I went to Austin once and it was great. I was a 2nd rounder with my script. I went to the panels and hanged out at the Driskill. This was many years ago. During one of the nights, the some other 2nd rounders and myself ended up at a room party in Shane Blacks room. It was wild. He was treated as a rock star.
The whole experience was pretty cool.
Never let the competition know what you're thinking... and never tell the unseen masses your story idea.
-- Rule 85, Ferengi Rules of Acquisition (updated by cmmora)
Heading to Austin screenwriting conference for the first time.
Any vets willing to share tips, experiences, do this, don't do that?
What do you want to know?
a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Pearl Buck
Austin is a blast. It's really easy to enjoy yourself there. Go to some panels (and definitely hit up the roundtables). Do the pitch competition if you're really into it, but go in knowing it's basically just practice.
Go to parties, hang out at the Driskill bar, meet other writers. If you get the chance (and you probably will), go up and speak to the pros you admire. But be respectful and polite.
Overall, don't go crazy trying to "network" or "sell yourself." No one is going to buy your script during the meet and greet BBQ. Just try to meet people and make connections that you can follow up on once you're back in the "real world."
And find time to sneak away to get some food. There's plenty of great stuff to eat in Austin.
I've been four times, so:
--Plan out your panels ahead of time, and always have a backup panel to go to, in case your top choice is too overcrowded and you can't get in.
--If Vince Gilligan is on a panel, get on line at least 90 minutes early, or 2 hours to be safe.
--Plan to catch at least some of the movies there.
--Be prepared to spend quite a bit of time in the Driskill bar.
--Have business cards printed up. Be prepared to hand them out at everything you go to.
--Get plenty of sleep heading into Thursday, because once it gets going, you won't get much sleep until Sunday.
--If you aren't staying downtown, be prepared to pay for parking. If you are driving, Saturday nights in Austin are jammed with traffic, especially last year when there was a lot of construction going on. Also, traffic into downtown crawls during rush hour. (My brother lives there, so I stay with him, meaning I have to commute downtown).
--The most important lesson is to NOT BE SHY. Don't be a wallflower. Go and talk to people. It's one thing if you're hitting on someone at the bar, but otherwise, these are writers/filmmakers like yourself. Don't be afraid to start up a conversation, even if it's with one of the celebs.
Heading to Austin screenwriting conference for the first time.
Any vets willing to share tips, experiences, do this, don't do that?
Go to the Driskill, drop a couple hundred buying rounds for everyone, make sure they chant your name when they do their shots, get wrecked yourself, make a scene, start a fight, go out in cuffs.
Go to the Driskill, drop a couple hundred buying rounds for everyone, make sure they chant your name when they do their shots, get wrecked yourself, make a scene, start a fight, go out in cuffs.
Comment