Going against the experts (?)

[RAMONE]

While I wait for rejection letters to trickle in I thought I'd start on my next project. However, a screenwriting text just shot that out of the water - or should it? R.Frensham's book on screenwriting says if you are a newbie writing "a movie script about people making a movie, my advice is: Drop it." Further to this I have read in trade publications and screenwriting texts that screenplays that portray Hollywood unfavorably have the same survival time as Haagen-Daas in Marlon Brando's house.

I realize that a writer writes what they want to and terms like target audience, etc. are for 'the suits', but I'm writing a screenplay here - I'd hope it has a shot at hitting the screen.
Any thoughts?

[GirlinGray]

Three words: Swimming With Sharks.

Maybe I should make that five: The Player.

Oh hell, why stop there, how about eight: In The Soup --

You get the idea, yes?

[RAMONE]

I'd add Get Shorty to that list too since they all have one thing in common - they were all written by established screenwriters. The general gist appears to be you can 'dis the establishment when you make it but not until then. If this is the case I'd rather put this one on the back burner and focus on something that will get exposure. If this attitude is indeed true. That's what I'm hoping someone could shed some light on.

[wcmartell]

The reason why: You are writing about something you don't know much about, and submitting that script to experts in the field.

A friend of mine used to be in the Navy and is hyper-critical of movies abou the Navy. He knows how things are really done and spots every Hollywood mistake.

You are writing a script about Hollywood and giving it to the people who will be most critical of it. Every detail you get wrong will make you look like a moron.

GET SHORTY was based on an Elmore Leonard novel - Leonard worked as a screenwriter in the 70s.

THE PLAYER is a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on a novel by screenwriter Michael Tolkin.

SWIMMING WITH SHARKS - about the assistant to a big studio producer with a temper was written by a guy who used to be Joel Silver's assistant.

These guys know what they're talking about. They don't get the details wrong.

- Bill (loves MISTRESS and LIVING IN OBLIVION)

[Actor]

Elmore Leonard still writes today, although his last screenplay was in the late 80s. His screenwriting career goes back to the 50s.

I highly recommend his novel <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Freaky Deaky<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->.

[ferds]

I like THE BIG PICTURE (Kevin Bacon), another movie about Hollywood and BOWFINGER (Steve Martin) for a few laughs. Can't remember, though, who wrote these movies about Hollywood.

May be I should make it a habit to remember names of screenwriters of movies I watch. ;)

[Straylight]

The REAL reason most people advise against the creation of a film about the industry (pos or neg), is that the process is not universally stimulating. This is mentioned in The Player and is 99.5% true. Aside from the folken here, the mad ones, the pit fiends, the business of Hollywood (the real business, not Tom and Nicole) is BORING! BORING! BORING!

This is why the "I'm dissing Hollywood; I'm so @#%$ hip" scripts, even the good ones, die stillborn.

[Rayborg]

Once again I'll state that I consider movies about Hollywood, or the entertainment industry to be creative incest - inherently a notch down from other tops - and not nearly as fascinating as they are perceived to be by the people creating them.

Like professors researching optimization of students schedules - that's joke research. Likewise for films about filming. I cringe every time I see this is a story line.

Makes one wonder if anyone out there knows anything OUTSIDE the industry or the immediate LA metropolitan area.

(Yes, there some of these film can be of merit, but as a general guideline, I'd pass on any script dealing with the entertainment industry.)

[Muckraker]

I've heard good things about THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY for it's Inside Hollywood flavor, but I couldn't tell you if it's legit because 1)I haven't seen it and 2)I live in DC and I'm in advertising.

Did I mention how good Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is?