Screenwriting : Is it possible to break into the screenwriting business without connections? by Claes Lane

Like all businesses, the film and TV business is very social. People love to work with people they know and like. Amazing writing will open doors. It sure helps if you know the person opening the door.

I love the way that was put!

"Do you need to know someone?" Yes, absolutely, but that doesn't always help either.

Dan, ones script doesn't necessarily need to be good to make connections -- how many movies have you seen where you asked yourself how in the world did that get made? There are many many many talented people in this town and just as many not so talented. It is all about the networking, the collaboration and what one is ready to give up.

Sometimes it takes more than connections or talent. It takes perseverance. Just listen to the path Best Screenplay Oscar winner 'Dead Poets Society' took: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzgGPBqxpbLPeU53QW5PeHJ3OUk

@Dan sometimes I feel like you have that backwards because I have seen a million bad movies and an occasional good one.

Better you try to be a director, your odds are about 10,000 to 1 but if you hit the jackpot might as well get the big prize instead of some dumb small one. Ha good luck, and I mean it

wow I didn't imagine striking up such a conversation. ^.^ I personally believe it's a mixture of both depending on circumstance.

Simple answer. NO.

No matter how great a script is without the right person seeing it, you're out of luck. That's how "bad" movies get made. The person with the money/connections sees and likes it. Screenwriting is a very who-you-know business. The trick is finding out who to know.

im a decently talented screenwriter trying to promote my romcom screenplay Dilemma for the last 3 years. I did get some interests from Hollywood, and some very unreasonable comments like why u haven't mentioned if your lead Rachel is fat or skinny, what she wears - LOL(IM serious). But at the same time I keep on seeing Hollywood keeps on making some real craps- in all genres. Then I check the writers and the directors behind those projects and find they all are well known and well connected in Hollywood to see their not so good works come alive. So, yes its very very very very difficult to break into Hollywood as a writer/actor/director if u dont know Cameron Diaz or a Steven Spielberg. But guys at the same time I do see some new talents in all fields in the movie making break into Hollywood every year. Yes, they got to know some known people from Hollywood after lots of efforts. We have to do that if we don't have the big money to make it on our own. Trying my luck in currency trading and seeing myself having those big money in 5 years time if things go as they r going right now. But I turned 29, 2 months back, cant wait another 5 years. So, I am breaking my head at everywhere to break into Hollywood. Let's not lose hope and make sure to bore the big shots in Hollywood enough with our submissions to force them to take our projects at last. LOL. To all the talented people on earth- may we all make it in the end.

I have to agree with Biswajit. Im 39 and I really dont have 5 years to wait. Soon I should be working on my first project, and I dont really know many people. But I do have a good network here on Stage 32 and if we all work together, Im sure someone somewhere will be able to help us.

No connections? It's not impossible. Continue to write, write, write... seek out legit feedback/coverage (not family or friends) and when necessary, fix what needs fixing. When you can achieve "Recommend" remarks from real coverage services, that can become a real part of your cold call/letter intro. to Producers. By the time you're at that step of the process with your #1 now ready-for-prime-time script, you should already be well on your way to receiving coverage on your #2 script. Once you finally get a 'deal', you must be ready when they ask you, "So, what else have you got?". Now rinse and repeat...

I have been in this business for nearly 35 years, starting as an actor, and over 20 as a writer. This is stated so that this can be. No, you do not need to know anyone to write screenplays. Yes, you do have to meet people to get one of them produced. Be it a commercial, feature, short, or anything else. Now, here is the Catch 22 to the entire situation. You can't get an agent unless you have sold to a studio and you can sell to a studio unless you have an agent. This is also a fact, but with a shading of not always added. New writers happen to get a piece picked up through a variety of means all the time. They end up with an agent because of that piece. Well, then it is just off to the races after that. In my time in the film industry, I'll tell you a few facts. First, no matter how good your writing is, not only is there someone better out there, there is someone who will do it for less, able to revise it in a new way and generally take your masterpiece and turn it into a giant piece of crap. Get use to it. That is the business. Second, every brilliant idea you have written has been written by others at least 100 times. Just keep writing. Someone make like your take on it better than the other persons. Third, and this is the most important part of writing. This included writing of any time. The key to actual success in this business is to do two simple things, with one being as crucial to that end as the other. The first is to write. Most writers talk about writing, they tell about the story they want to write, but they don't actually push the pen. Once you get recognized as a writer, this is shocking point, people are going to expect you to actually write and complete projects. On schedule. Otherwise they will sue you. Remember, the average Hollywood writer only makes around $15K a year, if they are lucky. I write. I do much better than that. The second piece of this is to talk about what you have completed, what you are working on and the project you just sold. People want to associate with those that are doing things. Not those simply sitting there like a bump on a log waiting for an agent to come along and sweep them up because of an idea they have. I get projects because I'm out there shopping my services, telling and showing what I have and am working on, and completing projects in a timely fashion. A final piece of news. No, not everyone will be happy with your writing, this is one reason there are so many writers out there working on the same projects, but if you focus on your work and do the best you can, success of some sort just might come your way. Also, you may have written a great piece and they might still not be happy with it, just because they think that they have to treat a writer that way. The curse of working as a writer in this industry. So, to encapsulate this into a short... WRITE, TALK, WRITE, SHOP, WRITE, SELL, WRITE & WRITE. And when you are starting out, you will write a lot of projects for free. When you are successful, you will be writing a lot of projects for cheap. Simply the way things are. Enjoy!

network. get out there. write spec. use that to move up and get your gigs. you need to meet folk but you also need to develop your craft so get involved with sharpening your writing. but no, there is no perfect script that people will weep when they read. Even those with connections still have to make awesome scripts and still have to rewrite rewrite rewrite ... and then once perfected still have to hustle to get it out there ...

and remember , of the top 20 rules of screenwriting rules 1, 7, 13 and 20 are YOU WILL REWRITE.