Hollywood or NYC?
by Jaden
I want to be a screenwriter; should I move to LA or NYC?
This is a great question that was privately submitted to me on which I will expand for you.
If you have zero experience working in the entertainment industry, it might be good to move to LA or NYC, whichever is easier for you, so that you can learn and understand how things work.
Starter jobs that are plentiful and somewhat easy to acquire are background acting, production assisting, and office assisting; with these, you can get your foot in the door and observe how it all works, while getting paid.
NYC specializes in live theatrical performances and fashion. LA specializes in television and film. You can find all sorts of entertainment opportunities in both cities, of course. You can also find those opportunities in most other major cities as well.
Get involved where you currently live!
There is no reason you should not get involved in entertainment immediately wherever you currently live. There are always local commercials being made, which means writing, producing, and acting opportunities in your town.
Before I moved to Hollywood, I had already done a lot of work in several smaller cities: modeling, acting, wardrobe, filming, script supervising, and so on.
Entertainment is being made everywhere!
If you are not in the USA, you probably have a major city entertainment hub in your country that is creating your visual entertainment; you can move to that city and get involved.
From any place in the world, you can make your own movies or write stories and upload them to the Internet. You don’t have to work with anyone in particular or move to any particular city or write in any specific language. You can do it right where you are in whatever way you are most comfortable.
It is better for non-native-English speakers to go to their local sources for their careers in entertainment because there is too much competition in the U.S. amongst good qualified native English writers.
If you are not a United States citizen and English is not your first language, but you have a unique and compelling foreign story that you want to sell to Hollywood, here are two options:
1) You could hire a native English-speaking writer to ghost write your script for you.
2) If you excel in English, you can write the script yourself and then seek a native English speaker to proof read it and edit for you.
Do not submit a poorly written incomprehensible script to Hollywood; it is a waste of your time and the script will not be read.
More important than where you live is your talent as a writer and your state of mind.
For screenwriters, the most important thing is that you write a great script, right?
You should be a good story-teller, have a strong command of the English language, and understand screenwriting format.
Writing an excellent script requires a lot of time, therefore, you will need some kind of financial income, food, shelter, a social network for sanity and stability (i.e.. being near your friends and family), and most importantly, inspiration!
Join the rat race or create your own magical world right where you are?
Considering that you may find no support, comfort, or inspiration in LA or NYC, to write great scripts, you do not have to move to those cities.
Sometimes, moving to LA or NYC will actually stymie your ability to write well because you are starving and miserable. The majority of people you meet will consider themselves screenwriters or actors, whether they are actually doing it or not, and they may secretly despise you for calling yourself a screenwriter or an actor.
LA can be a soul crusher and siphon your inspiration, so once you have your connections made and understand the business, it might be good for you, as a screenwriter, to get out! Go to a happy, secure, and beautiful place where stories flow out of you like rivers to the ocean.
If you are shooting for millionaire commando status, then yes, it may be good to live in or near NYC or LA.
If getting filthy rich and making blockbuster Hollywood films is your goal, you must be able to get to NYC or LA within a few hours of flight or drive to take meetings on short notice.
Agents and producers greatly dislike drop-ins, so you are going to have to set appointments by calling and letter anyway, which gives you the time to arrange getting there. Even if you live in LA or NYC proper, it is going to take you an hour to get across town, so flying in from a neighboring city, and taking 2 to 5 hours to get there, really is not a big difference.
For the big budget films and television: working and aspiring actors, TV writers, producers, editors, cinematographers, agents, et cetera, will have daily interactions that require being available for work and meetings, therefore, living in LA or NYC for those careers is usually necessary. This is not the case for screenwriters.
Your happiness and the quality of your scripts are what is important for a successful career in screenwriting.
Screenwriters do not have to be in LA all the time. Go out into the world and be inspired!
Screenwriters can make opportunities anywhere and can go to LA or NYC on an as-needed basis.
Comments
11 Responses to “Hollywood or NYC?”
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This post is biblical.
Shane — Thanks !
Agreed… biblical. It also answered a question I never asked but always wondered about and just assumed and you verified it. I’ve always had a love for NYC and still dream of living there some day, but I was never sure if it was where I needed to be for the whole entertainment thing in which you described.
And I just think it’s awesome you also gave your non-US and non-English speaking readers excellent advice on what they can do if they want a career in this field too. I forget you are a world renowned :)
I’ve heard diff things, while i would like to move to L.A or nearby, for right now i have to stay here, taking care of family, I do write and will try to submit and make allowances for meetings, this IS something I want to try to do
[...] a foreigner or living in a state other than California or New York, my biggest suggestion is to make a name for yourself with a movie by getting over a million hits [...]
[...] Do you have to move to Hollywood? [...]
Hi.
See the thing is, I got several scripts already written and I really do need to fix them, correct them and you know make them better, yes but the thing is that I got false information by the US embassy on purpose and therefore got deported from the States and banned for ten years.
I’ve been speaking english for two decades now and all I wanna do is make movies in Hollywood but now that I cannot, what do you think would be best step for me?
I’m just inquiring because this advice you gave out her eis awesome and makes sense and truly is helpful, thanks and God Bless you.
Let me know as soon a spossible.
Some people told me I should get married to re-enter the States before my ban expires, some told me to just go there and get myself arrested, got o court and fight legally and some people told me to just sneak through the border, I said to all of them no.
I said I got awesome scripts, I’m not boasting, I have written plenty but I got a better idea then Face/Off and believe me there are three more ideas in my head, waiting to be written but I cannot because I’m stuck in London, UK, right now and I’m from Slovenia.
My email: moonrocks58@yahoo.com
My facebook: Alen Deomic
I’m trying to direct a short film here and a feature film which would gimme a boost here in London but it’s difficult as London is not Los Angeles, the film industry differ, the sense of humor differ, the lifestyle, everything.
Wanna help me out here?
I also need a producer for my short and feature film and producers take largeest share of the investment, right?
Take care and let me know as soon as humanly possible.
Thank you.
Alen.
Hi Alen —
I cannot help you with your interest in becoming an American citizen. Since you have been “banned”, I doubt you can marry or apply to the US now.
You don’t have to be a US citizen to make or sell movies to Hollywood. The world is enormous, don’t be so hellbent on coming to the US and getting yourself into trouble when, with determination and common sense, you can succeed right where you are.
Americans love British and Australian movies, so if you are in England, you are in a great place to start making some movies. My recommendation to you would be to make movies in England with English actors and writers (we LOVE the English accent and humor) and submit your feature or short films into USA attended film festivals I have listed. If your film is remotely decent, it will be accepted into film festivals and you can start making your connections in Hollywood through the Internet.
READ THESE ARTICLES:
http://www.screenwritingforhollywood.com/film-forum/top-5-ways-to-get-noticed-as-a-screenwriter
http://www.screenwritingforhollywood.com/film-festivals-2/the-top-10-best-international-film-festivals-of-2011
http://www.screenwritingforhollywood.com/screenwriting-contests/20-best-film-festivals-to-enter-your-film-or-script
I’d like to live in NYC to become a screenwriter for television and movies, but you said NY is more for plays and theatre. If I were to be successful in being a screenwriter, could I still live in NYC to write a TV show being shot in LA?
Hunter — You can live anywhere you want. Whether you make the right connections, sell a script, or land a job is another thing. I’d guess the closer you are to your intended target, the better your odds of success.
Take note that most shows are not shot in LA anyway, they are shot in Canada because it is cheaper. But the networking to make a sale mostly happens in LA and NYC.
[...] Hollywood or NYC? [...]