I'm sure all five of you have questions, so I'll get the big ones out of the way below:
What were you doing all that time?
The simple answer is going to grad school, but the how and the where and the what for are pretty interesting. For the past three years, I've been earning my MFA in Feature Film Screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University's School of Film and Television. Eight fellow writers and I spent six semesters, just over 50 credit hours, and countless sleepless nights developing movies, TV pilots, spec episodes, plays, and even a video game or two.
Wow, what was it like?
Pretty damn cool. It's not every day that you get to go to school for something you actually care about, so I really threw myself into the program and its resources. Our faculty was made up of industry veterans; I took a sitcom writing class with a man who wrote on Seinfeld (and still had lunch with Larry David from time to time). The Hollywood Reporter hosted its Hollywood Masters series of talks in our theater, so I got to see a bunch of industry greats up close and personal. Some highlights included Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, and Quincy Jones. There was even an industry internship program, through which I landed an internship at Lionsgate. It also didn't hurt that our campus was in Marina Del Rey the whole time.
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| Weekend beach run? Weekend beach run. |
What are you doing now?
Applying to jobs like my life depends on it, which it actually does. Turns out three years of film school is SUPER EXPENSIVE, and my student loans are gaining interest by the day. The cost of living in LA is no picnic either, and it's going to get worse when I'm dropped from my parent's healthcare and insurance. They were nice enough to support me chasing my dreams through school, but now my dad's retired and their money's tight. I've been working retail since summer to make ends meet, but the hours have really dried up since the holidays ended. I am technically a member of the WGA now, so I get to go to free screenings every now and then.
That sounds less fun.
Yeah, it's not. I'd go to counseling for it, but again - no moolah.
What are you gonna do next?
The only thing to do! Get a real, decent-paying, "Big Boy Job." There's not a whole lot in the way of work for screenwriters with no credits and no management, but I have a wealth of experiences in a wide range of other areas that I can call upon. My more gainfully employed friends assure me that I am qualified for some paid position, so I'm resolving to put myself out there more in hopes of attracting the right attention.
This includes everything from applying like the dickens on LinkedIn and Entertainmentcareers.net to boosting my presence on social media and online (including here). I also write and record a weekly radio show on entertainment news as part of my training at a local radio station.
Dope. Anything we can do?
Yes, actually! I'll be posting the copy for my radio show on this blog, so be sure to read and share it. It'd also be cool if you could follow me on Twitter @BlackOtaku and on IG @aaronamal as well. I might add my Youtube channel (and some form of monetization) into the mix at some point, but that's it for now.
Well thanks for listening to me ramble. 2016 was rough going for me (along with the rest of America), but I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. Here's to 2017 being a rebuilding year.
Onwards and upwards!
- AA
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