Script Notes by Chad Gervich - Chuck's question: Am I wasting my time if I don't live in L.A.?

"I am writing some spec screenplays, and a pilot. But let's face it - I will never move to LA. Meetings - yes. Move - no. Am I wasting my time? I've met managers who have said "Send me something when you have something worth sending." I could probably get a rep, but, Chad, I will NEVER move there. Can a guy make any money or sell anything without being there? (Maybe this is a good question for your blog, should it continue under your stewardship.)

"Furthermore, if your answer is essentially NO, would it be wise to get some sort of partner out there (that I know and trust) that could play "pitchman" to my "writer?” Ever heard of any partnerships like that?"

First of all, Chuck, thanks for the questions. These are interesting—and not uncommon—concerns. So let’s dive in…

1) DO YOU NEED TO MOVE TO L.A. TO MAKE IT AS A SCREENWRITER?

The cold, hard, blunt truth is: yes.

But let’s talk about this…

L.A. is, obviously, the center of the American entertainment industry. Sure, TV and films are made in other cities—New York, Chicago, Atlanta—but the heart and soul of the U.S. industry is one city… Los Angeles. And in order to be part of that, you need to be here. Not because there’s something magical about the geography or location, but because this is a BUSINESS, and—as a business—you need to be able to navigate it. You need to understand its rules, its pathways, its processes… and, most importantly, you need to be able to meet and network with other players in the industry. Like most industries, Hollywood is based as much on contacts and relationships as it is on skill, talent, and ability… and if you can’t be constantly meeting, forming, and maintaining relationships, it’s very difficult to progress or excel.

Sure, you can read books, take classes, come out for meetings, attend seminars and conferences… and all of these things will help educate you. You’ll become smarter, your writing will improve, you’ll gain a better understanding of the arts, crafts, and business of Hollywood. But knowledge alone is not enough to power a career; you need on-the-ground experience, contacts and relationships, and the ability to actually participate in the industry.

An aspiring marine biologist can go to school in Omaha or Kansas City or Las Vegas, where they may be the best student in their class and a brilliant scientist. But unless they move to a coast, they’ll probably never fulfill their true marine biologist potential, no matter how brilliant they are. They can certainly make a living as an amazing teacher. Or apply their knowledge to similar areas, like environmental planning. But they’ll probably never be a leading marine biologist, because marine biologists can only work in one place: at the ocean.

Hollywood, for better or worse, is the same way. Now, fortunately, Hollywood may not ALWAYS be that way… and some of the old rules are changing… but for now, L.A. remains the place to be. But more on that in a second…

2) would it be wise to get some sort of partner out there (that I know and trust) that could play "pitchman" to my "writer?”

What you’re basically talking about is an agent or manager—someone who appreciates your writing, understands your creative voice and vision, likes and “gets” you personally, and represents you well in the phone or meetings. …Which, again, is basically an agent or manager.

So, I guess if you want and find a respectable agent/manager with the ambition, ability, and muscle to sell your stuff—sure, go for it. I DO know that many agents and managers are hesitant to signing out-of-towners, for all the reasons discussed above. Someone may be an outstanding writer, but if they don’t live here—if they’re not able to go on meetings, build their own relationships, help pound the pavement—it’s VERY tough, even for the world’s greatest agent, to sell their scripts and get them work.

(A friend of mine, who’s a pretty successful screenwriter and director, always says he knows he can never expect his agents to work harder are care more about his career than he does… and this is good advice. He also works pretty non-stop, and he once told me that he gets most of his assignments and sales on his own… then his agent helps facilitate the deal.)

Now, if you’re NOT talking about an agent or manager… if you’re talking about a more creative partner… well—I can’t say I’ve ever heard of a creative/writing partner whose sole job is pitching. Maybe it could work, but it seems odd to me.

If you write a script that starts getting meetings and attention, execs and producers will want to meet with the writer who created the script. They’re not going to want to meet with your proxy; they want to get a sense of the person behind the words. What’s he like? Is he funny and personable? Dark and quiet? Where did he grow up? Who are his influences? Is he a fun person to work with? A total boor?

They’ll also want to ask questions about your writing and this script itself. Where’d you get the idea? What’s your process like? What storytelling areas interest you?

A proxy can’t answer these questions. Or rather, they could—to a certain extent—but then they might as well be an agent or manager. (Not to mention, you’ll never find a proxy, a pitchman—including an agent or manager—who advocates or talks about your material more passionately than you do. After all, that’s why you wrote it! …You had a burning desire to tell this story! A desire that burned more eagerly in you than in anyone else… because you’re the one who wrote it! So how could anyone talk more expressively about it than you?!)

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly…

3) AM I WASTING MY TIME?

You love writing, right? It’s your release, your passion, your pleasure? Presumably, that’s why you started writing screenplays and pilots in the first place. Because you were BURNING to do it. You had stories and characters trying to claw their way out of you. So why would you give that up?! Because you might not “sell” something? So what? Van Gogh NEVER sold anything… but he painted because he was driven to.

So… if it’s what you love… and it brings you joy… then I don’t see how it could be a waste of time.

You may never become Tom Kapinos or Greg Daniels, but so what? At the VERY least, you’ll become a better writer, a better storyteller, and gain a deeper appreciation for art… and you’ll have a blast doing it. How is that a waste of time?

(Now, if you DON'T have a blast doing it... if you hate writing or only want to make a sale... then you have to ask yourself some different questions. But since you took the time to write me, I'm assuming your fueled by a bottomless tank of passion, stories, and something exciting to say about the world!)

Having said that, I understand the desire to sell something, to see your work come to fruition… especially in the world of screenwriting, where scripts aren’t finished products, they’re blueprints for something else—a finished movie or TV show. And while I maintain that it’s nearly impossible to succeed outside of L.A., the world IS changing… and the “old rules” are being broken every day. It’s still tough to be an exception to those rules, to be an anomaly, but it happens.

Like I mentioned before, many cities are stepping up their film and TV productions. If you lived in Atlanta, for instance, I’d suggest trying to get in with Turner or Tyler Perry, who’s not only a writer and director, but a full-fledged mogul and producer. No matter where you live, you could also write a low-budget indie film and find investors to finance it (most film producers will even tell you it’s easier to find indie funding OUTSIDE of Hollywood). Or find a way to pitch your show to a local TV station or affiliate. Put up a play. Enter contests. (FYI—I don’t think contests are usually a “traditional” road into Hollywood; they rarely pay off. Then again—they paid off hugely for screenwriter Michael Martin, a Pennsylvania toll booth worker who won a screenwriting contest and recently had his movie, “Brooklyn’s Finest,” premiere at Sundance with Ethan Hawke and Richard Gere.)

The Internet is also opening doors. This doesn’t mean Hollywood is simply offering three-picture deals and overalls to anyone who makes a YouTube video, but people HAVE found success by making top-notch web videos that manage to find an audience. (Barats & Bereta, Secret Girlfriend, Pink, Lonelygirl15, etc.) So get a video camera, some friends, and MAKE SOMETHING. Shoot a sketch or short. If it doesn’t work, you’ll learn what went wrong and make it better the next time. And the next time. And the next time. And the next time.