with the TV industry, but my biggest tip for any writer (feature or TV) is to build relationships/network on here to meet producers, creative executives, etc. who will listen to your pitch. Here are some blogs about networking:

www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-network-successfully-on-stage-32-3356

www.stage32.com/blog/keeping-up-the-momentum-from-introduce-yourself-wee...

www.stage32.com/blog/tags/networking-41

You could also pitch your show through the Pitch Sessions (https://www.stage32.com/scriptservices/pitch-sessions). The Pitch Sessions are mainly for you to get feedback on your pitch so you can make it better, but some writers have had success through the Pitch Sessions (www.stage32.com/scriptservices/success-stories).

Stage 32 also has webinars on the TV industry: www.stage32.com/webinars/tag/television

And I suggest adding a profile picture, Sam Ggg. People will feel more comfortable networking and collaborating with you if they know what you look like. And if you have a picture, your profile will show up when someone searches for you.

Congrats on finishing a project. I just found this community myself and I'm in a similar position with my project. Hopefully the opportunities come through building relationships and continuing to use feedback to strengthen skills.

Hope things get better for you and you have success on here, Daniel De Los Santos Grabalosa.

thanks Daniel De Los Santos Grabalosa and Adam wishing you success as well!

thanks Marc, im headed to the writers room next

Maurice Vaughan the links you shared seem very helpful. Thank you ill go through them all

You're welcome, Sam Ggg. Glad they're helpful. What genre is your show?

Dan MaxXx I was in Vancouver until recently, had to move to take care of some issues but will go back as soon as im done. I've been applying for all sorts of jobs online but having no experience doesnt help. Any advice on how to get a job in show biz? Walking into studios and asking for a job?

Sam Ggg when I lived in LA, there were temp agencies for studios.

Maurice Vaughan its an episodic adventure, action, thriller. an oversimplification would be a curious man with access to a time machine

A curious man with access to a time machine sounds exciting, Sam Ggg. And scary. His curiosity could ruin things for everyone.

Maurice Vaughan I happen to own one of those Time Travel Machine Things, Maurice. AND YOU'RE NEXT!!! Setting the dial now.....FOR RUIN!!!!!!

Who gave Bill Brock a time machine!?

I think you are in the right place for advice.

Maurice Vaughan YOU DID! Don't you remember? After the party? You kept stumbling around, muttering nonstop about the blue Power Ranger. You handed me the keys and said, "She's all yours. Treat her right." Then you dropped to your knees and your mouth became the mighty Niagara Falls of puke. Tried to catch it on video, but my storage was full.

I would never trust you with a time machine, Bill Brock. Haha

Was it hard to come up with the rules for time travel in your show, Sam Ggg?.

Daniel De Los Santos Grabalosa not primarily comedy but there'll be a couple epsidoes pure comedy

Maurice Vaughan the fundamentals were complicated but once I figured that out, the rest was easy. And dont worry, he won't ruin things for everyone, not drastically

the time machine or even the time travel itself isnt the focus of the show, the stories they discover are

"the time machine or even the time travel itself isnt the focus of the show, the stories they discover are." I like that, Sam Ggg. Unique. I've thought about writing a time travel script, but I couldn't figure out the rules. Might try again one day.

thanks Maurice Vaughan

well ive recently spent a lot of time thinking about it so if you need help with the rules, or wanna brainstorm, im here.

You're welcome, Sam Ggg. Ok, appreciate it.

All I can say is, don't treat this as a get rich quick scheme, because many do, and they burn out quickly as a result. Five years of full-time study, practice, and networking with nothing to show for it is normal.

It's also a woefully unbalanced industry in terms of income. Many established pros in the indie scene are effectively paying to work.

Having a business background is a great advantage as you will have a better understanding of why people make movies and what they are looking for from a script. You may enjoy this blog about that; Scripts, Cheeseburgers, and Why Every Screenplay Submission Is a Business Proposition

Hi Sam. You should upload a profile picture.

CJ Walley that's a truly excellent blog you penned & shared. Thank you. It should be required reading. Writers (and most others, too) really need to be thinking in terms of commercial viability & budget, and also understand that these elements are probably more critical in 2024 than ever before. As features go, the modest, mid-level budget film is more or less toast these days. There's the large scale studio films with hefty budgets, and films made at the lower-end budget spectrum, which represent the best case scenario for ROI -- Return On Investment -- and profitability. One producer I've recently begun to work with on a big budget, female-driven action project of mine, has produced many films within the studio system, and plenty were in the mid-range budget zone. In a sign of the times, he recently produced the smallest budgeted film of his career -- for Tubi. This current landscape of the non-existent middle is the reality all film producers face today. And when producers are looking at spec material, they're undoubtedly looking to see if the material has some path forward as it's written -- or perhaps with a smart revision. As a writer who writes both big budget and smaller budget specs, my focus is almost always on making sure that whatever I'm speccing out will hopefully land interest from producers, who will then envision places they can take the script to. I'm definitely not a writer who's sweating whether I've chosen to use bold sluglines, or non-bold sluglines (I like bold!), or fretting over some other minor/insignificant formatting decisions. In the overall picture, formatting is the least of my concerns. Making sure that what I'm writing is a commercially viable and tasty-as-heck cheeseburger -- whether an ultra-expensive model or a micro-cheap version -- is paramount.

Sam Ggg, if you've written something you think is pretty good and ready to be shown, I would suggest pitching it to a few execs via Stage 32 pitch sessions. Whether you pitch live via Skype or opt for a 2 page written submission, you will get a couple of evaluations form working pros, which should give you a baseline indicator of the strengths and weaknesses of your project. From there, you can look at the feedback, evaluate it, and take further steps from there. Also, whatever your project is about, try to find execs who are familiar with the story you've written. Maybe they've personally produced something similar, or previously worked at a place that has produced projects in the same genre. I call this "doing your homework." It definitely takes a little time, but at the end of the day you want your pitch to get in front of people who may be most receptive to it.

CJ Walley I dont expect to make money from this until the show is on air, which is the best case scenario.

Good blog. thanks for sharing.

DT Houston thats a good idea, ill do that

Bill Brock is saying get a photo this one will do for now

Throw a logline together somebody will read it, if they take it on is on you

Vincent Turner Please let the record show that my client, Bill Brock, never suggested the use of a photo in this Stage 32 post. An immediate "Cease and desist" proclamation is in order at this time. If said half-truths continue in this manner, my firm will be forced to take drastic action in the form of the following charges: Libel, Defamation of Character, and improper use of his name and likeness.

Sincerely,

Jebediah O'Steinfeld; Attorney

Brock's Monkey Productions

Bill Brock no harm no foul, its hard to trust someone with out a picture.... small joke, if you take it as one... Sam Ggg don't take the monkey photo either

Sam Ggg you're supposed to be paid before show airs, and many tv pilot sales never air but you get paid for rewrites & development time.

My two cents: stack your $, so you can accept crappy show biz jobs just to be around working ppl whose livelihood is making shows. Sorta pay your dues from inside climbing up the industry. Large tv communities like Toronto, Vancouver, & LA & NY are expensive cities to live & work.

.

Vincent Turner Matthew Gross there

Dan MaxXx I meant im not in this for the money and dont expect to make serious money (6 or 7 figures) until its on air