Become a Hollywood scriptwriter – seven key steps from Donald Vasicek
© Jean-Luc ST-Hilaire
Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker Donald L. Vasicek puts 35 years of writing and filmmaking experience to good use to provide us with a step-by-step guide to being a successful Hollywood scriptwriter, from testing your story ideas to getting your completed script in front of the right people in the industry.
There are a variety of methods you can employ to get into screenwriting. Here are my seven key steps.
Step one - find out what’s happening locally
Many local colleges and universities have scriptwriting classes that teach how to write scripts. Major colleges and universities such as New York University, UCLA, the University of Southern California and the University of Colorado have curriculums which give the prospective screenwriter classes on screenwriting. Scriptwriting groups, associations and organisations exist in many cities that can help you learn the basics of screenwriting. Check with your state and/or local film commission to find a list of these gatherings.
Step two - try out your ideas
Study movies that interest you because it’s likely those are the kinds of movies that you’re going to be writing and if you want to sell your scripts and get them produced you need to know what’s already out there.
Rent movies. Outline each scene. Learn the genre format of movies that have been produced. Incorporate this format into your scripts. If you have problems doing this, it’s possible that your movie idea would better written as a short story or a novel.
Step three – write and rewrite
Plan on rewriting your scripts until they fit the passion you have for what you are writing. In other words, look inside yourself and find out why you’re interested in writing the particular script you want to write.
Ask yourself the following questions: what brought this idea to your mind, who was involved, where were you at the time, when was it and how did you come up with the idea?
You must answer these questions honestly so you can get your characters, the story and your passion for the character and story down right in the script.
Step four - consider hiring a script consultant
You can find script consultants online as well as in the library in film directories and publications. Be sure to hire a professional script consultant, one who has had experience being produced as a screenwriter.
If you’re writing a screenplay (movie scripts are usually referred to as screenplays) make sure the script consultant you hire has a background in feature movie screenplays.
If you’re writing a teleplay (television scripts are usually referred to as teleplays), be certain the script consultant you choose has a background in television.
Be prepared to pay out for this service though.
Step five – get registered
Once you have your script as fine-tuned as possible, register your script with the appropriate organisation. In North America that’s the Writer’s Guild of America. You could also have it copyrighted with the Library of Congress. You can find information on how to contact these organisations in your local library or online.
Step six - market your script
Get hold of a copy of Hollywood Creative Directory: Agent and Managers and Hollywood Creative Directory: Producers.
Call the agencies and ask if you can pitch your script to an agent, or if you can send them a query letter. If they ask you to send them a query letter, make sure you get someone’s name you can address it to.
Call producers simultaneously as you call agents. Ask them if you can pitch your screenplay to them. They will tell you what to do from that point forward.
Should agencies and/or producers ask to see your script, send it to them. Give them one month to respond to you. If they don’t respond in one month, call them and ask them if they received your script and for an update on it if they did receive it.
Step seven - begin networking
The film business is all about people, so networking is vital. To meet people and get into the right social circles, it’s a good idea to contact film production companies and producers locally, in Los Angeles (Los Angeles is the heart of the film business in the world), and in New York to see if you can get a job in the mail room - working in a film production mail room creates the opportunity to meet people who can be helpful to your scriptwriting career – or another entry level job.
You can also work as an intern for most film companies, which is an excellent way of meeting people in the film business. You can also attend scriptwriting seminars, workshops, conferences and so on to learn about scriptwriting as well as meeting people who work in the film industry.
Following these steps will certainly help your chances of making it into the world of Hollywood scriptwriting. The fine point of getting into screenwriting, however, is you need to be creative, ambitious, possess a willingness to work hard, be professional and have a hard shell as a protective covering for the emotional peaks and valleys that you will experience. That’s the nature of the film business.
For further information on Donald, please visit http://www.donvasicek.com
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