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

[@Thenoobestgirl]

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

[@Deeznutsyourmom]

Lmao same. And I love movies too.

[@peter_shadow7559]

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.

[@Pataganja]

Yep. That’s how people with only one single mediocre movie get a massive super hero movie a year later

[@DyenamicFilms]

Yes, it's definitely who you know. I used to use the 'it's who you know' excuse. 'Who you know' is the least of your worries. What did I do about that excuse? I moved to LA and got a job in the industry (which could take years to get). It's amazing the people I got to know. People that can change your life overnight if you pitch them the right idea at the right time (the real hard part). You'd know a couple of them if I name dropped, but I'm not going to. If I can get to know industry people then there's no reason anyone else can't. I'm the worst at 'networking', but when you actually work in the industry, the 'networking' takes care of itself. Here's the reality. You'll have to move to Los Angeles to increase your chances (the movie BUSINESS is still based in Los Angeles). Work at a studio or agency starting in the mailroom if you have to. It's a great position to start because you'll meet and see everyone everyday from top executives and their assistants to interns who will climb their way up and may get to the top before you do. Be friendly and nice and don't pitch or push your scripts/ideas right away. When you do get to the point where you're comfortable enough to ask to pitch your script/idea, you better be sure it's freaking awesome. If there's any doubt, don't do it. It'll be your only shot. They probably won't give you another chance. By this point, the only hard part will be actually coming up with an awesome script/idea. The truth is most ideas and scripts suck (including my own), but one day you may have that one great idea that changes everything and you'll have the means to get it out there to someone in the industry you know because you work in it. I can't emphasize enough that the hard part is coming up with an awesome idea or script at the right time. Getting it into a producer's or executive's hands is much easier.

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

He says that because he knows guys like you will eat it up and just give up. Just one less competitor and more money in his pocket. You really going to fall for that? Clearly it's the material you write which counts. Don't believe me, just make connections with people really famous but then produce sloppy material and expect them to love it and finance it. Let me save you the time: it ain't gonna happen, pal. [Edit]... I just watched the video and he actually never says "you have to know someone" -- not at all. What he really says is this: "write good stuff, then you'll know good people who can get your projects made."

[@matiesponja]

@@DyenamicFilms i got one of those ideas, and let me tell you, ever since i started thinking about it in early 2019, i haven't had a single day not thinking about it. Guys dont let a good idea get lost in your mind. You'll recognize it not because is actually a good idea or not, cause you never know, but you'll recognize all the hours of self thought and formulating about making this good idea all the better. It really feels like everything else doesn't matter when you are creating. You just want your craft as polished as possible, and something very revised and that comes from your actual interest of making something GREAT is only achieved with care and compassion for your own craft. I don't care where my script is going to be three years from now or even if i want it to be shot or produced, right now i want to keep working and growing this sapling of an idea that in 2021 is still without a single page in

[@mikhail6884]

I dont want to be recognized because of my connections. I want to write something that can be talked about for an eternity.

[@chrisgonzalez91]

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

[@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).

[@thatnormalguy9]

I'm drawing on canvas to visualize the setting. you can kinda see your characters move around in that space.makes it easier on the eye instead of keeping it in your head all the time.

[@brendonford3838]

Thank you so much for this. I thought I was just procrastinating under the guise of “formulating.”

[@matiesponja]

I can really tell that my story has drastically improved when i can explain it well. My friends are a testament to that, since i've always fiddled with the same story i've been always crafting, each time i tell my friends i realize i can summarize it better than the last time. And i think it boils down to that, i've been thinking about a script with not a single written page on it, but the concept and full scope of the story is so vivid in my head that when the moment of actually writting the script starts, i could see myself writting the whole script in just a couple days. The funny part will be the editing, but i think future me can manage :P

[@matiesponja]

@@brendonford3838 i really feel you, i started thinking about my story since early 2019 and haven't started on the writing of the script, only writing short notes for each character. It seems like a lot cause i wanna make a full file for each one and im the kind of guy who likes his procrastination, so i dont hope to finish all character files soon, but i've never had a day without thinking about it

[@BarryBuckinham]

@@matiesponja did you finish your character files?

[@ArmageddonIndustries777]

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

[@lrma95435]

Whats the first step?

[@ArmageddonIndustries777]

@@lrma95435 writing a bunch to fill a portfolio

[@kimberly8695]

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.

[@deanpapadopoulos3314]

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.

[@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.

[@lonjohnson5161]

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?

[@MarKSlamS621]

There's a lot of stuff going on in Atlanta right now. Otherwise, New York, Vancouver, and Toronto.

