A Screenwriter’s Survival Guide To Hollywood - Part Three

Photo Credit: Public Domain

In case you missed parts one and two:

https://steemit.com/writing/@thegridzom/a-screenwriter-s-survival-guide-to-hollywood-part-one
https://steemit.com/writing/@thegridzom/a-screenwriter-s-survival-guide-to-hollywood-part-two

Why and Why not?

For the longest time, it always seemed like I’d aspire to do things that would always max out due to my geographical location. I lived in Florida for most of my adult life and whenever I got interested in something, I would learn everything there was and do as much as I possibly could from my location and then hit a wall because there was no more I could do there.

They say, “Grow where you’re planted”. Sure, I agree, but what do you do when your root system gets too big for the container? Well, you either become a big fish in a small pond, or you move to a bigger pond.
This book will detail my journey from finally realizing my passion of screenwriting and filmmaking to making the big leap from Florida to Los Angeles.

I will also explain how to navigate past some of the roadblocks that come up and a few shortcuts, which I discovered to getting myself established at a faster pace. But, I’m warning you. There is a lot of work to do and you’re going to have to be willing to put in the time. It really does have to be a passion and a mission, that you’re willing to accept, especially if you decide it’s time to jump ship from Middle America into the heart of Hollywood like I did.

I was recently reminded by a dear friend, that making big geographical leaps is sorta in my blood, as both of my parents left their native countries to find a better life here in the U.S.

So up until I gave my notice, little did anyone know that from within my small, solid-concrete block, drab office, which probably served as a bomb shelter during the cold war, I was slowly “Shawshankin’” my way out of there. Just don’t move that equipment rental calendar or you’ll expose the large gaping hole leading to Hollywood.
And everyday, during the last couple of years I spent in Florida, I knew that the time was getting closer for me to either do it already or reevaluate my goals.

I would spend my lunch hours sitting in my truck. Yes, I have a pick-up truck. And from under a shade tree behind the Chik-Fil-A and ordering frozen yogurt, just to prevent becoming overheated, and so that I could knock out my four to five pages, each day.

If I were really lucky, I’d get an other few pages written each night after work, as well. This was a commitment; I had made realizing that I needed several scripts to carry out west with me. I already had a few written and tons of ideas for more. But after attending workshops in Los Angeles, and hearing first hand from writer/director, Angela Robinson that she was asked the famous question, “What else ya got?” I knew I had better be prepared, if not neurotically over-prepared.

So, I slowly stockpiled scripts. I wrote feature length romantic comedies, sci-fi, crime dramas, sitcoms, and one-hour dramas. It didn’t matter. I just wrote what I felt like writing.

Since I lived outside of a movie town, (I know. I know. Some people in Florida will still argue to this day that Florida is Hollywood East. Sorry. Wrong. No way. Will never happen.) I found every little trick, I could perform remotely in order to get exposure and connected to the film industry.

One of those tricks was finding leads for “scripts wanted” and other places to hauk my screenplays without having an agent. What’s funny is that I still use most of those same resources today even after making the big 2400-mile jump across the dirt.

Besides Craigslist and Mandy.com, which are hit or miss when it comes to legit postings, I prefer Inktip.com and VirtualPitchFest.com.

If you are not familiar with either of these services, Inktip allows you to upload your scripts, so that a select group of industry professionals are allowed to go in and search, and with any luck find your work and request a read. Inktip also has a weekly newsletter/tipsheet that puts lists the types of scripts desired by various production companies.

On Virtual Pitch Fest, you simply pay for pitches and choose which of the industry professionals, you want to pitch your screenplay to.

I’ve had success with all of these methods and have gotten meetings and even had scripts optioned or sold.

I’m Here, Now what?

Things really don’t move that much faster once you’re in LA. I mean there’s plenty to do, that’s for sure, but unless you’re staying busy writing or working on set, you might as well pull up a chair, because from my viewpoint, the “Hollywood system” must’ve been conceived by the same person, who invented tandem parking. (Tandem what?) You think you’ve found a great place to be until someone parks right behind you and you’re at their mercy, to get yourself out there.

Here are some simple things to consider when moving to LA from a much smaller city, i.e.: Orlando for example, which I wish someone would’ve shared with me.

1. Sell your car if you have a stick shift and have only driven on a flat terrain. It’s stressful enough having to find parking without praying that you’re not going to roll back onto the tailgating idiot who is up your bumper at the intersection of La Cienega and Sunset.

2. Sell your car if you drive anything bigger than a compact or you’ll never be able to parallel park, and will drive in circles wasting gas in what is probably a gas-guzzler.

3. Have a job or enough cash to live on, in this town for at least 6 months.

4. Have a place to live before moving. This might sound easier said than done. It’s a huge Catch22 much like everything else in LA/Hollywood. They expect you to have a job before you can get approved for an apartment, but most places won’t hire you unless you already live here. Ha, ha, ha, ha…. But unlimited cash fixes everything.

5. Don’t expect to get an assigned parking space where you live. That’s right, you live there, but you can’t park there. This brings me back to the tale of Wylie and me. Yeah. I got back late and there was no parking left near my apartment so I had to park up the hill in the last available parking space which just happened to be near Wylie’s house. Have I mentioned that Wylie is a coyote? He looked at me. I looked at him. I laughed to myself from the safety of my truck. I think he smiled, or it might have been gas. He waited. I waited. He lived there. I wasn’t sure why I was there anymore. I believe it was something about making it in TV and film. Finally I wore him down and he headed back towards the woods. I strategically climbed over my gearshift (another reason to sell it before, you move) and raced out the passenger side towards my apartment. Fun time.

6. Keep your expectations low. Really low. This way when everyone drags their feet, (which is the way things go out here) you won’t be shocked when nothing happens beyond your control.

7. Keep writing and producing your own stuff. Don’t wait for anyone, cause if you do, you’ll go out of your mind. As I’ve mentioned, nothing gets done in a timely manner, but yet everyone always seems to be in such a hurry. God forbid if you don’t drive the way they want you to, around here. I’ve never heard more horn beeping in my life.

Beverly Hills, California:
So, how do you end up in the only fleabag motel in the 90210 zip code? It’s easier than you think. Don’t let the area of town fool you, when you make reservations online. It was only temporary, but still, quite the experience.
Settling In and Producing Again

I finally found a place to live after around 2-3 weeks of trying looking while working a 30-hour a week schedule. I hooked up with a actress and we decided to write a short project for our reels before moving forward and putting together “The Seer” production.

I was so lucky to have this person, because when you move into a new town, it takes a while to figure out where everything is and she’s already been her for several years so things went a lot faster. She was able to hook me up with a DP, she had used before and we got a bunch of our friends to help out with the crew positions.

And welcome to a Union town. Because most of my actors were SAG, I had to set up “The Seer” under a SAG short film contract. It’s not as bad as people make it sound, but you really need to give yourself and SAG enough time to set up the project. There is a lot of paperwork including timesheets, sign in sheets, contracts, etc.

Over the last couple of years, things have gotten a lot easier with the SAG New Media Contract. It’s not as tough as you’d think, but it helps to know what they’re looking for in advance so that you don’t get hit with any expensive surprises. You can visit www.sagindie.org for more information, or call your local office to ask any questions you may have.

Until the next installment...

Copyright 2018 Linda Andersson/The Grid Zom, LLC