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Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg -- this may have been asked before, in various forms, but I
don't recall seeing it answered, so I thought I'd add you to the list of
screenwriters I've bugged.
I have wanted to write cartoons since I was about nine or ten and have
been writing assorted fiction two or three hours a day, ever day, since
sixth grade (I'm 22.) What specific advice would you have for somebody ready
and willing to produce a sample script?
I've been told to:
1.) Submit a correctly formatted sample script to agents -- which
leads to two questions -- A) What does a correctly formatted cartoon screenplay
LOOK like? I've taken a VERY unhelpful college screenwriting class -- got
an "B", learned the three act structure, and got a blank look and a "that's an
interesting career goal" when I asked the professor about cartoon
screenplays. And B) How does one find an agent knowledgeable in the
field? I have friends with "agents", and have heard enough horror stories to be
wary.
2.) I've also been told to move to LA -- which isn't going to happen
for health reasons (I have significant asthma and other serious health
problems -- smog can and has put me in the hospital) but *shrug* it's
only about seven hours from my house to Los Angeles. HOW important is it to
actually live in California? (I'm in Phoenix and have no intention of
leaving the perfectly good and interesting job I have now for a pipe
dream in Hollywood, at least not yet.)
3.) I've also been told to break into other writing fields first --
which is something I'm working on, without much luck so far. Do I have ANY hope
of getting a foot in a door without a resume of previously published
work?
4.) Finally, are there any books or other materials specifically aimed
at writing animated screenplays? One of my big questions is how much of
the action do I describe -- I know describing action in a live action
screenplay is a big No-No, but cartoons are a bit differant ... and nobody I've
been able to talk to knows the answer to this one. (I could cheerfully
follow the accepted protocols, if only I knew what they were!)
Greg responds...
1A. Get one. Write to a cartoon company for a show you're
interested in writing a spec script for and ask them to mail you copies
of a script. Some will say no, but if you send a polite letter complete
with a self-addressed stamped envelope, someone with a little free time
will eventually make a xerox for you and send it out.
1B. Get a job in animation, and you'll hear about agents. If
you get successful, the agent may even come to you. But agents rarely
get a new writer his or her first job.
2. It's extremely important. A well-known writer can live
anywhere. But even a well-known writer risks losing out on interesting
opportunities due to "out-of-sight-out-of-mind." Cary Bates doesn't
live in L.A., but I use him. But keep in mind that I've known him for
years. He and I were writing partners for years. He was one of the
groomsmen at my wedding. That is, he's an exception. He lives in
Northern California and can fly in at the drop of a hat. But people
forget about him. He knows it. It's a risk he runs cause he hates L.A.
(Me, I was born here, and I love this town.) Now, you. You are a new
writer. I don't know how the hell you break in while living in Phoenix.
You can't network, etc. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I don't
want to kid you either. You'd have to write a killer script (not just a
good one), fly in here often and still overcome the prejudice that you
don't live in town.
3. I don't think this matters as much. God knows a full resume
doesn't hurt. My comic book and teaching experience definitely helped
me get my first couple of jobs in animation. But there are other ways.
A lot of writers at Disney started out as comedians at the GROUNDLINGS
or the IMPROV, for example.
4. I teach a course on this subject. I'm teaching it again in
the fall of '98 (here in L.A.). It takes me ten weeks. So I'll never
be able to condense all that here for you now. So if you want to be
self-taught, get a lot of animation scripts. Then read and study them.
(GDW / 4-29-98)