Thank you for doing this thread. Its been on my to do list since it last got bumped, and I didn't want to ask questions until I finished reading it. I hope you are busy writing or drinking so I fully understand if you can't get to these questions.


Hypothetical: If you wrote a full feature, in todays market all things being the same. Would you sell to Amazon or a studio? If you had no connections would you sell to the studio over Amazon for the connections, if the cash was the same?

How many writing samples should someone have when trying to find representation? Or if you were represented how many samples would you like your agent to have to send out?

What would you write if you didn't live in LA?

Can I get a copy of the script you and your writing partner wrote to get your agent?

When I have all my samples ready, is my goal getting them into the hands of an agent somehow? Any advice for someone who is not in LA and doesnt know anyone in the business? Should I just try to win the ABC and WB writing workshops?

Thats already a lot of questions so Im going to stop here. Hiking paper is gold and thanks again for doing this thread.

1. If all things are the same, I guess it wouldn't matter and I'd flip a coin. Seriously though, I think I'd go with studio simply bc you will probably get more eyeballs on your work that way. I don't have any numbers to back this up and don't know anything about Amazon's success/market share and am kind of talking out of my ass.

2. TV? Two. One original and one spec of an existing show. Film? I don't know, I'll say two. Your agent only needs one really good sample to send out but having another one doesn't hurt. They get stale though and it's good to have new material every once in a while.

3. I'd probably write the same thing but live in NY. If you mean, what would I write outside of screenwriting? Fiction novels ideally. Assuming that didn't work out? No idea. How do you get a job at Grantland or whatever? That's what I'd do.

4. sure pm me

5. If you don't know anyone in the business to send your stuff to, than yes, those contests are probably your best bet. My advice would be to move to LA and start meeting people in the business. If you are serious about it, you have to give yourself the best possible chance and being in LA (or NY) gives you that.

Ha! Forgot about hiking paper. Thanks for reminding me. I peaked with hiking paper.

Thanks man, after reading this thread Im putting serious thought into taking steps to get into that writers room. I have to sell a script first before I can move to LA, thats the only way it can happen I think. Thats why I am interested in amazon, since they were interested in the dog script. I cant think of a better job than sitting in a room with like minded people pitching jokes and getting free lunch. Next you are going to tell me the room has air conditioning. I didn't know there were jobs like that, it just sounds like fun. So I guess my line right now is sell amazon a movie script, then move to LA and get a PA job. When I was 17, writing movie scripts was one of my get rich quick schemes so Im revisiting screenwriting now with the adult patience.

?

The relevant information from the dog script thread is Amazon accepts unsolicited material and they also pay 200k for full features. Whether that is a good deal or not, I cant do **** about because they are the only ones who will read my scripts. If it will get me some cash and confidence to change careers, I will write them some marketable scripts. Ill just save my best ideas for when I got leverage.

I dont know if Amazon actually was interested in the dog script, I just remember people in the thread at one point saying things like "Is he actually getting **** done?"

Update

Im going to try to go chronologically.

So from the end of April I found out I had just missed the 2013 writing workshop season. I wrote a Big Bang Theory spec in May. Those are the characters I know the best on TV right now. Right now I have to survive this entire season of the TBBT. All I really need is Raj to stay single because I aint rewriting **** Chuck.

The week after Breaking Bad finished I wrote a pilot. It took me two days write then I proofread it for two days. On the fifth day I sent it to Amazon. They got a few more weeks to make a decision. Even if I get royally ****ed it was only a few days work. I did use one of my movie ideas though.

Then I found out CBS has a writing workshop too. However they want a spec and a pilot so I wrote another pilot two days ago. This one was probably better for Amazon and the one Amazon has is probably better for a studio. It works because depending on how Amazon moves I still have two scripts for CBS and I can send another script to Amazon if I want.

I'm just going to keep banging **** out until something sticks. I spent 200 bucks on a glitchy 2004 copy of Movie Magic that I need recouped damnit.

gl