No BS Advice To Anyone Who Wants To Be A Screenwriter - Jim Agnew

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Jim Agnew is a director, writer and producer, known for The Capture (2017), Rage (2014) and Game of Death (2011). A former contributor/writer to Film Threat who played guitar for the Industrial Rock group Hate Dept., Jim has worked with such directors as Dario Argento and John Carpenter as well as Oscar-winning actors, producers and writers.

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#writing #screenwriting #screenplay

[chrisgonzalez]

Same I don’t want to be bored. Writing as a job give you the opportunity to imagine with no limitations.

[Thenoobestgirl]

"I don't wanna be bored" is my motto in life

[peter_shadow]

The American film industry is so mediocre these days that clearly what this man says is very true. You have to be connected, it does not matter if you write Transformers or Chicken Little, if you are in the circle of connections you will have your chance.

[rakscyn]

What did I like about this video? I liked that Jim reinforced the point that 'writing follows thinking'. While writing does express thoughts, the activity of writing doesn't necessarily produce good thoughts (thoughts worth writing). Thus his comment that he could sit down and write 20 pages --- was because he'd already been thinking about the idea for two to three weeks -- resonated well with me. I find i have to play with a story idea in my mind many times over (visualizing the setting, the characters, their dialog .. ) as though I was seeing the story on screen --- and thereby get to point where I not only have an interesting premise, but also a satisfactory resolution -- so I can give the audience (as Sid Field puts it) "the best possible ending". True --- I make lots of notes along the way. But the hard yards of actually writing the script is much better kept for after you have already extensively explored "the story" (what someone who knows the story, tells someone who doesn't) in order to be confident it's worth being written (otherwise look for another idea).

[deanpapadopoulos]

To be consumed with a story, to put it on paper, and then to shape it for someone else’s eyes you can’t see through with no promise of a reward let alone appreciation for the imagination, focus, and final product requires one to have a drive for this work that is indescribable. He had the discipline to save money for a year from presumably a job that didn’t pay much — so he didn’t squander his earnings and he was a saver. These life skills are an important part of his journey (and of any journey). With almost no exception, has any one of your guests been a prima donna. They all have come up in the real world and can connect with people at the floor level of experience because most have started at the floor level — and that floor is different at different economic classes in our society and for the immigrants who have been your guests. That’s another component of his success — 10 years of learning (a decade of learning in order to get a shot to earn). This is a component of the gamble that any of your guests have made to earn their position in the creative industry they are in. Additionally, high risks like these do not lend themselves to relationships, so that most of your guests are confident and secure as people because when one becomes comfortable in their own company one is never so needy to require the company of others (although good company is always welcome). Lastly, one can see where his realism and confidence and, to me, his honesty about not knowing how everything works or how anything works out could be wrongly interpreted as arrogance or worse yet overconfidence. He simply stated what every investor knows — that without skin in the game you can’t learn anything about the game [my words] and you can’t gain the skills and create, maintain, and develop the connections with the people who can crack open a window for you if not open even a side-door for you.

[kimberly]

Atlanta is becoming a huge filmmaking market. Marvel shoots many of its films at a studio there. Then, of course, you have Tyler Perry Studios where he makes all his own work.

[ArmageddonIndustries]

Well... Here's to my first step into this industry. Wish me luck.

[thereccher]

This is the one thing where literally no one seems to agree. Half of everyone is dead set that it's the script quality and nothing else, the other half is dead set that it's about your connections and script quality doesn't matter.

[steveconn]

Create a handful of scripts you're proud of, half of those get made, you've had a valid career as a screenwriter. NM also a growing screenwriting area given the filmmaking industry.

[lonjohnson]

Film Courage, you have already done so much for me just by providing this content for free, but I was wondering if you could dig a bit deeper into the following question:
Other than LA, where are the movie making hot spots and are those hot spots focused on particular genres?

[Allstarjackson]

I just read all the comments & I’d say there were some pretty good observations & conclusions from this video. I particularly became engrossed in the segment of the video when he discusses how writing permits the wielder to create whatsoever they conjure up in their limitless imagination.

[LaissaJM]

I'm also writing for Screenplays... and my imaginations makes me happy. I hope I can sell my screenplays soon.

[yitzhakgoldberg]

I don't understand it -- someone please help me here -- when, where did this guy ever say "you need to know someone or forget it"? Never. He never actually says that. All he says is: move to L.A. where you'll eventually meet people and make connections and just... write. Like, actually, write." Seems to me he's saying this: write and you'll succeed. Then, you'll start meeting the cool people.

But there's nothing like this: "it doesn't matter what you write, you've got to know someone... etc., etc." Never is THAT said.

So are the majority of comments here full of lies or what? Did they miss the speech? Did they even watch the clip? I don't know, you tell me.

One thing is sure, though: he never said you're only hope is to know someone. No, you're only hope is to write good material. Suck it up, naysayers!

[osaji]

I still advocate getting them to come to you and not the other way around. But hey, if screenwriters want to continue to play the zero sum game, be my guest.

[emyserozzi]

I live in Italy, and thanks to COVID, first, and then our politicians screwed up decisions, I have been unemployed since last year.
Forget about state’s unemployment insurance program, like Australia and other wealthy and civil countries have. This corrupted country doesn't even help paying my father his heart/blood pressure therapies, despite being also a person with a severe disability as well. So, unless some sort of miracle happens, or the government give me some funds or helps me find a job, then how I am supposed to move to another country, like LA or San Diego and make connections? LOL
Sometimes I write and think to myself: ok. When I finish writing my script, what then?
That's what, sometimes, put me off.
I'm not writing Transformers or Jurassic World. A simple drama movie. So no CGI, no other crap is needed.
Don't really know to who give it once it's finished.
Maybe selling it to Amazon for only $2 as a Kindle eBook or something. Don't know.

[baphometic]

How old is "younger" and "older"? As a 31 year old, do I count as an older screenwriter or a younger one?

[alexandriaoccasional-corte]

Is solitary in a joint a good place for screenwriting? Asking for a friend...

[bellastuart]

Maybe one of the only good things about the pandemic is that it has opened up opportunities across the world. Is it actually necessary to live in LA when you could do 100% of your work remotely?

[lukewarmwater]

You do not, I repeat "do not" have to live in shit-hole Los Angeles to make it as a writer, your talent and creativity will speak for itself...

[Masterlordrx]

Is New York City a good place to be for screen writing ?