My Spec Script

Thanks for stopping by, or thanks for randomly typing “Glee Script” into Google. Either way, I hope you stick around for a minute or two. I haven’t haven’t posted in a little while, and, to be completely truthful, I was a victim of a completely random sea otter attack in Boca Raton, Florida. I was the kid shooting the otter attack video you can see right here. I’m kidding, but I think that is great material for a made-for-tv movie — a boy attacked by a rabid otter who then turns into a rabid otter himself: “Revenge of the Otter Man,” a Hallmark movie in the making.

Anyways, the the reason I am posting today is because I came across an interesting topic through an email from Script Magazine titled, “Living in LA, Submitting to Websites and Guest Thoughts” by Chad Gervich. Gervich, a writer/producer/master of all things Hollywood is adamant on his belief that you MUST, MUST (bolded for sheer effect) live in LA if you want to break into the Screen/Television writing profession. As he says in his article:

“The stories we hear of people who sell things via websites, contests, etc., are flukes; they’re not indicative of how Hollywood works… or, most likely, will ever work. And while we all love to hear inspirational stories, it’s not really an advisable way to LAUNCH A CAREER.”

So, the question is, do you agree with Mr. Gervich? Do you think you need to live in LA to have a shot at making it in the industry? Although most “foreigners” to LA would scoff at Mr. Gervich’s suggestion that you must live in LA to have a shot at making it, isn’t that the truth? We fight what we don’t want to hear because it is not easy to swallow. Most of us can’t pack our bags tomorrow with scripts in hand and head out to LA. It is just not a reality, so we fight the notion that it is impossible to break in from the outside. I think we should embrace what Mr. Gervich has to say, because if you twist it around he is actually saying, “bring your talents to LA, and you have a chance.” Unlike trying to make it to the NBA where you MUST be around 6’4″, have a the natural ability to jump like a kangaroo, and somehow beat out millions of other kids who have similar abilities, Mr. Gervich is saying that you, yes you, actually CAN make it if you come to LA. Not that you WILL make it, but you can. To me, that is encouraging.

Although LA is where it’s at, I do think Mr. Gervich is missing the “human” element which you can never keep out of a discussion like this. We enter internet competitions because the one person who DOES make it, going on to the dream career of a professional writer after winning a contest from their couch in Boise, Idaho. And, isn’t that what counts in the end? Just the slim chance that you will be the one? That’s what keeps “us” writing, keeps us pushing to finish the next script, keeps us up late even though there is “real” work early the next morning. Sure, you need to live in LA to have a real shot, but if nothing else, the internet competitions force us to write for the faint hope that you will be the one that hits the jackpot. And, in the end, its the joy of writing itself, not the actual competition, that brings many of us happiness, is it not?

That is why I have this website. The 1 in 1,000,000 shot that someone notices my script and offers me a shot. It might not happen, but that is what keeps me writing every day.

Please share your thoughts!