tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post6160271900814733853..comments2024-03-07T20:15:45.996-08:00Comments on The Bitter Script Reader: Questions that WILL not die: YES you need to move to LA to be a writer!The Bitter Script Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-15321416134438849452015-03-26T12:00:05.847-07:002015-03-26T12:00:05.847-07:00I would say only move to LA once you're past a...I would say only move to LA once you're past a certain level in terms of your writing. <br /><br />Living here means nothing if you can't write your way out of a paper bag...Kristy @ MSPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05047691488624716439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-18388604507602600632015-03-26T11:58:02.778-07:002015-03-26T11:58:02.778-07:00Even if a show shoots in another city, it doesn...Even if a show shoots in another city, it doesn't mean the writing room is there. Majority are in LA and a couple in NYC.Kristy @ MSPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05047691488624716439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-23548517069986901252015-03-23T00:46:32.512-07:002015-03-23T00:46:32.512-07:00Bitter, as a fellow proud Angelino writer, I compl...Bitter, as a fellow proud Angelino writer, I completely agree with you but these people are framing the question wrong. I have no idea if this will reduce pushback from people who have a strange objection to moving to an awesome city, but what the hell:<br /><br />What do you actually -want-? Do you want to maximize your chances of getting paid to write movies and TV? Assuming you'll write the same amount, of the same quality, in any location, moving to L.A. is the straight-up easiest way to dramatically increase your chances of getting paid to write TV or movies. Or, for that matter, of getting access to awesome crew and cast to shoot your indie feature or digital series.<br /><br />No. You don't -have- to move to L.A. But if having a TV or screenwriting career is your end goal, your chances are just way, way higher of getting that here than they are anywhere else in the world.<br /><br />It's like you can have 5 lottery tickets, or you can have 200 tickets, for the same price. That's just kind of a no-brainer. <br /><br />Counter-question: L.A. is a pretty cool city, with awesome people, and no more expensive than any other major city. Why -don't- you want to move here?<br />Greg Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12476688473774894464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-78492499984278106732015-03-21T23:04:18.103-07:002015-03-21T23:04:18.103-07:00I don't think there's any reason for peopl...I don't think there's any reason for people to lose heart if they're not in LA right now, or in a position to move out here anytime soon. Sure, you want to write scripts, write them. Submit them to contests (Nicholls, Austin, Sundance), or Blacklist. See how you do.<br /><br />But when you start to get traction, you can only help your chances by getting out here, if only for a year or two. I've had two meetings rescheduled at the last minute this week, and a third is likely to shift before the end of the month. If I'd booked a ticket out here for these meetings, I'd either be here now without the meetings or I'd be rescheduling at a significant change fee cost. <br /><br />I dialed into a free "breaking into screenwriting 101" seminar a while back, just to see if there was anything I could learn, and the instructor made a huge deal about how screenwriting can happen from anywhere. If he hadn't been charging $500+ for his web classes, I might have taken him more seriously. But he really needed his audience to believe that they could pursue this from anywhere, in order to get them to write a check. That in and of itself makes me more than a little distrustful of the "geography doesn't matter" version. Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09313738786459612583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-27026852626512529902015-03-19T11:02:03.681-07:002015-03-19T11:02:03.681-07:00Why does everyone who makes this statement always ...Why does everyone who makes this statement always use Iowa as the alternative? You do it. William Goldman did it in his book. I think I've seen this like half a dozen times. <br /><br />I love how people still try to debate this with you. And they're right. You can be a writer anywhere. But if you actually want to sell something...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-92116849309747900222015-03-19T08:00:13.044-07:002015-03-19T08:00:13.044-07:00Wonderful! So how many sales have you made? How ma...Wonderful! So how many sales have you made? How many options do you have? How many projects are in development!<br /><br />This whole article is about the fallacy of believing that a few exceptions disprove the truth that being in LA is far better. If you're going to hold up your experience as contradicting that, you'd best be working as steadily as the majority of working writers here.The Bitter Script Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-24578008007091139482015-03-19T07:36:43.710-07:002015-03-19T07:36:43.710-07:00Couldn't disagree more with the premise of thi...Couldn't disagree more with the premise of this article. As an opinion, I support your right to have it, but there's no basis for reality, at least when writing film. Is there an advantage to living in L.A.? Perhaps, but the advantage is clearly outweighed by the cost of living, housing, crime, traffic and overall stress levels. Television? Yes, if one's goal is to be on a writing staff, this may require one to move to L.A.