The Age Old/Old Age Question

I was recently asked by one of the writers in my seminar – “Am I too old to be writing screenplays and trying to break in to the business? Am I too old to get hired?” And my short quick answer was NO! However, the longer answer is a bit more involved and not quite as inspiring.

Of course you are never too old to write – even if you’re too old to hold a pen, you can still write. And there is no age limit on creativity. A writer can be prolific at any age and if you’ve been writing for 30 years, you’re probably a lot better then you were when you started. But writing isn’t the same thing as breaking into the film industry. There is no question that Hollywood is an ageist industry. If you START writing screenplays when you’re 60, you’re going to have a harder time than those trying to break in at 22 or 25 years old. This business is run by billionaires over 60 and executives under 35.  In most industries, the older you are, the wiser and more experienced people think you are. In Hollywood, the older you are, the more detached from the prime demographic you are thought to be.

There are a few reasons why being older makes it harder to break in (though definitely not impossible).  First, as you get older, chances are your connection to what’s “hip” and what can sell gets that much more removed. Do you know the hottest TV shows, movies, books, music, actors, internet sites, words, phrases, lingo, etc.? Probably not.

Writers write what they know or what they would like to go see themselves. The problem with this is that if you’re over 50 or so, chances are what you like to see isn’t the same as the prime 18-49 demographic. Most writers over 60 that pitch to me have either written a period piece, an autobiography or story about something that happened to them, or a family drama that suspiciously sounds like their own family. And these aren’t what sell. You know how when you go over to Grandma’s house, sometimes she wants to whip out the old home movies…well…if your grandkids don’t want to watch them, why would kids all over the country? It’s just about connecting with what sells (see my previous articles on the period piece and autobiography for more on this).

Second, because executives are usually 25-35 years old, sometimes it’s hard for them to give notes to their grandparents. And speaking from experience, the older one is, often the more “stuck in their ways” they can become and to succeed in Hollywood, you have to be incredibly collaborative, malleable and willing to completely change everything. In other words, don’t be that old curmudgeon on the porch who screams and rants about “those crazy kids.”

Lastly, and this is going to sound harsh, but if you’re first breaking in at age 65, then an agent or manager has to look at how many productive and creative years they have left to work with you. Most agents look for clients that they can have a long, productive and profitable relationship with. And five or ten years isn’t that long if you’re still working on only your second script.

Something I’ve discovered is that everyone wants to leave a legacy. Everyone wants to leave their stamp on the world in some way (other than just having children) and screenwriting is a great way to do that. I think this is why so many people, upon retiring from their different chosen profession, choose to start writing. The day job is over and now they can write and tell their story, express themselves, etc. It’s the legacy they want to leave. If you get a movie made, your name is forever and always on that project in the history of Hollywood (for better or worse). And this is completely understandable and commendable. However, I will point out that Jay Leno had a chance to be remembered as one of the great late night personalities of all time, and now he will be remembered as the person who not only killed NBC, but perhaps killed primetime.

Now before all you AARP members throw your Final Draft CD away and come after me with pitchforks and torches, I want to give you the upside. Companies are so hungry for new, original, well-written material that they don’t care who or where it comes from. A couple years ago, I was queried on virtualpitchfest.com and I asked to read the script. It was a young, female-skewed romantic comedy. I loved it, my boss loved it and we optioned the script. Six months later, the writer, who lived in the Midwest, made a trip to LA and we finally met – and he was a tall, older man – easily in his 60s with pants higher than my grandfather’s. Ya know what? It didn’t matter. His script was great. I connected him with a manager, who got him an agent and he has gone on to write numerous projects for Hallmark Channel and is now writing full time.

Screenwriting contests and query websites are completely anonymous. No one knows how old you are or where you’re from. They only know if you can write and tell a good story. If you are a finalist in the Nicholls or Disney Fellowship or some other prestigious contest, you’re going to get representation and meetings no matter how old you are. So, at the end of the day, while it is harder, you can absolutely still break in at an older age. You may just need to go about it a different way and you need to pay attention to the marketplace and pop culture even more than your younger competition so that no one can say that you’re out of touch. Now let’s go grab that early bird special and get to work!

