<p><< – luckygirl1791 –</p>
<p>Wow. So I’ve read a lot of this thread, and while some of what you’ve said is very frank, it doesn’t much surprise me. And, of course, I have a few questions of my own.</p>
<p>I’m an aspiring filmmaker. Okay, just kidding. I love writing and honestly could not imagine myself doing much else in life–so I want to be a screenwriter. I’m a senior in high school, awaiting college letters and such, so everything’s pretty much in the air. But I applied to a few film schools, some of which I suppose are considered the best–USC and NYU. Would it be totally useless for me to go and major in screenwriting at either of these schools? I did know before getting into the whole application process that the degree would not matter if I actually got into the business somehow–that talent and luck would make a career and all that. But other than writing, I know basically nothing about the technical work that goes on in the movie-making process, and I thought that film school would be a great way to learn how it all goes about, especially in Los Angeles, where I could perhaps intern at television studios and such. I would feel a bit guilty about spending thousands of my parents’ money on school if the degree would be so useless…would it be helpful to double-major in something else “practical”? I don’t know, I just think of college as a place to learn about things I’m actually interested in–film, philosophy, theology. I know none of those degrees lead to any sort of job stability, which I’m okay with. Maybe impractical, but worth the risk for me. I don’t know–what do you think? >></p>
<p>You ask if it would be “totally useless” for you to major in screenwriting. I don’t know that I’d go as far as saying it would be “totally useless.” The degree, yes, that is basically useless unless you intend to teach at some point. But entering an encouraging and potentially educational environment where you (hopefully) receive constructive criticism isn’t necessarily a bad thing. That said, your “success” there (in terms of the education you receive and how it helps you become a better writer) depends greatly on the instructor you just happen to have. There are other great resources out there that will cost you a lot less that will help you learn the craft and business of screenwriting (listed below). </p>
<p>A lot of people say they want to be Writers. But only the most inspired do the work, sit down, and write through to completion. If you are in need of plunking down thousands of dollars to “encourage” you to do that, then it’s entirely possible that a writing career isn’t for you. The business is very difficult and the competition is out there. The most successful Writers don’t really have to work that hard to sit down and do it. They just do because that is what drives them. If you feel that you need to pay for outside “encouragement” to “make you” sit and write, then your chances of becoming a successful Writer once you leave the school environment will likely drop. </p>
<p>School CAN help you hone your skills. I’m not suggesting that it can’t, but that is dependent on the specific class and instructor. But there is no reason you can’t develop your own skills on your own for much less money.</p>
<p>If you want to learn the “process” that it takes to get a movie made from start to finish, again, there are different ways to do that that don’t involve spending inordinate amounts of money on a film degree. Volunteering to work on student films that other people are paying for is a great way to get exposure to the process and watch others succeed and/or fail on a daily basis. But the student-film level can be very different from what a true professional movie set is like, so yes, at some point, finding your way to observe or work on a professional project is important…and again, that is something that a filmschool won’t necessarily do for you (giving you the opportunity to meet professionals and go to real sets). Some schools CAN and DO do that. Most don’t. So carefully research the curriculum of schools that interest you and ask lots of questions about any internship/and professional outreach programs they might have. And just a note about that…interning at “television studios” is not the same as working on movies and episodic television. Those projects aren’t shot at television studios. The production offices are usually on studio lots (like Universal, Warner Bros, Disney, Fox, Paramount) and stages are either on the lots themselves or on other stages (like Raleigh near Paramount or in converted buildings, like Downey Studios which is the former home of Rocketdyne). </p>
<p>If you want to be a professional Screenwriter, I urge the following for you: </p>
<p>1) read every page of wordplayer.com</p>
<p>2) read the book: Film Scriptwriting, Second Edition: A Practical Manual (Paperback)
by Dwight V Swain (Author), JOYE R SWAIN (Author)</p>
<h1>ISBN-10: 0240511905</h1>
<h1>ISBN-13: 978-0240511900</h1>
<p>3) write many scripts…shorts, episodics, and feature length. Practice and show that you are able to write for different genres and purposes.</p>
<p>4) Research and possibly apply for Screenwriting Fellowships. A Google search will lead you to the variety that are offered.</p>
<p>5) Enter your work into Screenwriting Contests. On occasion, new talent is “discovered” and developed this way by Agents, Producers, and Studio Execs.</p>