- or NY, the ATL, Dallas, Raleigh, Miami, Toronto, Mumbai, Tokyo any one of the other hundreds of cities and countries where TV shows are shot and/or produced. It's been my experience that the only ones who have this opinion are either FROM Los Angeles, currently LIVE in Los Angeles, or already have plans to MOVE to Los Angeles (may be something about "misery loves company")! Having lived 25 years in Los Angeles- from Beverly Hills to Sherman Oaks- the quality of my life has never been better, my writing career has never been more successful, and I've never enjoyed more connections in the industry than I do now- six years removed from that state. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-57409648579115691622015-03-18T21:07:55.947-07:002015-03-18T21:07:55.947-07:00Thousands of writers have reps who don't make ...Thousands of writers have reps who don't make money. That's just a baby step in the right direction -- I learned that the hard way.Kristy @ MSPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05047691488624716439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-38776206395093976362015-03-18T05:38:47.412-07:002015-03-18T05:38:47.412-07:00Okay, let's face the difficult facts here, peo...Okay, let's face the difficult facts here, people. Maybe there are a few small exceptions. But at what point in the history of art and literature have we not seen passionate artists and writers move their acne-covered asses out into central locations or trending art capitals? Time out of mind, from Shakespeare to Rimbaud to Beckett and beyond, artists have fled in their droves to places like London, Paris, New York, etc., etc. Why? Well it wasn't because the lads wanted an extra few spondulix at the weekend for a pint down at the local inn. Shakespeare worked with and wrote within the group, The King's Men. I can't imagine Hamlet getting sent up by carrier pigeon to London from Stratford because The Bard was too busy tilling the land and getting it ready for growing season. People, like me, you'll just have to accept the truth of the matter! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07997956048517415009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-18245252706043682432015-03-16T18:50:00.341-07:002015-03-16T18:50:00.341-07:00They're saying they PREFER clients under 30. T...They're saying they PREFER clients under 30. They're walking that line of legality... but one can infer that if you're over 40, that agent/manager is not for you.Screenwriter Galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13883982342746192157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-30569764213983153602015-03-16T18:29:44.141-07:002015-03-16T18:29:44.141-07:00I'll consider it. The thing is that I've f...I'll consider it. The thing is that I've found when opening up a question like that, you'll often get "confirmation bias" rather than actual proof - people certain that they were passed over for age, but who can't prove it.<br /><br />And as you say, it's illegal, so even if someone in power was passing on someone due to their age, they'd have to be pretty stupid to state it outright. So in this case, the only valuable evidence really is a manager or agent saying they they only want young clients, or some other documentation saying that the age was the reason for the pass.<br /><br />If there's an agent who's bluntly stating they're not accepting clients under 30, they're pretty stupid and I'd love to see where that person went on the record with that.The Bitter Script Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-3781970240269789132015-03-16T18:04:41.289-07:002015-03-16T18:04:41.289-07:00Would you be open to asking people on Twitter to s...Would you be open to asking people on Twitter to share their experiences of ageism with you?Screenwriter Galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13883982342746192157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-9373439942579157762015-03-16T18:03:55.833-07:002015-03-16T18:03:55.833-07:00Just speaking for myself here, I've not been i...Just speaking for myself here, I've not been in a position to directly witness any such ageism. I don't personally know any writers who have talked about ageism as a barrier in their own careers. So as a result of that, I don't have anything to bring to that conversation that I can back up.<br /><br />And honestly, looking at who wrote some of the movies for companies I've worked for in my time out here, I can think of plenty of exceptions where writers over 40 were employed, sometimes repeatedly by the producers.<br /><br />When I was reading for agencies, there was never any official or unofficial criteria in terms of the writers' age. We were reading based on the material.