[@filmsofgilbert]

London is always a good one.

[@avaorpilla]

Also Atlanta is up and coming!

[@DoctorCyan]

Would love to hear more about this, because I love filmmaking and want to do it until I return to the Earth, but Los Angeles is the worst city on the planet

[@_-Boss_-]

Atlanta definitely a hot spot and Vancouver CA

[@LaissaJinMarcus]

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

[@thereccher8746]

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.

[@knifedreamer]

You need both. If you don’t have connections, no one is reading your script. If your script isn’t good, whoever’s reading it is throwing it in the trash

[@someguyyoudontknow263]

I know producers who provide funding for mediocre movies all the time. The problem is, the movies end up getting mediocre at best reviews later. Seems To be pre sold ahead of time. What they tell me is that it’s near impossible to find a quality script. But networking is important too. For example some writers crappy screenplay gets made into a movie because the writers previous short won Sundance or something. Therefore the writer has connections at Sundance and now this current feature can get insiders to look at the movie. Stuff like that.

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

@@knifedreamer connections be dammed. Terry Rossio knew no one. In fact, it's easy to make a connection -- spend two weeks with a guy and you've got yourself a "contact." But what's that "contact" going to do when he hands his boss a lousy script? No, it's definitely the material you write that counts. But hey, if some people are going to run with "it's who you know" and give up because they know squat, let him. It just means less competition. Not that that means much. If you're a stellar writer, your average person with an average I.Q. isn't going to be able to even touch you. You'll just shoot right up ahead of the pack of wannabe writers.

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

@@AlicanErenKuzu yeah, will, he can go ahead and produce a crappy script and get peanuts for it. If he knew what he was doing, he'd want a great script.

[@toddkonrad2407]

@@someguyyoudontknow263 Definitely have known people like that, if it’s a concept they know they can presell because some distributors are looking for movies like that for their specific audience and the budget doesn’t have to be crazy expensive to work, they’ll package it and get it made somehow. It’s a business first, art second for everyone but the highest level. Worked for a sales agent for four years, it’s how it goes.

[@filmcourage]

What did you like about this video?

[@te9591]

That it's not Nick Gore.

[@ThisIsInfamousJBlack]

It reminds me why I love this channel!

[@NickSklias]

I liked hearing his opinions!

[@emyserozzi8088]

I like this entire channel. I'm just going through all these vids. Very nice and informative, until he touched the connections part. Not everyone, sadly, is fortunate enough to get to LA or San Diego and make connections, you know? But I get his point, though.

[@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.

[@osaji922]

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.

[@blinkingred]

The question is how to become worthy enough for them to come to you

[@osaji922]

@@blinkingred YEEEESSSSSS! Now you're using your noggin. This is how I want screenwriters to think. These are the questions that should be asked and not ignored. The answer is actually right under their noses. I just watched Graham Stephen's video on Kelly Stamps. He was talking about how if she released her own personal product, she could easily take her monthly income from $40k to $100K. People in the comment section were saying they were willing to buy her product. Like I've been saying, screenwriters need to become content creators with youtube, podcasts and blogs by providing value to their followers and in return, those followers might be willing to download or even by their scripts. YES, I said scripts.

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

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!

[@filmcourage]

Hi Yitzhak, indeed there are a number of commenters who don't watch a video and simply comment on whatever the title and thumbnail are. It happens quite a bit.

[@SDwilly]

being in LA is pre Covid thinking

[@alanwhiteman1929]

What is Jim's Temperament and Enneagram type ? What is valid for Jim might not be valid for someone else who has a different bias in Sensory-vs-Intuitive. Given that Jim talks about thinking about the stuff first prior to writing a lot, I suspect he is _I_J . Sensory type people, say SPs for example, would rather ditch the thinking part and just launch into the writing, seeking to capitalize on their bias towards - lets live in the moment.

[@alexandriaoccasional-corte1346]

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

[@someguyyoudontknow263]

Yes you can write your biography there.

[@emyserozzi8088]

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.

[@bellastuart739]

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?

[@Masterlordrx]

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

[@theonebegotten]

Yes in terms of meeting a producer and getting on their casting couch

[@steveconn]

NYU and NY film academy very good for screenwriting contacts.

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

@@steveconn film school's a waste of time and money -- oh yes, money! And what good are contacts, anyway? What can they do for you that a really, I mean really, great script can't? It's all about what you're writing. To hell with "contacts," at least till you're finally showing someone your marvelous scripts for the first time.

