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Life Before Film School by Clark Childers

I came to Los Angeles in the fall of 2003 with my first draft screenplay and a list of industry contacts most established producers would die for. I had scavenged the Brown University alumni website and scheduled meetings with every exec, writer, producer, director, and agent I could find. I figured they could give me advice on which path to follow if I want to make it in the movie business. I hoped maybe they'd take an interest in my fantastic screenplay about the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the greatest natural disaster in American history...but they didn't. I thought maybe they'd offer me a job, nothing fancy, sweeping floors or grabbing coffee...but they didn't. What they did do was make me feel like I knew somebody in the industry. They answered my questions and gave me advice. One exec even sent me an invitation to his birthday party on the Strip. How I must have looked amongst that crowd, with my printed out Writer cards, attempting to pitch my script over the din of dance music. Hopefully I didn't stand out as much as I think I did.

Unfortunately, the parties, the meetings, the coffees and brunches led to a whole lot of squat. But I was optimistic. I had set up these connections so down the line, when I knew what I was doing and what to ask for, I could call these folks and they'd remember me and they'd be impressed. Hopefully. So I dove in head first. I got my hands on the UTA joblist, made Craig and his list my new best friend and began my path to becoming a successful writer. I started out temping at New Line, where I filled in for Kent Alterman's assistant during the filming of Son of the Mask in Australia. Then a friend of mine at E! got me a production assistant job working on a show that never got picked up. Then, around March of 2004, I got an internship with Scott Rudin. I knew nothing about Rudin at the time, which was probably a good thing. All I knew was he was BIG and it was on the Paramount lot. I was so excited.

Around the same time I got an internship working at Laurence Mark Productions on the Sony lot. Larry Mark is one of the few exceptions as he was one of the execs who let me come in and pick his brain and he did give me the opportunity to work at his office. I believe he is one of the nicest guys in the business. So anyway, six months into my stint in Hollywood and I was working for two major producers on actual movie lots! Pretty good, huh?

One year later...

I went back to Texas for Christmas and one thing about a small town is that everyone knows your business. People began to point out with great frequency that I had been in LA a year and I hadn't sold a script, wasn't writing for a TV show and shouldn't I move home soon. A couple days after Christmas I had the Plan B discussion. If I didn't find something to support myself and find it pronto, I was gonna be cut off. I had until summer.

To be continued...