<br /><br />If I had the testimony to back it up, I'd blog about it, but I don't like repeating industry myths without at least some foundation in my experience.The Bitter Script Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-1033499944419963282015-03-16T17:54:56.711-07:002015-03-16T17:54:56.711-07:00Hint: One of them keeps retweeting the answers to ...Hint: One of them keeps retweeting the answers to your latest blog about moving to LA. <br /><br />It'd be great if you could write a blog post about the ageism that over 40 writers who are trying to break into the business experience. Ageism is illegal, but it happens. A LOT.Screenwriter Galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13883982342746192157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-66350650637559034882015-03-16T17:50:45.620-07:002015-03-16T17:50:45.620-07:00I hadn't heard of that. I must not be followin...I hadn't heard of that. I must not be following any of those guys.The Bitter Script Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-61382667308392737802015-03-16T17:50:03.853-07:002015-03-16T17:50:03.853-07:00There are certain managers who constantly harp abo...There are certain managers who constantly harp about age on Twitter -- as in, they want clients under 30. Have you seen that, too? (I won't call them out here, but you have been retweeted by a few of them.)Screenwriter Galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13883982342746192157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-49097972420902707402015-03-16T17:43:41.590-07:002015-03-16T17:43:41.590-07:00My experience is that age discrimination is less o...My experience is that age discrimination is less of a problem than having great material and the means to get it into the hands of the right people.The Bitter Script Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-40071289509429896612015-03-16T17:42:08.178-07:002015-03-16T17:42:08.178-07:00What if you're over 40 -- should you still mov...What if you're over 40 -- should you still move to LA to pursue writing, or will doors never open because of your age?Screenwriter Galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13883982342746192157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-26258039069196202872015-03-16T17:15:20.357-07:002015-03-16T17:15:20.357-07:00You have an agent, so I ask you: how many meetings...You have an agent, so I ask you: how many meetings have you been on? How many options have you sold? How many sales have you made? How many films have been produced?<br /><br />You have an agent, that's great. Now tell me about having a career.The Bitter Script Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-67691273470432293242015-03-16T17:13:56.596-07:002015-03-16T17:13:56.596-07:00I got my agent being in the middle of Canada. He&#...I got my agent being in the middle of Canada. He's in NY. My manager is in LA. If there's examples proving your point wrong... then you're wrong. TV writer: Yes. You totally have to be in LA. But not so much for feature writers. It's possible, and people are doing it.Filmmagicianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170362785683455969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-81457032121963151742015-03-16T17:12:03.759-07:002015-03-16T17:12:03.759-07:00It's sad to see how misleading this post is. Y...It's sad to see how misleading this post is. You do NOT have to MOVE to LA. I have 2 friends who write from San Fransisco and Vancouver. Both fly into LA when the HAVE to. They both have very comfortable lives. You don't need to live in LA. Get real.Filmmagicianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170362785683455969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-72818704456803937082015-03-16T11:58:44.765-07:002015-03-16T11:58:44.765-07:00Depends on the script you are writing, no? Does L....Depends on the script you are writing, no? Does L.A. "represent" the whole of the film industry? I certainly hope not. Does all the wheeling and dealing happen there? Probably. But I think it's time for some wheeler-dealers to retire and let in some new blood. I'm so sick of the remakes and the lame comedies, the sequels and prequels. Where's the creativity? Buried under bullshit profits. That's it. Shakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03603463872923603166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-597993838756501962015-03-16T09:07:05.725-07:002015-03-16T09:07:05.725-07:00Well... it can be done (somewhat) from NYC and per...Well... it can be done (somewhat) from NYC and perhaps Austin... but your point is still very apt. It definitely gives a person an edge to live where the work is. If you don't live there, expect to work twice, if not ten times harder than anyone else (which, granted, one should be doing anyway). <br /><br />Interestingly enough (tho' just for me) I went to college in Sioux City, Iowa. Joshua Todd Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05035207051176735327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-63561295392836524512015-03-16T07:46:02.655-07:002015-03-16T07:46:02.655-07:00You found a typo. Congrats, your penis must be HUG...You found a typo. Congrats, your penis must be HUGE.The Bitter Script Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-35986980603007904292015-03-16T07:42:24.619-07:002015-03-16T07:42:24.619-07:00So where would I need to live to improve my proofr...So where would I need to live to improve my proofreading skills? Obviously not LA.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10337136385611113853noreply@blogger.com