<p>6) Work on getting an Agent. How? By having writing samples to show (the variety of scripts I suggested above). Most Agents and Producers DO NOT take unsolicited material under any circumstance. What that means is that if you mail a script to them, it will go instantly in the garbage or will be sent back to you unopened. This is to protect them legally. So to get in their hands so that it IS read (usually by a hired “Reader”), you almost always need to know someone ELSE who knows the Agent so that your work comes “recommended.” How do you do that? By getting involved in the professional industry. Some people start as Assistants to Agents, Writers, and/or Producers. Some others work below-the-line on a crew and manage to schmooze their way into a relationship with someone in a “suit.” There is no “one way” to do this and nobody will ever care or give you an extra look if you have a Masters in Screenwriting. What matters is who you know and your work. </p>
<p>7) To learn how a movie is made, you can volunteer to work on low-budget indie projects and maybe even get paid something for it. Not really a plug, but I wrote my own book to help aspiring “filmmakers” learn how professional movies are made without having to actually go to set, so you could read that to help you. Or you can spend money on filmschool and learn that way too. </p>
<p>As far as your major goes, you seem to be on the right track when you mention the things other than film. In film classes, you’re going to study other films. But since you want to be a professional Screenwriter, you’ll need things to write ABOUT. If your whole concentration is on “film,” then your education will be so film-centric that you won’t have the breadth of knowledge to write about anything except other films. So subjects like Philosophy, Theology, Myths, Literature, Sociology, Physics, History are all better suited to an aspiring Writer of any kind. If you can major in any of those AND still take some film production and/or screenwriting classes, all the better. </p>
<p>You mention the term “practical” which delves into the realm of learning a trade. You seem to have a firm grasp on the concept of a university in that if you just wanted to be a “plumber” you wouldn’t need a degree. So in the same way, to work “on set,” a degree of any kind is certainly not required. Below-the-line jobs are essentially “blue collar” work. Highly specialized, for sure, but still basically just trades that are best learned “on the job.” You definitely don’t need filmschool for that. </p>
<p>If you are interested in a “backup” career plan while you pursue Screenwriting, well, that’s going to be something that you need to think about. The film industry is full of people who went to filmschool with hopes and dreams of becoming Writers and Directors and Producers. But for any number of reasons, they stopped trying or were stopped from going farther so they live out their lives doing something else in the business. There is nothing wrong with that, but know that this is the norm. The exception is the person who becomes a successful working Writer, Director and/or Producer. Don’t let that discourage you if you have a goal. I only say this (and wrote the book) so that people can understand the arena so that they can make wiser choices along the way. You CAN achieve your goal of being a successful working Screenwriter and learning the realities of how this all works is the first step. After that, it’s about your own passion, enthusiasm, perseverance, patience, and skill. </p>
<p>So when you consider schooling for a “backup” career that you’re doing while you pursue the goal of Writing, think sincerely about what else you wouldn’t mind doing within the film industry and how THAT job might help you meet the right people who could hire you to write. Because the business is about who you know, target your education and career path in a way that puts you in the position to have opportunities to advance. </p>
<p>One last thing is that you say that it is “worth the risk.” Therein lies the difference between those who can survive this industry and those who can’t. There are people out there who can’t fathom how “we” don’t have the security of a weekly paycheck or a regular office to drive to every day. We do this because we can’t imagine doing anything else. There are no “backup” jobs…one, because we’re not really qualified to do anything else… two, because this is what we want to do with the short time we have to live on the planet. People who have “real” jobs have trouble jumping away from the security blanket into the freelance world because they likely have lots of financial overhead to pay for. When you live a life of uncertainty, it is easier to not tie yourself down with “things.” The less you have to be responsible for, the freer you are to pursue those “risks” that others can’t imagine taking. So before you sink into debt, or buy an expensive car or get married or any number of other things that can tie you down into a “life,” just get started writing and move to where you can work in the professional industry where you will meet others. By all means, go to a University where you will learn skills that you will carry with you for life, but know that the degree isn’t the point. </p>
<p>It really does boil down to this: if you want to be a Writer, then you will sit and write, not because you have an assignment due or because you feel like you “have to.” You’ll write because you can’t imagine doing anything else. And, with preparation and knowledge about what it takes to be a professional in the industry, you could actually one day pay all of your bills (and more!) by doing it.</p>
Check out the whole article (and whole site), but here is a little of what Mr. Rossio has to say about this issue:</p>