Why is it so hard to become a screenwriter?
Other answers have focussed on the tremendous amount of hard work the job takes so I’m going to address one other very important element: subject matter. There are literally tens of thousands of scripts written by wannabe writers every year and at the heart of each script is a subject they each think is unique or special or, at minimum, marketable. That means between all the amateurs and the professionals, there is a huge amount of overlap in subject matter. If a producer receives two submissions on singing Mafia hit men, one from a writer he or she has never heard of, and another from a produced writer, who do you think the producer is going to go with? It’s a relatively small, exclusive group, (produced writers) and even gaining access for them can be very difficult because so many scripts seem to be about the same things, slightly varied. Producers are awash in a sea of sameness.And yet, the best path for a new screenwriter is to find a unique story, the one that proverbially glows in the dark, that jumps out of the slush pile and says “you haven’t seen THIS before.” Keep in mind, all those produced writers, who spend their waking as well as unconscious lives fixated on finding something unique, are probably going to beat you to that producer’s door.And here’s the kicker. Let’s say you’ve stumble over some special tale, something that hasn’t been seen before. Most producers are still going to be much more comfortable going with a known writer with a script that is only a slight variation on something we have seen before. If you did manage to get to a producer with something special, I can almost guarantee you are going to get rewritten by that producer’s favorite writer in that genre.One last point. You may be sitting there in the darkened theater saying you could write a script that well. Maybe you can, but if you hope to break in you have to write a script that is much, much better than a draft by a produced writer. In other words, an unknown has a higher bar to pass than the known writers.That’s what makes it so difficult to become a screenwriter.
How can I become a screenwriter?
I know that screenwriting is extremely hard for a lot of reasons. I m only 14 and I just started writing. What s everything I need to know about screenwriting? How old do you have to be? What are the chances of becoming successful with it? I m only 14 so I know I have a lot of potential. Be as honest as you can, if it is almost impossible then tell me
How hard is it to be a screenwriter for Hollywood?
I would say its as hard since there is so many aspiring writiers out there and Hollywood is at the top off the writers feeding chain, as its on top off the actors feeding chain. Thus most hollywood studios simply dont accept, or want even read "unsolidicated scripts" aka scripts or ideas that private persons like you and me sent in to no vain at all. So how do you success? Well the key is contact network. Get to know the right people and tell them youre an aspiring writer with this wonderfull idea and keep doing so till you get the right people, even if its an producer in a company no one ever heard off, listen and read youre script. BUT: if youre script isnt based on anything youll need a thruly unique and aspiring idea thats easy to like and understand. Cause as you said hollywood mega producers like to invest theyre money in ideas they knew about, or at least from writers that has done famous works in the past. As I like to put it "The hardest thing is to get a foot in the doorstep, after that its much easier." Johan.
How would I become a screenwriter?
I'm an incoming college freshman. So, I've been looking for potential careers and I've always loved Disney animated movies. I'm not very experienced with art though, so I'm not counting on being an animator. However, I love to write so I'm considering a Disney screenwriter. In my spare time, I even read Grimm fairy tales and rewrite them in a Disney kind of way. But I've heard to even be considered as a Disney Screenwriter, you have to have some major movie productions under your belt! This seems REALLY complicated and I can't see myself screenwriting for any big live-action movie- just Disney or Pixar, movies made more for kids. And then, you must write a whole script by yourself and get an agent. I can't write a whole movie script by myself! I thought screenwriters worked in groups and bounced ideas off each other! So I guess, long story short, I'm asking what does it take to become a Disney or Pixar screenwriter and, if you could, tell me how you'd get there
HOW MUCH DOES A SCREENWRITER MAKE?
Screenwriters can make anything from $0 to $6M for a screenplay. NOTES: Writers are NOT members of the Writers Guild. That presupposes that all writers have sold works; you cannot join the Writers Guild until you have met the requirements of membership. Many writers are members of the guild, but certainly not all. It takes being in the right place at the right time to sell a screenplay, it doesn't "ten years" of "being deep in the Hollywood system." That's just idiotic. Anyone can sell a screenplay for six figures any time. many will do so today! It's not hard to make a a successful movie script, it just take quite a bit of work.
Is it challenging being a screenwriter?
Oh yeah. Some may argue it is the hardest thing to do in Hollywood, and that’s true if you ask me. Here are the 3 reasons: (Sources: Screenwriting for Dummies, John Truby)You may find what I’m saying to be discouraging, but there is a way in. It is quite simple; write your script as a book first. If you can write a good book and get it to sell well, regardless of how you published it, it will likely get Hollywood to notice, because movies based off popular works already have an audience and are as a result, marketable….Absolutely the best answer.Screenwriting has changed a lot over the last 10 years. In some ways it has become a lot more competitive and tougher to break into. There’s more money in it than ever and anyone with a keyboard can sit in their room and type up a script.However as methods improve we’re seeing a lot of last generations screen writers fall behind. Combine that with the ever driving demand for entertainment fueled by services like Netflix and we have more openings than ever.But if you’re getting started with screen writing you need to seperate yourself from the rest of the pack. If you haven’t seen it already this looks at the change in methods and gives you the audiobook of Save the Cat which has been the ‘must have’ for screenwriters over the last 15 years: How Young Guns in Screenwriting are Winning. – Talz Mag – Medium
How hard is it to get your script accepted as a screenwriter. Is it as hard as they say it is?
It’s easier to sell a screenplay than it is to be a Super Bowl winning quarterback.It’s easier to sell a screenplay than it is to sell an original design for an all-new automobile.It’s easier to sell a screenplay than it is to become a board-certified neurosurgeon.It’s easier to sell a screenplay than it is to win an Olympic gold medal.It’s easier to sell a screenplay than it is to become a US Senator (although apparently the bar is much-lower to become a member of the House of Representatives.)It’s easier to sell a screenplay than it is to sell a million copies of an original novel.It’s easier to sell a screenplay than it is to produce a feature that lands at number one at the box office for its opening weekend.It’s easier to sell a screenplay than it is to remain married and faithful for over half a century these days (if the numbers are to be believed.)It’s easier to sell a screenplay than it is to run a sub-four-minute mile.It’s easier to sell a screenplay than it is to walk the border of the continental United States.Thing is, people have done every single one of those things - including selling screenplays.
How hard is it to become a screenwriter in Hollywood?
I was wondering, is becoming a screenwriter in Hollywood as hard to break into or get "into the business" as an actor or director ? I mean, are there more chances of success ?