Recommended Screenwriters
Tip 13. Find the Open Door…and Step Through It.
- February 16, 2011
- Posted by: jennamilly
- Category: Interviews
Recently, during the Q & A part of a producer panel, a writer in the audience asked an important question: "How can a new writer succeed when all you get are closed doors?"
One of the producers on the panel gave her philosophy:
"There are 1000 doors to Hollywood, and at any given time, 20 are open. Just find an open door…and when you do, step through it."
It seemed so simple when she said it. But is it that easy, I wondered? Then I remembered all the times a successful writer told about finding that one open door and making his or her first deal.
If you've ever thought you couldn't get in, this philosophy could change your life. Let's see how it works:
There Are 1000 Doors to Hollywood…
The producer was speaking metaphorically when she said "1000 doors," because there are at least 10,000 doors to Hollywood. The Producers Guild of America has 4,200 producers. There are probably twice as many Indie producers who aren't part of the PGA.
So there are plenty of ways in. But the truth is that the doors that belong to the major players are closed to new writers. Sorry, but you may not be able to step through Stephen Spielberg's door or Jerry Bruckheimer's door, but that is just because you haven't made it to that level…YET.
…And at Any Given Time, 20 Doors Are Open.
If your writing is high quality and you have an interesting pitch, there are going to be doors open to you. But again, they might not be the doors you are focusing on.
Let's say that you are looking to break into the Studio market, but you don't have representation. The Studio doors will be closed. So will the major production companies. You could give up right there.
But there are small producers who have open doors. And here's the beautiful thing: Small producers have connections with larger production companies and top actors. Many of the small producers answer their own phones.
I know it looks bleak sometimes when 980 doors are closed, but what if you just focused on the open doors. To my surprise, when I did this, the open doors stood out.
Stop worrying about the doors that are closed to you. As you become more successful, more doors will open for you. But if you focus on closed doors, you won't find the open ones.
For now, make a commitment to yourself that the closed doors don't matter. All that matters are the open doors.
Just Find an Open Door…and When You Do, Step Through It.
How do you find open doors? There are lots of ways. Do some research on http://IMDB.com to see which small producers have made deals. Get out there and network. Pitch through sites like ScriptBlaster and Inktip. Check out our article, "15 Ways to Sell a Screenplay Online."
But what about this last part? "…and when you do, step through it." That's pretty important. Many writers would rather complain about the closed doors than step through the open doors. Some of them pretend that it is beneath them to work with a small producer. Some are afraid that they can't accomplish the work that awaits them if they step through the door.
If you want to succeed, get used to saying "yes" to deals that will move your career forward. When you find open doors, step through them.
How Does This Relate to Other Philosophy Tips?
For Kurtzman and Orci (Tip 10), their journey began by working as interns on the "Xena: Warrior Princess" show. They were where you are (Tip 2), and "Xena" was their first open door.
The other side of this equation is to make sure you present diamonds (Tip 3), not cliches (Tip 11). With each pitch, learn something that will make you more successful (Tip 9) so your pitch — and future screenplays — will be stronger.
What would Kurtzman and Orci do? Find the Open Door…and Step Through It!
ACTION: Even if you're not ready, start making a list of all the production companies that could possibly do your movie. Start with companies that have done similar movies. Then add producers who have worked with those companies. And finally, add producers who have worked with actors who might be a good fit for your movie. These are all possible open doors when the time comes. QUESTION: How can you find open doors and what do you need to do to be totally okay with stepping through them? |
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