The Screenwriter’s Career Plan
October 5, 2007 by clive · 10 Comments
The digital revolution has already changed the film industry beyond recognition and now is the time for screen writers to realize the opportunities it presents to them to build a newer and more exciting career plan.
Most of the people caught up in the first wave of the digital revolution came to it from the technical end of film making. Which is to be expected. Editors and digital effects people got caught in the first swell of new technology because their jobs depend on it. Indie cinematographers came in on the next wave, because the cheapness of production was just too damn tempting.
However, with those two elements of film production firmly won over to the inevitability of digital film making (In a way they were not two years ago), it’s time for the screen writers to take a look into the ways these changes can help them get the careers they always wanted.
Up until recently a serious screen writer had to construct their career plan around the idea of writing a spec script that would find them a serious producer, who in turn would back their script with a substantial budget.
What we’ve all got into the habit of doing is trying to craft the concept and script that will get that kind of attention. But, what most screen writer’s also realize is that getting that attention is damn hard work.
So, the career plan might run a bit like this: learn my craft by writing a few feature length screen plays that I show to friends, whilst attending screen writing courses and reading screen writing books; then, get my head down to write my opus, which I craft through several drafts; then, write a huge list of agents and send my queries out them; then, wait and hope someone discovers you; in the meantime enter a few prestigious competitions in the hope someone discovers you… when that fails, start on new opus (repeat until famous or paid)
With the digital revolution and falling production costs, I think spec screen writers ought to challenge the traditional career development model and get considerably more pro-active in building a career.
The key to making this change is to change your concept of what you need from a producer in the early stages of your career.
In my opinion, what a baby screen writer needs to do to be discovered is not a killer script, but instead, a killer film.
Nothing will get agents knocking on your door faster than a completed movie that’s done good business. The reason for this is pretty obvious: the second you prove you can do good business, everyone wants to work with you. And, it’s impossible with just a spec script to prove you can do good business. Only a film can do that for you.
Where the digital revolution comes into this scheme is in two possible routes:
Firstly, and perhaps the most obvious — when you’ve got a killer script, don’t pitch it to the big players, find a local producer/film maker who has the skills and equipment to turn your script into a film and work with them, regardless of whether they can afford to pay you or not.
In other words, be prepared to give away your first opus.
What you’re looking for is not any old film maker, because there are plenty of those. What you’re looking for is someone who can prove to you they have the skills to get the job done, regardless of budget. This means looking at their showreel, getting them to give you an inventory of their resources and in the final analysis figuring out whether your film maker is someone you can work with.
From my own experience I’d suggest you avoid anyone who wants to savagely rewrite your script (but is unwilling to show you any of theirs), or anyone who suggests their input warrants a co-writing credit!
Even if your first movie bombs, I can guarantee you’ll learn so much in the process that your next script will be better.
Secondly, the scarier but ultimately more rewarding option: learn how to make your own films!
Let me repeat that, because I can already hear the chorus of voices saying “I have no idea where to start with that, isn’t it incredibly complicated!”
Well, yes it is… and you’re not going to achieve success overnight. However, with that said my experience tells me that anyone who learns how to edit video and how to shoot a sequence of drama is automatically going to become a better screen writer than someone who can’t. Not only that, the digital revolution has also made production easier and more forgiving than it was ten years ago. I’ve taught eight year olds to shoot and edit video in under half an hour (er, not well, but they got the principles pretty quickly)
And, yes I do know that thousands of famous screen writers wrote great movies without even seeing an editing desk in their lives… but, the times they are a changing and I think the real hope for modern screen writers is taking control of the means of production.
With all this said, I also believe that it’s possible to construct a career plan based on a combination of all three approaches. Which, by the way is what I’m doing.
My plan is simple, write great specs and pitch them into the highest levels of the industry; parallel to that, write killer micro-budget movies and make them myself.
What I don’t believe anymore, is the idea that merely by plugging away at the keyboard and pitching relentlessly I’ll eventually get the breaks I’m looking for. Like I said at the top, the only way to secure a career is to have a killer movie, a movie that does business and these days the best way you can make that happen, is to do it yourself.
