Question: What’s the best way to network in L.A.?
Reader question from cameron:
I’m graduating college in a few months and moving down to LA in the summer. By this time I should have 8 full screenplays in various genres. I have very few “contacts” and am interested in developing more — my question is where are good places to hang out to meet agents, readers, producers, etc. if you’re starting from the ground level up?
There’s a word for what you’re describing, one with which I’m sure you’re familiar. It’s called networking. If you need a quick primer on it, just think of LinkedIn or Facebook.
The beauty of the entertainment business is that L.A. is really a ‘small’ town, once you get there, it’s almost impossible not to find people connected to The Biz. From coffee shops filled with writers tapping away on laptops to health clubs littered with producers working their abs and their phones, you’d be hard pressed to avoid finding people with whom you can network.
One way to get paid to network is by getting a job as an assistant for a lit agency, producer, studio exec, etc. A great resource for that is the UTA Job List. You can also invest a small amount of money and join The Tracking Board and/or TrackingB.com. Assuming your interest in screenwriting, they focus on what’s happening in the spec world and acquisition world, but also track job openings, especially on the assistant front.
These jobs are super hard to get, don’t pay terribly well, and require long hours, but what will you can learn about The Biz is invaluable. Moreover my sense of it is that these assistants, likely due to the emergence of the Web and social networks, have developed their own virtual — and some times live / real — community. They swap hard info and gossip. They have mixers. They pass along details on industry screenings and parties. Their bond is the intimate knowledge they have about 80 hour work weeks and tyrannical bosses. But they also know they’re learning the business in a unique and intimate way that very few people are. So the assistant route is a great way to go for some people.
That said, you will have got 8 spec scripts under your belt, so that gives you other options in that you’re looking for representation and/or a producer who will want to run with your screenplay. On the upside, industry people want to find new material and new writers, so there will be an openness to you. But before you present anything to anyone, pick out your best script and make sure it is in great shape. Whether it’s true or not, you should go about your business as if you have one chance to make an impression.
Note: There is a right way and a wrong way to present your spec script to an industry person. Here is a wrong way: Follow an agent into the bathroom at a restaurant and slide the script under the stall door to them. This actually happened to an agent I know. Bad form. And like who’s going to pick up a script that’s been on a public bathroom floor?
When you meet someone who has a connection to an agency, manager, or producer, be assertive but friendly, and explain your deal: My name is so-and-so, I’m a recent graduate of such-and-such school where I majored in film studies. I have 8 original screenplays, would you be willing to read one of them? You can get that information out in 5–10 seconds. The important thing that will pique their curiosity is “8 original screenplays,” so make sure you get that in early. If they agree, then ask for a card or an email address. If not, don’t press them on the spot. However if you get their number, you can contact them in a few days, telling them how nice it was to meet them, you enjoyed the conversation, and that if they change their mind and want to read one of your 8 original screenplays, here is your contact information. In other words, a second bite at the apple.
A good place to meet writers is the Farmer’s Market at 3rd and Fairfax. Take your laptop, grab a coffee at Starbucks, wander around the outdoor area, and there’s a good chance you’ll see a group of writers there (it’s near the WGA and CBS). Also the WGA holds forums open to the public pretty regularly at the WGA Theater on Doheny. Check WGA.org often for details.
As far as clubs or bars is concerned, I’m not the guy for that info. But I’ll bet there are GITS readers who do know the networking hot spots who would be willing to share that info.
How about it, all you L.A. night people? Where should a newcomer to the City of Angels go to meet industry types? Any other tips for Cameron?