
Two Pathways to Becoming a Successful Screenwriter in Hollywood Producers of low-budget movies are especially happy to work with new writers who aren’t represented by agents because it removes a layer of complexity for low-budget productions. You can find many producers willing to read scripts from new writers. The idea that you need an agent and manager to do business in Hollywood as a screenwriter is a huge misconception.
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In fact, Ashley found it harder to sell his second script than it was to sell his first, probably because that first screen credit seemed like it was for an iffy movie that wasn’t even the script he really wrote.Īll the business that Ashley has done in Hollywood has come without having an agent or manager. Dogged persistence is what paid off for him.ĭish Dogs was drastically rewritten after it was optioned and the movie didn’t turn out very good. It took about two years for Ashley to see any tangible result as he pursued his dream of becoming a screenwriter. That script was optioned and became Ashley’s first screen credit. He wrote scripts and submitted to the producers who put out these ads.Įventually, Ashley and his friend wrote a script called Dish Dogs about two guys who worked as dishwashers. When Ashley arrived in Hollywood in the 1990s, small-budget movie producers would put ads into trade magazines looking for screenwriters. He submitted to script writing contests and wrote a lot of scripts. He tried everything he could think of to break in to Hollywood. After he graduated college, Ashley and a friend drove across the country and settled in Los Angeles to start making their way as filmmakers. He wasn’t a particularly good student and didn’t have any job prospects coming out of college, but he kept thinking about working in film. He started writing in college and wrote a few scripts. He didn’t know any writers or artists and had no connections in the entertainment industry.


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We talked about how to sell your screenplay and the importance of building relationships in Hollywood.Īshley grew up in Annapolis, Maryland. He’s also the creator of, where he teaches screenwriters how to sell their screenplay and get a great deal.

Ashley Scott Meyers is a screenplay writer, producer, and director.