[@cjpapasito]

Writing does cost something, it’s called time.

[@lukewarmwater5320]

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...

[@baphometic8767]

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

[@thereccher8746]

"Young" and "old" are all socially constructed horseshit anyways.

[@baphometic8767]

@@thereccher8746 I wish that were true. Ageing isn't socially constructed, it's a biological reality.

[@z-rex6068]

I’d say you’re younger

[@baphometic8767]

@@ohio I considered this possibility. If that's the case, how long do you have to have been writing to be considered "old" vs "young"? It's probably an extraneous detail, but I'm genuinely curious how the industry views the age of writers in this regard.

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

You think too much -- that's not a compliment. Gareth Edwards was 35 -- THIRTY FREAKIN' FIVE when he broke in -- mind you, that wasn't long ago, either. Stop worrying about your age and worry more about writing your next awesome script! Hollywood's just about making $$$ -- you think they care if a 31 year old makes 'em $$$? No, they'll be lovin' you for it!

[@givemhades]

Watching this from Missouri, and….. well that was discouraging lol😅

[@filmcourage]

We offer a lot of perspectives on this channel. What was discouraging about this one?

[@AnyDayNow360]

Karen's laugh about office work is pretty revealing, ha ha ha. Bet she's glad to not be in a former environment anymore and we are glad for Film Courage and the work she does! 🙏😁🤙🎉

[@carlecteixeira]

💡💡💡

[@roathripper]

its who you know. how does so much garbage get made? connections bruh.

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

Then give up. Seriously, give up. You weren't going to make it anyway. You never had a chance. If you're going to say "it's who you know" and not even bother to try writing the best material you can, fine. Suit yourself. Just one less person trying to break in. Makes my life easier, that's for sure.

[@roathripper]

@@yitzhakgoldberg2404 lots of folks play the lotto, they know the odds are crazy but they play anyway. Good luck bruh.

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

@@roathripper yeah, this is wayyyyy different than the lottery. I can actually make the odds work in MY favor if I write well enough.

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

@@roathripper but it's fine, not everyone can make it in Hollywood

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

@@roathripper I'm just honestly sick to death of hearing about people who gave up or who are on the verge of giving up. Fine, just give up already.

[@jessenl77]

Here is good advice. Write short and write well, while listening to Sigur Ros. F*ck the Machine.

[@windrock]

Friends beyond the binary.

[@theonebegotten]

All I heard was alot of BS. Just keep working? Fact is the producer and director get their screenplays made first. This man was a producer first. He circumvented breaking in. Writing alone is a ton pressure to break in. Better to become an actor that doesn't mind the casting couch sacrifice and follow up with a pitch from there. No BS? Find a producer and give him everything you have inside you to persuade him. Then give him your screenplay

[@kevinzhang6623]

1. Get very good at screenwriting to the point of insanity. 2. Network to the point of insanity. You absolutely don't have to be working on a film crew already to network but having a job in the industry obviously exposes you to all those people.

[@theonebegotten]

@@kevinzhang6623 beyond the point of insanity? you're overratiing talent

[@kevinzhang6623]

@theonebegotten You want to work towards a goal or quit when it gets hard?

[@windrock]

Older writer looking for a rewrite. Writers assistant. Just write.

[@moogyboy6]

"This is better than working at Starbucks..." All right buddy, that hurt. I work at Starbucks, a supermarket Starbucks no lless. In Ohio. I want to write. That ain't gonna happen, it doesn't sound like. We live in different worlds. Your life experience doesn't sound very inviting or inspiring to me, seeing as how I'm just the schmuck who makes your pumpkin spice latte while you sit in the corner writing your summer blockbuster. No bullshit. I can forget it. That Starbucks quip was enough for me. Off.

[@jelayablackwell6314]

Turn your experiences into stories.

[@kevinzhang6623]

Is being a Starbucks employee the heart of your personal identity? Is any job? Really? You seem easily disappointed and that's something you'll have to get over if you want to work in the industry. If you want it, you can keep working towards that possibility by expanding your skillset and networking. They don't care how upset you are. Everyone in Hollywood comes from every world possible, they just wanted it more than others who wish they did it.

[@jcole4517]

Is 31yo too old to become a writer’s assistant? As someone with undergraduate and graduate degrees in film production, mind you.

[@joshuastriffolino2728]

New Mexico>LA/Georgia

[@ConanDuke]

No one wants to be a screenwriter in the age of garbage movies.

[@yitzhakgoldberg2404]

It's not Hollywood's fault if they're making garbage movies.