The key to getting anything done in the Hollywood screenwriting business, whether it’s selling your script, getting a picture financed, or getting the cast in a part if you’re an actor, is networking. And here’s the funny thing about networks: people tend to move in circles with people who are of a similar social status as they are, which means that if you’re not connected yet and you’re trying to reach out to A-list actors.
Find Friends Who Are On The Same Level
And this doesn’t have anything to do with how much talent you have as a writer but what it does have to do with is human psychology. People, by nature, have an aversion to being used, which makes them reticent to hang out with people who aren’t in the same social strata they are. In other words, if you meet a famous person, it is going to take longer than normal to earn their trust and form a lasting relationship because they think you’re going to use them to try to break into the business. And let’s be honest, if you had the connection, wouldn’t you use it to try selling your script?
What does all of this mean in the long run? It means that if you’re going to build up your social network of industry players to try selling your script, you need to get people who are rising stars, not ones who are already famous, to help you build your social network. If you spend all your time trying to reach out to people who have already made it, you don’t have anything to offer them, and as much as this sucks to say, almost every single interaction that people have with one another, and have had since the beginning of time, comes down to this: one guy has something that the other guy wants. It’s as simple as that – the friendship would be one-sided, and the hypothetical celebrity in question is more than well aware of this and probably won’t help you with selling your script.
So how do you begin to go about this process of selling your script? Well, if you have the time, money, or inclination, this is where I’m going to recommend that you move to New York or Los Angeles. A small town, no matter how much love you may have for it, is not going to have the kind of entertainment infrastructure that you need to meet actors, directors, producers, and other writers who may be able to help you launch your career. For better or for worse, who you know is going to trump what you know in this business every time, and this is something that you always need to keep in mind.