With one click
Export a perfectly formatted traditional script.
Are you a screenwriter who’s thinking about making a move to Los Angeles, but isn’t quite sure how to get a job once you get there? Maybe you’re already based in LA and find yourself working a different job but are trying to figure out how to find screenwriting work. Well, this is the blog post for you! Today I’m talking about how to get screenwriting jobs in Los Angeles.
First things first, it’s not going to be easy
Breaking into the industry as a writer is tough, and everyone’s experience is different. Some people will be able to get a screenwriting job thanks to who they meet, some will be able to find work thanks to screenwriting competitions or fellowships, and some will be able to move into screenwriting thanks to their day job in the industry. One big thing these all have in common is …
Networking
You can’t break into the industry without putting yourself out there in some way. Putting yourself out there can include getting recognition for your screenplay via screenplay competitions or just by meeting new people. It can come down to who you meet and what relationships you create with people in the industry. So, don’t be shy, get out there, and start networking! In Los Angeles, there are plenty of networking groups that meet regularly, explicitly geared to writers. Consider a few of these writers’ groups:
Get a job doing something else in the industry
You likely won’t get a screenwriting job as soon as you move to LA, and that’s okay! Getting any sort of job within the industry can be incredibly helpful on your path to becoming a working screenwriter. Working alongside entertainment professionals, no matter what area they operate in can give you greater insight into how the industry works, as well as allowing you to make essential connections that can help out your screenwriting career. Here are a few examples of excellent industry day jobs for writers, and be sure to check out this blog on other writing jobs for screenwriters:
- PA on a television show
If you’re looking to work in television, being a production assistant on a show is a great way to get your foot in the door. A PA position will allow you to see how TV shows actually get made, as well as how the writer’s room operates. Ideally, a PA position will allow you to move up the ladder and eventually become a Writer’s Assistant, a position that will get you a spot in the writer’s room!
- Agent’s Assistant
Being an agent’s assistant puts you in an invaluable position to build a relationship with the agent. You’ll gain a greater understanding of the business side of the industry and learn how to translate your thoughts and ideas into language agents and producers can understand. You’ll also likely find yourself doing a lot of script reading, which is the best way to learn more about screenwriting!
- Any studio job
Any studio job can be a valuable experience. From security to mailroom clerk, any studio position can offer you useful access and networking opportunities. Being an assistant to an industry professional can be a particularly important job, as you’ll learn a lot about how the industry works, and likely have opportunities to meet and network with a lot of people.
No matter what, keep writing!
Many writers have day jobs, and we all know it’s easy to get swept up in day to day life. In your free time, try to stay focused on honing your craft and continue to write. Make writing goals for yourself and keep working on new scripts! You never know where opportunities are going to come from, so don’t count yourself out by not continuing to enter your work in major competitions and fellowship programs.
Persistence is key
I already told you that breaking into the industry as a writer is tough. If you want your dream to come true, you’re going to need to hang in there and be incredibly persistent. Becoming a working screenwriter is a unique challenge; everyone comes to it differently, and only you can determine how you’ll get there. You will face ups and downs, as well as many rejections. I don’t mean to scare you off, but I want to emphasize just how determined you’ll have to be to persevere.
I hope this blog sheds some light on what it takes to find screenwriting work in LA. Remember to stay determined and persistent! Anything is possible if you’re willing to work for it.
Happy writing!
You may also be interested in...
Week 4 of Zachary Rowell’s 90-Day Screenplay Challenge: Finding an Apartment, Finding an Ending, and Why Zachary Says if He Can Do This, So Can You
In this week’s vlog from Zachary Rowell, the winner of SoCreate’s “So, Write Your Bills Away Sweepstakes,” he’s laying down some truths about leaving Dallas and “making it” in L.A. It’s all part of the journey, after all, to become a working screenwriter. While you don’t have to move to Hollywood in this age of easy communication, it certainly helps. Zachary made the move a couple of years ago, and he’s got some advice for screenwriters who are considering a move themselves. Plus, he’s telling us about progress on his feature-length script, and why the movie’s ending forced him to take script, and...
Want to Sell Your Screenplay? Screenwriter Doug Richardson Tells You How
Take it from someone who’s had incredible success in Hollywood: your screenplay had better be great if you’re trying to sell it! Screenwriter Doug Richardson (Die Hard 2, Mooseport, Bad Boys, Hostage) expanded upon that advice during a sit-down with SoCreate at the Central Coast Writer’s Conference. Watch the video or read the transcript below to hear his take on the question he’s asked most often – now that my screenplay is done, how do I sell it? “How do you sell your screenplay? That’s one of the most common questions I’m asked. If you’re selling a screenplay, I think that...
What Salary Can a Script Writer Expect to Earn?
“The Long Kiss Goodnight” (1996), an action thriller written by Shane Black, sold for $4 million. “Panic Room” (2002), a thriller written by David Koepp, sold for $4 million. “Déjà Vu” (2006), a science fiction action film written by Terry Rossio and Bill Marsilii, sold for $5 million. Can every screenwriter who sells a screenplay expect to make millions off it? The scripts I previously mentioned that sold for millions are more of a rarity rather than a regular occurrence in the industry. A lot of the high-selling screenplay sales happened in the 1990s or early 2000s, and the landscape of the industry, as well as the ...