There's a reason why people all over the world are packing their bags, scheduling their flights, and moving to Los Angeles each and every day.

It's called Hollywood.

More importantly, it's called dreams. To become a screenwriter, to become a director, to become an actor, studio executive, agent, - people all around the world have these dreams, and start their pursuit by moving to Los Angeles. The amount of people interested in working in the motion picture & television business is jarring. It's for this reason that Hollywood is notorious for being tough - impossible even - to break into. It's for this reason why Hollywood operates remotely; meaning, it operates every day like every other industry, but it has isolated itself so the millions of people that just moved to Los Angeles can't enter - it has it's own built in security system. The Hollywood Creative Directory (HCD) is a $60, seasonal listing of all the major production companies and studios throughout Los Angeles; next time you're at your local bookshop, pick one up, choose any listing, and call them. Don't bother asking how you can submit your screenplay, because no one accepts unsolicited material, which is any material without representation from either an agent, manager, or entertainment lawyer. Don't bother asking for a job either, because the position has just been filled or they're not hiring. In fact, don't even bother calling, because unless they called you, they probably don't want to hear from you directly. This is your first glimpse at Hollywood's isolation from the public. This is the reason why the motion picture & television business is notorious for being impenetrable, or thick skinned. But more importantly, this is the reason why you need to be thick skinned. The following is a real job post from the UTA list:

"Management 360 is seeking an assistant for one of our partners. Ideal candidates have an excellent educational background with a degree from a four year college. You must have a minimum of one year desk experience at a talent agency or management company. Must be thick skinned and have a strong desire to be a talent manager. If you do not meet all these qualifications, please do not apply."

So what does it mean to be thick skinned? It means you have to want to be in the motion picture & television business so badly that you're willing and able to take constant emotional, verbal, and in the case of agencies, physical abuse on a daily basis with no questions asked. You have to be passionate. Those who aren't don't make it. See, because so many people want in on the Hollywood scene, whether it's front of the camera, behind the scenes of production, or behind the scenes at the studios and agencies, the industry strives on tough business. In other words, if you're not thick skinned or helplessly passionate about working in Hollywood, then you'll be weeded out, for this entire industry is designed to keep people out. Just try calling any studio; unless you have a specific person or job reference number, you won't get passed the operator.

All of this is merely an illustration of why you should pursue your dreams. Hollywood plays hardball; and you should too if you want to become a player in Hollywood.

Playing hardball isn't exclusive to the players in Hollywood though, it also means you have to know, not think you know, what you want to do in Hollywood, because parents, professors, evil blogs, and even friends will try to talk you out of it. Everyone knows Hollywood is notorious as the setting for broken dreams, but the truth is, the screenwriters and other aspiring individuals passionate and set on working in Hollywood, will. Broken dreams usually only happen when someone gives up, so don't be scared of Hollywood and the idea that "you'll never work in this town again," because if you've got the drive, passion, and talent, there's no stopping you. Playing Hollywood hardball means making those cold calls to specific people at production companies. For example, as a script reader, I sometimes look up a production company in the HCD, find the name of the person in charge of development, whether it's the director of development, creative executive, or story editor, and call them up with the simple question of whether or not they use readers for script submissions, and furthermore, if I can send my work over. For screenwriters, playing hardball means writing non-stop, submitting to TriggerStreet and ScriptShark, striving for that oh-so elusive representation, submitting to production companies, battling the development process with your spec screenplays, and writing some more.

Playing Hollywood hardball also means networking.

"In this screwy business, things don't move unless you know people." - Leo Reed

Network with other aspiring screenwriters, professionals through internships or cold calls, and family friends. You just never know who might point you to a job, person, or other opportunity.

All of this said, you should strive on the fact that you're one in a million trying to break into Hollywood - for some this might be depressing, but for others it's encouraging. Work with those who are passionate about their dream in Hollywood. Ignore those who doubt you. Ignore the constant warnings and threats about Hollywood, and ignore the isolation the movie business is built upon. If you want it, you have to take it. Understand what Hollywood is, develop a thick skin, and own your dream while you network and work toward your goal. While it can be tough at times - most of the time, - for those passionate about it, Hollywood hardball is fun.

Are you playing?

Additional reading:
May the Spec be with You
Tips: 5 Things to Know Before Writing



C.J. Rice is a professional story analyst in Los Angeles. He's currently working on writing, producing, and directing his own projects includuing feature length screenplays, short films, and cross-media projects. After spending years reading hundreds of submissions for such companies as Gold Circle Films, Josephson Entertainment, Parkway Productions, and ScriptShark, he launched ScriptXRay.com, an exploration of the screenwriting art and craft for screenwriters and filmmakers interested in looking beyond the surface. For more on C.J. visit www.cjrice.org.

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