Julian Friedmann, agent and editor of ScriptWriter magazine, discusses the effectiveness of screenwriting courses and how a screenwriter should dedicate themselves to their craft.
In a recent presentation in London, Friedman gave the following advice.
Screenwriters must be very pro-active about learning to write screenplays because this is a largely self-taught industry.
Friedmann then asked how many people read feature film scripts at school? Indeed, we all read novels and stage plays, but these don’t teach us to write scripts in a visual way.
Friedmann, an agent who has advised and worked with many screenwriters over the years, blames the film and television industry for not training screenwriters properly and providing proper accreditation.
In fact, there is no accreditation in this industry.
Screenwriting is such a freelance and fragmented activity, that it might not even be possible to provide proper accreditation.
If you look at a doctor or lawyer, their profession is accredited by other industry professionals. And it’s also interesting to draw a parallel between these industries and screenwriting.
A doctor will usually work 12-15 hours a day, 50 hours a week. How many screenwriters do the same or take their industry as seriously as a doctor?
In Friedmann’s experience working as a script agent and screenplay doctor, he has seen lots of hardworking and committed scriptwriters, but few with the same passion or commitment as a doctor.
As a screenplay agent, I can also offer this suggestion: if you’re as committed as a doctor, your chance of succeeding in this industry goes up exponentially. Nothing is more appealing to a screenwriting agency than getting a new writer that is passionate and committed to their craft.
* Liz Fairbanks has worked as a reader, development assistant, and talent agent in Los Angeles over the last seven years. Liz loves traveling, reading and yoga. Liz also works as a freelance consultant for Script Mailer (a company that connects screenwriters with agents and producers in Hollywood).