It Only Takes One
The film industry can be brutal. The odds against success can be really disheartening. Just about everyone you meet out here is an aspiring writer or director. If you were to dwell on the odds, it would be tempting to give up and go back home.
So how do you beat those odds? Some would say it’s all about constantly finishing scripts and getting them in front of people. Eventually your body of work will get you work and something will sell. That’s a fine strategy, but I think it’s far more important to focus on doing great work.
If you can churn out three great screenplays a year, you’re a genius. The rest of us all wish we were you. However, more than likely it’s going to take a lot more time to write something excellent. Don’t rush the process by trying to achieve quantity of scripts. Quality is the goal here.
Remember, it only takes one script to open the doors of Hollywood. M. Night Shyamalan’s whole career is based on the strength of his script for The Sixth Sense. I recently read an interview with Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3.) He spent a year writing Little Miss Sunshine and then revised it for 4 years before he felt it was ready to hand out. Once it was ready, he gave it to one person. One. Arndt said that almost overnight all the big directors were reading it. Spielberg, Zemeckis, etc. Behold the power of a great script.
What are you working on? Are you going to settle for good? Or are you aiming for great? Remember it only takes one great script to launch your career.
It may only take one to “make it,” but it takes ten (or more) to get to that one. The reality is that most scripts will never leave the theaters of our imagination. If the goal is to get every script we write made, we’re fighting a losing battle. I write a lot, and part of my goal is to grow with each script I write. As a result, every script I write is better than the one before, and it’s paid off – literally. The lessons learned with each past script makes each next script better. A breadth of work yields a depth of work…
I don’t think Josh meant only write one script and expect to get it made. I’m positive Shyamalan and Arndt wrote 10 scripts before the big one. So yes, great point. Learn the craft but along the way make each script you write as excellent as you can at this point in time.
Don’t move on too quickly – I think that was Josh’s point. Sometimes you learn more about a script and screenwriting the longer you work on a project instead of accepting walls or blocks (or even mediocre solutions) and moving on to the next thing. I believe it’s a balance and one we all must find for ourselves. On the extreme, Pixar works on projects for 4 years. But, there is a reason their stuff is so good. Maybe this is it.
Thanks for the comment. Great thoughts.
Thanks for the comment, Nathan. You make some valid points. There’s definitely a point when it’s time to move on to the next script. Each script is a learning process. My point was that you shouldn’t let the pressure to finish X number of scripts per year keep you from making your current script as good as it can be.
I should have added a caveat. Your first 3-5 scripts more than likely aren’t going to be your “one”. Don’t waste too much time on those. You’ve got to get the crap out of your system before you’re capable of your best work.