© 2005 DEG International • All Rights Reserved •

In Hollywood, it's said that it's not what you
know, it's who you know.

Networking.

Given the millions often spent on spec scripts
with seemingly weak storylines,
one wonders if networking in Hollywood is really important.

I can assure you that networking in Hollywood
increases your chances of a big sale a hundred percent. But
there's a right way to go about it.

Networking in Hollywood is a way of life.
In an ideal universe, it starts in college when the
savvy screenwriter scores a top flight summer internship at a
top entertainment-related company.

Networking in Hollywood it continues after graduation by snaring a job at one
of the larger talent agencies or studios, especially with a
boss with clout.

During this period, friendships you develop may last a lifetime
-- these could very well be the people who will buy your scripts.

But what happens if, like many of the students in my creativity
and screenwriting seminars, you're a forty year old lawyer with
a screenplay?

What if you're outside the industry with a hot
script you need to get to the right agent or producer?

With focus and concentration, you can build a network and get
your script read by the right people, and sold.

The first step in developing a networking in Hollywood
plan is research.

Ask the librarian how to access the various film organizations
in your area.

In the movie mecca of Los Angeles, you'll find
dozens of screenwriting organizations ranging from
Women in Film (men are welcome as members too) and The Scriptwriter's Network.

But there are also groups in other cities, and if the public librarian isn't aware
of them, check with the film or communications department
in your local university or college. Join these groups and begin to get to know
and share information with members.

Make it a point to attend weekend writing workshops at institutions such as
the American Film Institute.

These workshops feature prominent
speakers who may be in a position to help you.

It's okay to briefly introduce yourself after the lecture, but don't
crowd them or make a pitch for your script right then and there. Instead, send
them a letter (one preferably written with wit and sincere thanks),
that tells them a little about your screenplay and yourself and why it will be right for
them (i.e. it's in the genre of films they usually produce, it has a good role for an
actor/actress they usually work with, etc).

If you live in Los Angeles, taking a screenwriting or film production
course at UCLA Extension can be valuable in more ways than one,
especially if the instructor is a major player in the industry,
or the class is relatively small and continues for several weeks.

If the instructor responds to you and your work, there's a good
chance he or she will help you make introductions to agents and producers.

The Internet is a great place to join informal screenwriting groups
where you can exchange gossip, hear who's buying, and get a taste of
the latest industry buzz.

Lurk on live chats featuring top Hollywood
players and send them a letter afterwards, mentioning points raised in
the chat and launching into a pitch for your script, again detailing why
it's tailor made for them.

A great option, especially for those who need to jump start their networking
abilities, is to take a course at the FlashForward Institute
(held in various cities through the year), where co-founder, TV producer Heidi Wall,
orchestrates a program designed to bring
writers, producers, actors, and directors together,
put them in groups, and pool their resources so that each may reach the people

Beyond organizations, Los Angeles based screenwriters should not dismiss
the more social benefits of joining health clubs such as
the Sports Club Los Angeles and Crunch) where the right kind
of networking could pay off in a major way. Becoming a "regular" at
industry restaurants or even hanging out at the bar at Spago Hollywood 
(in addition to the industry -heavy bar at the Peninsula and Four
Seasons Hotel) is another way to go.

For the budget minded, a Starbucks in just the right place
(near Creative Artists Agency) or one of the hip coffee places
frequented by screenwriters (such as those located on 3rd Street and
Melrose Avenue) is an option.

Once you've researched organizations, screenwriting groups,
Internet opportunities, and physical clubs, bars, and restaurants,
it's time for the incubation period. Don't do anything or join
anything just yet … give the information time to simmer a bit
while you turn your attention to another activity.

Your brain is now processing the information "in the background," very
much like a computer clock works while you're working on another application.

When you feel you're ready, take out a large sheet of paper
and some brightly colored crayons.

This is an exercise called "Mind Mapping"
that I detail in Script Magic, designed to shut down the critical left
brain and encourage creative "right brain thinking."

Begin to draw out your personal plan of action, based on your location,
as well as the amount of money and time you can put aside for networking.

When you're finished, "translate" your Mind Map into words, and begin the
third process, implementation.

Savvy networking will never replace a great story, but networking is
the quickest way to learn about the industry. An unproduced screenwriter
can benefit from creating a positive impression on a producer or executive, 
which might dispose them to dig a script out of the slush pile or take a
second look at it - which is often the only thing that stands between
a screenplay stuffed into the sock drawer, and one that makes millions at the box office.

But to take full advantage of successful networking, it's important
to take it one step further by mastering the subconscious technique of
visualization, which can be used to perfect your writing as well.

Like Mind Mapping, visualization brings out the full force of your
creativity. Briefly, the process is based on the fact that our cells
have memory, and that our brain cannot tell the difference between something
we see in a dream, a fantasy, or have experienced in reality.

By focusing on a vision of yourself successfully networking with people, you'll
ultimately attain the vision you see.

In Script Magic, I also detail the concept of achieving synchronicity and
serendipity, which is the "unconscious" art of finding yourself
exactly in the right place at the right time. These concepts were created
by Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, and I describe how to use them and other
subconscious techniques to your advantage in Script Magic.

You may have the talent, but you'll never get anywhere working alone
in a dark room. Research the networking organizations available to you, develop
an action plan, and visualize success!

There's nothing stopping you from achieving your dreams but the strength of your desire.