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My POV
Brian A. Wilson
Hollywood-ism
There are lots of spooky things in Hollywood: sleazy agents, horndog producers, homeless guys who once dreamed of being screenwriters.
And those are real!
Don't let yourself get bogged down by demons of the mind, such as worrying about the Hollywood isms.
There's a never-ending discussion in Hollywood on the presence, absence or impact of various isms: ageism, racism, sexism. Just last night, I watched Leeza Gibbons interview TV legend Dick "Law and Order" Wolf, and she was bemoaning the believe that the industry is run by 23-year-olds.
So, is it true? Does it matter to aspiring screenwriters, whether they live in LA or elsewhere?
My answers are "maybe" and "so what?"
I say "maybe" because I think if, for example, you want to write sitcoms, age is a huge factor. Nothing is impossible, but if you're playing the odds, being 55 and trying to get hired on as a staff writer on "Everybody Loves Raymond" is going to come in at several thousand to one.
I think the prospects are brighter in the feature world. If it's a great script, nothing else matters. Julian Fellowes wrote his first script at age 50; he won an Oscar for it last year (Gosford Park).
But I digress.
The point is, whatever you are is whatever you are. If you're 48, black, female and living in Iowa, about all you can do anything about is the living in Iowa part. We all have to play the cards we're dealt. Realize some aspects of who you are may create longer odds than others, but for the most part, this is where the "so what?" aspect comes into play.
You are who you are. Make the most of it. Play to your strengths. If you don't want to live in LA or NY, don't make it your goal to write for episodic TV; it probably ain't gonna happen. If you're a steel worker, write a script set in the steel industry, which makes you the expert. If you're 70 and just penned a gem featuring a protagonist of your own age, send it to Paul Newman, not Vin Diesel.
Yes, racism, sexism and ageism exist in Hollywood. They exist everywhere in this country and the world. That, as they say, is life. Scary, but true.
My advice: Don't waste your energy worrying about it, don't let it drain your enthusiasm for what you want to do. Make a vow to combat Hollywood-isms when you're in a position to do so, but for now-
Keep writing.
BW
LA
(And have a happy Halloween.)
transtexan@hotmail.com
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