Josh Olson Won’t Read Your Fucking Script…And Shouldnt Have To

This past week, A-list writer Josh Olson, who penned “A History of Violence” and a whole bunch of other stuff that hasn’t been produced yet, wrote an article in the Village Voice titled “I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script.” You can read the full original article here: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/09/i_will_not_read.php?page=1.

Since its posting online, and re-posting on Nikki Finke’s website, hundreds upon hundreds of professional and amateur writers have commented, as well as producers, execs, script consultants, etc.

The comments range from calling Josh a hack and a piece of shit selfish asshole who doesn’t deserve to ever work again, to the most brilliant tell-it-like-it-is martyr for everyone who’s tired of reading a stack of shit they feel forced to read by personal connection or profession.  So where do I fall in this spectrum?

Well first please allow me to preface my comments. Josh was talking about reading people’s scripts for FREE. People that speak to him once or are friends of friends o long lost family members who think that he is their IN, and therefore use that referral to ask him to read their script for free. Obviously, since I run a script consulting company, I am MORE than happy to read any of my clients scripts (yes, even the bad ones), and I appreciate and am grateful for everyone’s business! So, please keep in mind that my comments are regarding the freebees that Josh was referring to in his article.

This wouldn’t be No BullScript if I sugarcoated it, so for me…Josh was absolutely right. Sure, he seems ungrateful because after all, someone took a chance on him when he started, right? But here’s the bottom line – karma might be a bitch, and maybe he’ll never work again, but no one ever said that you HAVE to pay it forward. It’s everyone’s individual choice.

This town is dog-eat-dog, and he’s the Rottweiler who just decided to take a bite out of the neighbors’ Yorkie. He doesn’t owe you anything just because he became successful. He arguably worked hard to get there, and he works even harder to stay there. And as a screenwriter, the first thing you need to learn is that no one owes you anything. No one HAS to give you a shot or your first big break. YOU have to make that happen.

And Josh’s reason for no longer wanting to read scripts from everyone he has barely met has great merit. People outside of the business are constantly told that they need referrals and an “in” to get anywhere in this industry and that’s true. But that means every single wannabe writer, director, producer and actor trying to break in, is contacting that ONE person they know to see what they can do. And it gets tiring for those on the inside. We have hundreds upon hundreds of scripts to read per year just for work. And then probably another 50 we want to read just for fun.

Of course, I’d be happy to read my old college roommate’s script and give him my thoughts, but his friends’ roommates’ cousin? No, I’m not going to read his fucking script…unless of course he’s paying me to.

There are only so many hours of the day, and the more successful you are, the busier you get. Josh is currently rewriting at least 4 studio movies, so it’s not out of the realm of plausibility that he actually doesn’t have TIME to read every wannabes’ script that comes across his desk. Every exec in town is scared to meet new people that are writers because we know that after the niceties subside and we’ve talked about the weather, our alma maters, and the latest viral video, they are going to ask us to read their script! And either they want us to read it and give them notes, or they want us to read it to see if we’d like to produce it. And Josh is right – it’s not fair that everyone we meet assume that we are willing to do this.

If you and I are close, then fine. But if we just met, don’t be so presumptuous. And it’s worse for executives and script consultants than it is for writers. Why, you ask? Because writers aren’t PAID to READ scripts. If I make my living reading scripts and giving wonderful, constructive notes, how many freebees do you think I can possibly give just because you know someone I know and we had a 5 minute conversation? That 5 minute conversation just cost me over $100.

And I can commiserate with Mr. Olson’s worry about how to word his response just so, because you don’t want to piss off a friend, but chances are – they suck.  It’s hard to give constructive notes without feeling like you’re being too rough or a total asshole. Now, those of you who have used my services know that’s not usually a problem for me, but that’s because you know what you’re getting into before you submit your script. How do you tell your friend or family member that they suck? It’s easier and cleaner if you just refuse to read it.

Now, because I have had luck with younger, unrepresented, unproduced writers, I’m usually willing to give anyone a chance. But with someone you know personally, you can’t just stop reading after page 10 if it’s awful. It’s just an awkward situation.

To summarize, yeah, Josh might have been a bit harsh and certainly seemed a bit holier than thou when really, he isn’t, however he was just expressing an opinion that (whether they admit it or not) every single executive, professional writer, director, actor and producer actively working in the business feels. And if you are so deeply offended by the fact that someone successful isn’t reaching out a hand to help you, then this business isn’t for you, because going back to the my point…no one owes you anything.